DCM notes for 2025-02-17

[glopesdev]

Features

• Move layout files to workflow settings folder #1956
• Rewrite editor navigation model #1870
• Save only active visualizer dialog settings #2144
• Allow embedding UI startup logic in the workflow #2137

Conference

• Review questions about publishing videos and playlist order

[banchan86]

Notes from DCM:

Admin

• Enabling transcripts for DCM:
  • We discussed enabling audio transcripts for Dev Club meetings to improve note-taking, documentation, and accessibility for those who miss meetings.
  • We previously tested transcripts for other meetings but found them difficult to digest, so we defaulted to writing detailed bullet points. However, we are open to trying transcripts again.
  • We also considered using ChatGPT to generate summaries but noted that careful curation would be necessary.
• Conference Videos
  • The conference videos have been trimmed but still need to be reviewed.
  • We discussed whether to upload the project showcase but decided to hold off on it as we have not obtained clearance from all participants and are unsure about institutional media guidelines.
  • We considered where to host the videos—either on Neurogears or the Bonsai-Rx YouTube channel—and are leaning toward the Bonsai-Rx channel as they would be considered contributions to the Bonsai foundation.
  • Side note - The Neurogears channel still has the videos for the visual reactive programming course but once Bonsai 2.9 is released we would make new videos which would supersede them.
  • To simplify permission processes in the future or in this case, we could have presenters sign the Contributor License Agreement (CLA) for Bonsai Foundation.
• Bonsai 2.9 preview
  • The next preview release will be coming soon and would probably contain improvements to the docking panels, package manger, and layout files. However, the watch mode feature will be left out due to unresolved issues.
• Others
  • Issues Rewrite editor navigation model #1870 and Save only active visualizer dialog settings #2144 were postponed for the next meeting.

Issues

• Move layout files to workflow settings folder #1956
  • We discussed various boundary conditions and edge cases for the layout search function (more notes written in that issue).
  • We discussed what would happen to the layout files upon the transition to Bonsai 2.9 (there would be a pop-up asking people to save layout files in the new directory format) and future Bonsai versions.
  • We explored ways to minimize to minimize confusion during the migration especially for users who may not notice where their files are being saved.
  • This discussion ties into a broader question raised in the next issue regarding the role of layout files, how to separate their functions, and how/whether to move toward treating them as disposable.
• Allow embedding UI startup logic in the workflow #2137
  • We discussed how the layout files are currently handing three different functions and how other applications like Visual Studio Code handle it:
    • Debugging (visualizers)
    • Editor state (tabs/windows that are open during development)
    • GUI front end
  • The proposed issue would create a new operator and separate out the GUI front end function.
  • Instead of a generic LaunchVisualizer operator that does not need an input, we discussed having LaunchVisualizer take in an input (for instance, spawn on subscription). This would broaden the scope of possible UI actions:
    • Showing an input box when a observable sequence ends.
    • Killing a visualizer when a sequence terminates.
  • This would require creating something akin to the VisualizerMapping operator which would create a object that could be stored/manipulated/launched.
  • We also discussed having a headless/hide visualizer flag in the editor for workflows where visualization is unnecessary, but the output is still needed.
  • We discussed additional properties for this node (documented in that issue).
  • We discussed handling multiple instances of the operator within a workflow and whether accessing multiple instances via the command line using the visible property might be confusing.
  • We also discussed whether LaunchVisualizer should also control the refresh rate of visualizers but the issue is that buffered visualizers require custom logic for buffering and not all visualizers can handle that so we decided to leave that for now.