Adq
Imagine that you want to program drum machine or groovebox step-sequencer, but you can't just press button to put the note.

For step sequencing, I use the step sequencer.

Draw tool doesn't work at all, I explained why.
Step sequencer is too restricted for me, good software sequencer must be more powerful and comfortable.
Often I draw notes with snap off, and if it doesn't go on its place so perfectly right away, and if I made mistake I would like to easily move it without mouse releasing, switching to other instruments and finding spot on it where i can handle it to move.
I'm happy that you are happy with smart tool, but I'm unhappy with it. And there is the way to make all us happy, and it is not learning how to use it. But just a couple of options, or preferably some Custom Tool. There is potential to make one tool that really could do everything, with minimal mouse clicking and moving, and minimal use of alt and ctrl keys for everybody's workflow.

Agreed, a totally customizable Smart tool would appear to be a potential solution, especially as there seems to be no consensus about what would be an optimum workflow but rather requests to make handling specific use cases easier at the expense of other use cases. However, making complex code customizable is a slippery slope, especially when you have something like the Smart tool that's embedded deeply into every corner of the program. I'm pretty sure the result would be a programming and QC nightmare. I would also not look forward to all the "SONAR BROKEN!!!! SMART TOOLS SUCKS DONKEY BALLZ!! posts because someone didn't take the time to understand all the customization options.  You know that would happen...
 
It's often better to offer different ways to do things rather than one customizable way, which in many cases is clearly the path Cakewalk has taken (e.g., three different ways to edit MIDI controllers, each optimized for a certain scenario).
 
But I appreciate that you offered a specific suggestion so it can be evaluated. After thinking about it, unfortunately I believe there's a major problem with combining the Move tool with note entry.
 
With the Smart tool, after clicking to create the note, if you could then move it without lifting your finger off the mouse button you would remove the option to edit the duration while holding the mouse button down, because holding the mouse button down would be dedicated to moving the note. I think that more users probably click where they want the note to occur, so they would find it much more useful to be able to edit the duration than move the note. It's not possible to assign a single mouse click or motion to multiple different tasks unless you use positional data to determine the function (which williamcopper hates, so he wouldn't like that) or use a modifier key to tell the mouse to use an alternate behavior (of course, some people complain about shortcuts...).
 
With the Draw tool, if you could click and then drag to change position, for similar reasons you would not be able to drag and create multiple notes at regular intervals with a single mouse motion. I don't know if Cakewalk has surveyed users as to which option they would prefer, but I create multiple notes with the Draw tool far more often than have a desire to change the note position once I've created it. I suspect most users would feel the same way.
 
This is why I keep hammering on the fact that specific, concrete proposals are needed to effect change. Sure, it's possible to change the Smart tool functionality from "create note+edit note" to "create note+move note," but I suspect that would alienate 90% of the users in the process of pleasing 10% (if that).
 
No one from Cakewalk would ever come in here and call users "stupid, dumb dumb wackos" because in their opinion those people weren't bright enough to figure out how to use the Smart tool optimally. It has nothing to do with smart or stupid. It is Cakewalk's task to analyze the workflow of a large number of users, and come up with something that accommodates the majority. Just because a user doesn't like a particular programming tradeoff doesn't make them stupid any more than someone who loves a tradeoff makes them smart. 
 
It's obvious Cakewalk is paying attention to what the community wants and implementing those wants as fast as they can. Many in the community have essentially partnered with the developers by providing reproducible steps for bug fixes. Implementing feature requests requires a well-thought-out proposal with a concrete solution that doesn't trade off commonly used functionality for less commonly used functionality. These things have to be thought through.
 
Also remember that SONAR can handle many different types of projects and is used by people who have very different workflows and needs. Using MIDI to create an orchestral piece, a drum machine beat, real time instrument part recording, editing hellishly giltchy MIDI guitar parts, or not using notes at all and creating control signals are very different functions. Not everything can be customizable, for the reasons mentioned above. Therefore tradeoffs HAVE to be made. The object with software design is to have negative tradeoffs affect the minimum number of people and positive tradeoffs affect the maximum number of people. It is simply not possible to please all the people all the time, or provide an optimal workflow for all workflows, given that many of these will be contradictory in their needs.

Adq
There is potential to make one tool that really could do everything, with minimal mouse clicking and moving, and minimal use of alt and ctrl keys for everybody's workflow.

