Lenses --> Screenset.

[Heinz Hupfer]

@micv

 

Try to deactivate Windows automatic "Dock on", before you resize your windows!

Lenses and Screensets doesn't remember "Dock on" (nor fullscreen), you have to manually resize the windows to the corner or the upper/lower edge.

 

Bassman.

[InstrEd]

19 minutes ago, Heinz Hupfer said:

@micv

 

Try to deactivate Windows automatic "Dock on", before you resize your windows!

Lenses and Screensets doesn't remember "Dock on" (nor fullscreen), you have to manually resize the windows to the corner or the upper/lower edge.

 

Bassman.

All these things to remember!

[micv]

4 hours ago, Heinz Hupfer said:

@micv

 

Try to deactivate Windows automatic "Dock on", before you resize your windows!

Lenses and Screensets doesn't remember "Dock on" (nor fullscreen), you have to manually resize the windows to the corner or the upper/lower edge.

 

Bassman.

@Heinz,

I can certainly "Rock-on" ? but how do you deactivate "Dock on"?

Edited March 13, 2019 by micv

[micv]

7 hours ago, Cactus Music said:

But once they are minimized they are easy to make full screen again.  Here the trick ( Micv) A single click on the docking tab will open  dock views half screen, but a double click will make it full screen.  I still have to use the minimize arrows to get rid of it but I'm sure there is a keyboard shortcut.

 

Double click works, it opens full screen. 

I've been using a lot of keyboard shortcut (as much as I can remember, which is not much these days!).  Guess I need to use the mouse click instead of alt-2, alt-3, ...

[Peter C]

Well reading this thread has prompted me to sort out my screensets. Due to time and work pressures I just hadn't used them and always wondered why when I hit, e.g. M for Mixing Console it would always come up in a smallish window which then needs resizing. I now know that screensets remember the sizes of things like the mixer, prv, score (staff) and so on. Thank you forum.

Looked at and learned about lenses and I now understand what they are intended for but I for me personally I haven't a use fopr them and will stick with screensets on their own.

[Heinz Hupfer]

@micv

In Windows right click on Start, then System and search for dock on and deactivate. After saving your screensets and lenses you can activate it again.

Works for Win 10 German Version! I hope it's the same for the english people...

Bassman.

 

[micv]

13 hours ago, Heinz Hupfer said:

@micv

In Windows right click on Start, then System and search for dock on and deactivate. After saving your screensets and lenses you can activate it again.

Works for Win 10 German Version! I hope it's the same for the english people...

Bassman.

 

In English version there's no 'Dock on'.   I think it's called 'Ease of access center', there's an option to turn off auto snap when moving a window to the edges.  I did this and it didn't make a different in CbB.  To me the various windows options are for managing multiple Windows.  The issue here is within that 'workspace' within CbB.

[micv]

@Noel

If you read this how about a simple change so alt-2, ... alt-n, (changing view) triggers double-click (full screen) of the docked tab instead of currently (seems like) single-click (half screen). Or better yet, single-click opens full screen.  This issue only occurs when going from Track view to anything in the dock bar. 

[Promidi]

22 minutes ago, micv said:

In English version there's no 'Dock on'.   I think it's called 'Ease of access center', there's an option to turn off auto snap when moving a window to the edges.  I did this and it didn't make a different in CbB.  To me the various windows options are for managing multiple Windows.  The issue here is within that 'workspace' within CbB.

Within CbB, If you hold CTRL while dragging a window, the snap window feature (with the corresponding blue overlay) will be temporarily disabled.

[micv]

After playing with all perceivable  combination of things, I think that not able to retain the multi-dock's size is a bug.  There are a couple work-around however.

If the bakers ever re-visit this Lens-Screen functions, it would be good to make screen set global, or put it under Lens.  Have a simple 'save Screen' function instead of this 'copy to screenset ..."

[Craig Anderton]

On ‎3‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 11:19 AM, Cactus Music said:

I now see we are possibly guilty of not reading and understanding the manual for these features. But that said everyone who has posted is a long time user and I would think software features should not be elusive to those who are long time users.  It has obviously become WAY overcomplicated. I just read this thread a few times and I've learned a few new things, but still on trying to apply them to real life everything is still....well elusive to me. 

I appreciate what Lenses do in theory, but I have yet to find a killer reason to use them. But Screensets can be really useful, especially if you can get by with 10 favorite screensets. Lock them , make them part of your default template, and learn them....that really does save time for me.

[Promidi]

5 minutes ago, Craig Anderton said:

I appreciate what Lenses do in theory, but I have yet to find a killer reason to use them. But Screensets can be really useful, especially if you can get by with 10 favorite screensets. Lock them , make them part of your default template, and learn them....that really does save time for me.

I never use the Matrix view, Loop construction, Video when I am programming MIDI files.  Nor do I need to even see the virtual keyboard.  I also wish to have my personal key bindings available in all lenses - so this is deselected in my all of my custom lenses.

