I tend to have a tough time getting pitch bend data right while recording, and I usually have to record the notes first and then go back and record the pitch bend part over the notes. Even then I have to record several takes to get it right. That isn't efficient workflow, and I would like to take a more surgical approach and enter the pitch bend data manually by hand in the piano roll's controller pane, but I haven't figured out how to enter data that occurs steadily over time. Is there a way to enter manually a start and end time, and a pitch to bend a note or chord to, or perhaps to draw a steady even curve like I would with an automation envelope, but inside the piano roll view so that I wouldn't have to create a pitch envelope in the track view? I prefer to keep my track view as minimal as possible. thanks!

You are aware of the Controller Pane in the PRV?  It can show more than one control click on the +sign and then select the control wanted.  Then you can draw in events.  These events can then be converted to an envelope at some point.  Sorry if I missed the point.

I have the same problem, in that it takes me way too many takes to get pitch bend data right with my pitch controller. I've tried editing the data in the controller pane but I can't seem to work out how to draw it accurately and musically. 

The other thing you can try is to enter it by the bend control, then use the thin controller data CAL command which can be used to reduce the number of nodes, and/or there is an option to convert control data to an envelope which can then be edited.  The thin.cal command does have a couple of little tricks it will not remove values of 0, 64 or 127 this needs to be remembered.
 
To run a CAL script press Crtl-F1 and select from the list.
 
Just an idea to help get closer to your aim.

Thanks for the replies guys, sorry I have been out of town for several days. I am not familiar with this thin CAL command Wookie but I will look into it and give it a shot, thanks! But in case I did a poor job explaining I was basically asking if there is a way to quantize controller data, so that the pitch bend happens evenly at a rate of my choosing over a time frame of my choosing. Like if I wanted to choose a start point and end point and then tell sonar to bend from pitch A to pitch B and then back to pitch A over this time interval. I am familiar with envelopes and nodes and could always automate by hand if needed but thats messy business and I have enough time consuming things I prefer to automate as it is, so was just looking for a more efficient method.

I don't see a way to quantize pitch controller in Sonar.
I tend to draw in pitch data after notes are played as your indicated. Pitch bend sweetness can be subjected to the patch being played, note length, tempo and the such.
But, in order to get a consistent variance, like a quantize. What I do is; set snap to grid at 1/128, use the PRV, in controller pane select 'Wheel' as new value type, then use the straight line tool or shift-key/smart tool and draw the pitch bend.  

Genius simplemanz, exactly the type of thing I'm looking for! thanks man, I will most definitely try that tonight!

How do I find the Straight Line tool? Can't see it anywhere in Sonar X3!!!

The difficulty with drawing in pitch bend for careful tuning is that you generally want values that are very low and very close together --- the entire pitch bend range, 16000+, even if your instrument is set to only a 2 semitone pitch range, gives way more change than you will usually want.     So either you have to zoom out and cover most of the screen, or you have to find a better way.   My version is to plan the pitch changes ahead of time and use a CAL script to place relatively exact, small, pitch bend values into the track before each midi note.