Qbit

I have a project I've been working on for a fair while now, which is evolving into something I'm starting to find unwieldy due to its size and complexity. It uses abstractions within abstractions within abstractions within abstractions - I'm not sure how many levels it goes down but it's getting deep. And there's a lot of data to manage, plus a presentation-mode front end with Jitter video as well.

And although I have the raw aptitude for programming, I've barely had any formal training in it. I've just been playing around with Max and getting it to do what I've wanted, and letting things grow 'organically', if you will.

But now I feel like I'm getting a bit lost in a jungle of details. So I'm wondering if anyone might have advice on how to deal with managing the grand plan of something a bit bigger (I take it this is essentially hiking into the foothills of software engineering). Any relevant links would be more than welcome, too.

I have a project I've been working on for a fair while now, which is evolving into something I'm starting to find unwieldy due to its size and complexity.  It uses abstractions within abstractions within abstractions within abstractions - I'm not sure how many levels it goes down but it's getting deep.  And there's a lot of data to manage, plus a presentation-mode front end with Jitter video as well.

And although I have the raw aptitude for programming, I've barely had any formal training in it.  I've just been playing around with Max and getting it to do what I've wanted, and letting things grow 'organically', if you will.  

But now I feel like I'm getting a bit lost in a jungle of details.  So I'm wondering if anyone might have advice on how to deal with managing the grand plan of something a bit bigger (I take it this is essentially hiking into the foothills of software engineering).  Any relevant links would be more than welcome, too.


tips-for-managing-big-projects

when i came to that point i started using filepaths which are somewhat organised.

i have a library folder for my project X, with subfolders for pictures, audio files, and different sorts of abstractions.

and most important, all the abstractions are called something with "myname.X." at the beginning.

when you do this for the first time, i will be alot of work to rename and reorganize parts of your project "only" for having a library system. but after it this organisation structure will also be in your brain, and you will use it like naturally when you start programming Y. you can work organic again, but within a certain set of rules.

when you do this for the first time, i will be alot  of work to rename and reorganize parts of your project "only" for having a library system. but after it this organisation structure will also be in your brain, and you will use it like naturally when you start programming Y. you can work organic  again, but within a certain set of rules.

In max6 there is now the option to build projects, a folder structure where everything can be organized. I just discovered that unchecking the 'Keep Project Folder Organized' option in the Project Inspector allows you to make nested folders.

Thanks, Roman - yeah, subfolders sound like good move. I take it that the folder architecture should simply mirror the patch/abstraction architecture? (That would seem logical.) I'll give it a shot.

@jvkr Good to know, though I haven't upgraded to v6 yet. Last time I checked (and please correct me I'm wrong) v6 was a bit heavier on CPU, and I'm running it pretty heavy as it is. But I'm sure to upgrade sooner or later, with or without my current computer.

I can see how using a folder system would be great for keeping what you've already done in good order, but how is it for implementing new ideas? Are there any widely used procedures applicable to Max for turning complex programming ideas into reality?

It seems to me that I'm doing something intuitively, but I'm not sure what it is, and it's not easy to scale up without knowing a little theory. As in methods of breaking down large problems into constituent parts, and then managing the large volume of small problems. I use task management software to keep the rest of my life more-or-less organised (it's good for my kind of brain), so I wonder if that could come in handy.

Thanks, Roman - yeah, subfolders sound like good move.  I take it that the folder architecture should simply mirror the patch/abstraction architecture?  (That would seem logical.)  I'll give it a shot.

@jvkr Good to know, though I haven't upgraded to v6 yet.  Last time I checked (and please correct me I'm wrong) v6 was a bit heavier on CPU, and I'm running it pretty heavy as it is.  But I'm sure to upgrade sooner or later, with or without my current computer.

I can see how using a folder system would be great for keeping what you've already done in good order, but how is it for implementing new ideas?  Are there any widely used procedures applicable to Max for turning complex programming ideas into reality?  

It seems to me that I'm doing something intuitively, but I'm not sure what it is, and it's not easy to scale up without knowing a little theory. As in methods of breaking down large problems into constituent parts, and then managing the large volume of small problems.  I use task management software to keep the rest of my life more-or-less organised (it's good for my kind of brain), so I wonder if that could come in handy.


Tips for managing big projects?