2.9. Configuration UI Legacy

Configuration UI Legacy

What it is

The Configuration UI is essentially an Editor for Generators. It consists of a dynamically built form where generator-specific properties can be loaded, tweaked, and the changes applied.

Note: the user interface here described has been created to support the fist two generator modules of MAIDENS, namely the Atonal Line and Atonal Harmony. As of MAIDENS 1.5.0, they are now considered legacy implementations and are planned to be decommissioned in favor of the new Multiline Generator and its future derivatives.

As such, this Configuration UI is itself subject to be withdrawn, having been superseded by a significantly improved and redesigned Configuration UI.

How does it look/behave

The Configuration UI lives in a floating window with fully adjustable position and size. Describing the appearance of the widget poses challenges due to its dynamic nature. Except for the Apply and Reset buttons at the bottom, all the other controls are created on-the-fly, based on information sent in by the current generator. More specifically, the generator reports its adjustable properties and the UI responds by building, configuring and binding appropriate form controls. For instance, the Atonal Harmony generator will report chord-related settings, while the Atonal Line generator will focus on melodic profiles, rhythm, skips, etc. For specific information, please consult the dedicated article that describes the generator you are interested in.

A typical usage scenario implying the Configuration UI consists of a three-operations loop:

1. generate music,
2. audition it,
3. change parameters,

and repeat until you are satisfied.

What to use it for

You use the Configuration UI to control how generator-made musical content sounds. By carefully tweaking the available parameters you can obtain structures that approximate your intended compositional idea. Further processing and/or manual edits will be needed to achieve better resemblance.