Voters
9
Jonas ViatteAlex Meadultracellolemon treeEtepetetevirus 1980KlikKieper MusicexBOSS505

Widget Groups & Linked Clones

Description:

Introduce first-class Widget Groups with the ability to create linked clones of a group across pages. Groups behave like reusable “modules”: move/edit once, and (optionally) propagate changes to all linked clones.

Problems:

  • Frequently used widget sets (e.g., transport strip, recording HUD, tutorial overlay) must be duplicated on many pages; any later edit requires repeating changes everywhere, which is slow and error-prone.

  • Moving several widgets together is tedious without a container; accidental misalignment and selection mistakes are common.

  • There’s no clean way to give a group a visual backdrop or quick identity (color/image/label), making complex pages harder to read.

Proposed Solution:

  • Group Container: Multi-select → Group. The container supports alignment, padding, snap, z-order, lock, and per-page visibility. Optional background (color/image), rounded corners, and title bar.

  • Linked Clones: Create Linked Clone duplicates the group as an instance. Editing any instance (layout, child widgets, actions, mappings) updates the prototype and propagates to all other instances.

  • Sync Matrix: Choose what syncs across instances (structure & actions, bindings, styles, text, sizes) while allowing per-instance overrides (position, scale, opacity, visibility). Make Unique detaches an instance.

  • Nested Groups & Tags: Support groups within groups and add tags for quick select/lock/hide.

  • Actions & Variables: Group-level actions (show/hide, enable/disable, apply style preset) and variables (e.g., groupInstanceId, isPrototype).

  • Library & Exchange: Save any group as a reusable Module in a user library; drag to insert; export with assets.

  • Editor QoL: Outline view to select groups/children, grid guides, distribute/align tools, and an Instance Manager to list, locate, and update all clones.

Benefits:

  • One-time edits stay consistent across pages, reducing mistakes on stage.

  • Faster page building and cleaner layouts via true containers.

  • Clear visual identity for recurring UI blocks (color/image/title).

  • Encourages modular design and easier sharing via a module library.

Examples:

  • Build a Transport & Metronome group once; place linked clones on every page. Changing the tap-tempo button or color updates everywhere.

  • Create an FX Macro Strip (four knobs + labels) as a module; drop clones onto instrument pages with local positions but shared mappings.

  • Use a Tutorial/Help group with step-by-step labels; toggle visibility globally during rehearsals.

  • Save a Live Vocals Chain Controls module and reuse it across projects by dragging from the library.

This summary was automatically generated by GPT-5 Thinking on 2025-08-25.

Original Post:

Being able to group widgets would be great!

Simply, if you have widgets you always use together, this would make things much easier. For example when using a tutorial widget along with a button, currently you always have to select them together just to move them around, which is tedious. Groups would solve this, allowing you to easily copy-paste widgets which you always use together

Groups would also be the cleanest way to accomplish something we’ve talked about for over a year: Making clones. If a widget group could be cloned, you could easily have it show up across your pages, for quick easy access, and coherency across your project.

Currently to do this you have to copy-paste your set of widgets, onto every page and every place where you want it copied. Then if you want to change one thing you need to do it all over the project. With these groups and group clones, you could just have one clean set of widgets that you can clone all over your project, and to edit it you would just need to edit any of them, and all the clones on all the pages would be instantly modified. Would save a bunch of time, avoid accidental errors, and be the cleanest way to let the user make their own custom recurring widget sets.

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9Votes
Voters
9
Jonas ViatteAlex Meadultracellolemon treeEtepetetevirus 1980KlikKieper MusicexBOSS505

Discussion

2
Leave a comment
Michael
Michael
Thu Jun 22 2023 10:56:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Open
Kieper Music
Kieper Music
Thu Jan 25 2024 09:12:12 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

This would be awesome! I think an approach as in MainStage would be cool as well. When you group them, it would be helpful to choose a background colour or image as well, just so you instantly know where you are. Also helps when your recreating a hardware looper or any kind of effect and want that to be visually represented

Klik
Klik
Tue Jun 27 2023 16:41:27 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

This sounds awesome. Especially the editing bit. I have had to do the doubling work described her before. It’s a bit tedious. Also sometimes you miss one then come performance time things don’t function right.