How to select Audio Suite key input dynamically via the Stream Deck

Great question, @dario.ramaglia

I would divide this into 2 separate problems/features:

1. The ability to dynamically populate the Stream Deck's buttons from a script in SoundFlow. This is what we do with the showModal action and is already possible in the test script we showed there (although with a few bugs). The data could come from anywhere, track names, files on disk, colors, etc.

2. The ability to automatically run a SoundFlow script based on whatever you have open in Pro Tools. We also already have support for this via long-running background commands. Basically these are scripts that will check for a certain condition (eg. is a specific window or plugin open in Pro Tools) and whenever the condition is met, for example it could call a script like mentioned in no.1 above, for example to control the Stream Deck.

For example the "Clip Colors" folder you have on your Stream Deck could be implemented as a single script instead. That script would just use the showModal to populate the Stream Deck with colors and then when you choose a color it would do the action. I put up a demo of my script for Cubase in the FB group

Yes, I didn't want to create to many posts ;)

Note, you could make an even longer workflow, where you just make a button in SD that does:

1. Opens the Auto Align window and displays the list of possible key inputs (via something like the above script)
2. Once you've selected your key input, it selects it in the drop down and also clicks render, waits for it to be done and then closes the plugin again.

It works and does exactly what I meant. Thank you so much.
I just need to integrate this piece of code in the code I already created to send clips to AutoAlign Post and Render it ;)

Thank you so much

Here it is. Sorry for the very stupid question. I'd like to choose a color for Booms and another color for Radios.
Is it possible? If not, it is great as it is ;)

Example for different colors (100, 100, 100 for boom, 50, 150, 100 for lavs):

var trackNames = ['Boom 1', 'Boom 2', 'Boom 3', 'Boom 4', 'Lav 1', 'Lav 2'];

var selectedName = sf.devices.streamDeck.firstDevice.showModal({
    items: trackNames.map(function (name) {
        return {
            title: name,
            value: name,
            color: name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0
                ? {
                    r: 100,
                    g: 100,
                    b: 100,
                } : {
                    r: 50,
                    g: 150,
                    b: 100,
                }
        };
    })
}).selectedItem.value;

sf.ui.proTools.appActivate();
var keyInputBtn = sf.ui.proTools.firstAudioSuiteWindow.invalidate().popupButtons.whoseTitle.is('Key Input').first;
keyInputBtn.popupMenuSelect({
    menuPath: [selectedName]
});

What if I want to add a track name that is too long for the stream deck to show?
At the moment I shortened the name of the track but it is possible to SHOW A NAME X on the SD who would SELECT A NAME Y on the plugin?

Of course all this questions I come up with are just to learn so feel free to ignore them :) Or answer whenever you are bored ;)

Cheers guys

@dario.ramaglia yes - the "title" is what will be displayed on the Stream Deck, the "value" is the one used to select your track.
You can use this function to shorten titles:

function shortenTitle(s) {
    var res = '', i = 0;
    while (s.length > 0 && i < 3) {
        res += s.substring(0, 7) + '\n';
        s = s.substring(7);
        i++;
    }
    return res;
}

And use it like this:

var selectedName = sf.devices.streamDeck.firstDevice.showModal({
    items: trackNames.map(function (name, i) {
        return {
            title: shortenTitle(name),
            value: name,
            color: {
                r: i * 255 / 15,
                g: 100,
                b: 100,
            }
        };
    })
}).selectedItem.value;

Sorry for my lack of knowledge. Where should I put the TITLE in the code?

It's already there, find the line with title: name, and replace with title: shortenTitle(name), and add the function at the top of your script.

ok, I begin to understand javascript-
The code says: every 7 characters insert a break.

YAY :)

Ok, let's move to the next question :) You'll never get rid of me ihihihihihi

I'm tryin to assign a color for each and every category but I'm having trouble with syntax I suppose.
I'm pasting the wrong code.

