[VDJ] Novation Launchpad mapper and mapping tool

[sangesf]

i love your map its almost perfect what would have put it over the edge fpr me would be effects buttons but other then that awesome job

[Subcycle]

I am having difficulty figuring out how to create a new page. I would like to create a 4th page to map how I feel fit before attempting to edit what you have already made.

I guess my other question is where should I start, if I want to design a map completely from scratch?

[synthet1c]

copy the definition file and delete all the content from the mapping XML… Then you can just go into VDJ’s mapper and press key learn to set the focus on a particular button and use either VDJ Script or just autolearn to fill in the actions…

After that you will need to add the LED commands, you can find those in the dropdown list at the top right of the mapper window in config. To trigger basic on/off you can just map the same command for the LED as the button, but if you want more advanced stuff you can use conditional variables eg if you want the led to blink while an effect is active but be on when the effect is off “It’s bad example but should show you the syntax”

effect active ? blink 500ms : on

the syntax works like this:
query ? action if true : action if false

if you want to add more virtual layers you will need to allocate a button to set a shift eg

toggle ‘myCrazyShift’

then query the state of that on the buttons and LED’s and prepend it to the existing script eg

var ‘myCrazyShift’ ? action if true : old script

[Subcycle]

@synthet1c

copy the definition file and delete all the content from the mapping XML… Then you can just go into VDJ’s mapper and press key learn to set the focus on a particular button and use either VDJ Script or just autolearn to fill in the actions…

After that you will need to add the LED commands, you can find those in the dropdown list at the top right of the mapper window in config. To trigger basic on/off you can just map the same command for the LED as the button, but if you want more advanced stuff you can use conditional variables eg if you want the led to blink while an effect is active but be on when the effect is off “It’s bad example but should show you the syntax”

effect active ? blink 500ms : on

the syntax works like this:
query ? action if true : action if false

if you want to add more virtual layers you will need to allocate a button to set a shift eg

toggle ‘myCrazyShift’

then query the state of that on the buttons and LED’s and prepend it to the existing script eg

var ‘myCrazyShift’ ? action if true : old script

This is an awesome place to start. Thank you very much. I printed your reply for when I am working on it. HaHa.

[Subcycle]

Finished Mapping My LaunchPad The Way I Want

Thank you everyone in this thread for sharing what they know, especially synthet1c and flangeordie.

After only a few weeks I have finished mapping my LaunchPad the way I want! I’ll share the actually mapping file once I clean it up a bit and finish testing EVERY aspect of it. Wouldn’t want to share it if a button didn’t work. Here is a chart the shows the layout and colors on the initialization of it upon loading VDJ.

It almost controls everything in VDJ and all 80 buttons are put to use. This is a configuration that I really like for my style of DJing. And with the sample and loop controls so close it creates a lot of space for live remixing capabilities if your timing is good enough. Some buttons like the ones labeled “Deck # Tempo” blink the tempo of their respective track so you can quickly see each tracks BPM.

For information on this map is on my Facebook Page.

Thanks again for all your help guys, and now that I know what I’m doing I’ll try to help anyone else too.

[wafiksedhom]

Effects

Hi,

How do you program the effects on the mapper? When I press the effects button, it does not choose different effects.

Thanks

[Subcycle]

@wafiksedhom

Hi,

How do you program the effects on the mapper? When I press the effects button, it does not choose different effects.

Thanks

You can do it a few ways. I have my map set where 4 different buttons activate 4 different effects on the selected deck.

<map value="B_6-8" action="effect "BeatGrid" active" />

So in VDJ’s action textbox it looks like this: effect “BeatGrid” active.

OR you can have a button work as the trigger to activate the effect and another button or two to cycle through the effects available. But without a screen to display which effect is loaded with just buttons it gets confusing this way.

<map value="B_6-8" action="effect select +1 />

the map value is used it where I have mine placed, replace that with the button you desire.

[joeydcamo]

Thank You So Freaking Much

Thank you so much, I have been looking for this since I bought the launchpad. Keep on doing what you do. Last thing I wanna say is I Love It

[Trev]

Thank You So Much!

