Bad Spacebar Behavior After v6.62 Update

[Birdy]

Since v6.62 pressing the spacebar button while in a plugin text box actually types in a space instead of starting to play.

For example, open ReaEQ, type "300" in a band frequency and press spacebar, Reaper will now type in a space after the "300" instead of starting/stopping the playback.

This might seem like a minor detail but it's a HUGE time waste as it accumulates over a mix.

Setting the spacebar shortcut to "global+text" isn't a solution since it prevents you from typing a space anywhere, including track names, file names etc.

[Justin]

Perhaps map shift+space as a global shortcut and get used to using that in text fields?

Or map space and get used to using shift+space when you want to enter a space…

[Birdy]

Originally Posted by Justin

Perhaps map shift+space as a global shortcut and get used to using that in text fields?

Or map space and get used to using shift+space when you want to enter a space…

Thanks for the reply!
Unfortunately Shift+space is already mapped on my setup to play action (like a play/replay instead of the normal play/stop).
So I’m using both shortcut all the time.

But regardless, this change seems a bit strange to me, is there even a single user that benefits being able to type a space in plugin input fields?
Why was this changed?

[sockmonkey72]

Originally Posted by Birdy

Thanks for the reply!
Unfortunately Shift+space is already mapped on my setup to play action (like a play/replay instead of the normal play/stop).
So I’m using both shortcut all the time.

But regardless, this change seems a bit strange to me, is there even a single user that benefits being able to type a space in plugin input fields?
Why was this changed?

Many plugins have authorization or preset pseudo pop-ups which are basically unusable without receiving all text chars, including spaces. I don't know if that was the motivation, but I am glad it works now.

[Birdy]

Originally Posted by sockmonkey72

Many plugins have authorization or preset pseudo pop-ups which are basically unusable without receiving all text chars, including spaces. I don't know if that was the motivation, but I am glad it works now.

I’ve never had an issue like that in any plugin in over a decade, did you?
The space bar have always worked for me in places where it was actually needed.
Besides, I would bet you tweak plugin parameters about 1000 times more often than you save a preset or something like that, don’t you think?

[sockmonkey72]

Originally Posted by Birdy

I’ve never had an issue like that in any plugin in over a decade, did you?
The space bar have always worked for me in places where it was actually needed.
Besides, I would bet you tweak plugin parameters about 1000 times more often than you save a preset or something like that, don’t you think?

I did, in fact. On macOS, not sure if the behavior is/was different on Windows, although I could imagine that.

Anyway, I generally assume that a text box isn't "finished" until you've clicked or returned or tabbed out of it. Maybe space used to work for that, too? I do agree that spaces in a number box aren't logical. But that field has focus, not the transport, so I would probably just ignore the space entirely (if it were my software) which would probably annoy people even more. :-)

[Birdy]

Originally Posted by sockmonkey72

I did, in fact. On macOS, not sure if the behavior is/was different on Windows, although I could imagine that.

Anyway, I generally assume that a text box isn't "finished" until you've clicked or returned or tabbed out of it. Maybe space used to work for that, too? I do agree that spaces in a number box aren't logical. But that field has focus, not the transport, so I would probably just ignore the space entirely (if it were my software) which would probably annoy people even more. :-)

I'm using Windows but yes from my experience with macs it's different on macOS.
And yes the field has focus, yet it still worked just fine for the last hundreds of versions.

[Justin]

We'll make the old behavior optional (it has downsides -- plug-ins that want to let you enter text will force you to figure something else out for spacebar -- the reason why we changed this, a request from a plugin developer).

[Birdy]

Originally Posted by Justin

We'll make the old behavior optional (it has downsides -- plug-ins that want to let you enter text will force you to figure something else out for spacebar -- the reason why we changed this, a request from a plugin developer).

That’ll be great!
Thank you so much!

[_Stevie_]

Originally Posted by Birdy

I’ve never had an issue like that in any plugin in over a decade, did you?

Yes, every time I search for a preset in omnisphere. Kills me. I’m glad this has been changed.
(BTW, Windows here, no Mac).

Thanks devs!

[Birdy]

Originally Posted by _Stevie_

Yes, every time I search for a preset in omnisphere. Kills me. I’m glad this has been changed.
(BTW, Windows here, no Mac).

Thanks devs!

Thanks for your input!
Like everything else, looks like it’s best if the users have both options

[_Stevie_]

Agreed!