More Feature requests for X1

originally posted in the Sonar forum by mistake...
 
I'm still finding myself muttering curses about basic behaviour I expected to find but am not finding in X1.
 
I propose that there should be available global configuration options for the track view called...
 
 Always Paste Clips to An Unoccupied Zone  ... automatically creating a new layer if necssary 
  
and
 
Automatically Remove Empty Layers ... when deleting the only clip in a layer 
 
 
it would also be nice to see
An undo for the cursor (now time) position.  Basically a simple command (button/keystroke) to send the cursor back the its last stationary position.

this would need to work in one of two ways...

- Alternate between present and previous position   or
- Keep going back to previous positions (for say 20 steps)

Either of these would suit me, but providing options for both might be overcomplicating things a bit..
 
 

If these possibilities already exist please let me know. They would be extremely useful 

I'll let someone else decide whether to submit these officially because for all I know these options are already available in X1 and I just can't find them. It would be nice if I could find them but I can't! 

Can CAL be used to add scripts to force these behaviours?

It would also be nice to have an 'All Tracks' option as a sub menu item for the following commands

Rebuild Layers
> >        Rebuild Layers on All Tracks

Remove Empty Layers
> >        Remove Empty Layers on All Tracks

A V Man


 
 Always Paste Clips to An Unoccupied Zone  ... automatically creating a new layer if necssary 
  

Next time you paste press ctrl+alt+V and set preferences there. They should then stick until changed.

Next time you paste press ctrl+alt+V and set preferences there. They should then stick until changed.

 
Correct! The advanced paste dialog is exactly where I suggest the checkbox to set this option should be and the option would stick until changed. The option doesn't exist at present (at least not as far as I'm aware). The checkbox would be greyed-out unless the 'blend old and new' option is selected because it doesn't apply to the other modes because those modes already make screen space for pasted clips anyway. 
 
As far as I'm aware, unless you manually create a new layer before pasting  (or create multiple new layers if pasting multiple tracks), then pasted material ends up on top of (or underneath) existing clips, forcing you to manually rebuild the layers so that you can see everything... and have to do that on all affected tracks (hence my other 'all tracks suggestions). Not only that but Rebuild Layers has a habit of shuffling the layers which isn't always good. What I am propsing is an option for a new layer to be automatically created when a paste would otherwise put clips on top of other clips in layers.

it would also be nice to see An undo for the cursor (now time) position. Basically a simple command (button/keystroke) to send the cursor back the its last stationary position. this would need to work in one of two ways... - Alternate between present and previous position or - Keep going back to previous positions (for say 20 steps)

To change the Now time marker behavior
On the Track view Options menu, clear the On Stop, Rewind to Now Marker option to have the
Now time marker move to follow the current Now time when you stop playback.
Or
On the Track view Options menu, select the On Stop, Rewind to Now Marker option to have the
Now time snap back to the Now time marker when you stop playback.

As for the comping copy and paste wouldn't it be easier to drag and drop?

SGodfrey


Other things I'd like to see in Sonar X1

• Make the piano roll easier to write in - it would be helpful if you could have user-selectable grids to overlay so that you could see where to paint the notes on the beat

That exists select "Show Vertical Grid Lines" from the PRV Menu--->View

The resolution you can set to your preference from PRV Menu-->View-->Grid Resolution

A V Man

Next time you paste press ctrl+alt+V and set preferences there. They should then stick until changed.

 
Correct! The advanced paste dialog is exactly where I suggest the checkbox to set this option should be and the option would stick until changed. The option doesn't exist at present (at least not as far as I'm aware). The checkbox would be greyed-out unless the 'blend old and new' option is selected because it doesn't apply to the other modes because those modes already make screen space for pasted clips anyway. 
 
As far as I'm aware, unless you manually create a new layer before pasting  (or create multiple new layers if pasting multiple tracks), then pasted material ends up on top of (or underneath) existing clips, forcing you to manually rebuild the layers so that you can see everything... and have to do that on all affected tracks (hence my other 'all tracks suggestions). Not only that but Rebuild Layers has a habit of shuffling the layers which isn't always good. What I am propsing is an option for a new layer to be automatically created when a paste would otherwise put clips on top of other clips in layers.

Got it, misunderstood you I thought you meant the pastes were happening into existing clips.