GreenLight Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 (edited) Hi all! Can someone help me check if this is just a weirdness in my system or a bug? If you use floating windows - a floating PRV in this example - then I cannot switch focus from the main window to the floating PRV, using Windows standard shortcut CTRL+TAB. But once the floating PRV window (or any other floating window) has focus, I can switch it back to the main window with CTRL+TAB. It behaves like this in an empty project for me and I'm not using screensets nor workspaces. I'm on Cakewalk 2022.02 build 039. This is a bit annoying for me, as the biggest keyboard nerd here on the forum... 🤓😉 Thanks! UPDATED July 12: Description with repro I think there are some intermittent issues with CTRL+TAB focus shifting between undocked/floating windows. I have managed to introduce the problem consistently when I open the Browser. As soon as the Browser is opened (undocked and floating as a separate window on my a second screen), I cannot CTRL+TAB focus back to the main Cakewalk window. If I have several undocked windows, focus switches between those, without ever getting back to the main window. The same problem occasionally occurs with an undocked and floating PRV, but I think the Browser is the culprit here too, somehow. Edited July 12, 2022 by GreenLight Improved description, title and repro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 10, 2022 Author Share Posted July 10, 2022 Our own, always very clever usability guy @Heinz Hupfer has a partial solution for the switching problem from 2019: to use the PRV in the multidock as a workaround. Then you can switch to the PRV (now in the multidock) with CTRL+TAB from the main window (Track View). Unfortunately, it's not really a workable solution for me, as I constantly close and open the PRV on selected tracks (ALT+3 to open) and the multidock doesn't remember its position on the second screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 10, 2022 Author Share Posted July 10, 2022 Sorry to spam, but now it seems to work to use CTRL+TAB to switch to an undocked PRV!? 🤔 I don't understand what's going on, and will be quiet for some time now to try to figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmcleod Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 CTRL + TAB is the Windows standard for switching between different application windows. ALT + TAB is the standard for switching between windows within the same application. Edit: ALT + TAB is the Windows standard for switching between different application windows. CTRL + TAB is the standard for switching between windows within the same application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoo Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 1 hour ago, msmcleod said: CTRL + TAB is the Windows standard for switching between different application windows. ALT + TAB is the standard for switching between windows within the same application. Wrong way round! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmcleod Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 1 minute ago, Kevin Perry said: Wrong way round! Obviously having a senior moment here!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoo Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 We've all done it 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 11, 2022 Author Share Posted July 11, 2022 Do you guys have any idea why it occasionally might not work to use CTRL+TAB to switch from the main Track View window to a floating PRV? I'm thinking it might have something to do with the MultiDock and how it is or isn't docked, or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmcleod Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 11 minutes ago, GreenLight said: Do you guys have any idea why it occasionally might not work to use CTRL+TAB to switch from the main Track View window to a floating PRV? I'm thinking it might have something to do with the MultiDock and how it is or isn't docked, or something... CTRL + TAB will do nothing when it's actually docked. If it's undocked, is the PRV actually visible? It might be that it's minimized and isn't obvious you've CTRL + TAB'd to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 11, 2022 Author Share Posted July 11, 2022 3 minutes ago, msmcleod said: CTRL + TAB will do nothing when it's actually docked. If it's undocked, is the PRV actually visible? It might be that it's minimized and isn't obvious you've CTRL + TAB'd to it. When I have the problem, the PRV is definitely undocked and floating on my secondary monitor. The interesting thing is that I can CTRL+TAB the focus from the undocked PRV back to the Track View, but not the other way around. (I am not using the MultiDock.) But as I mentioned, I suddenly got it to work as expected yesterday after fiddling with MultiDock settings back and forth. I will do more testing to see if I can understand what it is that gets in the way sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoo Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 How many projects open? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 11, 2022 Author Share Posted July 11, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, Kevin Perry said: How many projects open? Always just one project open (it was a good question!). I think I have some (weird) repro progress: I have managed to introduce the problem when I open the Browser, and it actually seems consistent. As soon as the Browser is opened (undocked and floating as a separate window on my a second screen), I cannot CTRL+TAB focus back to the main Cakewalk window. If I have several undocked windows, focus switches between those, without ever getting back to the main window. Can you see if you can CTRL+TAB focus from an undocked and floating Browser window back to the main window? Edited July 11, 2022 by GreenLight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoens Posted July 12, 2022 Share Posted July 12, 2022 Not working here either. On a side note: Tried to search Keyboard Shortcuts for Ctrl and only one result shows up... when there should be 1/2 a hundred. On another side note: WHY is the Keyboard Shortcuts window delaying so long in Preferences? It also stops at the 1st letter when I try to type anything in the search box. Then Preferences disappears 1/2 a dozen times while trying to type any word there. To get Preferences to unhide I have to click on the main window. I have all of Cakewalk listed to not be scanned with WD. Something screwy going on with the Keyboard Shortcuts window! