Need a new Switch

the current 'swtich' component is ok, but very limited. it's basically a one of five pole to one pole type switch. what i'd like to see is a multi-switch where you could turn on more than one input to the output at a time. yes, i know, this isnt electricity and yes, i know we're dealing with pixels here. so, basically what i want is nothing more than a mixing (not blend modes) of the various inputs into one output based solely on averaging. if one pixel on one input has a value of r= 155, g=205, and b=64 and that same corresponding pixel on another input has a value of r=43, g=155, and b=111, you would simply average the values if both of those inputs were turned on. so, in my example, if input one and two were turned on both at the same time, your output value would be r output=(input 1, r value) + (input 2, r value) /2; g output= (input 1, g value) + (input 2, g value) /2; and b output = (input 1, r value) + (input 2, g value) /2 or, r = (155 + 43) /2 = 99, g = (204 + 155) /2 = 179.5, and b = (64 + 111) /2 = 87.5 . and if you dont like floating point, that's fine, just make it an int result.

the point is, i'd like to be able to mix my inputs into one or more outputs. since we can output to multiple other components, that's already handled. and i want to do this all without using blend modes, just averaging. so, if i wanted to mix a blur input and a motion blur input into one output i could do so...or any number of other features.

i do know i could do this manually by simply exporting each type to my graphic editor and loading them up on layers and use blend modes and opacities to mix them that way. but it would be a lot simpler to do here in FF for the end user.

and, if you really wanted to get fancy, you could include the blend modes as an optional part of the switch on an internal basis and allow changing that part too with an external control component.

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i currently find myself restricted in a number of ways by the decisions made here in FF coding. i want to be able to plug in a noise filter component to a control or some other oddball place. yeah, it might produce really, weird, stupid results, but i want the option to try. it's fine if you put a warning icon or something there like you do when some controls are plugged into components and you get a little warning icon. that's fine, but allow it to happen so i can see the results. in other words, if i want to use a hammer as a screwdriver, let me do it! put a warning on it; that's fine, but let me try it!

i do like that the terminals on the componets are somewhat color coded. that's good. but let me plug a blue plug into a green terminal if i want to. stick the warning icon on it, but let me do it.

now, i do understand that i'm not a coder. so, some of this may be too convoluted to do. maybe it's just coding wise impossible to plug a noise output into a control terminal (or whatever), but if it is possible and just not considered 'desirable', then that's what i'd like to overcome in the thinking here.

i am, primarily an artist. and worse, i'm more of a non-traditional, unconventional type artist (the worst kind ). so, i like trying the unusual, the un-tried path, and seeing where it takes me. most often the results end in crap. but every once in a while i find a true gem! and that's what keeps me going, those gems.

by conventionalizing FF and sticking stictly to 'logic', i become restricted. i have nothing against convention. i couldnt live without it. but i also thrive on the unconventional, the weird, the 'other path'. and that's what i'd like to see more of in FF. open up the gates, gents, and let me play! keep the conventions; that's fine. but open up the non-conventional for those of us that want to think outside the box.

and even if you dont, i still think this is one hell of a good program

craig