answer:As of my last update in April 2023, customizing REAPER to the extent of adding functional buttons directly in the Track Control Panel (TCP) that execute specific actions (like changing track height) through the theme files alone isn't straightforwardly supported. REAPER's customization, particularly with WALTER for theming, primarily allows for aesthetic adjustments rather than the integration of new functional UI elements that can trigger actions or scripts. Integrating such functionality typically involves external scripts or actions, and even then, integrating a button directly within the TCP for such purposes isn't standard practice within REAPER's customization capabilities. However, let me guide you through an approach that somewhat aligns with your goal, though not directly embedded in the TCP as a theme element: # Step 1: Create the Script You would start by creating a script in Lua or another supported scripting language in REAPER that changes the track height. Refer to the previous response for a simple Lua script example that toggles track height between two predefined values. # Step 2: Utilize Actions or Scripts - Once your script is prepared and saved, it can be added to REAPER's Action List. - This script can then be assigned a shortcut, or better yet, be added to a toolbar as a button. # Step 3: Create a Custom Toolbar for Closest TCP Integration While not directly placing a button in the TCP, you can create a custom toolbar that floats near your TCP area or is docked strategically for quick access, thus acting as a quasi-integrated button. Here’s how: 1. **Custom Toolbar:** - Navigate to `View` > `Toolbars` > `Customize Toolbars...`. - Choose a toolbar slot (or create a new one) and then populate it with the script/action you've created for adjusting track height. 2. **Positioning the Toolbar:** - You can then position this toolbar to float near your TCP area or dock it in a convenient location. While this isn’t exactly embedding a button in the TCP, it’s a practical workaround to have quick access to the functionality. # Workaround Considerations - **Accessibility:** This method ensures the function is easily accessible without navigating through menus. - **Visibility:** Unlike direct TCP embedding, this button will be part of a toolbar, which means it won’t dynamically replicate across all tracks but serves as a global control point. # Limitations and Community Solutions - Direct TCP modifications for functional content beyond aesthetics primarily need REAPER Extensions or third-party scripts. - The REAPER community and forums like the official REAPER forum, or resources such as the REAPER Blog and REAPER Scripts repository (ReaTeam Scripts), might offer new or updated solutions from creative users who have developed workarounds for similar scenarios. In summary, the approach requires leveraging REAPER's scripting and toolbar customization capabilities to create a convenient and user-friendly solution that approaches the original intention. It underscores the flexibility of REAPER but also its limitations in direct theme-based functional UI customization.

answer:In the context you've provided, it appears there might be a little confusion about setting scalar values in WALTER for REAPER theming or a similar scripting context. To clarify, WALTER (Window Arrange Logic Template Engine) is specifically used for theming within REAPER and primarily deals with visual and layout elements rather than setting or modifying variables or scalar values in the traditional programming sense. However, if we interpret your question in the broadest sense related to using a `set` operation in a scripting or programming context within REAPER (for example, in EEL or Lua scripts, which are common for REAPER actions), setting a scalar value (which is essentially a single numerical value) to a variable (in this case, `foo`) is a fundamental operation. # In EEL (REAPER's built-in scripting language): ```eel foo = 42; // Sets the scalar value 42 to the variable foo ``` # In Lua (another popular scripting language supported by REAPER): ```lua foo = 42 -- Sets the scalar value 42 to the variable foo ``` Both of these examples effectively assign the scalar value `42` to the variable named `foo`. This operation is straightforward in most programming and scripting languages, with the syntax varying slightly between them. However, if your question is related specifically to WALTER for theming purposes in REAPER, it's important to note that WALTER does not execute scripts or set variables in the way typical programming or scripting does. Instead, WALTER uses a syntax to define and customize the appearance and layout of UI elements in REAPER based on predefined properties and values. For example, defining a track's button size or position might look something like this in a theme's `rtconfig.txt`: ```plaintext set mcp.volume.w [50] set mcp.volume.h [150] ``` These lines might hypothetically set the width (`w`) and height (`h`) of the mixer control panel's (MCP) volume fader, but they're not "setting a variable" in the programming sense. Instead, they adjust visual properties of theme elements according to WALTER's theming syntax. If you were referring to a different context for using "set foo to set a scalar value" either within REAPER's scripting environments (like adjusting track parameters, managing plugin settings, etc.) or another specific application, the concept generally aligns with assigning a value to a variable, but the precise implementation would depend on the context (scripting vs. theming) and environment (EEL/Lua for scripting, WALTER for theming).

