Tripecac
Sonar 8.5.3 had a right click menu editor, where you could add top menu functions to the right click menu.  That was very cool.  I can't seem to find it in Platinum, however.  Do you know where it is?

 
Yes - it's in SONAR 8.5.3.
 
The equivalent in Platinum is the custom section of the Control Bar. And please, stop wasting our time. I already responded to your "Do you know where the menu customization function is?" question in depth (and so did others) in the other thread you started.
 
Your time stamp shows you were in that thread more recently than this one. So either you're disingenuous, or you don't bother reading the responses to the threads you start. Either way, I'm done trying to assist. Refer to the documentation if you have questions.
 
If you find it impossible to work with MIDI in SONAR, you might want to read Jerry Gerber's article in a recent eZine about doing a full-length classical album in SONAR. Using MIDI. With the staff view. Apparently he knows something - or maybe a lot of things - you don't.
 
Sorry to be blunt, but see my 3rd paragraph above. I'm not here to play games. My goal is to help people get the most out of SONAR. If someone doesn't want to get the most out of SONAR as it stands, there's nothing I can do.
 
 

Please ease up on the condescension, Craig.  I know I'm trying your patience, but surely you can out-cool me, right?  I'm reading everyone's responses, and am considering them.  If you don't like the way you feel when reading my posts, then maybe you shouldn't read them.  I admire that you want to help people.  Neither of us know if you can help me.  Honestly, sometimes I think only Cakewalk can help me.  And for that to happen, I guess I need to keep my issues visible on here.  Repetition, repetition, repetition.  Either that, or I could just give up and switch to Ableton or something other DAW.  Sigh.  All that money over the years, though!  Of course, that's what lots of us are saying, when contemplating a switch...
 
Anyway:
 
The Control Bar is new to me.  I had forgotten about it, and will need to re-investigate it. 
 
When I got X1, the first thing I did was try to make it look like 8.5.3.  I hid the inspector and the control bar and any of the other new interface elements I [felt I] didn't absolutely need.  Since my workflow was heavily oriented around keypresses, I didn't have to use the inspector unless I was doing something like transposing, adjusting timing, or renaming clips.  Over time I stopped bothering with those operations, in order to avoid having to use the inspector.
 
As you can see, I've been resisting/fighting the changes ever since Sonar X1 came out.  It has been a constant battle.
 
I'm now trying to invest time in customising Sonar to fit my needs better.  This itself is frustrating, because Sonar seems much less customisable than it was before. 
 
Please note that what I'm talking about is the basic UI for editing MIDI.  I'm not talking about the plugins.  The plugins are great in X1+.  Adding and managing soft synths seems much easier.  Not perfect, but definitely nothing I get stressed about.  And I like the new effects and instruments.  I don't want to lose any of that stuff by reverting to 8.5.3.
 
What I'd like to see "fixed" is the MIDI editing system.  This is where I spend most of my time (fixing sloppy performances) and is where I feel the most "pain" when the UI doesn't behave the way I want it to.
 
I want to be able to do the following in real time (during playback):
- adjust note timing
- adjust note velocities (via velocity pane)
- adjust note durations  (via note properties)
- rename clips
- quantize
 
For all except the note timing, I am finding it harder to do in X1+ than in 8.5.3.  My recent "whiny" posts are my attempts to get those operations streamlined.
 
I wish the current version of Sonar combined the super-efficient MIDI editing of 8.5.3 with the elegant plugin/soft synth experience of X1+. 
 
Is there an equivalent of Sonar Plus for Platinum?  Or do the frequent rebuilds of Platinum make it difficult for something like Sonar Plus to keep up?

Tripecac
Please ease up on the condescension, Craig.

 
Condescension? You say "I'm reading everyone's responses, and am considering them." That doesn't explain why you re-asked your "innocent" question after it had already been answered in a different thread that you had visited prior to your re-asking the question. 
 

If you don't like the way you feel when reading my posts, then maybe you shouldn't read them.

 
It's not a question of how I "feel." It's a question of having my time wasted when I put an effort into answering a question, I know you've seen it and several other responses, and yet you pursue the same agenda later in a different thread. So the effort expended trying to assist was a waste of time that could have been spent more productively.
 

