New to developing - a few queries.

[GaMi]

Hi Folks,

I've been using QLC+ as my main go to lighting software for a number of years now - love it most of the time - and very grateful for all of the work that has gone into the project!! I mainly do lighting design for theatre shows, but have used QLC for a variety of concerts, band nights and other things as well. I'm keen to have a play around with programming again (last did C++ stuff about 15 years ago) and figured I'd love to be able to help out with development of QLC+ if I get to the stage where my programming skills are good enough to be useful.

I primarily use Ubuntu at home, although I have access to Windows machine as well, and one of theatres I tech at uses a MacMini (quite old but still going strong!!).

Queries:
- What software development tools do current developers use and find most useful (ideally Linux but whatever you use really)
- I've just installed Atom from Git as it had some good reviews and github integration seems sensible if I want to be able to contribute - am I right?

Ideas:
- First thing I was thinking at looking at is the ability to change the fixture for a group of controls in virtual console. Was thinking that the 'pages' tab of a frame properties would probably be the most sensible place to put a control. The reason why I would like something like this is I often spend a lot of time setting up virtual consoles - I like to have the ability to change levels for individual lights as well as groups and these days often have numerous RGB RGBW RGBAW fixtures. Once I've got a frame set up for a light I then copy and paste it and / or use pages - but I then have to go through each individual widget to change it to be level for a different fixture. (hopefully that makes sense, and if I'm just being dumb and there is a way to do it please let me know as it would save me a shed load of time!!)
- Export and Import function for virtual console - I understand this would be a lot more complex, and there are many cases where it simply wouldn't work - for me it would be for similar reason to the above, to export / import a setup for controlling one or a number of fixtures rather than controls for specific scenes so would need to think about how to do this. Reason for wanting this is I work at different venues but have some of my own equipment, so have to setup with a venues kit and my own - meaning more virtual console creation. I realise I could use a standard template with all of my kit and add to it for the venues - but then when I get more kit all of the venue files I had would need updating.

Thanks for your time and hopefully I'll get to the stage where I can help with active development.

[mcallegari]

I personally use Qt Creator and git from command line or qgit.

As for new features in QLC+ 4, I'm not sure if the effort is worth it at this point.
For example, import of Fixture and Functions is already implemented in QLC+ 5. Importing VC widgets might follow.

I think it's better to move on QLC+ 5, but please wait some more time until it reaches at least a beta state.

[GaMi]

Thanks for the input boss

Yep happy to wait until QLC+ 5 reaches at least beta state. Have had a quick look at the test releases you have done so far and they look good - a huge amount of thanks for all of the time you spend on this project, and for taking the time to reply to my message. I'll have a bit of a play around with QLC+ 4 - I find it difficult to get into coding unless I have a specific aim in mind, and it will do me good to learn and re-learn stuff to be able to hopefully get to the stage where I can actually help with QLC+ 5 in the future.

Cheers