answer:In the context of WALTER for theming in REAPER or general scripting within REAPER (whether using Lua, EEL, or another supported scripting language), there isn't a direct and straightforward way to set a UI element's position as a percentage of its parent container's width (for example, a button's x-coordinate as a percentage of the track's width) due to the static nature of theme definitions and the limitations in dynamic responsiveness within the WALTER theming system or the scripting environment for UI elements. # In WALTER Themes: WALTER (Window Arrange Logic Template Engine) allows for sophisticated customization of REAPER's user interface but operates based on predefined layouts and static settings in the `.ReaperTheme` or `.ReaperThemeZip` files. These settings do not inherently support dynamic calculations like percentages for positioning or sizing directly within the theme syntax. Positions and sizes in WALTER are usually defined with specific pixel values or relative positioning that does not automatically adjust based on parent container sizes. # Workarounds and Alternative Approaches: Despite this, there are creative ways you might approach the goal, though with limitations and not as directly as you might with dynamic HTML/CSS or conventional programming languages: 1. **Custom Scripts for Dynamic Adjustment**: Scripting with Lua or EEL can manipulate track layouts or elements within REAPER, but this often involves global or track-specific actions rather than dynamically adjusting theme elements. A script can adjust track heights, widths, or other properties based on calculations, but it wouldn't directly interact with WALTER theme elements in real-time. 2. **Strategically Define Multiple Layouts**: Within the theme's definition, you could create multiple variations of a layout corresponding to different track widths. This wouldn't dynamically calculate positions but could switch between layouts that approximate the behavior based on predetermined breakpoints. 3. **External Tools or Extensions**: Some tasks might be achieved or approximated using external tools or extensions like the SWS extension for REAPER, which extends its functionality. However, direct manipulation of UI elements based on percentages of other element sizes typically falls outside the scope of these tools. 4. **Feature Requests and Community Involvement**: The REAPER community is active and the development team is responsive to users. If there's significant demand for more dynamic UI capabilities within themes or scripting, it's possible future versions could expand in this direction. Participating in the community forums or the REAPER issue tracker could be a way to advocate for such features. In summary, while directly achieving a dynamically positioned button based on a percentage of its parent container's width (like the track's width) isn't currently supported in a straightforward manner within REAPER's theming (WALTER) or scripting system, workaround methods or creative use of existing tools can offer partial solutions or alternatives depending on the specific use case and needs.

answer:The appearance of elements like the track's name maintaining a consistent position relative to the track, regardless of track width or height in REAPER, is managed internally by REAPER's layout engine and predefined in the theme's WALTER (Window Arrange Logic Template Engine) script. This behavior is due to the way elements are defined and positioned within the theme's design, using WALTER's own syntax and design patterns, which allow for relative positioning within the defined containers of the track control panel (TCP) or mixer control panel (MCP). WALTER allows theme designers to specify where and how UI elements should appear within different parts of the interface. When it comes to items like track names, WALTER enables their positioning to be specified in a way that maintains their relative location regardless of track height changes. This is typically achieved by defining positions and layouts that are responsive to the parent container's size, but within the specific constraints and capabilities of WALTER. For example, in the `rtconfig.txt` file of a theme, you might see specifications for elements that take into account the size of their container, but these are generally not calculated as a percentage of the container's size; rather, they're positioned to work within the range of expected sizes by the theme designer. The key difference between this and the scenario posed in your question (dynamically setting a button's x-coordinate as a percentage of the track's width) is that REAPER's theming capabilities, through WALTER, provide mechanisms for relative positioning and size management to ensure consistency and usability across various interface elements, but they're designed to work within the confines of REAPER's UI framework and are not intended for real-time dynamic resizing or positioning based on arbitrary percentages or formulae input by the user. The internal management of relative element positions, like track names within the TCP, is an integral part of how REAPER themes are created and managed using WALTER. It's a balance between flexibility in theme design and the practical limitations of providing a stable, consistent user interface that performs well across a wide range of user scenarios and customizations.