Questions about Expansions
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Hi everyone,
I have seen some new developments about Expansions (and some great videos by David Healey too), and I have some questions about it:
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What are the full list of ressources that can be added in an expansion? Audio files, images, snippets of codes, Samplemaps and rLottie animations? Is there a limit at what type of files we can add in each expansion right now in Hise?
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After compiling a VST with a specific list of expansions, is there any way to create new expansions after that can be loaded in the VST, or do I have to create a new updated VST to include these new expansions? If we can create new expansions after the VST is done, how do Include them in it?
Thanks again for your answers, really appreciated.
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@Alex-Paradis I looked too at the patreon of @d-healey but I did not understand anything because I am really a beginner. I would like to see like you a concrete example with the change of several expansions. I tried to do it but I was quickly lost. I think that with the time of other people will explain well in detail even if d have done it remains quite complicated
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@Alex-Paradis @yall For what I understood, Expansions will be easier to use in the upcoming v3. So I guess the documentation will be more exhaustive as well
I haven't used expansions yet, but I think the whole purpose of it is not to have to create a new instrument precisely, but just download/install a new expansion pack... -
I just did the manipulation of dave again. it works but I don't understand how to transform for example 50 .ch1 into a single expansion file. I'm waiting for V3 because it's complicated
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I'm not sure V3 is going to add anything significant to expansions other than perhaps a built-in installation system. The basic handling of expansions from a development point of view is pretty comprehensive already.
An expansion is a way to deliver extra content for a plugin you've already created, compiled, and provided to your users. An expansion is its own mini HISE project except it has no scripts - since these are already compiled into the plugin and can't be added afterwards.
What are the full list of resources that can be added in an expansion?
If you create an expansion using the tool in HISE it will automatically add all of the sub-folders for all of the possible content.
After compiling a VST with a specific list of expansions is there any way to create new expansions after that can be loaded in the VST, or do I have to create a new updated VST to include these new expansions?
Expansions aren't included in your compiled plugin. You provide them separately to your user and when they install them they'll be available in the plugin (assuming you've added some scripting to handle them). The tricky part here is providing a method for your users to install them correctly, as of now there isn't a built in way to do this so you need to roll your own expansion installer.
I don't understand how to transform for example 50 .ch1 into a single expansion file
Just place the samples (
.ch) into the Samples folder inside your expansion.Libre Wave - Freedom respecting instruments and effects
My Patreon - HISE tutorials
YouTube Channel - Public HISE tutorials -
@d-healey
I got to do the expansions. to try but once the vst has been compiled, the combobox displays cmbExpansions. I tried to paste almost everywhere in my computer the .ch1 but the vst does not load any sample .... -
@yall Put the ch1 file inside the expansion's samples folder. Put the expansion folder inside the plugins configuration folder - this is in appData on Windows.
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^@d-healey
ah yes indeed there I have the combobox which displays the samples well. however they do not read ... no sound. but it's good already I go ^^ -
Expansions aren't included in your compiled plugin. You provide them separately to your user and when they install them they'll be available in the plugin (assuming you've added some scripting to handle them). The tricky part here is providing a method for your users to install them correctly, as of now there isn't a built in way to do this so you need to roll your own expansion installer.
@yall Put the ch1 file inside the expansion's samples folder. Put the expansion folder inside the plugins configuration folder - this is in appData on Windows.
@d-healey, so technically:
- you build the Instrument with the expansions
- you compiled the Instrument (the expansions are not gonna be compiled with it)
- you create an installer for the Instrument and another one for the expansions
- you install each expansion folder in the plugin configurations' folder (in appData) as it was in the Hise Project.
Did I got it right?
Also two questions regarding to this:
- Will the expansions still work If I create an new updated version of my instrument? As long as there a way to list them all in the app and that they work as they were before.
- Where do I put the expansions in Mac?
Thanks again for the help.
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you install each expansion folder in the plugin configurations' folder (in appData) as it was in the Hise Project.
Yes. I think you can put the samples somewhere else though and add a LinkWindows file to the expansions folder to point to the correct location, just like with your normal HISE project. This would need to be done by the installer and might screw things up for the user if they move the samples at a later date. It would be good if the relocate samples button in HISE showed the location for the currently loaded expansion - I might have a look at the source and see if there is anything I can do there, if not we can just continue to nag Christoph :p
Will the expansions still work If I create an new updated version of my instrument? As long as there a way to list them all in the app and that they work as they were before.
Yes
Where do I put the expansions in Mac?
I assume they go in the Mac configurations folder where your other HISE project's files are put on first run.
/Libraryif I remember correctly.Libre Wave - Freedom respecting instruments and effects
My Patreon - HISE tutorials
YouTube Channel - Public HISE tutorials -
Yes. I think you can put the samples somewhere else though and add a LinkWindows file to the expansions folder to point to the correct location, just like with your normal HISE project. This would need to be done by the installer and might screw things up for the user if they move the samples at a later date. It would be good if the relocate samples button in HISE showed the location for the currently loaded expansion - I might have a look at the source and see if there is anything I can do there, if not we can just continue to nag Christoph :p
I see. At this point, since it looks a bit experimental for now, I will probably try with the former and install all expansions in AppData.
I assume they go in the Mac configurations folder where your other HISE project's files are put on first run.
/Libraryif I remember correctly.Thank you for clearing that up.
This is really invaluable information that needs to be documented somewhere for every Hise Developer to see. I think it would be really useful to have a sort of "Hise Wiki" with moderators to help build a larger documentation for the software. I thank you again for your patience and dedication to this!
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I will probably try with the former and install all expansions in AppData.
This will be fine for you but probably not for your users. Most users I find tend to keep their samples on a dedicated drive.
I think it would be really useful to have a sort of "Hise Wiki"
Anyone can join the github repo to edit the official docs - docs.hise.audio/
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Whats a ch1 file ?
Can't expansions just be the individual wavs ? -
@Win-Conway ch1 is compressed file with samples
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Can't expansions just be the individual wavs ?
You could provide your samples as wavs but using HISE's compression format,
.chreduces disk space and ram use. -
@d-healey this doesn't make sense to me, a non lossy format would have to be uncompressed to wav and use the same RAM, a lossy format would be lower quality and wav is just better in that case (Disk space is of little interest to me to be honest)
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@Win-Conway Yes I think you are correct, the samples would need to be extracted as they are read from the disk. So the advantage is it saves disk space and requires less bandwidth for your users to download (might not be an issue if the sample size is small). It also allows access to the built in HISE sample extractor/installer.
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The HLAC codec is used throughout the entire signal path and reduces memory usage by 50% for the preload buffers and increases the streaming perfomance because the files are smaller (up to 40%). Actually there‘s no reason not to use it...
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@Christoph-Hart unless you want your users to have access to the wav files for direct use, so using wav compromises performance ?
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Also is there an option to change the .ch extension to something else, so you would set it per plugin, I know from experience that some dope somewhere will notice that all HISE plugins use .ch and starts trying to swap the files out with this that or the other hahaha.
