Multiple tracks in Track View

[xxrich]

You know.  I haven't been able to figure this out for a very long time.  I want to see two track in track view so I can reference the one against the other.  Intuitively, I select the two tracks and select View->Tracks.  Nope.  Sometimes I luck out and it happens but I'm not sure why.  What is the magic logic?

 

[martsave martin s]

i dont understand by see 2 tracks?? do you mean see only 2 tracks? via track-manager?

[Kurre]

2 hours ago, xxrich said:

You know.  I haven't been able to figure this out for a very long time.  I want to see two track in track view so I can reference the one against the other.  Intuitively, I select the two tracks and select View->Tracks.  Nope.  Sometimes I luck out and it happens but I'm not sure why.  What is the magic logic?

 

If this is a scenario with more than two tracks in the view/project i would drag the tracks from where they are to the top and then zoom in vertically so i did only see the two tracks i was interrested in.

[CJ Jacobson]

6 hours ago, xxrich said:

I want to see two track in track view so I can reference the one against the other.

You can see as many or as little tracks as your screen fits. You can adjust each track height and width with your mouse and the zoom can be controlled by the little plus and minus signs on the bottom of the screen. You can also move tracks so they are next to one another.

With a few mouse movements, I can see 2 or 22 tracks on my screen. Is there something that i am missing?

Edited December 20, 2020 by CJ Jacobson

[LarsF]

- Select the tracks
- Rightclick menu on one - Show Selected Tracks
And just these two are fitted vertically

But I use Screensets extensively, so save away current screen set with copy in the menu that popup when pressed the current.
Some I lock also so I never change them - the current one always is updated otherwise as you go along.

Then lit ExclusiveSolo on command bar, and you solo one and then solo the other without any further clicks.

[John Vere]

This sounds like a simple matter of not exploring the workspace. In this video at 2:04 I demonstrate re-sizing a track. 

 

[xxrich]

Ha!  Nice trick but now how to I cancel it??

But I spoke very poorly.  No - I want to control seeing multiple tracks in ONE Piano Roll.  That's what sometimes does happen, but I can't figure out the secret sauce to make it happen on my terms.  I'm always clicking say two tracks, then View->Piano Roll (intuitively this should work).  I'm sure this is simple I just have not been able to figure it out consistently.

 

3 hours ago, LarsF said:

- Select the tracks
- Rightclick menu on one - Show Selected Tracks
And just these two are fitted vertically

But I use Screensets extensively, so save away current screen set with copy in the menu that popup when pressed the current.
Some I lock also so I never change them - the current one always is updated otherwise as you go along.

Then lit ExclusiveSolo on command bar, and you solo one and then solo the other without any further clicks.

 

[xxrich]

>Ha!  Nice trick but now how to I cancel it??

I'm back to all tracks easy.

[LarsF]

When I select 2 midi track and open piano roll view from View menu - I get the multiple track piano roll view.

I'm sure there are other ways too.

I mostly open one track only, and on top right of piano roll view there are double arrows that expand a panel to easily switch which track you are editing. If the midi is part of same destination you can select a couple and they show at the same time too. If you have clips on different tracks that have same destination you can have all visible.

Rather smooth I think.

Experiment with screen sets and you find a way to revert to one that is locked, so easily go back and forth. I have a vague memory there is a feature to go back to previous zoom level as well.

[reginaldStjohn]

Try looking at pp 729 in the Reference manual on how to control the tracks you see in the PVR

[tonemangler]

On 12/20/2020 at 9:37 AM, LarsF said:

- Select the tracks
- Rightclick menu on one - Show Selected Tracks
And just these two are fitted vertically

Just to add to your good tip, here are some keystrokes I use to achieve the same;

1 Ctrl+Shift+H = Hides all unselected tracks.

2 Ctrl+H = Hides selected tracks.

3 Shift+H = Shows all tracks.

4 Alt+Z = Undo View

5 Alt+Shift+Z = Redo view.  

So after selecting the tracks I would do #1 and to return to original view either #3 or #4.   Cheers

 

  

[John Vere]

All I do is Open the PVR  and using  the browser on the right open the first track>  then while holding Ctrl select the next track.  The first track will be overlayed with the new track but will be ghosted. Handy for lining up stuff.  You can select as many tracks as you like just keep holding Ctrl. The active tracks are shown as Orange in the browser. 

