[Tracker] OG Bosca Ceoil issue reports

[YuriSizov]

Since the original repository is archived, we can't reply to the open issues there (per GitHub's policies, even maintainers/collaborators cannot do that). So here's a tracker for issues still open there with an update on their status in Bosca Ceoil Blue.

Rewrite/port proposals

• Abandon Adobe AIR and port to Haxe TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#47
• Proposal to Migrate the codebase to C++ with the help of Community TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#87
• Update from Adobe AIR 17.0 to HARMAN AIR 33 to Restore Cross Compatibility TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#96

Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.

Well, hello there! These proposals are generally made obsolete by the existence of this project. Both Bosca Ceoil and its synthesizer, SiON, have been ported to a new tech stack and are supported on all desktop platforms with web and mobile versions coming in the future.

Bug reports

• standalone: pressing esc quits TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#37

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0-3.1.
  • Bosca Ceoil Blue has a system that tracks all changes and makes sure none of your actions result in progress loss, prompting you with a confirmation dialog.
  • As of version 3.1, the Esc key always triggers the confirmation dialog when you press it to quit the app, even if there are no unsaved changes. The key is also unbound in the web version, as it doesn't make sense there

• pressing stop doesn't stop all sound TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#40

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.1.
  • As of version 3.1, notes are completely cut off when pausing or stopping, and the effector is reset to avoid sounds from effects leaking.
  • Tracked here: Stopping or pausing playback doesn't completely stop the sound #56.

• Freeze when opening the Save Dialogue TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#55

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • Since the new version is a complete rewrite using a different stack, such issues are unlikely. So considering resolved, unless there is a new report (but even then, it'd be a completely new issue).

• Shift Click (or middle click) on patterns doesn't work TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#57

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • Shouldn't be a problem in the new version.

• Marimba from Bell option changes to Midi option TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#66

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • This is fixed in Bosca Ceoil Blue. The issue was that the name of the instrument was treated as unique in some places, even though it wasn't. I checked, and there are two collisions in the original Bosca: "Marimba" and "Trumpet". Those were never accessible in the OG, which means that the new version has two extra instruments without breaking compat! Cool.

• Crash on launch after associating .CEOL files with the process. TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#68

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • I can confirm the crash in the original Bosca. There is a line that tries to register the app to open .ceol files, but it doesn't seem to do anything, and if you manually set up file association, that line causes an error-less crash. There is no such issue in the new version (but it also doesn't try to create such file association).

• Simple Drumkit's volume gets overwritten TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#83

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • I can confirm the issue in the original Bosca, and it seems to be resolved in Bosca Ceoil Blue from my testing.

• Application doesnt starts. TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#85

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • Shouldn't be a problem with the new version.

• leaving the window sometimes makes it so you can't put down any notes TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#93

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • Shouldn't be a problem with the new version.

Exporters and importers

• xm exporter doesn't work TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#36

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • The provided .ceol file seems to crash in the original app due to some indexing problem. It doesn't crash in Bosca Ceoil Blue and produces an export.
  • However, !!! DO NOT PLAY THIS FILE IN BOSCA !!!, especially with headphones on! It's just a lot of screeching sounds, and is extremely unpleasant. Not sure if it was intended this way or not. The XM file is somewhat easier to listen to, probably because it cannot go very high with the pitch.

• exporting standalone snaps range to whole region TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#38

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0-3.1.
  • I agree that this is an annoying issue, which is why I have fixed it in 3.0 and improved further in 3.1. Ideally we'd want to listen to the generated output until the threshold for "silence" is reached, but I'm not sure how to do that yet. Should be possible though.

• Requested bug fix: Midi files export with note cut at end TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#56

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • This should be fixed as well. I reimplemented all exporters anew, following the respective specs and other documentation I could find. Without an example, I will consider this resolved.

