Feature request: Indicate unconnected input pin has modified/assigned value

vvvv beta feature
1

Currently in vvvv there is no way to tell if an input pin on a node contained in a patch has had it’s value set in that patch.

For example, if after putting a node in a patch you right-click on an input pin and set a value different from the default for the node, that value is remembered as part of the patch and is persistent. Other unconnected pins that have not been set will change if the node’s default values change.

The problem is that there is no way in the UI to tell this is or is not happening. By looking at the patch, all the input pins look the same. It would be good to have some kind of indicator that an input pin’s value has been assigned. This has bitten me several times, and is an insidious and hard to track problem.

I understand that it is better practice to not directly set input pins, but rather to attach on IO box and do it there, but frequently there is not space, or it is modified as part of debugging, or the IO box link is later dropped but the value retained, etc. etc.

Since there are different things happening on different pins, good UI practices say it should be reflected in the interface.

Related to this, is there a way for such a pin to be “freed” of its assigned value, so the default is always used? The only way I’ve found to do it is to go in Herr Inspektor and take the slice count to zero and then back to one.

Thanks devvvvs!

2

in fact one of my favorite missing featurs. in the meantime alt+rightclick works on pins and nodes, see: the user interface in detail#changing values in the patch

3

either i never had an issue like you describe here, or i completely misunderstood the whole thing…

4

+0.5

I agree, vvvv should have this feature but I’ve gotten past the point where I feel like needing it. Any pin that even might have an important value gets an IObox during development.

5

@joreg - Thanks, good to know! Seems like something simple would work, like making the pin a circle or hollow square.

@sebl - If you directly modify an input pin on a node, there is no way to tell later that was done and the default value is not being used. If you later change the default in the patch, it will take effect everywhere that patch is used EXCEPT where it was manually changed, and you can’t tell without going into Herr Inspektor on every instance of that node. A simple visual indicator would make it obvious.

@purf. - When you find yourself always doing something to cover your ass, that’s an indication something needs fixing for those without the experience. “Experience is that thing you get JUST AFTER you needed it.”