Alt + Scroll Button SERIOUSLY Impeding My Workflow

[Helos Bonos]

I'm deeply focused on my editing which requires a lot of zooming in and zooming out which I also use to slowly move my way across the timeline by zooming in on one side and zooming out on the other. When I have to look at my keyboard to make sure I'm hitting the Alt key and not my Ctrl, Windows key, or space bar which I do half the time, it takes my sight off of the clip I am editing. Then I have to find my place again. And sometimes if I hit the alt key instead of the space bar, then the menu drops down on top so I have to get rid of the menu in order to continue to play. It's maddening, distracting, and time wasting. Is there a way to horizontal zoom with scroll button only?

[Starship Krupa]

I'm trying not to sound condescending, because it's been something of a struggle for me to get used to flying with the keyboard when using a DAW.

However, I've just had to learn to trust my touch and muscle memory similar to learning to play guitar, keyboards, and touch typing. It's a skill, to get fast, I have to practice. (Why do I keep running into that?)

Force yourself to do it without looking for a few days, you'll eventually learn to trust yourself. That's the method that works for me, and thanks for reminding me I need to learn the Cakewalk key commands better. Even moreso, because I'm one of those people who uses a trackball (Logitech Marble Mouse) so I don't even have a wheel. 4 buttons and a big sphere.

If you watch someone who's really good with their DAW, who's learned the keystrokes, they can just rip, they make me look like a toddler finger painting by comparison with all my mouse clicks.

(searching for where I put my print-out of the Cakewalk keystrokes)

[chuckebaby]

Horizontal scrolling can be done by using the "timeline click and drag" maneuver. 

If you hover above the timeline you will see a magnifying glass. you can click and drag up/down to zoom in/out. You can also use ALT+Z to undo views. This avoids looking at any keys.

[Peter Hintze]

hi, interesting. I started almost the same topic.

 

Look at the video. starting at 6:10

Even going to the (very small) timeline is not necessary and distracts my workflow as well. in the video you can see that zooming (v/h) and panning can be done seamlessly. this is what I would like since 1998

 

Peter 

Edited April 30, 2020 by Peter Hintze

[Helos Bonos]

10 minutes ago, Peter Hintze said:

Look at the video. starting at 6:10

Even going to the (very small) timeline is not necessary and distracts my workflow as well. in the video you can see that zooming (v/h) and panning can be done seamlessly. this is what I would like since 1998

 

Peter 

Oh, yeah, that is very smooth zooming and scrolling. Mine seems to jump from level to level rather than a smooth graduation.

Another thing I forgot to mention are the microscopic scroll handles! I'm zoomed out all the way and the handle is still tiny. WHY??? On every other program (I'm not talking DAW, I mean every other type of program) , when you zoom out to see the entire project, the scroll handle lengthens so you don't have to mouse to the other side of the screen to grab it or to search for it with your eyes.

 

[Helos Bonos]

19 hours ago, chuckebaby said:

Horizontal scrolling can be done by using the "timeline click and drag" maneuver. 

If you hover above the timeline you will see a magnifying glass. you can click and drag up/down to zoom in/out. You can also use ALT+Z to undo views. This avoids looking at any keys.

I might have to get into this habit.

[Heinz Hupfer]

HI:)

@Helos Bonos

 

Why not use a Midi Controller? Much faster. I normally use it with Left hand and do Shortcuts or mouse clicks with the right hand.

 

Four Rotors for Zoom Vertic., Zoom Horiz., Jog For/Back(slowly), 1 Bar Forw./Backw. (fast)

Bassman.

 

[Helos Bonos]

I'm not a hardware guy but I'm digging this. I might get one. Thanks. But wait. Can it control the full timeline with audio and MIDI or just the MIDI window?

[Heinz Hupfer]

@Helos Bonos

For sure it's the same in track window! But the Rotors should be "endless" rotors! Like the BCR2000...

Bassman.

 

[Peter Hintze]

27 minutes ago, Heinz Hupfer said:

@Helos Bonos

For sure it's the same in track window! But the Rotors should be "endless" rotors! Like the BCR2000...

Bassman.

 

I have a BCR, but use it only to control external Midi Hw,.. how did you set it up to control UI functions? @Heinz Hupfer

thx, Peter 

 

 

[JoseC]

40 minutes ago, Peter Hintze said:

I have a BCR, but use it only to control external Midi Hw,.. how did you set it up to control UI functions? @Heinz Hupfer

thx, Peter 

 

 

I am curious, too.  

[JoseC]

16 hours ago, Helos Bonos said:

I might have to get into this habit.

