For example, I usually want the LFO CHOP to be a ramp with a frequency of 0.1.
Is there a way I can have every new LFO CHOP have these settings?
Not directly, and I’m hoping that someday this does become an option. In the meantime, you can create a base with custom parameters that you can set to any defaults, add an in and out etc. in order to make your own version of an operator or several, with whatever defaults you want.
These can be stored in your user folder of the palette on the left of the screen, and allow for quick access. Admittedly, that still may cost more clicks then just tweaking the parameters to the default you want, so its up to you to determine when that will be more helpful then not
Ok, so I’ve got it saved in the palette. Here’s how I did that:
- Create a Base Component. Inside it, create my LFO CHOP, connected to an Out CHOP.
- Dragging onto “My Components” doesn’t work. First, you need to right-click “My Components”, add a new folder, and drag your Base component onto that folder.
This is a good solution for me, but it would be nice if there was a Palette page in the OP create dialog, so I wouldn’t have to use my mouse.
In the OP create dialog, I guess the “Custom” page is for custom C++ operators only? Custom Operators - Derivative
I’m glad that worked for you. You are correct about C++ operators in Custom. I think a lot of us are waiting to see what they come up with once there’s a git diffable toe/tox format and the fabled UI redesign goes through. There are lots of possibilities for customization, fetching components from a webserver, better searchability/fuzzy finding in Op Create dialogue… some people have rolled some of their own features in these veins, but a Derivative supported version would make my year.
Here are a few UI extension features that I’ve been playing with lately that all come from the user base. I’d love to see similar features supported in the stable branch of TouchDesigner itself:
KBUI let’s you assign nodes and scripts to hotkeys in a really interesting and intuitive way. I’ve used the method I recommended before to link to external palette toxes, and inject them directly into my session like you would with op create dialogue. There is some funny stuff with how it handles external toxes that requires destroying and recreating the tox to make it load properly, but I’ve scripted my fix for that into a hotkey as well. Although its a lot of work on the front end to make your own versions of built in nodes, it allows you to create your own default values and even snag pre assembled common networks like an arcball cam render network, an elaborate feedback network or a simple Constant>speed all in a few clicks
Forum community member @alphamoonbase has created an online library tool, which is a unique way to host your external components in the cloud and inject them into your projects. He’s accepting beta testers via DM potentially if you’re interested in exploring that option
TDSearchPalette adds some much needed basic functionality to the palette, allowing for immediate filtering of both the Derivative and user palette offerings. I’ve come to accumulate a pretty gnarly collection of tools I’ve built or stashed away from forum projects over the years, and this little search bar has made my life easier in the weeks since I’ve been adding it to my projects
Ultimately, one of the coolest parts about TouchDesigner is that a lot of it is built in TouchDesigner, and if you like TouchDesigning you can TouchDesign your own TouchDesigner… which is to say its hard to find something that can’t be done in TD even if it isn’t offered directly to the user, if you’re willing to get creative with your solutions. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a long wishlist, but there’s usually a backdoor or a way to code around the problem