Help files and user/reference guides

[Robert Reid]

Is there any version of offline help (chm file) or the user and reference guides (pdf) that can be downloaded locally for Cakewalk by Bandlab?

Somewhat related, using the online help is fine if the context works or I know what I'm looking for in the Contents or Index.  And the User/Reference PDFs will be mostly relevant to current version anyway.  But the search instructions (as per the website) with the top right hand box doesn't seem very effective: the first screenful of results as unrelated ads and doesn't have "Cakewalk" as a product to filter by, so I don't know how to limit the search to the current product only.

The "Note - Using Offline Help" instructions lead to a setting that doesn't look like it exists in CbB so I'm guessing this means an offline file hasn't been prepared.

[msmcleod]

20 hours ago, scook said:

AFAIK, the local help code switch "UseOnlyOfflineHelp" and the supporting code are still in place. Most of the most recent SONAR help is still applicable to CbB. I have not tried it recently but it still may be  possible to use the chm from SONAR by copying the chm into the CbB program folder and setting "UseOnlyOfflineHelp" to 1 in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\Cakewalk\Core

 

This method still works for me.  I don't recall having to change the registry... although I suspect I changed it in Preferences before the option disappeared.

The things I need help for are less well used ones, rather than standard workflow tasks (which usually means they've not changed since SONAR), so the fact that it's out of date hasn't been an issue for me so far.

[scook]

AFAIK, the last official word on the subject was posted in this thread.

[scook]

There is no local help for CbB. The local help option in Preferences was removed. I do not believe there are any plans to release the help in alternate formats. There was some discussion early on about making the html downloadable but there has not been any mention in some time.

 

It would be nice to have search available for the CbB help. Until that time, here is how I located the urls for posting here:

1) use the web search to generate results for old Cakewalk products

2) narrow the search for Platinum, Professional and Artist Documentation using the link at the top of the search results

3) select a topic

4) if the topic is what I am looking for, I replace SONAR in the url to Cakewalk

5) open the new url

Most times this will open the appropriate CbB help. If it does not, for example if the SONAR page is in "New Features," I fall back to the CbB help index.

 

AFAIK, the local help code switch "UseOnlyOfflineHelp" and the supporting code are still in place. Most of the most recent SONAR help is still applicable to CbB. I have not tried it recently but it still may be  possible to use the chm from SONAR by copying the chm into the CbB program folder and setting "UseOnlyOfflineHelp" to 1 in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\Cakewalk\Core

 

[Robert Reid]

Thanks scook - yeah, that 5 step process is a more thought out way of what I was intending, and shows how convoluted it is...   Most times I would probably not get past step 3 and just assume the Sonar doc is going to be the same as Cakewalk, and only dig further if it wasn't stacking up.

Good idea on the Registry Key and old CHM file - I'll give it a go and report back.

[Robert Reid]

Cheers Mark - yep, I checked my Registry and it already had that value set.  So either it was from a settings import from SPlat when CbB was installed or I ticked it before it disappeared (if was ever there).

Copied my SONAR.CHM file in and working perfectly.  I agree, more likely than not the topic it matches will be pretty similar to the older Sonar version.

Thanks to both of you!

[Some Guy]

Is it possible to share that help file for those of us who want offline help, which doesn't require internet when we're out and about using a disconnected laptop?

[scook]

Not at this time, unless one has already has a version of SONAR and is willing to put up with an out of date reference and occasional lookup failures.

[Cookie Jarvis]

I miss the days of printed manuals. I could hold it in my hands, I could read it anywhere. Some companies use a third-party to allow users to purchase an actual printed manual...I don't have high hopes that will happen here. As much as I hate reading on electronic devices I do keep .pdf manuals on my computer,tablet, and phone but they don't get as much use as they would if they existed in the real world ?

Bill

[Starship Krupa]

On 1/19/2019 at 9:43 AM, Cookie Jarvis said:

As much as I hate reading on electronic devices I do keep .pdf manuals on my computer,tablet, and phone but they don't get as much use as they would if they existed in the real world ?

Bill, if you check with your local quick print shop you might be surprised how inexpensive it is to have a PDF manual printed double side on a laser printer and then comb or spiral bound.

I know this because I, too prefer hard copy. The biggest fail that electronic reading has for me is bookmarking. There's nothing that comes close to a colored Post-It sticking up from the page that has the stuff I'm interested in or want to go back to.

I own high capacity laser printers with duplexers, so it's pretty much the cost of the paper for me. I can punch it for a 3-ring binder or take it over to the FedEx/Kinkos and have them bind it.

[Bill Phillips]

On 1/19/2019 at 12:43 PM, Cookie Jarvis said:

I miss the days of printed manuals. I could hold it in my hands, I could read it anywhere.

 

The SONAR PDF was over 2,000 pages and hadn't been available in printed form for years.  I doubt that there was ever a more comprehensive DAW reference manual. I still use what I think is the last version ever issued. 

[Bill Phillips]

On 1/5/2019 at 9:35 AM, scook said:

It would be nice to have search available for the CbB help. Until that time, here is how I located the urls for posting here:

1) use the web search to generate results for old Cakewalk products

2) narrow the search for Platinum, Professional and Artist Documentation using the link at the top of the search results

3) select a topic

 

This works for me most of the time. I'm usually looking for help using functions that  I don't use often and have been available for a long time. 

Edited February 3, 2019 by Twisted Fingers

[Some Guy]

Someone sent me the files in question... but I'm actually a bit nonplussed that BandLab hasn't said anything about this - fairly trivial - issue.  Seems like such an odd, yet fundamental, thing to ignore.

Edited February 4, 2019 by SomeGuy
Speeling.

[Morten Saether]

On 1/5/2019 at 5:14 AM, Rob from Sydney said:

Is there any version of offline help (chm file) or the user and reference guides (pdf) that can be downloaded locally for Cakewalk by Bandlab?

The Reference Guide PDF can now be downloaded directly from the forum menu (Cakewalk by BandLab > Reference Guide PDF).