Got my ableton Launchpad today and have no idea how to use it (neither do i know how to use ableton) so i downloaded this to help!

[djskoob]

help please

@flangeordie

Something like this?

Loops, loop out, and play blink when active

The pitch bend is set to 2% every half second, you can change that

Novation Launchpad mapping.xml

If the filename has underscores, replace them with spaces

Is there any way i can add this as the fourth setting on me launchpad??

[necodominus]

VDJ and Launchpad S

hello, i just picked up a Launchpad S. Its my first pad device and i wanna set it up to run effects and loops in VDJ in tandem with my Reloop terminal Mix 4. However i cant seem to get VDJ to pick up the mapping file for the launchpad. Is there some difference in syntax or something between the launchpad S and the original launchpad?

[Fermaioo]

I have Mac

What if i have Mac and cannot open .EXE?

[l4dbros1518]

Launchpad S mapping?

Hello! I am relatively new to VDJ and I’m having some problems trying to get this to work with the current mapping. Nothing is working for me and I’ve tried re-doing the whole Launchpad mapping tool and what not. My controller does not light up, nor do the buttons work. Is there any way I can get more in depth directions like a step by step video, or pictures? Sorry for the bother! But if you can help me out, Thank you very much!

[sixaxis]

hi all,
anyone knows how to make a vu meter with the novation launchpad?

for example i tried to take 8 buttons (a column) and set them to different values of volume (well that was a try, not really a vumeter) but the problem was that i don’t know how to set intervals, if i set that a led illuminates at 90% of volume it does only if volume is exactly 90%, so it’s incompatible to use as a indicator of the console fader…

[Womanwalrus]

it keeps saying it cannot locate xml file when i search for the mapper

@flangeordie

My buddy and I have a Denon DN-MC6000 and a Novation Launchpad. Seeing the amazing potential of adding 80 buttons to our setup, each with variably coloured LEDS, I made a project out of building a mapper that would make use of the Launchpad as a supplement to the mixer. Since there was no way I was settling for anything less than fully working coloured LEDs, there was a lot of work ahead. Along the way I wrote a little program to help me (mapping got REALLY repetitive and tedious), and now that I’m “finished” I want to share. I understand the limited scope and use of this mapper and tool - it’s tailored to my specific setup. So I’m just posting here because there may be another one of me out there looking for something like this.

The mapping is split into 3 “pages”, designed for use beside our MC6000:

1. Samples, loops, key, etc: the main page used when mixing solo, functions are largely unique from the mixer

(The DN-MC6000/VirtualDJ combo by itself is really, really lacking/inconvenient in the area of samples! The top half of this page basically allows us to have a useable-on-the-fly sample deck, which otherwise we could not.)

2. Effects: main effects also located on our mixer, so designed around the idea of having a second person doing only effects

3. EQs, levels: really just a fun way to do it, not for anything serious (see pajamas )

Lights flash, change colour, or otherwise indicate whether their function is active, where necessary.

I tried to keep the number of lights used low, as the Launchpad has a crappy slow USB connection, and lots of updates sent to it in a short period of time will cause all of VDJ to hang temporarily. Which is bad. I believe this would be better if Novation had given the Launchpad its own power supply separate from its USB connection, but it is what it is, right?

Here’s what the tool looks like:

Its entire purpose is to save you time digging through XML files (or dealing with XML at all, really) looking for LED colours that correspond to buttons. 80 buttons with 4 (in my case) LED colours for each means 400 entries = messy! Now they are all organized with their actions.

Adaptation (development) of this tool or something similar for other controllers is also definitely possible.

(EDIT: moved to attachment)

Finally here’s a link to a zip file containing:

device definition file
mapper file
the above layout pictures
the mapper tool exe
a readme for all the above

Cheers

yea it be appreciated

[kayrupt]

Mapper

Is this still available? cant find attachment.

[Rocketbuny]

Could you please fix the download link? thanks!

@flangeordie

Something like this?

Loops, loop out, and play blink when active

The pitch bend is set to 2% every half second, you can change that

Novation Launchpad mapping.xml

If the filename has underscores, replace them with spaces