I just started using a second instance for the first time. Is there a way link a widget in the main instance to a widget in the second instance similar to the way widgets are linked between local and global RS?
Right now I have the widget in the main instance sending CC’s via a virtual midi port to control the widget in the second instance. That works, but that communication is only one way. Is there a way to make it a bi-directional link?
When you use OSC then this is possible.
@pianopaul 's idea with OSC is one approach you could take, however if you are on a mac, I think you’d also be able to use the IAC driver out from one instance and into the other.
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I am on windows and I was using its equivalent virtual midi port, however, its only one way communication or it becomes a loop as far as I can tell.
OSC is the way to go for you then.
I am trying to test the OSC route, but right now, I am stuck on how to save the second instance??? I created new instance from main, named it, then I read that you don’t save the new instance as a gig file, the main gig file will save the second instance automatically. Well, that’s NOT working for me, so I must be doing something wrong! How do I save the second instance?
I save the main gig file after editing the second, but none of the edits are saved…
You absolutely save each gig file in its own instance.
If you want that 2nd instance to load the same gig file as last time when you loaded that instance, you have to enable that option in the Options menu of that instance.
This is what confused me…
" So you don’t save the second instance as a gig file , but you need a gig file for the second instance to do something."
I see.
What is meant is, once you create a new instance from the main instance, that instance is created and ‘saved’ in the instance menu. The gig file you load in that new instance, however, is something you need to save in that new instance.
Can’t get it to work… I saved the second instance (default was “untitled” so it asked me to save) under a new name. I did. I closed it after saving it, then I went back to open this instance from main gig file under “open existing instance”, but a new blank instance opened up asking me if I want to open a gig file or create a new one etc…
What am I doing wrong? Does it have to be saved someplace in particular? Does the name have to match the name of the instance in the main gig file file menu?
Perhaps worth mentioning, I am working with a single client ASIO audio driver, but after creating the new instance I changed the audio settings to another ASIO interface, matched the sample rate and I was going to use the GP relayer so this doesn’t really matter I figured…
I answered that here:
Once that second instance is opened, you could of course just load the gig file from the main menu. It will be the file listed in the Open Recent area.
Ah! Thank you!
Got the OSC working one way, so that’s progress! Why isn’t it working the other way? From main to 2nd is fine, but from 2nd to main is not working. Am I missing something obvious?
Main OSC settings:
Main widget settings:
2nd instance OSC settings:
2nd instance widget settings:
So…after hours of playing around with no luck, I started searching for more OSC related posts and found an older post by @pianopaul suggesting to someone who also had ports 9000 and 9001, to change the 9001 to 9002 “just to be safe”. Well, I tried it and woala, the bidirectional started to work. So 9000 and 9002. WHY??? @pianopaul why did you suggest to change to 9002? To my feable mind, 9001 is just as different from 9000 as 9002. So why did the 9901 not work but the 9002 did?
Then messed around with something else (I think I opened the “Manage OSC targets” window and tried to adjust things there and suddenly the 9002 stopped working. Then I made it 9003 everywhere and it started to work again. WTH??? Seems like the port is somehow being closed or “disconnected/overwritten” occasionally and a new port has to be assigned???
My “Manage OSC Targets” has some nonsensical entries at this point, but I cannot delete the IP addresses in those lines, nor the ports. Does anyone know how to edit and delete irrelevant entries?
Ports are used by Windows for many different processes and Port 9001 can sometimes be used by the system. You found the remedy, and that is to try different port numbers(the higher the better) and you’ll find ones that aren’t in use.
Here’s a thread on MIcrosoft where someone was having an issue with 9001 not being available.
Amazing! Well, at least I know I am not going crazy, as 9003 stopped working too after about an hour! LOL I’m assuming it can’t always be this finnicky otherwise OSC wouldn’t be so popular.
I went to 9100…better, then started jittering back and forth super fast, so I made it 9500. Lets see what happens… I did a quick search, I couldn’t find the maximum number of ports, I’m guessing its an arbitrary number, but if there is a better way of knowing which ports to pick (other than russian roulette) I’d sure appreciate the advice! 
THanks!!!
Try the 15000 range. Never had an issue there. I set my 4 instances to 15001, 15002, 15003, and 15004.
Awesome, I’ll try that, thank you! Now a new challenge… Since I am using widgets to control other widgets in another instance, the value info is lost. The widgets in the 2nd instance that actually are mapped to the plugin, usually have a scaled value to work properly with w/e particular parameter it is controlling. The widgets in the main instance (that are just “dummy” linked to these widgets in the 2nd instance are not displaying any value for me, since they are not actually mapped to any plugin.
So…Is there a way I can get the value of the widgets in the 2nd instance displayed in the main instance widget either directly or via a text label?
It will require scripting, I believe… but it is possible.
That might be more than I can handle at the moment. For now I just put in a “dummy” midi block (that’s what’s being controlled with the “real” widget in the 2nd instance) and mapped to the same value and I am getting the proper value readings. Its just a “dummy” but it is servings its purpose of being able to display the right value…until I can figure out the scripting. Thanks again!
