Change the mouse pointer to show that you are in ripple edit mode. Many video editing platforms have a button to select and show that ripple editing is engaged (and for slip slide etc). So it would be incredibly handy to have some kind of indication. I think a lot of people will have problems with this feature otherwise and the solution is probably very simple.

Mouse pointer change is a really smart idea, assuming of course that it's implementable. Better than an indicator IMHO.

In the last days i changed from ripple editing to normal editing 20 or 30 times during the day. And each time I didn't know in which modus I am.
If I was the programmer i would make a second dropbox-menu left to the lense menu (Ripple Edit Selection - Ripple Edit All - Normal Editing).
So I can see the mode and can change it quickly - for example by shortcut. And everyone would understand that. To change additionally the mouse pointer would be great.
 

Lord Tim
+1 from me.
 
My suggestion is to add another row of icons to the Mix module in the Control Bar. Here's a quick 5 minute mockup:
 

 
So the top one is an icon showing the state of the crossfade menu. Long-click would bring up default types (linear, slow in / fast out, etc.). Off is disabled.
 
The next one is the ripple editing. Off is disabled. Long-clicking would bring up a menu to change between ripple selected and ripple all.
 
No idea what to put on that bottom blank icon yet. I'm sure there's something in a menu I'd like to have a visual cue from.
 
In both of those cases, the icon would change to whatever mode is selected.
 
Handy because this module could be hidden if it's cluttering up too much, or if you could set a view (small, auto, etc.) where the new row of icons could be hidden, for people who like it how it is.
 
Best of both worlds, and for people like me who prefer to have stuff there at a glace, no menu digging.

Plus eleventy-eleven for BOTH indicators as described above: one for cross-fades and one for Ripple Edit status.

THambrecht
In the last days i changed from ripple editing to normal editing 20 or 30 times during the day. And each time I didn't know in which modus I am.
If I was the programmer i would make a second dropbox-menu left to the lense menu (Ripple Edit Selection - Ripple Edit All - Normal Editing).
So I can see the mode and can change it quickly - for example by shortcut. And everyone would understand that. To change additionally the mouse pointer would be great.
 

I've been looking at the GUI to see where a button(s) could go. It's clear that it definitely needs a button and indicator. In video editing GUIs you normally have radio style (latching) buttons to switch from slip edit to ripple edit. In Sonar the obvious place to put buttons or a single latching button with a long click menu (to select ripple edit all), would be on the tools module where the other edit buttons are. It could go next to the "Event draw duration" dropdown (Ripple - highlighted for on). In addition, it should have a mouse pointer icon to instantly show you are in ripple edit mode consistent with the other edit mouse pointer icons. These should be pretty easy to implement. If I was the GUI/UX designer for Sonar, these would be the logical additions - not just a hidden menu item as is there at the moment.

But the icon should definitely be an ice cream!

Put it beside the Sonar name in the Tools module

KPerry
But the icon should definitely be an ice cream!

Yes, a tribute to Ian Dury of course! :)