Modular Sound Design Environment

Knowledge base

Basics

Installing the software

How to install

Just copy the downloaded .dll-s to your 64bit VST Plug-ins folder.

User Interface // Basics

What is a node editor?

Node graph architecture is a type of software design which builds around modular node components which can be connected to form a graph. This type of visualization helps understanding complex structures and signal flow.

The editor

The editor of Alpha Forever - as mentioned before - is a node editor. It features a palette, where you can instantiate nodes, a designer level indicator to know which designer you are editing, a hamburger menu a plug-in info, nodes and wires.

You can pan / zoom / resize your Alpha Forever window as you like. You can also select, deselect, group select, align, copy / paste, delete elements of your patch (see the Navigation tab for details). The editor of Alpha Forever was designed to help your creation and make patching fun and simple.

Structure of a node

In Alpha Forever you can think of a node as a small device, that processes or generates signals. It's a box on your screen with input, outputs and controls and a header part.

You can find the inputs on the left side, the outputs on the right side of a node. We will reference these as 'plugs' later on. The top area of a node is the header of the node, on GUI controls (if there is any) can be found in between the input and the output plugs.

Note: each node must have a unique name on designer level.

User Interface // Visualization modes

Visualization modes

Alpha Forever has 5 different visualization modes. These modes help you to analyze or understand a patch.

'No information' view

This is the default view of a patch.

'Plug description all ON' view

Next to the plugs a short description appears. Usually it contains the plug name and the range of values it usually receives or outputs.

'Miniscope all ON' view

A basic green scope appears next to the plugs, which help visualizing signal flow. On the right side of the screen horizontal grey bars show the output levels of each polyphonic voice for each active audio output.

'Hover over mini scopes' view

When hovering above a plug, the scope, the value of the plug, and the plugin information appears.

Navigation

Mouse commands

Navigation

LMB + DRAG on empty area Panning

MW on empty area Zoom In / Out

2xLMB on designer Enter designer

2xLMB on empty area Return to parent designer

Select / Deselect

CTRL + LMB above node Select / deselect node

Shift + LMB DRAG on empty area Box select

LMB on empty area Deselect

Editing

LMB on plug and drag Create connection

RMB on plug Remove connection

RMB on empty area Palette

RMB above node surface Exchange node

LMB on input plug Palette + connect new node to first output

LMB on output plug Palette + connect new node to first input

LMB on plug with connection Palette + insert new node to first input

RMB on header Rename node

LMB on node Select node

LMB + DRAG on node header Move selected nodes

LMB + SHIFT + DRAG on node header Move selected nodes horizontal / vertical

Keyboard messages

Editing

1 above input plug Create constant with 1

0 above input plug Create constant with 0

K above input plug Create knob

Del Delete selected node(s)

I above input plug Create an input node

O above output plug Create an output node

0..9 while dragging a wire Connect multiple wires in parallel at once

R Replace selected nodes to active node

Clipboard

CTRL + C Copy to clipboard

CTRL + X Cut to clipboard

CTRL + V Paste from clipboard

Selection

CTRL + A Select all

History

CTRL + Z Undo

CTRL + Y Redo

Organize nodes

LEFT arrow Align selected nodes to the left

RIGHT arrow Align selected nodes to the right

UP arrow Align selected nodes to the top

DOWN arrow Align selected nodes to the bottom

S above plug Straighten wire

Node reference

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