[Feature]: Variables and Local Variables assignable in Actions

[Shteron]

Make sure you have updated to the latest version of the module

• I have checked this on the latest version of the module

Is there an existing issue for this?

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Describe the feature

Being able to use expressions, variables and local variables as inputs for fade times, db values, and for specifying which fader / mute group / softcontrol / scene is being targeted would be nice.

There are some modules that have a checkbox that say something like "use variable" and when you check that it changes from a dropdown to a text box that lets you type in variables.

Usecases

This would provide increased flexibility in making dynamic buttons!

• use a value to set which scene is recalled.
• use a value to set fader level (could use another value essentially ganging channels externally or conditionally.
• set fade times that dynamically change based on a condition.

[jswalden]

This will probably come in an upgrade to the 2.0 module API, and no earlier. (Which will incidentally push the Companion version requirement to 4.3 at the same time. And that wasn't feasible until Companion 4.3's actual release, which having happened only on Sunday is much too soon to start demanding it.)

Some random notes:

The fading code is already pretty well situated to handle arbitrary fade durations, in milliseconds. Fade durations longer than 10 seconds may, possibly, run into a Companion-imposed arbitrary timeout on action callback running, depending how it's done. There is presently no way to cancel a fade already started. Making these changes would not change this.

The level-calculation code is moderately well situated to handle calculated levels: A&H doesn't entirely document how to convert NRPN values into dB levels exactly, so somewhat-rough approximations are used instead. Won't be hard to made adjustments, just that you'll start finding that something like "adjust to X dB level" will, if you look at the mixer, have adjusted to a value close to X that generally will not actually be X.

The scene code is in good shape to handle calculated scenes.