This is the reason I find Lenses useful.  They enable me to hide these functions and elements that I do not use and therefore do not need to even see. 

Of course, as mentioned, because I have deselected Windows layouts in my lenses, only screensets saves the various Windows layouts for my various projects.  I usually have about 4  - Track View, PRV, lyrics and drums.  I have also key bound these screensets to CTRL-Numpad 1 to 4 respectively.

I have written a small VB2010 program that automatically changes my default CbB lense to "MIDI sequencing" and then opens my MIDI project in CbB. The project opens, the correct lense is set, and project's screenset is also loaded according to what was saved in the project ready for me to resume.

[Noel Borthwick]

Right this is the essence. You can make a customized version of the program that shows exactly (well close to) the functionality you need for a specific workflow.

While screensets are useful of course they are simply positioning or opening views. They do nothing with the control bar, track view and other functions of the app.
With a lens you can change which fields are visible in the track view. For example when tracking you rarely need all the controls in the track view or all the editing features and busy control bar. This is specially relevant if you are using a laptop with limited real estate when tracking live.

Here are two screenshots that illustrate how easy it is to set up a minimal view that is task focused. You cannot do this with screensets. 
Of course you can do this by manually changing things but its simplest to make a lens for this and switch to it.

There is nothing more of a workflow killer than seeing a cluttered screen layout. This is why apps on mobile devices have become popular. They do task oriented things. Lenses are a mechanism to achieve the same thing.

 

 

 

[studioguy1]

Very nice discussion everyone.  Eye opening to say the least.  Thank you.

[InstrEd]

Now you got me thinking Noel and how to use the lenses when I get my new laptop.

[Craig Anderton]

The laptop angle is something I hadn't really considered, that does make sense. However in my musical workflow, I'm always jumping around among the various nooks and crannies of the program. I almost never just mix or just track or just use MIDI. I'm all over the place . 

When Lenses first appeared, I made sets for specific functionalities but at some point, always found myself wanting something that was hidden. However, another problem was the window layouts changing, so Ben's tip gives me some incentive to re-visit the Lens thing.

I guess it's that I've been using CbB for so long I know where everything is, and I also make extensive use of custom shortcuts...those, and screensets, cover most of my momentary needs for changes. But maybe it's time to give Lenses another try. 

Edited March 15, 2019 by Craig Anderton

[John Vere]

2 hours ago, Craig Anderton said:

The laptop angle is something I hadn't really considered, that does make sense. However in my musical workflow, I'm always jumping around among the various nooks and crannies of the program. I almost never just mix or just track or just use MIDI. I'm all over the place . 

When Lenses first appeared, I made sets for specific functionalities but at some point, always found myself wanting something that was hidden. However, another problem was the window layouts changing, so Ben's tip gives me some incentive to re-visit the Lens thing.

I guess it's that I've been using CbB for so long I know where everything is, and I also make extensive use of custom shortcuts...those, and screensets, cover most of my momentary needs for changes. But maybe it's time to give Lenses another try. 

Most of what you say is also true for me.  I'm just so used to my keyboard shortcuts that I tend to reach for those first. And like you the way I work on stuff I need at least 4 different set ups quickly available.  And yes working on a laptop is a whole new ball game and quickly becomes a chore just to do simple things like open PVR. I've got this figured out and involves a lens I made for the Laptop. 

[msmcleod]

I've tried to adapt my workflow so I can seamlessly go from my desktop environment to my laptop.

The first thing was to get rid of my 2nd monitor (my daughter needed one anyhow!), and stick to working with a 1920 x 1080 resolution.

The second was screen sets. Having a screen set with each view full screen (e.g. console, track view, multidock) allows me to switch between the view I need for a particular workflow.

In my studio I'm lucky to have the Mackie C4, which allows me to tweak plugin parameters without having to bring up the plugin dialogs.

I'm like Craig - I'm used to seeing all the functions there, all the buttons in the right place etc. 

I can see myself using lenses for a certain repetitive tasks however, just to stop me clicking the wrong thing by accident!

Edited March 15, 2019 by msmcleod

[Kev]

3 hours ago, Craig Anderton said:

... in my musical workflow, I'm always jumping around among the various nooks and crannies of the program. I almost never just mix or just track or just use MIDI. I'm all over the place...But maybe it's time to give Lenses another try. 

Me too. I often start out doing one thing but then go off at tangent and end up doing something else. It therefore suits me to have all functions readily available. That's probably why I have never bothered with lenses. However, Noel's explanation has intrigued me, so maybe I will give them a try now.

[micv]

It's clear to me that Lens and Screenset each has its own place:

Lens=customize your layout/menu/...

Screenset=windows position/layout

Now I still believe that if you make Screenset global (saved screenset can be called up within any project) and working correctly (retain position and size), we would have the best of both worlds.  No need to decide Lens vs Screenset.