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 12, 2022 Author Share Posted July 12, 2022 9 minutes ago, sjoens said: Not working here either. On a side note: Tried to search Keyboard Shortcuts for Ctrl and only one result shows up... when there should be 1/2 a hundred. On another side note: WHY is the Keyboard Shortcuts window delaying so long in Preferences? It also stops at the 1st letter when I try to type anything in the search box. Then Preferences disappears 1/2 a dozen times while trying to type any word there. To get Preferences to unhide I have to click on the main window. I have all of Cakewalk listed to not be scanned with WD. Something screwy going on with the Keyboard Shortcuts window! THANK YOU @sjoens for verifying the Browser focus bug! 🙏😀 Woho! It has been driving me crazy on and off for years, now we have a repro for the Bakers! I totally agree with you - the very long delay when opening the keyboard shortcuts window, and occasionally when working in it, is very workflow-prohibitive. I think it is reading all the shortcuts from the Windows registry or something? The Keyboard shortcuts window could be a good candidate for a total makeover... it's done it's job well for years, but it's time to go to the gym and get a total makeover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoens Posted July 12, 2022 Share Posted July 12, 2022 (edited) There are some oddities with floating window tabbing. With all of the following windows floating, focus each one & hit Ctrl+Tab: Inspector: Ctrl+Tab does nothing.Browser: Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Inspector then Ctrl+Tab does nothing.Synth Rack: Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Track View then Ctrl+Tab does nothing.PRV: Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Synth Rack then Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Track View then Ctrl+Tab does nothing.Console View: Ctrl+Tab moves focus to PRV then Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Synth Rack then Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Track View then Ctrl+Tab does nothing.Help: Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Console View then Ctrl+Tab moves focus to PRV then Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Synth Rack then Ctrl+Tab moves focus to Track View then Ctrl+Tab does nothing. Edited July 14, 2022 by sjoens for clarity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 14, 2022 Author Share Posted July 14, 2022 @msmcleod Can you reproduce these CTRL+TAB focus issues that I and @sjoens have? To sum up my findings: I have managed to introduce the problem consistently when I open the Browser. As soon as the Browser is opened (undocked and floating as a separate window on my a second screen), I cannot CTRL+TAB focus back to the main Cakewalk window. If I have several undocked windows, focus switches between those, without ever getting back to the main window. The same problem occasionally occurs with an undocked and floating PRV, but I think the Browser is the culprit here too, somehow. @sjoens I'm not sure I fully understand your summary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoens Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 I edited to make it more clear. If it's not, just float as many windows as you can and start Ctrl+Tabbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwal³ Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 are you releasing the ctrl-tabs between each ? if not, what happens if you hold ctrl and then tab tab tab...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoens Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 (edited) Either way. You wouldn't do that when working between views, tho. If you want to tab between floating views and the main view, you cannot have Inspector or Browser floating. They stop the tab process once they're in focus. Inspector wins if they're both floating. If they're both docked, any other floating window can tab back and forth between the main view (Track View). However, the more views you have floating, the longer it can take as tabbing follows a specific order noted in my earlier post. FWIW Sonar X# has similar but slightly different behavior. Edited July 14, 2022 by sjoens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenLight Posted July 16, 2022 Author Share Posted July 16, 2022 On 7/14/2022 at 9:41 PM, sjoens said: Either way. You wouldn't do that when working between views, tho. If you want to tab between floating views and the main view, you cannot have Inspector or Browser floating. They stop the tab process once they're in focus. Inspector wins if they're both floating. If they're both docked, any other floating window can tab back and forth between the main view (Track View). However, the more views you have floating, the longer it can take as tabbing follows a specific order noted in my earlier post. FWIW Sonar X# has similar but slightly different behavior. My head spins when I try to make sense of this focus mess... 😱 But as you say, the Inspector definitely causes problems with focus. If none of the Bakers happen to reply here in a few days, I will email this bug report to Cakewalk to ensure they see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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