Beep, I'm really talking about ANY time you look right at what you mean to change and spin the scroll wheel or hit a key stroke and modify some other track because you misunderstood the Focus/Selection difference or assumed with reasonableness that the selected track should have followed your human focus to the track you are intending to change. Maybe you were editing an envelope in the track and assumed that the track selection would change to the track you had been modifying envelopes on.

Like I said, I use Ctrl Shift A then click the track or parameter I want to mess with pretty much every time even if it may not be necessary. It's quicker than having to double check or fix something. Believe me I've had scenarios similar to what you are referring to. That's why I forced that habit into my workflow. As far as the In Focus vs. Selected issue if I'm not certain I'll try In Focus first and if it doesn't do what I want then I select it. It's just second nature to me now and I no longer have any wrong track issues unless I'm getting bit by the selection bug. Cheers.
 
Oh and it should be noted that Ctrl Shift A won't change the currently focused track so the habit of clicking the track in the Track Pane before proceeding avoids any issues there. Wax on wax off.

soens
Hey FBB you didn't confuse me, I come pre-confused! I should have clarified it's Cakewalk's terminology I was speaking of. You're fine. No need to apologize.
 
Wait a minute. are you in the right thread?
 
 
Steve

This word is pretty common in software.
to select something is to clearly select it.
to put focus is to click on.

Within any GUI, the element that is "in focus" is the one that will currently respond to keyboard input.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_(computing)

chuckebaby

soens
Hey FBB you didn't confuse me, I come pre-confused! I should have clarified it's Cakewalk's terminology I was speaking of. You're fine. No need to apologize.

Wait a minute. are you in the right thread?


Steve

This word is pretty common in software.
to select something is to clearly select it.
to put focus is to click on.

Thanks Chuck, but that comment was 6 months ago. I get it now.
 
But to help clear things up tell me how you "select" something without... CLICKING on it?
 
If you click on something to put it in "focus", and you click on something to "select" it... what's the difference?
 
This is why we NON-computer lingonized shlubbs get confused.

Yes it can get confusing. But the sooner one can accept that there is a difference between "in focus" and "select" (for what ever reason), and learn the differences between the two, the better your computing experience will be!

gswitz
Focus is defined by the track number turning light blue background.
Selection is defined by vertical colored bar to the left of the track. Selected track has a bold color where unselected has a faded color.

@gswitz
The above statement you made isn't right. Don't know if you figured it out yet. It has been a few months since this thread started. But here goes,

Focus is not defined by the track number turning light blue background. This is the indication that the track is selected.

"In Focus" is indicated by the track turning a lighter shade of gray. "In Focus" has nothing to do with the track number turning light blue.

The colored straight lines, or bars, to the left of the track number indicates something totally different and has nothing to do with "Select" or "In Focus."

HTH🔚

I seem to be lonesome and a long way from home. :-)
 
I recognize that I'm the only one who seems to get confused and have trouble with this. I'll be quiet about it now. I'll continue to practice with it until I get it right.
 
Thanks, all.
 
@Soens, thanks for your company.
 
For anyone listening, this thread started on X2 rather than X2a.

FWIW, just as another example....    if click on the blue track number on track 1, then Shift+Click (or drag down to) the blue track number on track 10, all 10 tracks are now "selected".   So I can use Ctrl+Parameter and use Quick Group to adjust that same parameter on all 10 selected tracks at one time.   The track that I'm using to modify the parameter (with the Ctrl key pressed) is typically the track in focus. 
 
This could be done with Auto-Zoom enabled, but you'll never see all 10 tracks expand in height because Auto-Zoom doesn't care which track (or how many) is selected, just the one that has focus.