v1.5
NEW - Shadow option in the 'Lines' pane. This option will draw shadows for every line. FIXED - After app relaunch the 'Play Waveform Audio' may sometimes play the wrong audio file.
Other Recent Updates:
New - When saving a spectra as a video you now have the option of including the audio, if available. The video duration will then match the audio duration. This can create a fun visualization of the audio.
For security purposes the ability to record the screen has been removed. You can use QuickTime Player to create screen recordings, and then load the screen recording video as you would any other video.
New - The File menu 'Save Video Audio' has been changed to 'Save Waveform Audio' enabling you to save the any waveform audio, if there is one, for email, messaging, etc.
Fixed - Issue with audio processing that could prevent a settings file that uses audio from being restored to the correct look. It was due to a slight variation in audio modulation values. This issue was caused by changes in the last version.
• IMPROVED: Video color generation faster.
• NEW: Apply audio or set background image from Settings. ‘Apply Audio’ for audio, 'Set Background' for background.
• NEW: Playing audio shows its progress in the waveform graphic.
• NEW: When switching to settings without a background from one that does an option to remove the current background is offered.
• NEW: ‘Use Opened Audio’ menu item in the Audio menu: sets the current audio to the last audio imported from external apps (Files, iCloud, Messages, Music, etc) or internal samples.
• IMPROVED: The audio menu items 'Use Video Audio' and 'Use Settings Audio' are reimplemented for clarity.
• FIXED: Some audio files were not loading due to a mismatch of file extension and audio type.
• NEW: Option apply current background color to spectra when rendering. The background color is set in the Size pane.
• Other improvements.
Updated 'More Settings' web view. Use 'More Settings' to load additional settings from the web into the 'My Settings' table.
Fixed an issue with the 'My Settings' table where the table experienced inadvertent scrolling after selecting a setting.
Improved Performance: Settings data is cached to handle the increased load from incorporating background images and waveform audio files. Most notably the presets table scrolls more smoothly, but other methods that use settings data is faster.
Background Preview in Settings: The background image can be previewed from the user settings table. (Swipe on a row in iOS, right(control)-click on a row in macOS.)
Open Settings Options: Opening settings is more discriminate - if current settings has background, but new settings do not then an alert is presented because the existence of a background could mean the spectra does not look as expected unless you change the background settings.
Play Waveform Audio: The current waveform audio file can be played (if it exists; a waveform graphic only displays the audio samples, and its presence does not mean there is an audio file associated with it.) Select ‘Play Waveform Audio’ from the Audio menu. (Or on Mac use the ‘Play Waveform Audio’ button, and in iOS tap the waveform graphic)
Apply Audio File Option: When opening settings with an audio file contained you have the option to ‘apply’ the audio file. This means that the file is read and stored as the current audio file for the waveform. This way if the settings are changed and saved a copy of the same audio can be included. (Audio is saved so that you can recall the audio by playing it from the user setting table.)
Save Audio Option: Saving settings presents the option to NOT save the current waveform audio file. Saving the audio file is for two purposes:
1. So that you can recall the audio by playing it from the user setting table.
2. So that if you load setting with an audio file you apply it so it may be included when saving a modified version of the settings.
v1.4 [Nov 16, 2020]
Updated 'More Settings' web view. Use 'More Settings' to load additional settings from the web into the 'My Settings' table.
Previous updates:
Fixed an issue with the 'My Settings' table where the table experienced inadvertent scrolling after selecting a setting.
Improved Performance: Settings data is cached to handle the increased load from incorporating background images and waveform audio files. Most notably the presets table scrolls more smoothly, but other methods that use settings data is faster.
Background Preview in Settings: The background image can be previewed from the user settings table. (Swipe on a row in iOS, right(control)-click on a row in macOS.)
Open Settings Options: Opening settings is more discriminate - if current settings has background, but new settings do not then an alert is presented because the existence of a background could mean the spectra does not look as expected unless you change the background settings.
Play Waveform Audio: The current waveform audio file can be played (if it exists; a waveform graphic only displays the audio samples, and its presence does not mean there is an audio file associated with it.) Select ‘Play Waveform Audio’ from the Audio menu. (Or on Mac use the ‘Play Waveform Audio’ button, and in iOS tap the waveform graphic)
Apply Audio File Option: When opening settings with an audio file contained you have the option to ‘apply’ the audio file. This means that the file is read and stored as the current audio file for the waveform. This way if the settings are changed and saved a copy of the same audio can be included. (Audio is saved so that you can recall the audio by playing it from the user setting table.)
Save Audio Option: Saving settings presents the option to NOT save the current waveform audio file. Saving the audio file is for two purposes:
1. So that you can recall the audio by playing it from the user setting table.
2. So that if you load setting with an audio file you apply it so it may be included when saving a modified version of the settings.
New User Settings Table Row Labels: Labels in the user settings table indicate : contains audio data file, creation date and data size of the file.
New Labels & Colors For Clarity: New terminology adopted: ’Mask the spectra by the background image or vice versa. Implements 'white on alpha' masking, where white is transparent.' This is to emphasize the intended usage of the ‘White’ color in the color pane, and the use of the ‘Invert’ operation for masks.
Mask Inversion: Masks can be inverted. This is intended for use with ‘white on alpha masks’ - namely masks created as white with transparency. Choose the ‘White’ color option for a spectra and then save it as a background for masking. When inverted white pixels becomes transparent and transparent pixels become white.
Masking Background Image By Spectra Fixed: The mask was inadvertenly being applied 2x to the previews in the main view (but saving was properly working).
Screen Recording Catalina: Screen recording fixed for Catalina - access the screen recorder from the File menu
- The current audio data, as well as the processed samples for graphics modulation, is stored in a Spectra settings file enabling playing of the audio within Spectra.
To play the audio: In the 'My Settings' pane of Presets click-right on a row to display the row actions menu: Play, Rename, Delete and select 'Play'.
If there is no audio to play you are told so - for example old settings files will not contain audio.
Note: When loading settings the audio data is not used to replace the current audio being used by Spectra. But since you can now play the audio that was the current audio at the time the settings were saved you can recall what it was.
- Also : new isosceles triangle option, save Spectra to video, mask images by spectra, use images for color, composing spectra via backgrounds