Thanks as usual in advance

//Select SideChain
var trackNames = ['Boom1', 'Boom2', 'Boom3', 'Boom4', 'Boom5', 'Radio1', 'Radio2', 'Radio3', 'Radio4', 'Radio5'];

var selectedName = sf.devices.streamDeck.firstDevice.showModal({
    items: trackNames.map(function (name, i) {
        return {
            title: name,
            value: name,
            color: name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0
                ? {
                    r: 74,
                    g: 0,
                    b: 106
                } : {
            name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0 {
                r: 22,
                g: 100,
                b: 106,
                }
    };
})
}).selectedItem.value;

Oh yea. Ok so the ... ? ... : ... (aka the terniary operator ?!) actually is akin to if/then/else.
So what we were originally saying was:
name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0 ?
which means if name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0 then
followed by the color for the boom, followed by : meaning else, then the color if not the boom.

If you want to test for more categories, you need to chain them...: if/then/else if/then/else
So for example:

color: name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0
                ? {
                    r: 74,
                    g: 0,
                    b: 106
                } : 
            name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0 ? {
                    r: 22,
                    g: 100,
                    b: 106,
                } :
                { /* this is the last else, so will receive if neither Boom nor Radio */
                    r: 22,
                    g: 100,
                    b: 106,
                }

I was gonna try to use IF and ELSE because I didn't know ? was that. Thanks so much

It's good you didn't use if/else/then. If/else/then cannot be used as expressions, that is, here we're using them inside in the middle of a call to a function. If you wanted to use if/else you'd have to assign to a variable, like this:

var color;
if (name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0)
    color = { r: 74, g: 0, b: 106 };
else if (name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0)
    color = { r: 22, g: 100, b: 106 };
else
    ;//color = some default color here...

And then use this variable in the script - here I have inserted it where it makes sense (eg. before the return statement):

var selectedName = sf.devices.streamDeck.firstDevice.showModal({
    items: trackNames.map(function (name, i) {
        var color;
        if (name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0)
            color = { r: 74, g: 0, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0)
            color = { r: 22, g: 100, b: 106 };
        else
            ;//color = some default color here...

        return {
            title: name,
            value: name,
            color: color
        };
    })
}).selectedItem.value;

And since this syntax is much much easier to read I would probably go for this version :)

Oh my god. Tomorrow I'll try to convert my script to this script.
Meanwhile if anyone is interested, this is my script for selecting sidechain and rendering AutoAlign Post with Name Shortener and the same color I have in my template session

//Focus AAP

var asWin = sf.ui.proTools.getAudioSuiteWindow("Auto-Align Post");
asWin.elementRaise();

//Select SideChain
var trackNames = ['Boom1', 'Boom2', 'Boom3', 'Boom4', 'Boom5', 'Radio1', 'Radio2', 'Radio3', 'Radio4', 'Radio5','Adr Sync B'];

///Title Shortener
function shortenTitle(s) {
    var res = '', i = 0;
    while (s.length > 0 && i < 3) {
        res += s.substring(0, 8) + '\n';
        s = s.substring(8);
        i++;
    }
    return res;
}

var selectedName = sf.devices.streamDeck.firstDevice.showModal({
    items: trackNames.map(function (name, i) {
        return {
            title: shortenTitle(name),
            value: name,
            color: name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0
                ? {
                    r: 74,
                    g: 0,
                    b: 106,
                } :
                name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0 ? {
                    r: 22,
                    g: 100,
                    b: 106,
                } :
                { /* this is the last else, so will receive if neither Boom nor Radio */
                    r: 142,
                    g: 15,
                    b: 8,
                }
        };
    })
}).selectedItem.value;

sf.ui.proTools.appActivate();
var keyInputBtn = sf.ui.proTools.firstAudioSuiteWindow.invalidate().popupButtons.whoseTitle.is('Key Input').first;
keyInputBtn.popupMenuSelect({
    menuPath: [selectedName]
});


asWin.getFirstWithTitle("Analyze").elementClick();

//Render
asWin.audioSuiteRender();

