spxlDummyParams Passthrough FFGL Effect Plugins for Resolume Arena and Resolume Avenue v5, v6, v7 (Windows only)

Passthrough FFGL effect plugins that provide user interface parameters in the FFGL host that do not process the image, but may be mapped in the FFGL host to send MIDI, OSC or similar messages to another program/device. The names, number and types of parameters is not configurable, however variants have been provided with 4, 8, 12 and 16 parameters. Plugins have been provided with 4, 8, 12 and 16 standard parameters.

NOTE: See spxlLabelParams for a set of configurable dummy parameters plugins, where you can choose the number and type of parameters, as well as the names, default values and ranges.

Plugin ID	Plugin Name
_D04	_DummyParams04
_D08	_DummyParams08
_D12	_DummyParams12
_D16	_DummyParams16

Platform:	Windows only
Author:	subpixel
Version:	v2.2
Released:	2019-10-21

Plugin Information

NOTE: Windows only. Not available for Mac OSX.

The software download includes FFGL plugin DLLs for Resolume v5 (FFGL 1.6, 32-bit), Resolume v6 (FFGL 1.6, 64-bit), and Resolume v7 (FFGL 2.1, 64-bit).

For Resolume v5, you will need to enable the effect Bypass option, otherwise the image will be made blank by these plugins. Similarly for v6 (if the effect is added to the Composition effects). For v7 you will not need to enable the effect Bypass option, though you can if you like (it will not affect the MIDI/OSC sending).

The FFGL 1.6 plugins (for Resolume v5 and v6) were built using the FFGL1.6 SDK supplied by Resolume on GitHub.

The FFGL 2.1 plugins (for Resolume v7) were built using a modified version of the FFGL2.1 SDK. The original SDK is supplied by Resolume on GitHub. See https://github.com/resolume/ffgl for more information.

Tested on Windows 10 Pro (64-bit):

• Resolume Arena 5.4.1 rev 56521 (ffgl16-x86)
• Resolume Arena 6.1.4 rev 65833 (ffgl16-x64)
• Resolume Arena 7.0.4 rev 66337 (ffgl21-x64)

Support

Author: subpixel

Email: ffgl@subpixels.com.

Facebook: subpixel

Usage

Add one of the spxlDummyParams effects to a Clip, Layer, Group or the Composition in Resolume. You can create MIDI Shortcuts and OSC Shortcuts for the parameters; these can then be used to send MIDI and/or OSC messages out from Resolume to control some other program(s) or device(s). If your image goes blank, simply enable the Bypass option for the effect. This is described further below.

For MIDI output from Resolume, you will need to select the "MIDI Output" option for a MIDI device in the MIDI Preferences, in addition to creating the MIDI Shortcuts. When Resolume is in Edit MIDI mode, select a parameter to view/edit existing shortcuts, else use the context menu on the parameter to create a note/controller/pitchbend shortcut.

For OSC Output from Resolume, you will need to configure the OSC Preferences, notably to enable the "OSC Output" option, the destination (Localhost, Broadcast or a particular IP address) and the port number. When Resolume is in Edit OSC mode, select a parameter to view/edit existing shortcuts. At the top of the Shortcuts panel there is a dropdown selector to manage OSC presets. If this is set to "Outpt No OSC Messages", then Resolume will not send out any OSC messages (and you cannot create any OSC Output shortcuts. If it is set to "Output All OSC Messages", then Resolume will send out messages to the (standard) addresses as shown for "OSC Input & Output". If you use the "Default" oreset, or create your own, then you see an "OSC Output" option; when enabled, you will then see a dropdown selector with various options that which will send out on standard addresses for only the clip position, all clips in the layer, all clips in the composition, the selected clip, and "Custom Address". When "Custom Address" is selected, there will be a text field in which you can enter your own custom OSC output address (eg /myprogram/specialcontrols/param1), otherwise standard addresses are used.

When the FFGL host (Resolume) calls the plugin to process the current frame, the plugin actually does not draw anyting and indicates that the operation "failed". Resolume v7 seems to handle this fail gracefully, and the image is not changed. Resolume v6 mostly handles the "fail" gracefully, but makes the output blank when the effect is attached to the Composition, and when it is not the only effect on the Clip/Layer/Group (and maybe in other circunstances), so you need to use the effect's Bypass [B] option in such cases. Note that Resolume will continue to allow you to adjust the parameters for the plugin and continue to send out MIDI/OSC data when the Bypass option is enabled. Resolume v5 does not handle the fail gracefully at all, so you will always need to use the Bypass option, otherwise your image will be blank. You can create a en effect Preset with the Bypass option enabled if you want to be able to drop the effect (the effect preset) in to a live set without blanking your output.

Why did I make the plugins this way? To make them less resource intensive:

• File size reduced to around 30-40 kB (previously 300-400 kB)
• Avoid locating every OpenGL function available (even just the list of names took up a lot of the space!)
• Avoid rendering (copying) an entire screen-full of pixels every frame.

I think that is worth some mild inconvenience (having to use the Bypass option) in Resolume v5 and v6.

Version History

Version:    v2.2
Released:   2019-10-21
Platform:   Windows Only
- Removed OpenGL references to reduce resource usage.
- Smaller DLLs, less memory used.
- Avoid finding OpenGL functions at startup.
- Avoid rendering (copying) pixels for every frame (effect needs to by Bypassed in Resolume v5 and sometimes in v6).

Version:    v2.1
Released:   2019-09-23
Platform:   Windows Only
- Added FFGL 2.1 x64 variants (for Resolume v7)

Version:    v1.1
Released:   2019-05-27
Platform:   Windows Only
- Added FFGL 1.6 x86 variants (for Resolume v5)

Version:    v1.0
Released:   2017-09-30
Platform:   Windows Only
- Created FFGL 1.6 x64 only variants (for Resolume v6)