Expansion Content not loading in DAW project file?

[d.healey]

@Elezeid Have you enabled saveInPreset for your expansion selector?

[Elezeid]

@d-healey Yes, and that works as intended.

It's only when saving a project within a DAW and reopening it, the sound produced by the plugin comes from the factory content - despite the expansion content being visibly loaded in the samplemap dropdowns. The sound produced is only updated if the user clicks the already selected preset (or another preset).

[d.healey]

Where are you putting this code?

ExpansionSelector.setValue(1); // Sets to first entry (1-based)
ExpansionSelector.changed();

[Elezeid]

@d-healey

This comes after things like expansion handler, samplers, and their associated combo boxes. Though I think it's worth mentioning that even with this code commented out entirely, the issue remains.

[d.healey]

@Elezeid If that code is within on init then it won't do anything so you can remove it.

Make a new minimal project with two expansions and a factory preset. Use a waveform generator rather than a sampler, and something visual on the interface, like a knob, so you can tell exactly which expansion/preset has loaded.

See if you can recreate the problem with that scenario. If you can then you can send me that minimal project and I can take a look.

[Elezeid]

@d-healey

Thanks David. I'm happy to do this, though I want to point out that the issue that I'm having is very specific to samples. My plugin is a rompler essentially, and the trouble is that the wrong samplemaps are loading in. Without a sampler, there would be no way for me to debug this.

[d.healey]

@Elezeid Oh so everything else in the preset is loaded correctly, it's just the samples that aren't?

[Elezeid]

@d-healey

Yes exactly, the combo boxes that populate with the samplemaps are showing the correct content, but the audio remains factory unless you choose a preset from the expansion - even if the current preset is already from the expansion. It's like the plugin can't access samplemaps from expansions until the user manually selects them.

So in short, it looks like this:

1. User chooses a preset from an expansion
2. Expansion loads and works correctly (including samples/samplemaps)
3. User saves their project and closes the DAW
4. User opens the DAW and loads the same project
5. Plugin loads all parameters correctly on the interface, including expansion sample maps
6. Audio produced by plugin is from Factory sample maps
7. User clicks on the preset that is already currently selected
8. Correct samples now play (rinse and repeat)

[d.healey]

@Elezeid Ok, in that case make the minimal project as above, but with a sampler and a couple of sample maps to demonstrate the issue.

[Elezeid]

@d-healey

Thanks for your willingness to help David. I just made a dummy project for testing. Here's what happened:

Factory: 2 presets and 2 sample maps
Expansion 1: 2 presets and 2 sample maps
Expansion 2: 2 presets and 2 sample maps

Exported to VST3, created a DAW project and...

No issue. The problem is totally absent! I'm not completely certain as to why, but I suspect maybe it has something to do with where the code is in the hierarchy.

Thanks for guiding me through this, I think I have the necessary tools to get across the finish line without pestering you any further! Just in case, here is the code for the dummy plugin.

Content.getComponent("knbDum").setControlCallback(onknbDumControl);

// The sampler references
const var Sampler1 = Synth.getSampler("Sampler1");

// The ComboBoxes for Expansions
const var ExpansionSelector = Content.getComponent("ExpansionSelector");

// The ComboBoxes for SampleMaps
const var cmbSampleMap = Content.getComponent("cmbSampleMap");

// Expansions Handler Create
const var expHandler = Engine.createExpansionHandler();

// Expansion Types Allowed
expHandler.setAllowedExpansionTypes([expHandler.FileBased, 
                                     expHandler.Intermediate, 
                                     expHandler.Encrypted]);
                                     
// Expansions list retrieve
const var expansionList = expHandler.getExpansionList();


// Extract names of the expansions
const var expansionNames = [];

// Add “Factory Content” as the first option
expansionNames.push("Factory Content");

// Add all available expansions
for (e in expansionList)
{
    expansionNames.push(e.getProperties().Name);
}

// Fill the Expansion ComboBox
ExpansionSelector.set("items", expansionNames.join("\n"));

// Global variable for saving the current expansion
const var currentExpansion = -1;

// Help function for updating all SampleMap ComboBoxes
inline function updateAllSampleMapComboBoxes()
{
    // Empty all SampleMap ComboBoxes
    cmbSampleMap.set("items", "");
    
    local actualValue = ExpansionSelector.getValue() - 1;
    
    if (actualValue == 0) // "Factory Content"
    {
        // Use the embedded SampleMaps for “Factory Content”
        local maps = Sampler.getSampleMapList();
        local mapItems = maps.join("\n");
        cmbSampleMap.set("items", mapItems);
    }
    else if (actualValue > 0 && actualValue <= expansionList.length)
    {
        // For expansion, load the SampleMaps of the selected expansion
        local exp = expansionList[actualValue - 1]; // -1 because 0-based index
        
        // Set the expansion as active
        Engine.setCurrentExpansion(exp.getProperties().Name);
        
        // Get the SampleMap list of this expansion
        local maps = exp.getSampleMapList();
        local mapItems = maps.join("\n");
        
        // Set the displayed names in all ComboBoxes
        cmbSampleMap.set("items", mapItems);
    }
}

// Callback for Expansions-ComboBox
inline function onExpansionSelectorControl(component, value)
{
    updateAllSampleMapComboBoxes();
}

// Callbacks for SampleMap-ComboBoxes
inline function oncmbSampleMapControl(component, value)
{
    if (value > 0)
    {
        // Get the SampleMap name from the ComboBox
        local mapName = component.getItemText();
        
        // Load the SampleMap into Sampler1
        Sampler1.loadSampleMap(mapName);
    }
}


// Set the callbacks
ExpansionSelector.setControlCallback(onExpansionSelectorControl);
cmbSampleMap.setControlCallback(oncmbSampleMapControl);

// Initialize with Factory Content
//ExpansionSelector.setValue(1); // Sets to first entry (1-based)
//ExpansionSelector.changed();

Thanks again! If I run into more hurdles with this issue I'll return to this thread.

[d.healey]

@Elezeid Nice! This is why I like minimal projects, they help to quickly find if the issue is the project or something more general to HISE. Good luck.

[Elezeid]

@d-healey

In case anyone else should ever run into this problem here is the solution (I'm kicking myself).

The Expansion Selector has to be higher than the sample map selector in the UI tree.
That's it.

That's why the minimal project worked, and that change seems to have completely fixed it in my main project.

Thanks again for all your help. Hopefully this will help someone in the future!