And for any other color i want to assign I just add a IF ELSE right?
Like:

if (name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0)
            color = { r: 74, g: 0, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0)
            color = { r: 22, g: 100, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Adr Sync B') ) 
color = { r: 142, g: 15, b: 8 };

Here is the whole code with the different syntax

//Focus AAP

var asWin = sf.ui.proTools.getAudioSuiteWindow("Auto-Align Post");
asWin.elementRaise();


//Select SideChain
var trackNames = ['Boom1', 'Boom2', 'Boom3', 'Boom4', 'Boom5', 'Radio1', 'Radio2', 'Radio3', 'Radio4', 'Radio5','Adr Sync B'];

///Title Shortener
function shortenTitle(s) {
    var res = '', i = 0;
    while (s.length > 0 && i < 3) {
        res += s.substring(0, 8) + '\n';
        s = s.substring(8);
        i++;
    }
    return res;
}

var selectedName = sf.devices.streamDeck.firstDevice.showModal({
    items: trackNames.map(function (name, i) {
        var color;
        if (name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0)
            color = { r: 74, g: 0, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0)
            color = { r: 22, g: 100, b: 106 };
        else color = { r: 142, g: 15, b: 8 };
        return {
            title: shortenTitle(name),
            value: name,
            color: color
    };
})
}).selectedItem.value;

sf.ui.proTools.appActivate();
var keyInputBtn = sf.ui.proTools.firstAudioSuiteWindow.invalidate().popupButtons.whoseTitle.is('Key Input').first;
keyInputBtn.popupMenuSelect({
    menuPath: [selectedName]
});


asWin.getFirstWithTitle("Analyze").elementClick();

//Render
asWin.audioSuiteRender();

To your first question: Yes - almost!
Your "whole code with different syntax" is correct.

In your code:

if (name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0)
            color = { r: 74, g: 0, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0)
            color = { r: 22, g: 100, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Adr Sync B') ) 
color = { r: 142, g: 15, b: 8 };

you forget to check for >= 0 in your 3rd check. Correct code:

        if (name.indexOf('Boom') >= 0)
            color = { r: 74, g: 0, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Radio') >= 0)
            color = { r: 22, g: 100, b: 106 };
        else if (name.indexOf('Adr Sync B') >= 0) 
            color = { r: 142, g: 15, b: 8 };

I maybe forgot a

  sf.ui.proTools.waitForNoModals();

At the end ;)

@chrscheuer did you notice that with the shortener script the label are on the top half of the button on the StreamDeck while without it the stay in the center?

No haven't seen that. Can you send a photo of the Stream Deck exhibiting this behavior?

Script with the shortener:

Script without the shortener:

Gotcha. Change shortenTitle to this:

function shortenTitle(s) {
    var res = '', i = 0;
    while (s.length > 0 && i < 3) {
        if (i > 0) res += '\n';
        res += s.substring(0, 8);
        s = s.substring(8);
        i++;
    }
    return res;
}

It works :)
I'm trying to understand what did you do there.
You put a break before the shortening process... right?

Yes I made sure to only put breaks if line 2, 3, 4, etc. are created. So when you get to line 2 (i will be 1 since we count the first line as i=0, hence i > 0 will be true, the newline will be added before line 2, and before line 3, and before line 4.. just not before line 1, where i would be 0 and so i > 0 would be false).

Hmm, I can't get this script working. Do you have to do something to the SD to make it listen to SF?
I copied everything exact but get nothing out of it. If that's a bug, I will post it, but it might be something I'm not doing right because it's working for you guys...

The requirements for this are:

• The "SoundFlow Full Screen" profile needs to be installed on the Stream Deck. This should be installed together with the plugin. The profile can only be installed once, or it won't work. (Stream Deck bug)
• The Stream Deck editor app cannot be open. When it's open, we cannot switch to the SF full screen profile programmatically.

Aha, that's why. But where can I find this profile?

It should come if you uninstall the plugin and reinstall it. Do you have the link to the installer for the plugin?

Note this is super annoying because Stream Deck made their API this way... :/

No, and if I try the downloadlink from here on the forum, I get a timeout of the link.