customization is key to global happiness :-)
 
if there is a change requested to clarify this situation, it must be up to the user to decided which way it should work for him/her ... I reckon I wouldn't change from what it is like at the moment, but I'm easily convinced if the outcome is something better workflow-wise with the option of going back to current status quo ...

bitman
When X2a came out I thought "It's Broke!" because my control surface code was following the old way of doing things where changing a strip widget selected the widget's track inside sonar.
 
With every option in any software's preferences will be a blessing to some, and cause tech support calls and Baker clarification of those things on this board for others.
 
It's a teeter totter balancing act for sure!
 
Happy Friday and Rock On.

There are a number of things to consider, touch screens, control surfaces, normal keyboard and mouse.
So it could be it's best have a flag for each of these how it should work, to be backwards compatible.
 
[Off topic a bit:]
Control surfaces....
I tested Personus Faderport, but it was no benefit at all. This previous/next principle doesn't work so well. Track view has some tracks hidden, others in folders - and ýou had no idea where you were at.
 
Softube Console 1 is on the right track in my view, one button to immediately put you on a tracks strip(at least by modulo 20, you have to shift page). To bad it isn't running as daw controller, and also select the track for you. Maybe that is enhanced by now.
 
I talked to Steinberg about VST plugin standard to have a call that a plugin can ask to open up gui for it. Then you could make controllers that do what Console 1 do - in Sonar and other hosts - make a controller open any slot directly. You could really make low cost controller that don't need 24/32/48 fancy motorized faders. It would be such a treat to just position on any track with a simple controller like Novation Launchpad mini or something - up to 64 tracks and be there in a sec - and if you like throw up the strip as a default. So keeping projects the same - bass on 1st track, drums on next 10 tracks and similar way you would soon have in your backbone which button to press without looking - what a thrill.
 
Haven't looked, but ProChannel can maybe be addressed directly by track number and do that stuff.
If Gibson/Cakewalk come up with a 64 button track selector - and some specified option knob/buttons like Softube did with their strip - might be in demand. And open any plugin slot as you wish - and bring into view. What a boost that would be - end of the era to scroll screen like crazy to find your stuff.
 
But having that in place - they could do like Faderport, have single motorized fader for the active track working. Console 1 is really overpriced for hardware of today for just a few buttons. Gibson/Cakewalk console could ship for $500 or so, now made in China - the rest is in Sonar.
 
[/Off Topic a bit]
 

Just to chime in, I agree the select stuff is another bad design decision ... but I'd made so many 'feature suggestions' that I've just learned to waste the clicks and figure out for sure what is selected before doing any thing damaging.   At least for "delete tracks" they now indicate "how many tracks" ... wish they'd add that little feature for "wipe track(s)" too.
 

lfm
[Off topic a bit:]
Control surfaces....
I tested Personus Faderport, but it was no benefit at all. This previous/next principle doesn't work so well. Track view has some tracks hidden, others in folders - and ýou had no idea where you were at.
 
Softube Console 1 is on the right track in my view, one button to immediately put you on a tracks strip(at least by modulo 20, you have to shift page). To bad it isn't running as daw controller, and also select the track for you. Maybe that is enhanced by now.
 
I talked to Steinberg about VST plugin standard to have a call that a plugin can ask to open up gui for it. Then you could make controllers that do what Console 1 do - in Sonar and other hosts - make a controller open any slot directly. You could really make low cost controller that don't need 24/32/48 fancy motorized faders. It would be such a treat to just position on any track with a simple controller like Novation Launchpad mini or something - up to 64 tracks and be there in a sec - and if you like throw up the strip as a default. So keeping projects the same - bass on 1st track, drums on next 10 tracks and similar way you would soon have in your backbone which button to press without looking - what a thrill.
 [/Off Topic a bit]

Sorry for commenting on Off Topic part, but somehow related.
 
What is called making the strip "current" from CS is yet another animal. It is a kind of focusing without really showing that has happened.
 
Doing such CS focusing in combination with key simulation and other operations give the way to "focus" and "select" strip. That is how Mackie Control plug-in implement that.
 
You can open GUI of any plug-in from CS. That is related to current "focus". So focus "Track 12 FX 5" (so ACT context is switched to it) and/or open its GUI works.
 

I have thought it has to do with the multi-point touch functionality.
 
It was never necessary when working with Controllers. It showed up at the same time as multi-point touch.
 
A toggle to disable the focus/selected separation should also reduce touch to a single point.
 
Since you can touch 10 tracks at once, which track should get the focus/selection. If every time you touch a different track to turn on mute or solo, the track shown in the Inspector changed, it would be a serious problem.
 
I did find this selection/focus scheme extremely confusing when it was first introduced. It caused me to change the fader on the wrong track many times. For me, it was the most confusing when I was working on an automation envelope in a track, but the track had not taken the Selected role.
 
At this point, having used it this way for years, it no longer confuses me. I don't accidentally change the wrong track's parameters. One thing I do is set track icons and change track colors. These can be visible cues as to which track is currently in the inspector without having to read the label at the bottom.
 
While I feel I understand the reason for the separation between focus and selection, I wonder if a better way of handling the division between the two won't present itself in the next few years. Personally, I can't think of an easy solution. I think many people don't realize how complicated it must make the application to have a possible 10 threads that can run concurrently (one for each finger). It makes the threading for the finding of the VSTs on startup seem trivial. Or the threading for the drawing of the wave-forms. Notice that communication between the main thread to the drawing thread was just added to advise the drawing thread to pause work while the main thread leaned heavily on IO for playback/record purposes.
 
I must say, the touch nature of the app is REALLY intuitive. It's so cool. Sometimes, I have trouble with touch. Consider the flyout EQ. I have trouble adjusting Q with pinch. Touch works fine for gain and frequency, but I've learned to go to the nob to adjust Q.
 
In general I think touch is awesome. It is especially great when the leader of the band you recorded is sitting at the desk with you and she can twiddle the nobs and faders at the same time you do.