Auto-Color tools for Studio One/Studio Pro (WIP preview)

[Lukas]

I wanted to share a small WIP preview of the current state of the Auto-Color feature that will be included in my upcoming add-on for Studio One / Studio Pro.

A lot of the ideas and workflow decisions were directly inspired by the feedback in the Feature Voting Thread, and I’ve been trying to implement as many of the requested features as possible.

This is how it works in Reaper with the SWS extension:
The moment you name a track (marker or region marker), a certain color and track icon are assigned to that track based on the list you created.

Nice idea. Too bad they didn't show each of the colors in the interface. It makes it hard to tell which colors you have selected for your palette.

I'm hoping Lukas's new implementation will allow us to configure both the colors and the tracks they're applied to. If he also adds the option to select the track icons to use for each color, we'd have a feature set equivalent to ColorToolbar.

Here’s a screenshot of the current state of the Color Rules window:

Current features include:

• Automatic rule-based track coloring
• Assigning track icons
• Multiple search modes (exact, contains, whole word, starts with)
• Inline editing for quickly modifying rules
• Rules that can assign colors + icons together, or independently
• Configurable palettes and rule ordering

Track assignment inside a session can be triggered both manually and automatically, depending on the workflow. I’m also currently experimenting with some additional ideas and automation features on top of this.

There’s still a lot to refine and polish, but the core workflow is already coming together really nicely.

 

[BobF]

Looking good, Lukas!

 

[Vocalpoint]

I wanted to share a small WIP preview of the current state of the Auto-Color feature that will be included in my upcoming add-on for Studio One / Studio Pro.

A lot of the ideas and workflow decisions were directly inspired by the feedback in the Feature Voting Thread, and I’ve been trying to implement as many of the requested features as possible.





Here’s a screenshot of the current state of the Color Rules window:

Current features include:

• Automatic rule-based track coloring
• Assigning track icons
• Multiple search modes (exact, contains, whole word, starts with)
• Inline editing for quickly modifying rules
• Rules that can assign colors + icons together, or independently
• Configurable palettes and rule ordering

Track assignment inside a session can be triggered both manually and automatically, depending on the workflow. I’m also currently experimenting with some additional ideas and automation features on top of this.

There’s still a lot to refine and polish, but the core workflow is already coming together really nicely.

Ooh. Me likey.

Do you have sway over getting some more (useable) Track Icons into this program?

Nice one Lukas.

VP

 

[Housemus]

Looking good. Instabuy for me. And yes, more icons please. Or a customization option.

 

[Edu]

I wanted to share a small WIP preview of the current state of the Auto-Color feature that will be included in my upcoming add-on for Studio One / Studio Pro.

A lot of the ideas and workflow decisions were directly inspired by the feedback in the Feature Voting Thread, and I’ve been trying to implement as many of the requested features as possible.





Here’s a screenshot of the current state of the Color Rules window:

Current features include:

• Automatic rule-based track coloring
• Assigning track icons
• Multiple search modes (exact, contains, whole word, starts with)
• Inline editing for quickly modifying rules
• Rules that can assign colors + icons together, or independently
• Configurable palettes and rule ordering

Track assignment inside a session can be triggered both manually and automatically, depending on the workflow. I’m also currently experimenting with some additional ideas and automation features on top of this.

There’s still a lot to refine and polish, but the core workflow is already coming together really nicely.

That's really interesting. I like the idea of being able to define different rules for similar instruments, with priority based on the order of the rules themselves.

Just one question: do all the colors and icons configured by your add-on also affect console channels?

 

[Lukas]

Just one question: do all the colors and icons configured by your add-on also affect console channels?

Yes, that's the idea

 

[OFS]

Hello Lukas. I've wished for this in every DAW I've used. I think track auto-colorization should not be based on track names because it forces a certain pattern in track names and that's annoying.

As far as I'm concerned, auto coloring (and potentially other automated processes) should be based on some sort of meta-data tagging associated with each track (imagine something like Track Notes but not immediately visible in the UI). So if I tag a track with #DRUMS then it should be automatically colored in a certain way and I would have the freedom to call the track whatever I wanted and not waste characters in the track name, as I have do in the present. For example, all my drum tracks in my template start with "d." and I use this for track visibility filtering. This could also be made through track meta-data.

I realize you might not have the necessary depth in terms of API access to implement something like this, but if I were to do it, that's how I would go about it.

Just my two cents...

Thanks for your scripts and help in the forum!

 

[Crossinger]

I realize you might not have the necessary depth in terms of API access to implement something like this, but if I were to do it, that's how I would go about it.

At least there are Track Tags available in Lukas’ Script package “Scoring Tools”. So it should be totally possible to implement it this way. But it should be noted that with the already existing (but discontinued) “Color Toolbar” people are already accustomed to using track names. So it’s no surprise that Lukas chose this option.

