looking at the way cortex handles media node connections in a manner sometimes better handled (though not more easily described) by scripts, it’s hard not to think of cortex’ potential as a scripting engine for haiku, describing flow between applications which in turn would become building blocks for end users’ entirely modular and endlessly customizable systems. what’s immediately missing from cortex to that end is the ability to initalize any nodes in the search path (are paths even the most efficient way for an extensively journaled and indexed filesystem to work? is there a way to use queries instead of paths? a way to provide alternate identifications for libraries through attributes instead of simlinks or ifdefs?) in a saved graph upon reloading, so that everything’s up and running and users can just pick up where they left off. beyond that, the ability to differentiate between running a graph as one would a script and editing the graph in cortex would be a boon.the last thing i’d really like to see in cortex or some analog thereof is the ability to change connections in realtime, with all apps still running – which, insofar as i know, may already exist in cortex’ current state but goes unnoticed due entirely to the way current media kit applications are designed – and on that note, i’d say we could do quite well to encourage as modular a design as possible for media applications in haiku, so that ultimately it’s up to end users to determine how their media is streamed in their systems, leveraging fully the excellent design of haiku’s media kit. it may lead to applications that are a bit less efficient than fully enclosed apps (like the current mediaplayer – took me awhile to figure out why that one acted funny in cortex when playing video), but where the approach falls short, updates to the operating system itself will improve functionality overall. between cortex and replicants, i really get the feeling beos’ userspace was meant to be a modular and graphically programmable environment allowing users an unprecedented (and to this day unsurpassed) level of control, should they choose to exercise it.
Already exists:
http://www.goodeveca.net/beos/streamweaver.html
!! this looks kind of great, i’ll try it out. thanks!
oh but is not opensource and is old.
IMHO this programm fits the description better: http://haikuware.com/directory/view-details/multimedia/audio/miscellaneous/mediacontrol
You can do everything what you can do with cortex and even more (eg. set timer and stuff)on a bash like enviroment. You even can run them as clickable scripts. The best thing from my point of view… you can read debugmessages…
We used it massivl for immersive video in zeta os.
I know stargater was in negotation with this guy to get the sources to port it to haiku - i dont know how far they came.
Feedback if this is working would be appreciated because i dont have a running haiku system at the moment…
Hope this helped