make .plotTree a single instance window and add ServerTreeView

[prko]

Purpose and Motivation

Currently s.plotTree creates new windows whenever the shortcut is pressed or s.plotTree is evaluated. This behaviour is strange because the following server-related windows are singleton windows

• s.meter
• s.freqscope
• s.scope.

With this PR, s.plotTree makes only one singleton window.
I thought this was a bug, but someone may see it as a new feature.

Merge Note

When this PR is approved or merged, #6282 should be checked to see if it has already been approved or merged.

Types of changes

• Bug fix or
• New feature

To-do list

• Code is tested
• All tests are passing
• Updated documentation
• This PR is ready for review

[telephon]

Thank you!

The important thing in all the changes was that we still have an option to have several of them if needed (e.g. for multi-screen setups).

s.meter –> ServerMeter
s.freqscope -> FreqScope
s.scope –> Stethoscope

But we have no ServerTreeView. This would be good.
Otherwise, we have no way to have multiple plotTree for one server if we need it.

[telephon]

We should have a possibility to have several views if needed.

[prko]

@telephon
Thank you for your comments. This is a good idea!
I have added the feature you mentioned and the corresponding help documentation.
Will this be enough? Please let me know if I should revise the added methods and documentation or add more methods.

I think what you want is the behaviour of making a new window like ServerMeter and Stethoscope. See the Comment below.

ServerTreeView.new(s)
ServerTreeView(s)
ServerTreeView(s, Rect(300, 600, 300, 600)) // // arguments: server, bounds
ServerTreeView(s, Rect(300, 600, 300, 600), 1) // arguments: server, bounds, interval

Comment

• ServerMeter and Stethoscope make always a new window:

  ServerMeter.new(s, 4, 2)
  // Evaluating this code twice will display two separate ServerMeter windows.
  

  Stethoscope.new 
  // Evaluating this code twice will display two separate Stethoscope windows.
  

• FreqScope makes only one window:

  FreqScope.new(400, 200, 0, server: s)
  // Evaluating this code twice will display only one FreqScope window.
  

[prko]

PDFs of rendered help file:

• ServerTreeView _ SuperCollider 3.14.0-dev Help _ with default css.pdf

• ServerTreeView _ SuperCollider 3.14.0-dev Help with custom css with bg.pdf

• ServerTreeView _ SuperCollider 3.14.0-dev Help with custom css without bg.pdf

[telephon]

looks already quite good, thank you! There are still some little things to do, but it is getting there...

[telephon]

One more idea, to make multiple views even more useful: instead of passing the argument server, you could call it target. Then, the view could monitor any group in the node tree.

Within the code, you can then call asTarget to get the group, and asTarget.server to get the server.

E.g.

g = Group.new(s);

g.asTarget // the group itself
g.asTarget.server // the server

// server asTarget returns the default group 
s.asTarget
// maybe, for passing a server, we want to get the parent
group = if(target.isKindOf(Server)) { s.defaultGroup.parent } { target.asTarget };

// then you could also write
ServerNodeTree.new; // monitors the default server and the full tree
ServerNodeTree.new(42); // monitors group 42

Ndef(\x, { SinOsc.ar(Rand(200, 800)) * 0.1 });
Ndef(\x).fadeTime = 3;
Tdef(\x, { loop { 1.wait; Ndef(\x).send } }).play;
ServerNodeTree.new(Ndef(\x));

etc.

[telephon]

thank you very much, it is already very good! I made a few more comments.

[prko]

@telephon
Could you see my comments to the following two comments of yours?

• make .plotTree a single instance window and add ServerTreeView #6294 (comment)
• make .plotTree a single instance window and add ServerTreeView #6294 (comment)

---

One more idea, to make multiple views even more useful: instead of passing the argument server, you could call it target. Then, the view could monitor any group in the node tree.

