Why is this so damn counter intuitive and frustrating? I have 12 bars of empty space at the start of the project that I want to get rid of. First of all, Sonar doesn't have a simple "remove measures" function as a counterpoint to its "insert measures" function. This in itself is just totally lame. 
 
So I tried selecting everything from bar 12 onward and dragging it left to the start of the project. But this doesn't move any automation you might have on synth audio tracks that don't have any clips in them. If you have "select track envelopes with clips" checked, this only applies to envelopes on tracks that have either audio or MIDI data in them. Synth audio tracks have neither, but they still have automation. So how in the hell am I supposed to move that along with everything else? 
 
So then I tried the "delete hole" function in the delete special dialog. Of course you have to put some dummy data in the hole otherwise you don't have access to delete special. I selected everything in the options including "track/bus automation." Sonar deleted the whole and moved everything to the left to fill the gap - everything except the synth track automation, which stayed where it was. 
 
How can this be so damn frustrating and difficult? Surely this is basic song arrangement functionality and should be a breeze to do with a couple of clicks. 

That's one of the cases where you need to split the simple instrument track first, then drag select over both the midi track and the audio/automation track (making sure the midi clips are completely within the selection). Then you can drag to a new location and recombine the tracks when finished.

I think it's a bug, I had a similar issue the other day with inserting time. Worked fine in previous versions of Sonar.

I think the reason you can't drag automation towards the left is because of the nodes at the beginning of the tracks. Did you try moving those first to where you want the project to start?

StepD
That's one of the cases where you need to split the simple instrument track first, then drag select over both the midi track and the audio/automation track (making sure the midi clips are completely within the selection). Then you can drag to a new location and recombine the tracks when finished.

It's not a simple instrument track. I was talking about the audio track part of a MIDI/audio synth pair. It has automation on it, but of course it has no audio or MIDI clips in it. If it did, then the automation would be selected with the clips. 

Does "delete hole" work?

dlesaux
I think the reason you can't drag automation towards the left is because of the nodes at the beginning of the tracks. Did you try moving those first to where you want the project to start?

I think this idea has some merit.
 
Make sure you remove any nodes that are located at the far left of the envelope, abutting the divider pane between track & header. Just leave it as a dotted line up to the point where your first automation change occurs

jb101
Does "delete hole" work?

Nope. It shifts everything except the automation. 

Bristol_Jonesey

dlesaux
I think the reason you can't drag automation towards the left is because of the nodes at the beginning of the tracks. Did you try moving those first to where you want the project to start?

I think this idea has some merit.
 
Make sure you remove any nodes that are located at the far left of the envelope, abutting the divider pane between track & header. Just leave it as a dotted line up to the point where your first automation change occurs

I tried this as well. It doesn't do anything. Everything moves except the automation.
 
I have to say, this is one of Sonar's huge weaknesses. Removing measures was just a couple of easy clicks in Pro Tools. 

Interesting, it works fine here if I use the "Delete Special" menu and delete a hole.
 
Do you have MIDI data "in the hole" when you're deleting it ?.
If not, than that could be the problem ... that's the one thing I didn't test.
 
Otherwise, it may be a selection problem you're having.
I just tested this using a synth track with automation on the audio track (which as you point out is otherwise empty), and automation on BUSses too.
 
If I remember correctly it was buggy in X1.
X2 I think it worked OK, and X3 is definitely working fine here.
Just be careful to make sure you do have everything selected, I know I tripped up when first testing it out in X3.
 
I tested it twice just to make sure, and everything moved over, including all the automation on both tracks and busses.
 
Good luck.
 
Cheers - Cliff