• Strange behavior when trying to save to .wav file with 17 bar song TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#65

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • This should be fixed as well. Wav exports specifically are nothing but replaying all the same notes across all patterns and arrangement bars once from the top. And recording the results as you do. So there shouldn't be any specific bugs related to the number of bars. But all exports, Wav included, were a subject to the issues above where the export would just end at the last bar, even if there was some residual sound still playing. Which is fixed in Bosca Ceoil Blue.

Platforms and porting

• Saving not working on online version TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#60

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.1.
  • As of version 3.1 the web version is officially supported, and has dedicated file I/O flow specific to this platform. You can load files from your local filesystem, and on saves/exports files get downloaded. This works correctly in both Chrome and Firefox.
  • Tracked here: Provide a web version #8.

• Adobe Air version can't save or load TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#89

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • We can chalk that up to some quirks of the degrading Flash ecosystem. There shouldn't be such issues in the current version, on any of the platforms.

"Bosca doesn't work on macOS"

• Boscaceoil doesn't work on macOS Catalina TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#73
• macOS Big Sur 64bit issues TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#84
• Catalina users: Adobe air discontinued, installer download link TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#88
• macOS Big Sur: Installing Adobe AIR and Running Bosca Ceoil in 2021 TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#90
• Bosca Ceoil Doesn't Work on MacOS Monterey TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#98
• Cannot build for macos catalina or later TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#107

Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.

Bosca Ceoil Blue works natively on macOS thanks to the Godot engine. Official releases are also fully notarized with Apple and should work without a hitch on all modern mac-devices. These issues should be resolved now.

"Bosca online doesn't work"

• Error when trying to sign up or log in TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#61
• Retire Bosca Ceoil online, and move Bosca Ceoil Linux to legacy status TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#78
• Bosca Ceoil Online Not Working For Chromebook TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#92

Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.1.

Bosca Ceoil Blue offers a web version starting with release 3.1. It works correctly in Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers (like Edge, Opera, and many others), and in Firefox. Safari has issues which affect the engine that Bosca Ceoil Blue uses, so it cannot be supported at this time.

The experience of the web version is absolutely identical, except the Esc to quit shortcut is removed. The web version also features a landing page before the app starts, letting you know if your browser is likely compatible. This version should work across all devices that have compatible browsers, including Chromebooks and Android devices (although do note that the experience is not adapted to touch screens).

See also: #8.

Improvements

• release as a flatpak TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#105

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • I'm not against supporting alternative distributions in principle, for any platform, but I have no experience setting up any of them, nor a good idea which would be practical and which would be superfluous. But please, feel free to open issues for each platform and distribution system that you think we must support, with some details about how it would work.

• release as a .clap plugin TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#106

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • There are currently no plans for integrating Bosca in other musical software. It can be fun, but it's not something that I'm familiar with to be the best judge of the practicality of it. Still, if you know how to do it, please make an issue or a PR with the necessary changes.

Usability

• undo? TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#39

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • Bosca Ceoil Blue has full support for undo/redo a.k.a. action history. It remembers the last 40 steps, which is currently not configurable.

• keyboard shortcuts? TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#41

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0-3.1.
  • Overall, the new version of Bosca supports various keyboard shortcuts, including saving and saving as a copy. All of them are listed in the help section too!
  • As of version 3.1, there are now shortcuts for creating a new file (Ctrl + N) and for opening an existing file (Ctrl + O).

• In major/minor scales, label notes enharmonically TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#43

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • Seems like a good idea, akin to the recent change to support the DoReMi format.

• New feature: mapping keyboard keys to notes TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#45

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • Not currently implemented, but is a good idea. Should work to place notes while playing (only for the current pattern), and we need to somehow lock the octave (by clicking on the right sidebar, where octaves are labeled?). Also drumkits are problematic, but a solution can be as simple as using the same octave locking mechanism for a portion of drumkit items.
  • Tracked here: Allow to set notes with hotkeys/shortcuts #57.