Edited December 21, 2020 by John Vere

[xxrich]

On 12/21/2020 at 6:51 PM, John Vere said:

All I do is Open the PVR  and using  the browser on the right open the first track>  then while holding Ctrl select the next track.  The first track will be overlayed with the new track but will be ghosted. Handy for lining up stuff.  You can select as many tracks as you like just keep holding Ctrl. The active tracks are shown as Orange in the browser. 

Ahh, yeah... I don't use that browser:-)  I spend my time in two views mostly, Track and Piano Roll.  I have two monitors but really could use 3 these days!  Thanks everyone, for your thoughts.  My orchestral project is up to around 8 Gig in size these days.  Quite amazing actually - that it all works so well.  This is why I'm still using Sonar - "hand claps loop insert here".
-rich

 

[John Vere]

My screenshot  is of the PVR. What view did you think it was? The Browser is off to the right just like in track view and if you don't see it use the arrows to pop it out. This is a feature of the PVR for those wanting to line up multiple midi tracks. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by John Vere

[xxrich]

I wondered about at and looked at it greatly.  There's a couple of what I'll call "non-helpful" views (for me) that show up sometime - I thought this was one:-)  My biggest point in even posting this minor challenge - is that intuitively Sonar did not do what I was expecting.  As a software developer I can say - if a developer would spend 5 minutes seeing how I use Sonar they might be shocked.   Like how I constantly bounce midi tracks to get ride of the annoying track layering upon edits - even though I think I have disabled this.  And I'm always switching to the cut tool as the smart tool isn't so smart:-)  Intuitive user stuff but I work around things to get the job done.

[John Vere]

You keep saying Sonar? this is important because a lot has changed since Sonar. Like the workspace and customizing views etc. Instead of the developers spending 5 minutes, I think it's best to just spend time exploring the GUI until you know everything there is to know about it. Yes we all want software to work the way we think it should, but that is a rarity. I used to hate a lot of the way Cakewalk ( sonar) worked but when you actually learn all there is to know  about the GUI--( impossible) --you might just find it's a lot closer to what you wanted. You just have to know where to look. 

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by John Vere

[User 905133]

1 hour ago, xxrich said:

There's a couple of what I'll call "non-helpful" views (for me) that show up sometime . . . .

Just to underscore what John Vere just said--it might be worth your while to teach yourself how to use Workspaces (if you haven't done so already) and to design customized Workspaces.  You can exclude Views you don't ever want to see with customized Workspaces (either tweaking the factory Workspaces or designing your own). 

For example, lets say you want to exclude the Staff View, the Piano Roll View, and/or the Video View, you can do that. Then even if you accidentally hit the short cuts for those views (or try to use any of their specific functions), they won't just show up.

IMO there's a steep learning curve with Workspaces, but based on my personal experience developing highly personalized Workspaces for some specific types of projects, the time I spent learning to use them for my personal needs was well worth the effort.  I have several that I can use for certain types of projects and they show me what I want and where I want it.

I think the time the developers spent refining the feature formerly known as "Lenses" (now Workspaces) over the past year or so, was development time well spent.  Workspaces can be quite useful for minor and major customizations. 

[Kalle Rantaaho]

5 hours ago, John Vere said:

You keep saying Sonar? this is important because a lot has changed since Sonar. Like the workspace and customizing views etc. Instead of the developers spending 5 minutes, I think it's best to just spend time exploring the GUI until you know everything there is to know about it. Yes we all want software to work the way we think it should, but that is a rarity. I used to hate a lot of the way Cakewalk ( sonar) worked but when you actually learn all there is to know  about the GUI--( impossible) --you might just find it's a lot closer to what you wanted. You just have to know where to look. 

 

Exactly. And knowing what version of SONAR it is would be equally important. The OPs posts don't show any hints of him knowing where we are now (?).

Otherwise, I assume, he would somehow  refer to using old software or something.

[xxrich]

Thanks all for your thoughts!  Part of my asking is that in software development it's possible to get lost in "this is new and cool" when actually all was fine.  User experiences are usually not part of the equation.  And I don't mean this for anything said.  But that was part of the notion in my original post - reporting a user experience.  No troubles.  I'm working quad right now and just got that all working on New Years Eve.  Likely further posts there:-)

And yes I'm current, version 2020.11.   
-rich