Why no selection 'grab' handles in ruler?

rhythm_kitchen · Post by **rhythm_kitchen** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:31 am

Working with material from 2" not referenced to MIDI I'm finding it a pain to accurately select multiple tracks. All other DAWs have grab handles you can move to relocate either beginning or end point of selection.

I love this DAW don't get me wrong.

Must be something I'm not doing right.

If I could make a time selection across a track (or tracks) and then use a command key combo with arrow to nudge the beginning or end of selection that would be ok too.

Otherwise to work fast you really have to map out the entire session to use snap to grid? I haven't been able to figure out how to go to a multiple track selection after a snap to single beat selection.

Thanks in advance to the brain trust here.

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:57 am

If I am understanding your issue, select the first audio or MIDI track, the CMD arrow up or down to select additional tracks. I think you might be able to also CMD click on the track name to add/subtract it. Maybe it's the CTL button. I don't have DP on my iPhone presently.

rhythm_kitchen · Post by **rhythm_kitchen** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:28 pm

Thanks. I'm testing this now with the audio tracks.

I've been using the playback wiper as a vertical ruler and feel like I should be sitting in a corner wearing a pointed hat or something.

I know I can edit the begin and end selection times by value (scrolling by beats or ticks) but coming from PTs the lack of grab handles is puzzling.

Apparently you can't nudge a selection's start or stop time with the arrow keys or can you?

Phil O · Post by **Phil O** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:27 am

I use the memory sliders to set a selection range then hit shift-control-option-v (Set Selection To Memory). There's also "Link Memory To Selection" (shift-/) which allows you to move the memory sliders and have the selection track them or vise versa. To unlink hit shift-/ a second time. There are also a bunch of "Move Selection A Little" commands which I've never played with.

There are probably a dozen other ways to do this too. Do a search on "selection" in the Commands window.

Phil

Dan Worley · Post by **Dan Worley** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:50 pm

I most definitely would like to see drag handles.

The best advice I can give you is to go into the Commands window and type in "select" and study all the different things you can do to the selection range with key commands.

Here's a few that I like and use (there are so many).

• Hold down the Shift key while dragging or clicking in the time ruler to add to or subtract from the time range.

• Command Option A (Select All Tracks in Range). Very useful. A bit awkward for my fingers, but it's easy for me to remember so I didn't change it.

• Use Command Shift up/down arrow to add tracks to the selection.

• Command click the track names to select or deselect. Shift click works in the TO but not in the SE.

• Go into Commands and set key combos for "Move Selection Start left a little" and "Move Selection Start right a little" and "Move Selection End right a little" and "Move Selection End left a little." Those are very helpful to have down.

• I very rarely have DP's cursor set to anything other than All Selections, but you may want to be able to switch its mode quickly and easily. That can be done with commands, too.

FMiguelez · Post by **FMiguelez** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 3:28 am

Under certain circumstances, using F5 and F6 is another very nice way to set selection ranges.

Clicking a marker and thus getting a selection that extends to the next marker is also cool.

Dwetmaster · Post by **Dwetmaster** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:56 am

If you look in the TipSheet, Shooshie explain a good selection process that migth be vood to your workflow.

My favorite selection commands:
Set selection start to wiper
Set selection end to wiper.
With these two, you move the wiper around using whichever technique you prefer and then you extend the selection to it.

I also use the move selection to previous/next event to either move or extend my selection accordingly

There's a gazillion way to set and move time selections in DP. Just find the best that works for you

frankf · Post by **frankf** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:33 am

rhythm_kitchen wrote:Working with material from 2" not referenced to MIDI I'm finding it a pain to accurately select multiple tracks. All other DAWs have grab handles you can move to relocate either beginning or end point of selection.
.

+1 on all the tips. There are no drag handles but dragging the beginning or ending of a selection is easy.
In All Selections Mode, the default:
-select the I-beam Tool by double tapping the "I" key or selecting from Toolbar
-make a Time Range Selection in one or multiple tracks
-hold down shift and drag the start or end of the selection to move it. (actually starting the drag anywhere in the first half of the selection will move the Selection Start, starting in the second half moves the Selection End)

Done. Just like the other DAWs

no handles, though, which I like. I like as little clutter as possible

Note that if you have the Grid on, the movement is confined to the Grid settings. If off, there is no restriction. Toggle between the two with the command key.

Speaking of less clutter, check out the "show active layer only" command in SE to focus only on the data type you're working with.
Frank

Frank Ferrucci
DP 7.24
Mac Pro 3,1 OS 10.6.8
Metric Halo 2882, ULN-2

rhythm_kitchen · Post by **rhythm_kitchen** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:47 am

Thank you one and all.

Trim tool on a selection's begin-end points might be useful. That would eliminate the need for grab handles. Although coming from other DAWs grab handles would eliminate frustration by non-expert users.

I did attempt vertical alignment using markers. Nada (again I had to use the playback wiper to check alignment of marker to audio events).

Is there a preference setting for markers? I would like to see a vertical reference line when I select or drag a marker?

My pea brain can't recal many command keys, otherwise working with a grid and MIDI, select by beat or phrase would speed things up.

(I do have a full size keyboard now for function keys which should help).

Sorry to confuse the issue with too many questions.

Guy with Beavis.

Dan Worley · Post by **Dan Worley** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:30 am

rhythm_kitchen wrote:Is there a preference setting for markers, as in a vertical line when the marker is selected or being dragged?

Not when being dragged, no. There is a preference for showing/hiding their grid lines (Edit Windows/Edit Window Guides), but they're not visible when the marker is being moved.

rhythm_kitchen · Post by **rhythm_kitchen** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:38 am

I was able to absorb a few of the tips (thanks to Da Kine folk here)

---> Markers can display grid in Sequence but not in Tracks Window.

---> 'shift+ i-beam' works like a charm and then 'control+option+a' to expand that selection range to all tracks. Easy to remember.

---> 'command + shift + i-beam' if snap-to-grid is on (always on in Tracks) by holding down 'command' first and then adding the 'shift' key to that hold down, it toggles grid off and you can still drag your selection range.

All good. Oh but no cigar on double tapping 'I' or 'A' to toggle pointer. It loads subsequence from chunks.

Steve Steele · Post by **Steve Steele** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:42 pm

I wish I could "Matrix" all of DP's key commands into my brain.

jbyerly1 · Post by **jbyerly1** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:44 pm

R-K,
You must have set a command key somewhere for the "a" & "i" to pull up a different function.

rhythm_kitchen · Post by **rhythm_kitchen** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 6:58 pm

Yeah commands had been automapped from DP 2.7 as listed in the old 'song' sketchpad. Thanks.

So I 86'd the 'a' and 'i' in commands and it now toggles the Pointer- I beam.

Matrix pit stop: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brain-wa ... 19387?mt=8

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