hi there,
regarding the segmented patch cords: imo, this feature would greatly enhance the readability of complex patches if there's a lot of messaging going on.
I would propose the idea of a 'tunnel'-object, which would be a container holding several patch cords at once (like a wiring harness). the tunnel itself is segmented - it could be drawn in a way similar to how you draw masks in image processing apps (click [start]
- click [point] - click [point] - doubleclick [end]).
to make a connection between two objects using the tunnel, one would click at the outlet of the first object, then at the tunnel and finally at the inlet of the second object. this comes in handy for connecting 10 outlets of an objects in the upper right corner of your patch with a thingie in the lower left.
I realize the the same result could be achieved by muxing the signals and/or using local sends and receives. however, muxing might not always be feasible, and the latter is imho an inferior solution in terms of readability ...
the problem in implementing this will be backward compatibility. maybe the tunnel could be implemented as a generic pass-through - object, so that it would appear as outlet -> cord -> tunnel -> cord -> inlet to older versions of pd. future versions might be smart enough to recognize the tunnel for what it is and draw the patch accordingly.
just a few thoughts, thoralf.
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