Normally songs are saved in folders or in a windows folder.
Wouldn't it be great if Sonar had its own file in a grid format...With headings
Rock{                                             Pop{                                       Reggae{                     Jazz{
project 1                                         John Wayne pub concert           Bob Marley remix         Miles Davies Jnr
Bill gates demo                                Lord of the rings sound track    Rosey cheeks               Nemesis of a madman
Donald trumps remix in a major        Max bygraves finest hits           In the pub again          tried again
 
Session 1                                       Session 2                                 Session 3                     Session 4
Paul Jones davies                            Paul Jones junior                       Paul Jones                    Paul Jones Next Gen
 
All this on a blue/greyish grid where you can find sessions (for lets say a group or an individual) that you have been working on maybe automatically dated but easy to find and locate instead of a windows drop down document list.
 
When you open a project its all in the grid all you have to do is locate it within its genre.
In the section under the project name you would have all the inserts listed and able to change the inserts (plug ins) from the open page and even demo the song from here also so you don't have to open the project. 
 
I think this would be a brilliant idea and easier to locate songs/projects that you have previously done.
 
Tell me what you think (not sure if this is the right place for it but I think its a wonderful idea even if I say so myself)
 

 

No use to me. If I want to be able to sort stuff I put a little code at the start of the file name so I can sort within Win explorer. Aside from that I've been using per project folders and I am becoming very meticulous with my folder usage in general.
 
What I think WOULD be useful, and would probably serve the same function as you seem to want, is a file tagging scheme that relies on WIn explorer's inhereant capabilities.
 
Have optional tags in the Save As dialog (with the ability to create custom tags). Then maybe instead of actually saving the project in subfolders based on those tags what it does is creates and puts a shortcut to the file(s) that have been tagged into a folder that can be referenced by Sonar. The actual project gets saved normally.
 
So essentially there could be a "Tags" set of folders created in the main project folder (or separately or whatever) and whenever you tag something a link to the project goes there that references the original file. You create a new "tag" then it creates a new folder within the Tags folder and all projects using that tag gets tossed there.
 
In the Quickstart menus there could be an extra option to peruse the Tagged folders and the projects within. Click on it then it references the original project.
 
If you want to move or backup a specific file then you would open it normally via links and save to your new location.
 
An extra complexity could be a backup feature for a tagged area where Sonar automagically references all the files being moved/backed up via the links (like say you wanted to backup your entire "reggae" works it would use the links that reference the files and send them where you want). However that would require some actually coding/programming whereas everything else could really just be done by Sonar creating new folders and links within Windows on demand (which it already does).
 
But... with PPF and my own little naming schemes I do alright as it is.
 
Just rambling really.

Many times the date of creation or modification is more important to me than the genre, so being able to click on the Windows "Date Modified" column and see the date is great...or click on other categories, like "Artist" or "Company." 
 
Although for individual needs the grid thing could be cool, as a general-purpose organizational structure, it's hard to beat per-project folders and window headers where you can specify various fields.

Yes indeed. Date is extremely useful and it ticks me off when Windows decides to remove that from the explorer window just because it's a wave (it wants to treat it like a media library entry).
 
I use numbers, letters and descriptions in all my files as I work though. For example I needed to return to an earlier spot in a project because I had finished a MASSIVE swath of tracks that were bogging down the project. Finding the file that set "Start-Setup" allowed me to revert to a totally clean version I had set up and just import the finished tracks I had done. That got rid of all the superfluous gack I don't need anymore so I can now begin totally trashing this new version.
 
lulzity...

I also am pretty committed to the per-project folder structure so I wouldn't want to move away from that. But I like the idea of having some meta-data exposed in the Save dialog. And maybe have some search and filtering options in the Quick Start dialog. For me it should probably be tags on the folder rather than the .cwp file so they can be used more easily in the Windows Explorer.

I think it would be more practical to have it in a grid doesn't mean you would lose your folders just a better structure.

groovey1
I also am pretty committed to the per-project folder structure so I wouldn't want to move away from that. But I like the idea of having some meta-data exposed in the Save dialog. And maybe have some search and filtering options in the Quick Start dialog. For me it should probably be tags on the folder rather than the .cwp file so they can be used more easily in the Windows Explorer.

They are apparently working on some newfangled "Startscreen" thingie. I'm actually one of the (apparently) few who has retained that little Open dialog thingie popping up on my screen every time I open Sonar. I only use File > Open when I have to go digging. Otherwise 99% of the time I can get what I want from that little bubble.
 
I'm a little concerned the new Startscreen is gonna annoy me with unnecessary crud but I'm also hopeful it might allow me to have more useful options than the my current trusty open bubble. Time will tell. I have no problems navigating to what I need in Windows Explorer these days (but it did take me some time to figure out where the frack this were initially) but really who wants to leave the warm, loving embrace of Sonar if they don't have to? Not this guy.
 

dappa1
I think it would be more practical to have it in a grid doesn't mean you would lose your folders just a better structure.

I just ain't seein' it. Might be of use to some folks but I would disable something like that immediately. I don't categorize by genres. I mostly sort things by specific projects and people I'm working with... which could technically fit into your grid but I don't need or want a grid for that. If anything I'd want maybe what you are describing on a startscreen but collapsed into navigatable folders. Like click a dropdown that exposes a main directory then I can dig down to the specific project I want... from a start dialog. Bingo bango done.
 
More options the better though if it helps others. Just as long as it doesn't bork out the program unnecessarily.

Beepster I understand but lets explore this imagine your sessions grouped together or individuals you are working with having their very own grid where you can instantly play a file without opening it (preview) no folders to go searching through just big and bold on your screen marked in titles. drop down the songs in the selected grid and all those songs you are working on right there in that list with icon to show you the dates instant preview. Track to Stems so your songs ready to take to another studio. This would give you the opportunity to work fast, one click and all the songs info is there on your saved songs grid. I think this is the way forward for DAWS and Sonar would have the monopoly on such a function. Drop down the list to see what plug ins are being used on that track and change or up date them without opening the file. 
 
I really think this should be explored...it makes things quicker and easier to get to plus the feel of everything being in Sonar would make for a better working environment.

Craig Anderton you could have both options folders and/or grid. I know I would appreciate such a function. When I have to go searching for songs and playing them over and over then messing up the order of my six seven songs in my file (those songs I am working on) but sometimes I want to sample other songs that I have made without having to open each file to reorder them in the file that drops down then find those six seven songs again. Its a waste of time!
 
I could label the songs in the grid songs currently worked on and the next column songs 2014 need mixing 
 

It would be nice to find out what the staff at Cakewalk think. Is there a place to send ideas for updates and upgrades?