Within the code, you can then call asTarget to get the group, and asTarget.server to get the server.

g = Group.new(s);

g.asTarget // the group itself
g.asTarget.server // the server

// server asTarget returns the default group 
s.asTarget
// maybe, for passing a server, we want to get the parent
group = if(target.isKindOf(Server)) { s.defaultGroup.parent } { target.asTarget };

// then you could also write
ServerNodeTree.new; // monitors the default server and the full tree
ServerNodeTree.new(42); // monitors group 42

Ndef(\x, { SinOsc.ar(Rand(200, 800)) * 0.1 });
Ndef(\x).fadeTime = 3;
Tdef(\x, { loop { 1.wait; Ndef(\x).send } }).play;
ServerNodeTree.new(Ndef(\x));

It is also a great idea. But what do you mean by this?

• Create a new class ServerNodeTree? (I think this may be what you want)
• Implement this idea in this PR?

[telephon]

thinking about it – perhaps we don't need the test. Doesn't the view of a window always respond to hasHorizontalScroller_ ?

[prko]

I think we need the test.
Please watch the following video:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mqns39chx08rbobhbyiew/hasHorizontalScroller_.mov?rlkey=7ymra5gy3nk5kae6tdo5z3kvz&dl=0

[telephon]

Re-reading the code, I found that there are a few things to do, I hope this is fine for you.

• move the whole class definition to a separate file. "ServerPlusGui" implies that these are extensions only
• for now, maybe let's drop the feature of passing a parent? This can be added later. Let's just make a new window always and just pass the bounds. The current way of handling the parent is brittle. Or do you see a reason that we need that right now?
• the updater thing is still not correct, this may have been wrong already in the code you copied from the server, I am not sure. The updater is supposed to be a Routine, resulting from the fork, but currently it is just a function. So updateFunc.stop never works! Line 162 should be updater = fork { ... without the extra function brackets. Then, still the stopping on cmdPeriod needs to be fixed. If you need support on that I'll help, but this is getting long so I'll stop here.

[prko]

Thank you for your review!

move the whole class definition to a separate file. "ServerPlusGui" implies that these are extensions only

Please let me know the name of the new file and where it is located. What I think is ServerTreeView.sc in the same folder as ServerPlusGui.sc. Is my thinking correct?

for now, maybe let's drop the feature of passing a parent? This can be added later. Let's just make a new window always and just pass the bounds. The current way of handling the parent is brittle. Or do you see a reason that we need that right now?

Do you mean the parent argument in ServerTreeView.new and ServerTreeView.makeWindow? They come from .plotTreeView:

supercollider/SCClassLibrary/Common/GUI/PlusGUI/Control/ServerPlusGUI.sc

Line 375 in 2027bac

plotTreeView {|interval=0.5, parent, actionIfFail|

Following your recommendation, I have moved some parts of .plotTreeView to ServerTreeView.new and ServerTreeView.makeWindow, and the parent argument has also been copied. Can you explain the brittleness of the parent handling? I will make it more robust.

the updater thing is still not correct, this may have been wrong already in the code you copied from the server, I am not sure. The updater is supposed to be a Routine, resulting from the fork, but currently it is just a function. So updateFunc.stop never works! Line 162 should be updater = fork { ... without the extra function brackets.

Um... anyway, `.stop' has worked (and sorry for not taking a closer look at the part nor writing it by myself!):

• The following video is the test with the commit about which you have written your most recent comment:
  https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rmcueze5fyyu7h4v53em8/plotTree-and-ServerTreeView-20240519.mov?rlkey=29rqlocz534jwjh2kyajxdiwf&dl=0
  watch from 0:27

• Line 162 should be updater = fork { ... without the extra function brackets. Then, still the stopping on cmdPeriod needs to be fixed.

  Done! The following video is the test with the commit I uploaded after your most recent comment:
  https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3jt2da0ifo76co9ogw3by/plotTree-and-ServerTreeView-2024-05-20-at-23.06.37.mov?rlkey=y75lra5wgvr3rr3onxf3wusxi&dl=0