 

[Edu]

Hello Lukas. I've wished for this in every DAW I've used. I think track auto-colorization should not be based on track names because it forces a certain pattern in track names and that's annoying.

As far as I'm concerned, auto coloring (and potentially other automated processes) should be based on some sort of meta-data tagging associated with each track (imagine something like Track Notes but not immediately visible in the UI). So if I tag a track with #DRUMS then it should be automatically colored in a certain way and I would have the freedom to call the track whatever I wanted and not waste characters in the track name, as I have do in the present. For example, all my drum tracks in my template start with "d." and I use this for track visibility filtering. This could also be made through track meta-data.

I realize you might not have the necessary depth in terms of API access to implement something like this, but if I were to do it, that's how I would go about it.

Just my two cents...

Thanks for your scripts and help in the forum!

This is a great idea, I hope Lukas can take it into consideration because implementing it would give us more freedom in naming our tracks/channels.

 

[Lukas]

As far as I'm concerned, auto coloring (and potentially other automated processes) should be based on some sort of meta-data tagging associated with each track (imagine something like Track Notes but not immediately visible in the UI). So if I tag a track with #DRUMS then it should be automatically colored in a certain way and I would have the freedom to call the track whatever I wanted and not waste characters in the track name, as I have do in the present. For example, all my drum tracks in my template start with "d." and I use this for track visibility filtering. This could also be made through track meta-data.

As @Crossinger pointed out, it's actually exactly what the Track Tags feature in Scoring Tools does.

Filter Tracks By Tags | Scoring Tools Manual

Online manual for Scoring Tools for Studio One. Tips, tutorials, and in-depth feature guides.

manual.studioonescripts.com

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I realize you might not have the necessary depth in terms of API access to implement something like this

I do

Technically, coloring tracks based on track tags is totally possible. As always, the question is how useful it would be for a larger number of users. Coloring a track or a selection of tracks is actually faster than entering a track tag - so why take the extra step of assigning tags first and then applying colors via track tags afterward? You could also select and filter your tracks by colors...

 

[BobF]

As @Crossinger pointed out, it's actually exactly what the Track Tags feature in Scoring Tools does.

Filter Tracks By Tags | Scoring Tools Manual

Online manual for Scoring Tools for Studio One. Tips, tutorials, and in-depth feature guides.

manual.studioonescripts.com

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I do

Technically, coloring tracks based on track tags is totally possible. As always, the question is how useful it would be for a larger number of users. Coloring a track or a selection of tracks is actually faster than entering a track tag - so why take the extra step of assigning tags first and then applying colors via track tags afterward? You could also select and filter your tracks by colors...

If the tags are carried over via track templates, then there is a good case for color-by-tags. If not, then I agree - faster to just pick a color

 

[Lukas]

If the tags are carried over via track templates, then there is a good case for color-by-tags.

They are - via track templates and track presets.

 

[BobF]

They are - via track templates and track presets.

IMO, that makes color-by-tag useful and quick in the long run. This assumes a scenario such as having several synth tracks instantiated via templates and deciding later I want them a different color. This without naming constraints

 

[Lukas]

Indeed, that makes sense to me.

 

[OFS]

As @Crossinger pointed out, it's actually exactly what the Track Tags feature in Scoring Tools does.

Filter Tracks By Tags | Scoring Tools Manual

Online manual for Scoring Tools for Studio One. Tips, tutorials, and in-depth feature guides.

manual.studioonescripts.com

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I do

Technically, coloring tracks based on track tags is totally possible. As always, the question is how useful it would be for a larger number of users. Coloring a track or a selection of tracks is actually faster than entering a track tag - so why take the extra step of assigning tags first and then applying colors via track tags afterward? You could also select and filter your tracks by colors...

Hi @Lukas, thanks for the reply. For me the tag based system would have a few advantages. As far as auto-coloring it would have the advantage of freely naming tracks.

But beyond that, I think it could be used in many other automated processes such as track visibility filtering (which, once again, I base in track names constricting my track names to fit the filter) and probably a bunch of others that I can't think about now.

It just seems to me it would be a great thing for developers like you and if it got to the point where the tag system would be accessible to the app's macro system, then I think many people would use them in cool ways.

I've got to check the track tags in Scoring Tools better...

Thanks!

 

[Lukas]

if it got to the point where the tag system would be accessible to the app's macro system, then I think many people would use them in cool ways.

Can you elaborate on that? The Scoring Tools track tags are already accessible via corresponding commands so of course you can use then in macros. The question is what exactly you like to do in the macro. The commands can basically assign track tags and filter tracks by tags. Track selection based on tags is planned but not yet implemented.