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Old 06-11-2009, 01:42 AM   #1
pixeltarian
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Default Reaper, the only DAW with annoying track color selection.

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...
...

I posted this and it got moved to the beta section. I thought I'd put it here and let that one get buried because v3 is out now.

I want to be able to set a (some key)+click and have the simple color pallet (left most on the image) drop down. And of course you could select multiple tracks and just click any of them to get the menu. right clicking gradient would let you select the 2 colors.

I don't honestly care too much about the big "advanced track management" Just a very clean minimal access to a palette would be wonderful.

the rest is more like ultra ultra advanced templating. Also predefined text that, if you name a track the text you added to the advanced track management window, it will apply a template to the track (color(s), routing, fx chains, track icon, automation knobs, etc).

Now that I'm bigger, I think a better idea would be to include "if" and "then" statements to actions. you could highlight one or all of tracks and apply something like this:

(this would be only one action, btw)

IF
track name = guitar
THEN
apply OnTrack template: guitar_template
IF
track name = guitar1
THEN
apply OnTrack template: guitar_template1
IF
track name = kick
THEN
apply OnTrack template: kick_template
IF
track name = sn top
THEN
apply OnTrack template: snaretop_template



and so on and so forth...
another new action would have to be added (to make it really cool)
"undo last applied template"

so you can add a few shortcuts to various mixes
we'll assume these aren't already mapped for my sake (no, I don't have every mapped shortcut memorized)

ctrl+alt+1 = custom action 1 - apply (if/then template) action 1 to selected tracks
ctrl+alt+2 = custom action 2 - apply (if/then template) action 2 to selected tracks
ctrl+alt+3 = custom action 3 - apply (if/then template) action 3 to selected tracks
ctrl+alt+z = custom action 4 - undo last applied template

Last edited by pixeltarian; 06-11-2009 at 01:49 AM.
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Old 06-11-2009, 09:58 AM   #2
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+1
Reaper is not that user friendly in selecting colors
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Old 06-11-2009, 11:14 AM   #3
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Yes please. ++1
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Old 06-11-2009, 12:02 PM   #4
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+++ 1
Very please
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Old 06-11-2009, 09:10 PM   #5
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+1
and add an automatic track coloring mode based on a predefined rainbow-colored pattern
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Old 06-12-2009, 01:23 AM   #6
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Here's how I'd see coloring things on the fly in our beloved Reaper:


1) Open the colors window.

2) If you want, switch to one of predefined palettes (warm, cold, etc. Photoshop is your inspiration)

3) select any object (a track, a few items)

4) click a color to apply it to selection.

5) Edit menu: "select objects of the same color", "invert selection"
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Old 06-12-2009, 06:09 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sebas777 View Post
Here's how I'd see coloring things on the fly in our beloved Reaper:


1) Open the colors window.

2) If you want, switch to one of predefined palettes (warm, cold, etc. Photoshop is your inspiration)

3) select any object (a track, a few items)

4) click a color to apply it to selection.

5) Edit menu: "select objects of the same color", "invert selection"
aww... a window?!
but i want a dedicated color drop down menu... waaaaahhh!
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Old 07-26-2009, 06:14 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by synth View Post
+1
and add an automatic track coloring mode based on a predefined rainbow-colored pattern
Yes +1 please!
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Old 07-27-2009, 08:55 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pixeltarian View Post
...
...

...
...
SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!

100!
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Old 07-29-2009, 03:07 AM   #10
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"automatic track coloring mode based on a predefined rainbow-colored pattern"

it would be better if automatic colors would be selected at random, because if not, every project would have the same track colors, it would be much cooler if colors would be different just as projects are different.
i have nothing against rainbow-colored pattern but id suggest a random coloring mode too.

Last edited by clipperer; 07-29-2009 at 03:56 AM.
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Old 07-29-2009, 03:17 AM   #11
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is that 'advanced track managment' your own? Wow! Can I have it?
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Old 07-29-2009, 03:47 AM   #12
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everybody wants this I guess, let's find out how prioritized it is by getting it on the issue tracker

+1
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Old 07-29-2009, 09:13 AM   #13
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looks good i like it! especially being able to choose the track icon as well.
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Old 07-29-2009, 10:54 AM   #14
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Very nice idea...this is why I only use SWS color management.
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Old 07-29-2009, 11:53 AM   #15
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I use "option T" for a shortcut to the custom color palette when I've selected a track.

But yeah, my former DAW, DP, has a much easier color scheme. However, I was never able to find any colors that I liked...until Reaper. Irony +
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Old 07-29-2009, 12:29 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kundalinguist View Post
I use "option T" for a shortcut to the custom color palette when I've selected a track.
What action do you use exactly for this?

Thanks,
Mario
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Old 07-29-2009, 08:52 PM   #17
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i didnt know other daws focus their programming efforts on colors for their tracks at all.

also, arent most engineers too busy to mess around with track colors?

i can picture it now:
"sorry paul simon, give me a second, i am coloring the tracks on your pro tools session"

these are my thoughts when i saw the provocative headline, so just forgive me.
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Old 07-30-2009, 09:25 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reapercurious View Post
i didnt know other daws focus their programming efforts on colors for their tracks at all.
They don't. Most other DAWs automatically color your tracks for you so you don't have to bother with it.
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Old 07-30-2009, 09:27 AM   #19
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i just wish i had a better selection of color, besides these pastels
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Old 07-30-2009, 10:53 AM   #20
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[QUOTE=pixeltarian;330392]...
...