• Look into midi keyboard support TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#46

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • Good idea and something that people often request. Godot has native support for MIDI inputs, but I'd like to have an actual device that I can test this with. Same considerations as above can apply, since not all MIDI devices would be able to cover the entire range of notes available in Bosca.
  • Tracked here: Add support for MIDI keyboard and other devices as an input method #58.

• Set a default scale for a song TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#49

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • This is a good idea and was proposed by some users of Bosca Ceoil Blue as well.
  • Tracked here: Add ability to set and lock scale and key for the entire song #47.

• Remove the limits TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#54

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • This is a good idea, surprised that Terry himself added these limits and then made a proposal to remove them as unreasonable 🙃 There are some considerations, though, as various external formats that we support for export have very strict limits. For some we hit the limits already and not every Bosca song can be exported to them. Raising/removing these limits would further this problem.
  • Not much we can do about it, though. Just need to be careful with exporters, since they may be assuming stuff that is currently true for Bosca song limits (e.g. the 16 instrument limit).

• Undo support TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#58

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • Duplicate of undo? TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#39.

• Saving a .ceol file cannot replace old one TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#59

  • Status: ✅ Resolved-ish, 3.0.
  • In Bosca Ceoil Blue you can use the shortcuts to quickly save the file. Pressing Ctrl + S will save existing files without any extra prompts, and will prompt for a file name if it's a new file. Pressing Ctrl + Alt + S will always prompt for a file name with a "Save as" dialog.
  • The "Save" button always triggers the dialog, however there is a proposal to split it into two actions as well. I'm still considering if this is necessary given the availability of shortcuts.

• Feature Request: Duplicating the arrangment pieces. TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#64

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.1.
  • As far as I understand this is asking for the ability to select and copy notes across patterns. This is something that has been requested a few times, and is now implemented in 3.1.
  • Tracked here: Allow to select and copy/paste notes between patterns #59.

• Bunch of possible improvements. TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#67

  • Status: ✅ Resolved.
  • Marking it as resolved because these suggestions are either covered by other tickets, or have been resolved already in Bosca Ceoil Blue.

• Thoughts on making the file format more diff-friendly? TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#70

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • I agree with the idea that the current format is subpar in many aspects. I will have to rework it in the future major release (4.0), but my plan was to make it binary instead, so it's nice and compact, and can only be written one way. But a binary file would not be version control friendly, which is actually a very strong argument against it. It's something that I'd have to consider when I start working on 4.0.
  • See also: File format v4 ideas #1

• Should Remember last saved location TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#77

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 3.0.
  • Bosca Ceoil Blue remembers the last folder that you've interacted with. It might be worth to store paths more granularly (separate for load, save, import, export?). But it's not worth overcomplicating things unless someone asks for it.

• Pattern Duplication Feature TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#100

  • Status: ✅ Resolved, 2.x.
  • If I understand correctly, the request is for the ability to duplicate patterns. Which you can already do as you compose the arrangement. I'm not sure being able to do it via the dock (the only other place where you could reasonably do it) significantly improves the process. So considering this resolved.
  • Terry's note is curious, but I don't think it's related to the question.

• Midi support TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#101

  • Status: 🚫 Not implemented.
  • Duplicate of Look into midi keyboard support TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#46.
  • Tracked here: Add support for MIDI keyboard and other devices as an input method #58.

Music theory

• Relabel "Normal" scale to "Chromatic" TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#42
• The "Minor" scale is kind of iffy TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#44
• Changing scales on a pattern should transform the scale TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#48
• The "minor" scale is not, in fact, the minor scale. TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#103

Status: 🚫 Unfixed.

These problems generally involve changing the file format that Bosca uses. As such, they can only be done in a major release where we can break compatibility. I plan to address these in Bosca Ceoil Blue 4.0 some time next year.

Support questions and other inquiries

• New updates TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#63

  • Status: ✅ Resolved.
  • Yes, new updates we have for you!

• Add discussions TerryCavanagh/boscaceoil#86

  • Status: ✅ Resolved.
  • A GitHub-related suggestion. This repository, as it so happens, does use the Discussions board alongside the Issues.