Best use : Interface pages or container tabs?

[ErikG]

What are the pro's/con's using a tabbed container page in a single interface, compared to using multiple interface pages?

[Softcore]

The way I see it, using the interfaces takes at least advantage of the (otherwise) unused, empty space on the top of your device. Why waste that space and use tabbed containers when there is this space up there?

Personally speaking, my working templates are a combination of both - for example my DJing-gigging template is consisted of 7 interfaces, neatly divided into large categories (main mixer, seqeunced sampler mixer, effects, keyboard, mtonic interface, mtonic mixer, settings) and inside each of the interface I 've put further tabbed containers to access more stuff which still belong in this category. (for example in effects section, change between multiple multiballs to control a specific effect or for example in the "keyboard" interface, naturally I need all the space I can get for the keys, so I have a tabbed container "hidden" and poping up with the touch of a pad to acess settings like midi channel, send CC messages to the controlled VST synth, send program change messages etc etc).

[ErikG]

In my case there is a reason where the tabbed interface is "better" or rather requieres less scripting (that i'm still not good enough at...).

That's why I asked as I dont want to create a bad basic design.

My reason:
I have a number of switches that are very important to me as they give me feedback on a few important statuses in Nuendo.
Unfortunately Nuendo does not send those statuses over midi or MCU, so making sure the the switches on the lemur and the settings in Nuendo is in sync is vital when opening a project or starting a new one, (its pretty simple, just turn them all off on the Lemur and make sure they are off in Nuendo as well). The sync is likely to break whenever I open a different project, but as long as a keep working in the same project day in and out (very likely in my job) it's not to bad.

But duplicating items on multiple interface pages will break this sync unless I script that it will look at the Main page and syncronize the status on load.
Not a huge script, but still more work.

So unless there are technical reasons to stay away from a tabbed interface, then a tabbed interface it'll be.
But I will ry to hide the tabs somehow and use switshes instead.

[Softcore]

There is no technical disadvantage of using tabbed containers vs interfaces if thats what you are asking. As for hiding the tabs of a container and using switches-pads to control which tab of a container is visible at any time, yes this is is indeed possible - there is an option for tabbed containers to hide the upper "tab" display but still keep the "tabs" and as for controlling which one is visible....hold on I got a post somewhere in here...let me find it!

[Softcore]

Here you go! Possibly all you need as far as controlling tabbed containers goes....

http://forum.liine.net/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=3022

Oh, and the option to hide the 'tab" bar for a container can be found in its properties window (desktop editor), checked by default and its "show TabBar". Uncheck it, and the tab bars are gone (visually)!

As for the problem with your switches, just dropping an idea here, if its not more important to you that the statuses of those switches are recalled as "saved" on a project as it is important to always be in sync, you can make a script in your project to always send (for example) "all these particular switches off" either on load or with a special "sync my switches" button. This will ensure that whenever you open a project or load an existing one, you wil know that by default, all the afforenmentioned switches are "off" both in Lemur and in the project. Sorry I cant be more specific but I dont use Nuendo so this is just a suggestion off the top of my head.

[ErikG]

Thanks a lot softcore!
Great stuff there!
I will have to start organising all my lemur forum post links somehow. I can't keep track of all the goodies any more...

As for your last switches comment. Not a bad idea, I think that could work. It has both pro and cons, so ill have to think about how to do it.

[Softcore]

Yeah well there could be a lot of alternate scenarios for that switches thing - perhaps a script that takes the current values of switches in Lemur (either on or off) and re-sends them to Nuendo - so in essense a really working "sync my switches" operation!

[ErikG]

The problem is that there is no real way of resetting these functions in Nuendo, they are toggles that just toggle two or three state settings. And whenever you don't know what they are set to you need to check the different statuses manually. So I cant see a way of getting true sync unfortunately. But you may be right. One of these days I might figure it out. The current method is usable at least.

Ok. Back to making tabs

[Macciza]

Erik
To get around the duplicate issue you can try using an 'alias' instead - which should get around the problem . ..
Set them up on one page then create an alias and cut and paste it as needed
For instance you could alias the pads to each tab and use it to select them etc.
Cheers

[ErikG]

Alias? I cant remember reading about that...
Opening manual.pdf
Nope no Alias. Search forum...

EDIT:Found how to, right click individual objects.
Definitely useful! A bit clumsy as it has to be done on individual objects/buttons. I would have preferred if I could have just selected my main buttons container and made a full alias of it all. Now I have to chose between keeping my tabbed layout I made today, or changing to a interface based layout using Aliases...