...
...

perfect!
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Old 07-30-2009, 12:16 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lokasenna View Post
They don't. Most other DAWs automatically color your tracks for you so you don't have to bother with it.
I like being able coloring items in the same tracks to differentiate among various parts played by the same instrument; I think the way Logic 5.51 did this on PC was great, a simple paint tool with ability to select a color and apply it to every item "touched" by the mouse cursor.

- Mario
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Old 07-30-2009, 12:36 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mabian View Post
What action do you use exactly for this?

Thanks,
Mario

Go to Actions and "Track: Set track colors." Make a custom shortcut for it, alt or option "t" - I just used this because it was simple and available.

Whatever track is selected I just use this shortcut and up pops a choice of palettes.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Brian Merrill View Post
i just wish i had a better selection of color, besides these pastels
Yeah, it's mostly prime colors and then watered-down prime colors.

Last edited by Kundalinguist; 07-30-2009 at 12:39 PM. Reason: peer pressure and the need for acceptance.
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Old 07-30-2009, 01:01 PM   #23
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I might of missed something but you can set your own custom colours so you can have any colour you want (or was that a joke) only read a bit of the thread too tired.

This could also be an sws extension thing but I'm sure you can have custom colours saved.
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Old 07-30-2009, 01:04 PM   #24
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+++1 from me too.
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Old 08-19-2009, 02:40 PM   #25
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I wonder if any of the developers have seen and studied the mock-up. I'd like to at least hear what one of them thinks, regardless of weather or not it gets implemented,..
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Old 08-20-2009, 08:01 AM   #26
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Maybe it's too complex an idea to prioritize before other stuff at this time.

Give it another good look and post it in the Issue Tracker if you think it'll be the best colour changing idea.
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Old 08-20-2009, 08:13 AM   #27
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i've never understood how to customize the colors. I tried once, failed miserable, then left it alone forever. A more comprehensive color system would be nice but I can see how it wouldn't be top priority.
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Old 08-20-2009, 08:54 AM   #28
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This seems like over kill to select a color for a track.

right click
click select custom track color
select the color
click ok
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Old 08-20-2009, 11:46 AM   #29
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"everybody wants this I guess" ...you guessed wrong :P
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Old 08-20-2009, 08:14 PM   #30
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-1
to make track color selection less annoying. devs, buy some medical marijuana or some nice wine with all those man hours instead!
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Old 10-01-2009, 02:56 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioWonderland View Post
This seems like over kill to select a color for a track.

right click
click select custom track color
select the color
click ok

well I wish you would have actually read it.

JUST for you to select a color: 1, 2, 3, 4
four steps.

my way:

type: "guitar" as the track name
it colors, routes, adds FX, sets up busses, loads presets, and triggers any actions you have set up. that's MUCH more than selecting a track color.


if naming a track is not considered a step, my way is... let's see now...

0.

zero steps.

pwned! as they say...
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Old 10-01-2009, 05:16 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pixeltarian View Post
well I wish you would have actually read it.

JUST for you to select a color: 1, 2, 3, 4
four steps.

my way:

type: "guitar" as the track name
it colors, routes, adds FX, sets up busses, loads presets, and triggers any actions you have set up. that's MUCH more than selecting a track color.


if naming a track is not considered a step, my way is... let's see now...

0.

zero steps.

pwned! as they say...
Except that I have many guitars in a project and prefer a label that actually means something.

Thats cute though. You think I give a damn about any of this... As for pwnage, your the one whining about a non issue...
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Old 10-01-2009, 06:05 PM   #33
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It's not a non issue. OP's way of doing it is much more convenient, IMHO.
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Old 10-01-2009, 06:51 PM   #34
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Actually, I think the simplest would be a small color palette that is neatly tucked somewhere in the GUI like up top or in the docker. Just click one of the colors and whatever is highlighted turns that color. Put a "Random" button right beside it to choose a random color for the selected item(s), ctrl+click the random button and the pallette itself loads with a new set of random colors. You can right-click any color (pops up color chooser) to change it manually.

Karbo
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Old 10-03-2009, 02:12 PM   #35
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++1
Dont like Reapers color managment so far...
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Old 10-03-2009, 02:53 PM   #36
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Pixeltairians idea struck me as complex when I first looked at it, but it's mainly just a palette to draw colours and icons from, with some optional automatic action from analyzing the track name.

Reaper does not yet do palettes of colours or any other buttons for that matter. It's very simplistic in its approach so far. The icons we do have can't be rearranged easily, and they're all the same colour. I too would like to be able to rearrange groups of icons, among them colour and track icon palettes, to more effectively customize my workflow.

Soundforge used standard toolbar sets that you could customize. Protools uses custom sets of controls you can push around on the top. These are ideas the developers could draw from.
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Old 12-14-2009, 08:50 PM   #37
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I just want to see one developer say a little something about this or track/color management in general normally this would never happen. I'm not that lucky, but...

I'm using one of my 3 wishes... now.
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Old 12-15-2009, 03:05 AM   #38
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Pixeltarian, please click on the first link in my signature.

That could help you, perhaps?
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Old 12-15-2009, 03:55 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilDragon View Post
Pixeltarian, please click on the first link in my signature.

That could help you, perhaps?
awesome. I like it. lots and lots. thanks. I love you. in a platonic way, of course.
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Old 01-07-2010, 07:01 PM   #40
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I LOVE the idea of user-coded templates that would auto-format tracks based on track names.

HUGE interest in that feature!
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