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Automation Preview mode Issue Tools
issueid=2893 08-21-2010 12:03 PM
Human being with feelings
Automation Preview mode
Control a powerful automation system from a simple panel before you move on to configure your own controls for it


Discuss this request in the Discussion Thread

Goals
  • Preview new settings before commiting/punching them in to the tracks
  • Safety of your existing automation data
  • Easy setup
  • Easy to write exactly what you need to where you need it
  • Easy to learn for everybody


What do we need from Cockos

Actions for this global Preview Mode
  • Activate

  • Deactive

  • Bypass

  • Punch Preview

Automation writing actions
  • Automation: Write touched parameters to start of project

  • Automation: Write touched parameters to time selection

  • Automation: Write touched parameters to end of project
The existing actions write to all activated and armed parameters, but this workflow requires that only the currently touched parameters have their automation envelopes written to.


What is this ?
Preview Mode explained

It is a global mode that can be turned on and off, as well as bypassed for temporary comparisons.

Parameters that are touched in this mode are no longer controlled by their envelopes, but by one static value per parameter that the use sets. The envelopes remain unchanged.

The user can safely try new values without affecting the existing automation.

When satisfied, the user can transfer these parameter values in to the regular automation system. This is most often referred to as Punching the Preview.

Punch Preview explained
The Punch Preview action copies the parameter in to the regular automation system and deactivates the Preview mode.

The regular automation system is now fully running again, except that the parameter values the user set, are now set outside the Preview mode.

The user might make use of this punched in data in several ways :
  • Position the playhead from where on the data should be written (in Latch mode no less).

    Punch the Preview

    Hit PLAY until the area one wants to write to is covered.


  • Position the playhead a little way before the area you want to write this data to.

    Hit PLAY.

    Punch the Preview at the exact point you want the change to start occuring.


  • Make a time selection.

    Punch the Preview.

    Execute the action Automation: Write touched parameters to time selection (one of the new writing actions!)

  • and so on...

Why this is useful for everyone
Users can use these actions in all the usual ways, to build their own key bindings, toolbars, Lua scripts or extensions.
  • Safety without commitment
    It makes it easy to try new things in an automated session without messing anything up. Simply deactivate the Preview Mode to purge your values. The user has to commit them with a Punch Preview action, plus manual or action-based writing to affect the envelope data.
  • Efficiency for heavy automation users
    Preview Mode workflows provides safety and removes the need to manually switch automation modes before using the current automation-writing actions.

    Even realtime-writing workflows will benefit, as the user can try out the values before writing to any envelopes. For example, the user might find some appropriate values first, then position the playhead and play.
  • New writing actions to permit writing changes without changing automation modes on all tracks

    When using the classic actions to write to the envelopes, the user would have to consider that any track that is set to Latch, Touch or Write will have data written to it for parameters that are activated and armed. Thus the user would globally change all tracks to Read mode first, before changing the automation mode to Latch or Write for tracks that were to be written to.

    Classic workflow:
    Global Read, Latch/Write for tracks to be affected, deactivate parameters that should not be affected, find values(in looping playback if necessary), make time selection if necessary, excute writing action, change back automation modes if necessary.

    New workflow:
    Activate Preview mode, find values, make time selection if necessary, Punch Preview, execute writing action that affects only touched values.



Issue Details
Issue Type Feature Request
Project Deprecated REAPER issue tracker
Category Audio recording and playback
Status Suggested
Priority 1 - Highest
Suggested Version 3.66
Implemented Version (none)
Users who would use this feature 237
Users who would not use this feature 3
Assigned Users (none)
Tags (none)

02-28-2011 02:24 PM
Human being with feelings
 
This is basically completely useless for people who don't own high end control surfaces, right? Or is there any argument this is useful for anyone else?
Reply
02-28-2011 07:04 PM
Human being with feelings
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xenakios
This is basically completely useless for people who don't own high end control surfaces, right? Or is there any argument this is useful for anyone else?
Quite on the contrary. This is a reasonable substitute for an actual control surface.

It provides state readout and button access to all the necessary functions. A control surface or something equivalent just provides this in a more ergonomic fashion to a degree. That, and this is actually low-brow stuff for most consoles. We're starting with the simple things in automation life.
Reply
04-12-2012 12:33 PM
-blänk-
 
I guess it's a good idea to repeat the link to the
discussion thread
down here :)
Reply
Reply

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