Honestly, sometimes I think only Cakewalk can help me.  And for that to happen, I guess I need to keep my issues visible on here.  Repetition, repetition, repetition.

 
Several people have explained that one person repeating the same thing over and over and over and over again is not a solution, Your particular needs are not necessarily of such universal applicability that they justify ignoring this forum's mission statement. 
 

Either that, or I could just give up and switch to Ableton or something other DAW.  Sigh.  All that money over the years, though!  Of course, that's what lots of us are saying, when contemplating a switch...

 
Why switch? I have more than one guitar and more than one DAW. I use SONAR for my studio projects, Live for live performance, and Studio One for album assembly. I often use Pro Tools for tracking in other peoples' studios (although admittedly, I transfer the files to SONAR for editing and mixing). I'm conversant with Logic so I can collaborate with friends who use it on the Mac, and Cubase has one of my plug-in designs, which was done in cooperation with Steinberg. It's not hard to transfer projects from one DAW to another, especially with Standard MIDI Files and BWF time-stamping for audio. I just happen to use SONAR much more than any other program because it suits my needs perfectly. If it didn't, I'd use something else. But I never went on the forums for the programs I used to use and complain, or announce that I was switching. For plenty of people, those programs fit their needs. I guarantee none of those people care about my needs.
 
Instead of spending your time fighting the X-series for not being 8.5.3, learn the X-series workflow and then you would already know about things like the Control Bar custom buttons. I want you to be productive in your software but you cannot see the road ahead if you spend your time looking in the rear-view mirror. There are still things I miss about Wordstar and MP/M when using Word and Windows 10, like the effortless multi-user experience, but the only constant is change...so I've learned to accept and embrace it.
 
Recent internal discussions at Cakewalk have involved potential MIDI improvements.Cakewalk is aware that many elements of the program could be improved - I just received word today of an optimization involving massive editing of audio clips (e.g., drum parts with lots of slices) that gave a 100x speed increase. It's slated for the June release. One step at a time. 
 
 

These issues regarding the superiority of 8.5.3 have been discussed to death, years ago. Get over it, it's done, it's not coming back. The company will not redesign the program based on 1 persons preferences.
 
When will it sink in. The O/P doesn't want answers, he wants conflict and attention, and that's all. AFAIK 8.5 still works fine and he should just use it. 

The O/P doesn't want answers, he wants conflict and attention,

 
I want Cakewalk's attention. I tried the problem Problem Reporter but got no attention from them there.  So I have to resort to posting on the forum, hoping to get Cakewalk's attention on here.  Staying quiet will not get their attention, and will not help me get my bugs fixed.
 

That doesn't explain why you re-asked your "innocent" question after it had already been answered in a different thread that you had visited prior to your re-asking the question.

 
Sorry, I'm not following the timing.  I posted the Menu Editor in this thread, didn't get a response, so posted it in its own thread, since it was a more general question that I wanted answered quickly.  It got answered quickly in the other thread.  I'm not sure what you mean about me seeing an answer before I asked the question.  I've got multiple tabs open, on multiple computers, so I wouldn't trust those timestamps.
 

It's a question of having my time wasted

 
Yes, that's how I feel after carefully composing bug reports for the Problem Reporter, complete with screen grabs, only to have them ignored.  And I am paying Cakewalk.  So not only am I wasting my time, but I am PAYING to do it. 
 
You, Craig, are not paying me.  You can, if you want.  Then, when I don't change my behaviour, or give you the answers you want, you can complain about me on the forum.  Ad nauseum.  And then we will be in the same boat.  Until then, we're not.
 
Again, I appreciate your trying to help.  Sincerely.  Although I am grumbling, I am listening, and will try some of the things you mentioned.
 

Recent internal discussions at Cakewalk have involved potential MIDI improvements.

 
This is great news.  Perhaps in the process of testing the new MIDI features they will bump into the same problems I've been dealing with, and will fix them.
 
