Moving automation entries and marked areas

[UpTilDawn]

I'd like to be able to move automation entries and marked area boundaries with more precision. Is there a way to do this with an "update position" type of command?
For instance, today I wanted to move the marked area boundaries of a levelizer test I made on the build mix operation I was about to perform on a song. After checking my levelizer settings, which I had done with automation on, I decided to expand the settings to the song's region boundaries instead of just the test area.

What I would have liked to do was to adjust the cursor position using the TAB key to locate the new end position I wanted and then have the marked area jump to the new cursor position, bringing the automation entries with it, then using SHIFT/TAB to mark the new beginning position and reposition the front of the marked area as well.

I know of no surefire, simple way to perform this task... only trial and error repositioning, which can be time consuming at best.

Other functions, such as those using the select mode, can be updated in this manner. Any chance that marked areas and automation can be also... and I've just missed something all this time?

Thanks for the help,
DanT

[Bob L]

You can use Ctrl-Tab with automation Mode active to tab exactly to any automation entry... with this option you can then mark beg and end prrecisely on entries themselves... once marked you can tab or position the cursor anywhere precisely (zooming way in can give you acurate sample by sample positioning... no way to get more acurate than that)... then just use the Backspace key to snap the marked area beg position to the new cursor position... exactly.

Details of all these and many more commands are in the helpfile and they are nicely grouped... there are details about moving and editing automation entries in one section... moving and editing region entries in another... etc... follow the sections on the MT window view.

Good Luck,

Bob L

[UpTilDawn]

I understand the processes you've describe Bob..... use these functions all the time and find them extremely useful.

And yes, I'm due to re-read the helpfile and the manual, both.:rolleyes:

What I'd like to do is just ever-so-slightly different I think... in that I want to expand the marked area boundaries (therefore, the automation within as well) to include a wider area of coverage than what I currently have marked. I can achieve this with the use of the alt key modifier, but it requires much trial and error positioning since locating a precise point requires zooming in, but stretching the marked area boundary requires moving the cursor from the precise position I just located.

What I'm thinking is that with the use of locators and/or using the "K" key to create a new region boundary, precise points could be created and then the marked area be updated to expand to the new locations with a key command instead of trying to position the boundary with the mouse/cursor.....
edit: doesn't the soundfile view allow this automatic updating of marked areas already?..... seems I remember reading a post some time ago and then playing around with it.

I guess I'm surprised that I can't find a way to do this in Saw considering how many other ways there are to manipulate these things already. I thought maybe I'd missed something, but if not, I guess it would become a feature request from me.:) ..... as if you don't have enough of those...

danT

[Bob L]

Well... never really saw a need for snap expanding the marked area boundaries... so there is no command specifically for that.

Still seems easy enough to use the alt drag boundary method to align the boundary to a new mark... like the new edge of a region.

Not sure whether its worth a new command syntax or not... but I'll look into it.

Bob L

[UpTilDawn]

I know it's probably not that big of a deal or people would have raised a fuss before now. I thought maybe I was missing a feature (not hard for me to let one get by).

Thanks for looking into it. I find it handy in soundforge and now and then I try it in Saw to no avail.:confused:

Back to editing......
DanT

[Bob L]

Never knew SoundForge could stretch and shrink automation entries.

Bob L

[UpTilDawn]

Well, I meant marked area boundaries..... such as redefining both edges to the nearest zero cross at the same time... rather convenient.

Never really messed with automation in soundforge because many things in that program seem awkward and Saw works very much the way I expect things to happen.:)

DanT

[Carl G.]

Well, I meant marked area boundaries..... such as redefining both edges to the nearest zero cross at the same time... rather convenient.

Never really messed with automation in soundforge because many things in that program seem awkward and Saw works very much the way I expect things to happen.:)

DanT
You mean awkward, like the program "redefining edges" to the nearest zero cross at the same time? :)

In SawStudio that is ALL automatic no matter where or how you define boundaries.
(options menu seletion)

I like the option because sometimes *I* like control of where I make the splice (then let softedges help smooth the transistion)... and other times I need to fly through the edits in the automatic mode. You might also really be impressed with this feature on the PUNCH IN recording mode! So if you have a good take... it's a done deal with no clean up necessary! And the list goes on... how about multiple takes with zero cross over the same entry area all done automatically touching only ONE button! It's a snap with SawStudio.

[UpTilDawn]

You mean awkward, like the program "redefining edges" to the nearest zero cross at the same time? :)

In SawStudio that is ALL automatic no matter where or how you define boundaries.
(options menu seletion)

I like the option because sometimes *I* like control of where I make the splice (then let softedges help smooth the transistion)... and other times I need to fly through the edits in the automatic mode. You might also really be impressed with this feature on the PUNCH IN recording mode! So if you have a good take... it's a done deal with no clean up necessary! And the list goes on... how about multiple takes with zero cross over the same entry area all done automatically touching only ONE button! It's a snap with SawStudio.

NOt sure where you are on this Carl?:confused:

If you read my post, you'll see that one of the SF features I appreciate is the ability to redefine marked area boundaries with a single command.
That's just one feature of a very few that I like in SF.... It's other functions in the program that bother me and part of the reason I've never fully explored automation in SF.

I like EVRYTHING about Saw! The only time I run into a problem is when I haven't understood its operation, or the very rare occasion where I could use a function feature that Bob hasn't implimented... which is pretty rare these days.

Thanks for pointing out the menu option for auto zero cross, though. I'd forgotten about that since I tend to like to have control of those decissions most of the time. It might help me get closer to what I'm looking for where my original questions apply.

There frankly aren't enough good things I can say about Saw. I doubt that I would be recording on a pc (or mac) today if it weren't for how well Saw fit my recording needs.

DanT

[Carl G.]

NOt sure where you are on this Carl?:confused:
DanT
Sorry if it came off strong. I was just doing a tongue in cheek :) at what appeared to be a required task in SF that is already automatible/completely unnecessary in Studio (I guess I misread).
I have my registered SoundForge but mostly got it for the frills (Batch Convert was cool & and some pluggins I liked could be used in SawStudio).
I've never used SF for production... so I can't really say much about it.... just not my style.

[Bob L]

I'd say each of the different systems has some good features and different approaches to similar problems...

I just have not felt a need to automatically create both boundaries at the same time... since there are many quick and easy ways to create marked areas already... more key variations make for more complexity and more helpfile pages and more complaints about how confusing everything is... I tend to be careful now when adding new command features that may or may not really generally enhance overall useablilty.

I've placed the idea into my todo list... we'll see whether it ends up in an update and what it will look like if it does. :)

Bob L

[UpTilDawn]

It's cool, no matter what comes of it. Thanks for considering the add Bob.

Carl, I basically use SF the way you do when it comes to my main tower, which is for the couple of things it does easily..... as in no-brainer.

DanT