README.ladspaguis

MusE can create LADSPA GUI's (graphical user interfaces) from
Qt designer *.ui files at runtime.
This allows a user to create or modify customized LADSPA guis without
recompiling MusE.

======================
   Installation
=====================

Copy the file muse/widgets/musewidgetsplugin.so into a directory were
Qt (designer) can find it.

Example:
      if you installed Qt in /usr/qt3:
      su -c "cp -af musewidgetsplugin.so /usr/qt3/plugins/designer"
Check:
      After starting the Qt designer you see all MusE specific widgets
      under Tools/MusE. If you cannot find any MusE widgets, designer
      did not find the file "musewidgetsplugin.so".

======================
   Environment
======================

Naming:
      The Qt designer files are named after the LADSPA plugin ID.
      Example: the "freeverb" plugin has the id "1050". A gui for
            freeverb has to be named "1050.ui".
      The plugin ID is shown in the MusE plugin browser.

Path:
      MusE looks for *ui files at (museglobalshare)/plugins/.
      If you installed MusE at "/usr" (configured with --prefix=/usr)
      MusE looks at "/usr/share/muse/plugins" for *ui files.

======================
   Creating *.ui file
======================

The association between LADSPA plugin parameters and Qt-Widgets is
done by name. All input widgets which manipulate a LADSPA parameter
must have a name starting with the letter "P" followed by the parameter
index.
      Example:
      A "Slider" widget which manipulates the 3th parameter of a
      plugin has the name "P3slider".

Supported Widgets:
      "Slider"       slider for float values
      "DoubleLabel"  entry for float values
      "QCheckbox"    to manipulate a on/off LADSPA parameter
      "QComboBox"    select from a list of named values; sets
                     integer LADSPA values

(for more hints please look at the example *.ui files)