That's entirely possible. All that's needed is:

• Define the exact mouse movements, clicks, and alt keys that define the various workflows
• Have everyone agree it's the best way
• Make sure it's technically possible for Cakewalk to do

I don't have any ideas because I think the existing tradeoffs are well thought out, but if all the people with objections could come up with a solution that the majority of users would feel is superior to the current solution, I'm sure Cakewalk would be extremely interested in implementing it.

Anderton
It's often better to offer different ways to do things rather than one customizable way

I don't agree. It is much better to offer different ways AND one fully customizable way.
 
Maybe it is hard to feel why i would prefer the way I've described. Again briefly, I don't use snap, I don't care much about durations so I can edit it lately if needed, I don't draw patterns. I just want to have tool to place notes in their right and exact locations as easy as possible.
 
Again, there is no need to change Smart Tool default functionality, just to add some options, or even better dedicated Custom Tool, and gradually develop it. People who don't need it, won't even notice it. And it could make many people really happy. I can't say how many of them, but there are some signs, that there is more of them that it might seem.

Adq

Anderton
It's often better to offer different ways to do things rather than one customizable way

I don't agree. It is much better to offer different ways AND one fully customizable way.

 
My statement was in the context of one or the other, given what I said about the potential pitfalls of customization. Besides if you could customize, then you wouldn't need different ways because in theory, you could just customize for whatever different way you wanted.
 

Maybe it is hard to feel why i would prefer the way I've described.

 
No, I totally understand why you want what you want, given the way you work. I just don't know how many people have the same priorities. If enough do, and they follow the advice in post #24, change is not only possible but likely. I've never known Cakewalk to say "Wow, that's a great improvement! Let's not do it!"
 

Again, there is no need to change Smart Tool default functionality, just to add some options, or even better dedicated Custom Tool, and gradually develop it. People who don't need it, won't even notice it. And it could make many people really happy. I can't say how many of them, but there are some signs, that there is more of them that it might seem.

 
I would urge you to define the exact mouse movements, clicks, and alt keys that define the various workflows. If you can come up with something superior to the current way of doing things, believe me, I'm all for it and I'm sure Cakewalk would be too.
 

I can understand that what would be better for me, would be worse for somebody else. So customization is absolutely needed here, as I see it. And now this door is closed, and nobody answers door bell.
As for my workflow I see it like this.
Alt+Click+Drag draw and move notes ( try to do several fast Alt+Click+Drags with Smart Tool on PRV, snap off, and try to explain what does it do). Option to switch Click+Drag and Alt+Click+Drag behavior. Option to switch Right-Click erase behavior in Smart Tool (something like rectangle or lasso deleting).
Also there is problem with deleting in drum pane with durations switched off. The delete zone is very small and if you click at the note left part, note properties appear instead. Also notes are not marked while erasing.
P. S. I've read some help and it says that I can do "Drag to perform the alternate mode of the selected Erase tool (either lasso Erase or Mute)" with ALT+Right-click+Drag. Can't understand how does it work, how to do lasso Erase?

Adq
I can understand that what would be better for me, would be worse for somebody else. So customization is absolutely needed here, as I see it. And now this door is closed, and nobody answers door bell.

Remember I don't work for Cakewalk, I was speculating about the difficulty of doing a customized Smart Tool that has so many hooks deep in the program. For all I know Noel could do it in an afternoon. But the lack of response indicates to me that it would be pretty complicated.

Adq
Alt+Click+Drag draw and move notes

You're not going to believe this!!!!!!!!!!
 
I just did alt+left click+drag with the Draw tool to see if it had an existing function. Guess what?!? It lets you create a note with a single click, then drag-move it without having to do anything else. What's more, if you keep your finger on the alt key you can continue creating and moving notes just by clicking. Works in the main PRV and the in-line track PRV, too.
 
(Although now that I think about it, I should have said I went into the code and took care of your feature request. )
 
Try it out just to make sure I'm not hallucinating.

Adq
I've read some help and it says that I can do "Drag to perform the alternate mode of the selected Erase tool (either lasso Erase or Mute)" with ALT+Right-click+Drag. Can't understand how does it work, how to do lasso Erase?

Lasso erase with the Erase tool is just left click+drag rectangle around the notes you want to delete. Don't know why the help would say otherwise.