Parameter List
The parameter list is found on the left-hand side of the Parameters UI. The listing shows all the parameters defined in the selected plug-in, according to the order in which they appear inside the parameter inspector UI of the host.
Rearranging or renaming the parameters via this interface will cause the parameters to appear in the new order (and with any new names) the next time you launch the host.
The round indicator that appears next to each parameter tells you whether the parameter is ready to be used by the plug-in. The picture above shows all parameters with a green light. The indicator may also appear in yellow, when the parameter is not fully mapped, and in red, when the parameter is not ready because of a fatal error condition (such as when no compatible Quartz composition input ports have been assigned).
The number under the ID column is the unique identifier that all hosts use when dealing with each parameter. Some parameters have IDs that cannot be changed. These parameters are called “Unique Parameters”, and only one of each kind can appear in the plug-in.
Parameter List Buttons
FxFactory puts a wide variety of parameters at your disposal. Not all parameters are meant to communicate data from the host to your composition. Some parameters may only have a cosmetic purpose (e.g. Banner images). One type of parameter is even designed to take data from your composition and displaying it to the user.
The available parameters types are organized in two categories: standard and unique. A plug-in can contain multiple instances of a standard parameter, but it can only contain at most one instance of a unique parameter (hence the name).
Both types of parameters can be added by clicking the button labeled with a plus sign, below the parameter list:
The next button, labeled with a minus sign, lets you remove any currently selected parameters.
The button that sports a folder icon allows you to create a parameter group. When an effect has a large number of parameters, it may make sense to organize parameters in separate groups, to make configuration easier for the user.
The fourth button has a special purpose: when two slider parameters (e.g. “Center (X)” and “Center (Y)”) are selected, clicking this button will cause the two slider parameters to merge into a single point parameter:
When the plug-in requires the user to specify a 2D location on the canvas, point parameters are preferable to slider parameters since they provide an on-screen control that is best suited to this purpose.
The third button under the parameter list lets you Reassign Parameter IDs.
The fourth button allows you to upgrade the plug-in so as to be able to use a larger number of parameters (4900 rather than 400).