FabFilter User Forum
No access to full plugin control in instance list
We made the decision to not show all controls in the instance list to keep the UI manageable. For some controls, like the side chain settings in Pro-C 3, or the advanced dynamics features in Pro-Q 4, you'll need to open the regular plug-in interface.
Cheers,
That's sad FF did that. Makes the instance list useless window dressing. At least FF could have provided a way to open the full gui by option clicking or right clicking on the gui for the plugin one wants to edit.
I just went to the product page for Pro Q4 and in the section where it shows the instance list stuff when you click on the learn more and specifically in the 'create your own channel strip' it indeed shows the full set of controls for whatever plugin you've clicked on.
In that section it just shows the initial opening of the Instance List from the Pro-Q 4 instance. This isn't any arbitrary instance you've clicked on.
We've of course considered the ability to open the main interface window from the Instance List, but that would require support in plug-in frameworks and hosts, which at this point in time is lacking unfortunately.
You really need to pay attention to what is being shown as it's nothing at all like you mention. It shows when clicking on something in the instance window it shows the full plugin gui.
My setup works identical to what's shown in the product page.
I think you may be mistaken. In the online product instance section, the first pic in the short video is that of the Pro-Q4, and how the user then goes to the instance list at the bottom on that app. It's the only app that shows all controls, because it's not in the instance view
Scoops
If it's as you say then that 'video' is misleading because I'm sure I'm not the only one that sees it as I do. I'm not knocking what you write but it's misleading as it is. It would help if there was a voice over. But either way it's a waste of programming time. At least FF could have given us a shortcut to get to the full plugin gui without having to go through probably dozens of tracks. Something like option-click or whatever to bring up the full gui.
We would have loved to implement the possibility to open the full plug-in window from within the instance list. Unfortunately that's simply not possible at the moment, as none of the DAWs or the plug-in format currently allow plug-ins to open other plug-in windows. If the plug-in formats will add that in the future, which we have already requested with them, we will definitely implement that feature.
Ralph: if what you write is true than how do you explain Blue Cat Patchwork? It can host other plugins and from within Patchwork I can open all those other windows.
Well, Blue Cat Patchwork is it's own host, and hosts all those plugins within it's container. That's vastly different from one plugin hosted in the DAW opening another plugin hosted in the DAW's GUI. I bet a plugin running within Blue Cat Patchwork can't open the GUI for another plugin running inside Blue Cat Patchwork either. BCP itself can open the window for any plugin hosted within it, the same way the daw can open any plugin hosted within it. But a plugin within running within the container can't.
What Patrick says is correct. Patchwork is just a small host within a host. It can open plug-in windows that are used inside Patchwork, but it can not open plug-ins that are used outside Patchwork.
The instance list does not host the other plug-ins that it lets you control. We simply access the other plug-ins parameters and information so they can be controlled from another place. If the plug-in formats would offer the option to open full plug-in windows from within a plug-in we can certainly investigate this option. But for now it's simply not possible.
Just updated Pro Q4 to the latest version and purchased Pro C3. With the instance list in Pro Q4 there's no way to get access to the full controls of a plugin. For instance there's no access to the sidechain controls for Pro C3. And for both plugins there's no access to the controls at the bottom of each plugin's gui that you see when looking at that particular plugin. Running OSX 10.13.6 and ProTools 2021.6. Highly disappointing.