BTW, if you press Z (and keep it pressed), cursor changes into a magnifying glass. If you drag select (with Z STILL pressed) the track area you want to zoom to, and you release Z, it will zoom instantly. You don't need to drag  in the time line, you drag over the area that you want to zoom to. The narrower the area selected, the closer it will zoom.  ALT-Z undoes. It works very well in Track View, but in Piano Roll ALT-Z does not work, so you must zoom out by other means.

[Heinz Hupfer]

Hi:)

 

Here are 4 pictures of 4 modes of the BCR2000, what you can do with the BCR2000:

All with 1 BCR Preset!

1. 8 Track Mode - Normal Mode

2.  24 Track Mode

3. ACT Mode

4. Pro Channel Mode

These pictures are from 2016, they are not up to date with the preset, cause I changed a few things. More on the next post.

 

Bassman.

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Heinz Hupfer

[Heinz Hupfer]

HI again:)

 

1. You have to install AZController:

 

http://www.azslow.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=28

 

2. Upload the preset (AZControl-APR-2020) with this program to the BCR (BC Manager 4.0.2)

 

https://mountainutilities.eu/downloads

 

3. Import Master 11.0 2020-6 to AZController.

 

I have Novation Launch Control  as ACT Controller as a Slave, BCR2000 as Master. For more info just mail me,

 

Attached all files you need. I'll do an update to the pictures and the pdf as soon as possible!

 

Here a link to  the files and a pdf with explanations to install and everything else.

 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al2mKojzOW0Mp6I5hD-wxPRs6c5OiA?e=wX2adQ

 

Have fun:)

Bassman.

 

 

Bassman.

 

 

AzControl-APR-2020.syx Master 11.0 2020-6.spp Slave 1.spp

[Heinz Hupfer]

HI:)

 

Another AZ Controller File and picture for 8-track mode. I do with the first rotor my monitor send on the mixbus .

I changed this for normal purposes:

Rotor 1 - Master (Bus) Volume

with Shift-lock - Send 1 on second bus (my monitor send)

with Ctrl - Volume Bus 2 (Mixbus for me)

 

With Shift (Lock) Encoders 1-8 are Send1 Vol, Send 1 Pan, Send 2 Vol........

Over Weekend I can look what I changed over the years!

 

Greetz:)

Bassman.

 

Master 11.0 2020-6-Extern.spp

[Peter Hintze]

@Helos Bonos

What do you think about this -->

Seamless zooming and panning only by extending the existing functionality in Cakewalk:

1. Horizontal Pan and Zoom based on the behaviour of the "timeline zooming" without the need to find the spot on the timeline that activates the timeline panning and zooming.  --> This could be done just by pressing e.g. Alt+Drag (or Ctrl or Shift) any place in the Track View, PRV or any other view.

2. Vertical Pan and Zoom similar to timeline zooming but vertically by Shift+Alt+Drag any place in the Track View, PRV or any other view.

IMO this would be a great workflow improvement as it reduces unneccesary mouse- and eye-movements away from the actual editing area alot and dreates a seamless workflow around the actual tasks  at hand (e.g. cli editing, automation envelopes, etc.).

[chuckebaby]

On 4/30/2020 at 2:13 PM, Helos Bonos said:

But wait. Can it control the full timeline with audio and MIDI or just the MIDI window?

Sure can, all timeline. I use a controller myself (Mackie MCU) with motorized faders and all the scrolling buttons.

I bought mine used for 200 bucks.

[Helos Bonos]

I think I remembered the real problem I was having with zooming. It's zooming on the piano roll.

I go from this view:


To this view:

In ONE tick of my scroll wheel.

That MIDI controller looks like a nice toy but since I'm limited on desk space and on monetary funds, I think that $200 might be better spent toward a Presonus license. It's looking better and better with every session.

 

 

[chuckebaby]

3 hours ago, Helos Bonos said:

I think I remembered the real problem I was having with zooming. It's zooming on the piano roll.

I go from this view:


To this view:

In ONE tick of my scroll wheel.

This is not what i see in Piano roll view at all. Zoom works in small increments here. 

I'm not sure what your doing here, possibly hitting the F button to "Fit project".

Because there is no way it will go from showing 27 beats to 300+ beats with 1 click.

[user 905133]

I don't use the PRV and I don't zoom via mousewheel and mousewheel + Alt, but FWIW here are my results from playing around a few hours ago:

Respectively, these are 0, 1, 2, and 3 single mousewheel + alt clicks. At least on my PC the scaling is not linear.  I do not use this and have no idea what Windows, mouse driver, or Cakewalk settings impact the relationships between the zoom and the PRV.  I did notice that with the mousewheel + alt clicks, the zoom widget also showed more of a change from 0 to 1 than for later clicks.

Maybe this will help?  

Edited May 4, 2020 by User 905133