How to draw in volume automation and snap to beat?

[wonder]

I'm programming a light show in DP using Volume automation and sending that MIDI info out to DMX.

I was doing it by hand but am trying the pencil tool.

Since the Sequence is in Tempo with the Movie/Audio file, I'd like to simple draw straight lines close to the 8th note or 16th note bar line.

I have the SNAP TO GRID button enabled but when I release the mouse button to draw my volume lines, nothing is snapping to the measure/beat lines.

What am I doing wrong?

[Greg Magee]

You could draw straight lines close to the locations you want disregarding the inaccuracies and afterwards select quantise from the region menu, click on the what to quantise dropdown and select controllers.

Just a thought

Greg

[MikeInBoston]

In DP, when you're drawing lines in the controller field, they DO NOT snap to grid, even if you have grid snap on. You have to eyeball it. This is something that I asked about on this forum a while ago. When you're drawing in controller data by hand, it would be a big help if this feature were implemented.

Mike

[wonder]

Good to know.

The issue I'm having with quantizing automation data is that it will redraw and add points where I didn't add them before thus creating a jerking motion in the lighting due to automation points being re-drawn.

[Greg Magee]

Here's a thought

I know this might sound a little daft.

Before you start doing the process of doing your automation you could create volume control points on the grid for the full duration of play then delete the unwanted control points as required. Square wave automation shapes do conform to the grid so this would be your starting point. The process would go something like this.

1. Select the pencil tool and under the reshape mode next to it select the square wave.
2. Enter the MIDI graphic editor. Zoom out to the entire film duration and make sure your Grid is on and set to desired division.
3. Select Volume under the Insert Event Type menu at the bottom of the window and then drag across with your pencil for the full duration at an arbitrary default volume. You should also drag up a little so that you can see the square wave. Then click away or press enter to commit the values
4. Select the whole track of volume CC and then select Change Continuous Data from the Region menu. Click on the "Limit to a Range" radio button and enter a range of identical values, eg. 10 to 10.

What you end up with is a volume cc control point at every division of value 10. Obviously you'll have a different default value than my arbitrarily chosen '10'. If you drop markers where you want your lighting changes to occur then you'll have a visual indicator of where you need to alter and erase your defaults. Once your division control points are in place the snap to the grid so it's easy to make changes without worrying whether you'll drag something out of time.

One other thing. If you choose a unique default then you can create a saved search later for CC 7 value 'default' and that would allow you to delete large ranges of unwanted points at a time.

Try it on a blank MIDI track and see if it works for you.

All the best

Greg