In this tutorial we will learn how to dynamically change labels and display the knob’s current value for the time the knob gets moved. After releasing the knob the default label shows up again after a certain delay. See video

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Unfortunately in Kontakt we can not receive any mouse event like “mouse over”, “on click”, “on release” etc which would have made this pretty easy. So instead of a mouse event, when a knob is tuned the “on ui_control” callback gets called which stubbornly “reels off” our code. On mouse release the “on ui_control” simply is not executed anymore so there’s no possibility to call any function or code on a mouse release. That’s why we have to make up a workaround using a watchdog or time monitoring and time delays.

Content

1. how it works (in simple words)

2. setting ui space, wallpapers & global vars

3. defining the labels for our Images

4. setting variables for the watchdog timer (dynamic labels)

5. defining all the other ui elements

6. The actual watchdog timer function (Dynamic Knob Label’s)

7. full code of all Knobs

1. This is how it works (in simple words)

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1. a default label is displaying the knob’s units in words (like dB, Hz, Bits etc)
2. while turning a knob, the label “swaps” and displays the knob’s live value now
3. a certain wait period prevents the label to fall back to its original state when the knob is still turned
4. when releasing the knob this prevention timer runs out and the default label gets restored

2. Setting ui space, wallpapers & global vars

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you must include the full license text & credits above the actual script: visible / accessible to anyone and closely together with the actual script code
(you may also put the license into another, unlocked script tab or into an about section of your instrument). If you want to put the license somewhere else or remove it please contact us

If you don’t know how to include the license, simply download the full script from above. The license is already placed in the right place

on init 
    {INIT UI}
        set_ui_height_px(540)
        make_perfview
        set_script_title("Dyanmic Labels")
        set_control_par_str($INST_ICON_ID,$CONTROL_PAR_PICTURE,"yb_ico")
 
    {DECLARE : Global Vars}
        declare $count
        declare const $TOTAL_KNOB_COUNT := 4 {set the total number of knobs in your UI}
 
    {SET: WALLPAPERS}
        declare @wp_init
        declare @wp_about
        @wp_init := "bg_main"
        set_control_par_str($INST_WALLPAPER_ID,$CONTROL_PAR_PICTURE,@wp_init)

3. Defining the labels for our Images

{declare bottom knob label images & text vars}
            declare @display_val {holds the current knob value on mouse event}
            declare @lbl_blank 
            @lbl_blank := "lbl_blank" {set blank bg image when turning the knob}
            declare !arr_lbl_units[4] {declare array which holds allunit images}
            !arr_lbl_units[0] := "lbl_bits" 
            !arr_lbl_units[1] := "lbl_hz"
            !arr_lbl_units[2] := "lbl_db" 
            !arr_lbl_units[3] := "lbl_%"

4. Setting variables for the watchdog timer (dynamic labels)

{SET : Watchdog Timer & dynamic labels}        
        {declare global vars}
            declare $wait_time := 2000 {ms}
            declare %arr_timestamp[$TOTAL_KNOB_COUNT] {array which holds the current engine uptime for each knob (in microseconds). Gets refreshed upon each mouse event}
            declare $wait_flag := 1
 
            $wait_time := $wait_time * 1000 {convert to milliseconds}

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