Honestly, I really, really hope Cakewalk can invest some time in adding back the robustness and UI flexibility that got lost in the process of simplifying for X1.  I don't want to go back to 8.5.3.  I want to use X1, but with the few fixes I have recommended.  There are only a handful of them!  And they should not take long to resolve.

.

Tripecac
 
Anyway:
 
The Control Bar is new to me.  I had forgotten about it, and will need to re-investigate it. 
 
When I got X1, the first thing I did was try to make it look like 8.5.3.  I hid the inspector and the control bar and any of the other new interface elements I [felt I] didn't absolutely need.  Since my workflow was heavily oriented around keypresses, I didn't have to use the inspector unless I was doing something like transposing, adjusting timing, or renaming clips.  Over time I stopped bothering with those operations, in order to avoid having to use the inspector.
 
As you can see, I've been resisting/fighting the changes ever since Sonar X1 came out.  It has been a constant battle.
 
I'm now trying to invest time in customising Sonar to fit my needs better.  This itself is frustrating, because Sonar seems much less customisable than it was before. 

 
Therein lies your major problem.
 
You ABSOLUTELY need the Control Bar and Inspector visible at all times.
This is fundamental to the way the X series works and trying to work without these is crippling you.
These tools are there to HELP you not HINDER you.
 
Once you've accepted this you just might be able to move on.

Tripecac
 
I want Cakewalk's attention. I tried the problem Problem Reporter but got no attention from them there. 
......
 And I am paying Cakewalk.  So not only am I wasting my time, but I am PAYING to do it. 
....... 
 
Honestly, I really, really hope Cakewalk can invest some time in adding back the robustness and UI flexibility that got lost in the process of simplifying for X1.  I don't want to go back to 8.5.3.  I want to use X1, but with the few fixes I have recommended.  There are only a handful of them!  And they should not take long to resolve.

Your biggest problem is that you are using X1 (and X2?). Reporting Problem Reports for X1 is going to get you exactly what you have been getting - (cue chirping crickets).
As has been suggested, create Feature Requests for improvements (to SONAR Platinum) and you may garner some interest and some support, and will be far more likely to see them implemented, assuming that is what you really want. The squeaky wheel thing, quite frankly, is getting old.
You say you are Paying Cakewalk - How, exactly? In reality you PAID them 4 years ago (over 5 for X1). If I don't like my car's speedometer, I don't go on their forum 5 years later and expect them to change it for me - and saying I am paying them...... 
I AM paying them - (sporadically up to SONAR 8, every release since then, and now for lifetime updates) - and quite frankly I would be (mildly) disappointed if I felt that they wasted their time responding to disingenuous threads like this one, or to Problem Reports filed for a 5 year old product. 
 
 

You ABSOLUTELY need the Control Bar and Inspector visible at all times.
This is fundamental to the way the X series works and trying to work without these is crippling you.

 
I will give these a shot.
 

Your biggest problem is that you are using X1 (and X2?).

 
I am using Platinum, and posted Problem Reports about Platinum.  Some of the problems I am having go back to X1, however; hence my references to X1.
 

In reality you PAID them 4 years ago (over 5 for X1).

 
No, in reality, I have paid for X1, X2, X3, Platinum, and (gasp) the Lifetime updates. 
 

disingenuous threads

 
Nice try. 

Tripecac
 

disingenuous threads

 
Nice try. 

 
I think disingenuous is an apt word.
 
The thread was phrased to look like a genuine appeal for help.
 
When people responded with many ways to shorten your steps (My suggestions saved you over 16 key presses and numerous clicks from your first example), it became clear that you didn't want answers, just an excuse to repeat your gripes over and over again..
 
When I first used X1 I tried to make it behave like previous versions e.g. I would float the PRV so it was familiar to the way I worked before.
 
It took me ages before I gave in and tried the Multidock.  It took a little getting used to, but I am so glad I did.  With "D" and "Shift+D" my workflow is so much improved.
 
The same goes with screensets, Take lanes, Control Bar etc, etc.
 
Try to use the software you have now.  There is more than one way to skin a rabbit.
 
Also, this is a User Forum, so constantly being "squeaky" on here in not the best way to get Cakewalk's attention.  It is the best way to get Users' back's up.
 
Just my tuppence worth.