Voxengo - Sound with a Soul
Professional VST PlugIns and
AU PlugIns

Aleksey,

one thing I don't like with your plugins:

Most of them either write to the registry (elephant2 for example) or to the "all users" application data folder (new overtone geq for example).


That's really bad for making them portable on a USB stick.  You know, Reaper can be run from USB stick.  I would love to carry all my Voxengo plugins with it too.


The plugins on my usb stick are here:
f:\reaper\plugins\fx\voxengo


So could you add some code (at least the new plugins like overtone geq), so that these plugin would use (read and write) all the configuration files from the current folder (and subfolders) rather than the "all users" application data folder?


So for Overtone GEQ I would copy the files

drag-precision
mouse-wheel-precision
oversampling-level
shift-key-precision
show-knob-labels
tablet-mode

to f:\reaper\plugins\fx\voxengo


and

default-preset
ui-color-scheme
ui-show-hints


to
f:\reaper\plugins\fx\voxengo\Overtone GEQ


So in this case the plugin shouldn't look into the "all users" data folder but use the config files from the current folder.


any chance for this?

also where do you store the registration data from the new plugins (elephant3 for example)? this also woud need to go into a file rather than the registry.

Well, you are asking for a very custom feature which I'm not interested in implementing.  Moreover, most audio hosts won't work that way since they require a hard-coded path to VST folders while that will deny a comfortable work with USB storages which may have a different drive letter each time you insert them into PC depending on other USB storages inserted.

What you are asking for will basically create a file mess in VstPlugins folders of users.

Registration data is stored there where "default-preset", "ui-color-scheme" and "ui-show-hints" are stored (per plug-in data).

I was asking if you could add a line of code to the plugins so that the plugins would use the current folder just IF these settings-files are already present there.  Shouldn't be the default.  But it would be a nice solution for portable usage (which is a highly underrated feature).

-> insert overtone geq
-> now overtone geq looks for the files

drag-precision
mouse-wheel-precision
oversampling-level
shift-key-precision
show-knob-labels
tablet-mode

in the CURRENT folder and for the files

default-preset
ui-color-scheme
ui-show-hints

in the "Overtone GEQ" SUBfolder of the current folder.  If all the files are there, Overtone GEQ uses (reads and writes to) them.

If the files are not present in the current DLL folder, then look for the settings in the "all users" application data folder.


Should be VERY easy to program IMO.

Another serious difficulty in implementing what you are asking for is that Vista does not allow programs to write into Program Files folder without special permission while Program Files is the folder where hosts and their VstPlugin folders usually reside.  So, any relocation from "Application Data" would be possible (for me) only in read-only mode.  There's also a dilemma available - where configuration is stored at the moment: in "Application Data" or in DLL's folder?  What if target computer already has config stored in "Application Data" while you want plug-in to use USB storage folder?

(and please, do not say "easy to program". program is a system, it's not just a bunch of code lines).

Mhh, I use Windows XP, so I don't care about Vista at the moment.  And even then read-only would be enough (because I prepare the settings anyway before putting them onto the stick) ...

But I do care.

I'll re-iterate: "What if target computer already has config stored in "Application Data" while you want plug-in to use USB storage folder?"

When running the plugin from USB, then the plugin should read the config from USB too (same folder).  Only if it can't find the config, it should try to read it from the default locations.

OK, thanks for your feature request.  I will consider it for implemetation after receiving more requests, or you may quicken up my decision by mentioning other VST plug-in vendors that offer such function.

Vember Audio Shortcircuit VSTi
Vember Audio Surge VSTi

and even your own

Voxengo MSED
Voxengo Tempo Delay


work fine from USB drive without writing or reading outside of the folder they are running from.

Well, these plug-ins do not write anything at all, they are not customizable.

Are these Vember Audio plug-ins have some kind of customization or at least require key?