Why do they make you jump thru hoops to do something so dead simple as write automation for an effect turn ON/OFF? ...Turn on write automation for the track...When the time comes ...'click' , to turn effect ON...when the time comes 'click'...turn it OFF. Press stop when your done and turn off write automation for the track. as easy as pan or volume!...I don't get why it shouldn't be as simple as that..

Do as Scook said. far less 'hoops' than dealing with envelopes or separate tracks.

Jeff is correct - Ableton Live also lets you do this with any plugin. Weird - I just did it myself for the first time in a project this weekend. :)

You could try putting the effect in an FX Chain and automating its on/off button. However the last time I tried this in the ProChannel I found that the automation would only be read if the ProChannel in question was open in the console. When I reported the bug on the forum someone from Cake said that there was no plans to fix it because doing so would break a whole bunch of other stuff. Definitely an area of Sonar which needs some love....

timidi
Do as Scook said. far less 'hoops' than dealing with envelopes or separate tracks.

still tho, the most obvious answer has GOT to be , simply treat the on/off button on the FX as if it were the pan or volume knobs/faders and the 'too simple' act of write automation that they are able to use so easily, right? And we're talking about this was with one of cakewalks own software fx!

The way I always do it....I slide the effect output to off with automation turned on. For example, say I'm using like a Sonitus delay and want my vocals to have delay in certain spots.
 
I turn on automation, select the level I want the delay to be at, press play and then just turn the effect output slider to 0 in the passage where I don't want delay.
 
Then while still playing back, hit "undo" to bring it back to my delay level I want, then hit undo and it will go back to 0. Press stop and my automation is complete. If there is something I need to fix, I go back and adjust the nodes accordingly. Sometimes I rehearse my "undo" procedure to get it down tight. Other times I nail it on the first try. It's not the ideal way to do things, but it works perfectly for me. :)
 
-Danny