Suggestion: Automatic re-cache after HW upgrade

Hi Martin and Brett,

with the suggestions page still not operational I am submitting this suggestion here:

I would like to see an "automatic re-generate all cache-files" function to be used after an upgrade. I wouldn't mind at all if it takes all day and night, but currently one has to go manually through the list of installed organs, load, wait until its finished and then go on to the next one. That is extremly time consuming.

If there would be a fully automatic process available, where HW would just re-generate all cache files using the same configuration options that had been used last time the cache was created for that organ (in general that would be stored in the config file for that organ) one could save a huge amount of time.

Best
Reiner

[mdyde]

Hello Reiner,

Thanks very much for the suggestion. We do already that one logged as an enhancement request, so I've added your notes to it.

II fully support Reiner Suikat's suggestion - I have raised this issue in the past and am honestly quite disappointed that this option is not included in HW8. I now spend endless amounts of time recreating the cache files - boring time that I would rather like to spend doing other things. I would like to add that every time a new sample set is offered, I think very seriously about whether I want to invest the necessary service time in a future update, or better refrain from buying it.

Best regards,
Burkard

[mdyde]

Hello Burkard,

Yes -- I do fully appreciate that generating caches can be slow, and that it would be highly desirable to have some means to mitigate that.

I've created a powershell script for it:

Code: Select all

[void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms")
$exe = "C:\Program Files\Hauptwerk Virtual Pipe Organ\Hauptwerk.exe"

function Show-Process($program)
{
  $sig = '
    [DllImport("user32.dll")] public static extern bool ShowWindowAsync(IntPtr hWnd, int nCmdShow);
    [DllImport("user32.dll")] public static extern int SetForegroundWindow(IntPtr hwnd);
  '
}

function loadNextSample
{
   Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
    [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("^g")
   [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("{DOWN}")
   [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("{ENTER}")
}

function readlog
{
   Get-Content C:\Hauptwerk\HauptwerkUserData\Config0-Logs\HauptwerkLog.html -Wait -Last 0 |
    Where-Object { $_ -match 'INF:5098 Audio started.' } |
     ForEach-Object {
      Write-Host 'Load next sampleset!'
      loadNextSample
     }
}

Write-Host "Start Hauptwerk"
$hauptwerk = Start-Process -FilePath $exe -PassThru
readlog

I'd prefer if you could select which caches to regenerate instead of only having one option to regenerate all of them, as these files take quite a bit of space. When I upgraded from HW 4 to 7 I immediately regained around 250 GB, which I believe mostly came from cache files of various demos and free sets I had installed over the years.

On a related note, I'd like a way to manage cache files within HW in general, such as a menu where you can delete caches for organs you don't plan to use frequently. It is currently possible to do it by manually opening up the cache folder and matching up the organ IDs, but that's more error prone.

A way to delete a cache without folder-diving is to use "Organ | Load organ adjusting..." and start loading it, wait a few seconds so it deletes the old cache file, and then cancel.

Of course that only works if the organ is still installed.

Hi,
Regenerate those in your favourites.
Norm

[mdyde]

Hello Posaune32/Norm,

Thanks for the additional suggestions, which I've added to our enhancement request log.

To add to the discussion:

Two different solutions can be considered, a minimal one and a more comfortable one.

In the minimal solution, Hauptwerk detects all existing cache files and regenerates them. A more comfortable solution would allow the user to select the sets for which cache files should be re(-)generated.

I could live with the minimal solution - no complex coding of a user interface would be required here. In my own setup, I try to manage the cache files with care, because cache files that are not needed consume too much of the available storage space.

Best regards,
Burkard