key bindings question

[musicman691]

I'm about to delve into something I've never done with DP and that's custom keybindings. Before I do that I have a question or two. Will DP 9.01 natter at you if you try and use a binding that's already assigned to another function or another place? I would assume the key bindngs are stored in one of the preferences files - which one? So I know which one to make a safety copy of before I go mucking about.

[Rick Cornish]

Yes—DP will warn you if you create a key binding that's already in use and give you the choice to cancel out, change it or use the key sequence anyway.

I don't know where DP stores key bindings, but I bet someone else here does.

[stubbsonic]

In the mini menu is Export, Import and Restore Defaults. So you are covered. You can export the defaults and save them anywhere, and you can save your custom one so you can keep tweaking it over time.

[frankf]

Keep in mind that DP will not warn you of conflicts with OSX shortcuts or those you program in a macro utility like Keyboard Maestro. Such conflicts can sometimes cause DP macro to not work.


Frank Ferrucci

[musicman691]

Thanks all for the replies. A couple of things were mentioned I didn't think about especially with the interference with OSX shortcuts. This is my first time venturing into this world and I wanted to make sure of things before I go in there and royally screw it up and there's no way back except for a complete wipe out and re-install.

[stubbsonic]

I've occasionally run into little OSX conflicts for custom short-cuts. I decide if I'd ever use them, and often I can go into the System Preferences and just turn them off.

I'd recommend you keep a little record of things you change in the system, so if you ever have to rebuild your system (as I have, many times... sigh.) then you can get back to happy place without too much head scratching.

[musicman691]

I've occasionally run into little OSX conflicts for custom short-cuts. I decide if I'd ever use them, and often I can go into the System Preferences and just turn them off.

I'd recommend you keep a little record of things you change in the system, so if you ever have to rebuild your system (as I have, many times... sigh.) then you can get back to happy place without too much head scratching.

That's one thing I've learned to do - to keep a not-so-neat record of system changes (along with backups).

[Rick Cornish]

One additional suggestion:

DP comes with a LOT of key bindings already programmed in. When I'm creating new key bindings for commands I commonly use, I often find that the key combination that would be most memorable to me to use for a given task is already assigned to some other command. Much of the time, that pre-existing key binding is assigned to a command I'd almost never use. Fortunately, DP not only warns you that a key binding is already in use, but it tells you WHAT command it is currently assigned to. That makes it easy to add the key binding to the command I want it assigned to and then DELETE that key binding it from the "stock" assignment as created by MOTU.

[bayswater]

I'd suggest taking it slowly, adding only a few new keys at a time. Keep an eye on repetitive tasks, and add a few key bindings at a time to improve their workflow. Second, organize the keys used into groups. For example, for two operations often done in sequence, choose two keys next to each other, or put all the navigation keys together in one section of the keyboard, etc.

I export the keybindings after a few changes so I can always go back and get an earlier version, and I keep an updated cheat sheet nearby -- I often forget I've assigned a command and this helps get the new assignment into the flow.

As Rick says, there are a lot of assignments in DP you might be able to reuse. Some of these make use of a range of keys, like 1-9 or alt 1-9, that can be better used for an alternative set of commands. I never do step recording and rarely use quickscribe, and there are a load of assignments in key ranges there that can be reused.

[musicman691]

Rick and bayswater:
Thanks for the help on this. There's more things to look out for than I originally thought of but nothing that can't be managed.

[philbrown]

I forget who posted this (thanks!) but this one has helped me a bunch at least for the way I work.

Remap the numeric keypad:
4 - Go to previous measure
5 - Fast rewind
6 - Fast forward
+ - Go to next measure

[bayswater]

I forget who posted this (thanks!) but this one has helped me a bunch at least for the way I work.

Remap the numeric keypad:
4 - Go to previous measure
5 - Fast rewind
6 - Fast forward
+ - Go to next measure

I like this one too, but with a minor variation that makes more sense to me:
4 - Fast rewind
5 - Go to previous measure
6 - Go to next measure
+ - Fast forward

I'd like to see DP adopt the approach in Quicktime, where the more often you press the rewind and forward keys, that faster the transport moves

[yamguitar]

One of my favorite DP features.

[Tritonemusic]

I'd like to see DP adopt the approach in Quicktime, where the more often you press the rewind and forward keys, that faster the transport moves

I like your suggestion.

[musicman691]

Started in on this odyssey and already I'm going cross-eyed. Wish there was some way to enlarge the commands window so I could actually see what the binding keys actually are. Along with that is there some place on the net that has a cross-reference as to what key on the computer keyboard corresponds to what icon is used in the binding? Cmd, ctrl, option and shift are easy enough but there are a couple of others I can't suss. Two of them are what looks like an arrow on a diagonal (this is in the commands for moving tracks up and down). I'm sure there are others used I haven't run into yet.