Hi
For the last 8  months Sonar has been arbitrarily deciding which projects will have audio 'per project' (as I want it) and which ones will dump all the audio in the Cakewalk global audio folder. There's no rhyme or reason (although as a computer user I know there will be one) as to which project's audio goes where. I have had the 'per project' option ticked ages ago, but now can't find that option in the Preferences - Files-Audio Data section of preferences. Anybody else with this problem and any solutions?....
 
 

 
Generally when I start a new project it originates as a template or blank CWP both which I have created and then used save as , There's no real difference between a Template or a CWP that looks like a template. .  
I open the template ( CWP)  and before I do anything I "save as" to the folder location I'm going to use and re name it. 
I always check the copy audio with project box. This is the best way for me and I've never lost audio this way. 
I have a folder for each album with all the song folders inside that.
Each song folder contains the Audio folder, the CWP and the midi file. I also store the lyrics and the original as an mp3 if it's a cover tune. 
 
I do have the Per Project box ticked in preferences but when you work like I do it's not even necessary. I'm more or less manually putting my projects in the folder I want it to be in. It's all in that crucial "save as" action. There's no difference in any software we use. Make folders and use them. Don't let software blindly stash things. 
 
Some of my projects start as MIDI files which I open by double clicking the file. This opens Sonar and loads TTS-1 so you can get started. I immediately perform the save as to a CWP and browse to the new folder it will occupy. Always checking that "Copy audio with project" box even when there's no audio involved yet. 
 
Did you make sure to check the advance option in preferences? The pre project box is there somewhere. But I don't trust it. 
 

Funny you should mention that. Just the other day I was looking for a particular WAV file from one of my projects and was surprised to discover the WAV file was not in the project's audio folder. Most of the rest were but not this one.

Not sure why but I suspect it might be because I did not follow my usual rule of always starting by doing a "Save As..." before I do anything else (as pointed out above).

The only time something like this has happened to me is when I was editing a project template and then decided to start composing a project by simply choosing "Save As" and then renaming the project and saving it as a normal Cakewalk project. The audio, however, was saved to whatever randomly named folder I had designated when I loaded the project template to edit. Hopefully that makes sense. 

Thanks guys. All good advice - I'll make sure that "copy audio" box is checked.
Cheers
 

I suspect this happens if you create a new project but do not name it. SONAR now allows this, but without that name it cannot create a project folder. If audio gets recorded the global audio folder is the only choice.

Yes you need to perform the "save as" before you hit the record button. Otherwise the audio will be placed in the original location. But even so, if you open a template or CWP,,, start recording etc, and then perform the "save as" , if  the "copy audio" is checked, the audio will be copied over to your new location. But there will still be  un needed audio saved in the old location lost and forgotten.

This is creating a major mess for me.  My workflow is to give generic date / descriptive names to tracks in my "Ideas" folder like "2016.08.07 introspective 125 bpm Abminor." Only when I decide a track is worth pursuing to completion do I give it a proper name and then move it into a folder of its own under my "Completed." I have never wanted to use per-project audio and have a centrally located wavedata folder as my default.  All of a sudden, when I render any audio within the ideas folder and subsequently move the .cwp file to the final destination folder, all of my audio gets orphaned. Turns out it is all still sitting back in the ideas/audio folder. I have no easy way to reattach these to the files in the completed folder (the rendered .wav names have no relation to the project's name).
 
I really want to disable Sonar from EVER using per-project audio (and thought I had).  I have my default audio folder set to my J:\cakwalk\wavedata folder but since some recent upgrade, Sonar (again) insists upon depositing it everywhere except where I tell it. 

I think it is tied to whether or not you click on New Project, versus New From Template, as to whether or not the Per Project Audio is turned on or not.
 
Where, if you click on the New Project, Per Project would not turned on, but if you click on New From Template, Per Project Audio seems to be always turned on.
 
Isn't the above like it used to work, prior to the Start Screen?  Where, File>New Project would not result in Per Project Audio, where starting a new project from a template (Quick Start?) would if memory serves default to Per Project Audio being on, but you could also remove the check box?
 
I am quite foggy on the particulars and running to do other things at the moment - so PLEASE forgive me if my memory is faulty.  I do not have Sonar up and running at the moment, to test it out to be 100% sure.
 
Bob Bone
 

I would add that for ME, I too will create snippets - projects that are just notions really, not a full blown project, but I still always want the Per Project Audio on.
 
When I decide to make a snippet project a full-blown one with a real name and all, I open the snippet project, (names like asgtasgle or whatever keys I drag my fingers across), and then I do a Save As and create a new project folder with a real project name - and I also make SURE to check the Copy All Audio option.  That way, any referenced audio clips are copied into the Audio sub-folder of the new project's named folder, and nothing gets left behind.
 
Would the above meet your needs for dealing with 'potential projects (snippets)', and keeping the audio with it, if and when it becomes a full-blown real project?
 
Oh - I also go back and delete the snippet project folder, once I complete the Save As when it becomes a real project.
 
Bob Bone