Make selections in Region/Marker Manager follow playback/recording and be persistent

[Steve Fishboy]

This is four related requests in one, all having to do with the Region/Marker Manager.

(FR 1)

Currently, if you select an item in the Region/Marker Manager, this selection disappears and the region/marker list resets to the beginning of the list if you (1a) change to a screen set without the Region/Marker Manager and then go back, (1b) if you switch to another project and return, (1c) if you close the Region/Marker Manager and then open it again, etc.

In a project with many regions and/or markers, this is extremely inconvenient, causes no small amount of wasted time, and can even induce errors by forcing you to reselect the region or marker you want to work on, which you may not always do accurately.

FR: Make the region/marker selection persist unless the user (i) actively selects a different one in the manager, or (ii) playback, recording or user action moves the cursor to a different region or marker area (see below).


(FR 2)

Currently, the Region/Marker Manager is "dumb". Making a selection in it makes the project jump to the appropriate region or marker, but then this region or marker stays selected no matter where in the project playback, recording or user mouse or keyboard action takes you.

This makes the Region/Marker Manager far less useful than it could be. It could (but currently doesn't) (i) present the current region or marker in a far larger and more legible font than the marker bar does, using non-moving text, which makes it WAY easier to read, and (ii) allow users to easily follow progress of playing or recording in a project.

FR: Make the Region/Marker Manager automatically select the region or first marker to the left of the cursor when this changes, be it due to recording, playback, or keyboard/mouse action


(FR 3)

Currently, selecting a marker in the TCP or MIDI editor does not select the entry for this marker in the Region/Marker Manager. (I don't recall if the same is true of Regions).

This is surprising behavior, and makes markers (and regions?) less useful, as you still have to manually search for them in the Region/Marker Manager, even if you see them or click on them in the TCP/MIDI editor. This deprives users of the great overview of projects that the Manager provides, prevents them from easily jumping to neighboring markers, etc.

FR: Make selecting a marker (and region, if applicable) in the TCP or MIDI editor cause its entry in the Region/Marker Manager be automatically selected.


(FR 4)

Currently, if you use the filtering option in the Region/Marker Manager to find and select a region or marker, this selection is lost and the Region/Marker Manager jumps back to the top as soon as you remove the filtering term.

This causes serious inconvenience. For example, I am scoring a film and have markers for Scenes and Cues. When I use the Region/Marker Manager filter to show all cues, or to search for a word I know is in the marker name I need, and then click on the relevant marker, all is good -- I'm taken to that cue in the TCP, MIDI editor, etc. But I need to know what scene this cue is in, so I remove the filtering term and... my cue is no longer selected and the Region/Marker Manager list has jumped maybe 150 entries upward to the beginning of the film. So I now have no idea where the cue is nor what scenes are around it in the Region/Marker Manager.

FR: Fix the Region/Marker Manager so that selected items stay selected regardless of what you do in the filter box.

[Steve Fishboy]

I'd like to add that all of the current behaviors I describe seem to be simple oversights -- they provide precisely zero benefit in any conceivable use case. And all of my FRs simply seek to make Reaper's behavior more useful, efficient and powerful.

[schwa]

Originally Posted by Steve Fishboy

selection disappears and the region/marker list resets to the beginning of the list if you change to a screen set without the Region/Marker Manager and then go back, if you switch to another project and return, if you close the Region/Marker Manager and then open it again, etc

I don't think this is the case. The region selection state is part of the project, not the region manager state. In all of the cases you describe, the region selection is restored when re-opening the region manager. The region manager view will scroll back to the top, but the selection is restored.

Originally Posted by Steve Fishboy

if you use the filtering option in the Region/Marker Manager to find and select a region or marker, this selection is lost and the Region/Marker Manager jumps back to the top as soon as you remove the filtering term.

The new selection isn't lost, but any previously selected regions are not de-selected. We can look at improving this behavior.

[Steve Fishboy]

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my feature request -- I really appreciate it!

Originally Posted by schwa

I don't think this is the case. The region selection state is part of the project, not the region manager state. In all of the cases you describe, the region selection is restored when re-opening the region manager.

I've attached or linked animated screencaps* that show that these problems are indeed occurring, completely in 4 of the 6 cases (1a, 1b, 2, 3), and partially in two of them (1c, 4) (note that three of these numbers are also hyperlinks!). These numbers refer to the issues described in my original post.

When I say the problems are occurring completely, I mean that the RMM entry is completely deselected when it should be selected. When I say they're occurring partially, I mean that the item loses the OS selection (the typically blue highlight you see when you click on an RMM item) but keeps the internal Reaper selection (which, granted, is difficult to see with my theme (ReaperTips Dark).

* Due to file size and type restrictions on the forum, plus the minuscule global upload limit per user, I had to put half the screencaps in RAR files and upload the other three to an external site.

The region manager view will scroll back to the top, but the selection is restored.

Not scrolling back to the top would be fantastic! I know this might not matter in a song with an AABAABCB structure, but in a movie score with 200+ markers, it's maddening.

The new selection isn't lost, but any previously selected regions are not de-selected. We can look at improving this behavior.

Any and all improvements in the RMM would be wonderful!

[schwa]

What OS are you using?

Here is what I see. When switching to a screenset that does not show the region manager, region 3 in the project remains selected, displaying a lighter border (this is a change in the current prerelease builds). When switching back to a screenset that displays the region manager, the manager is restored with region 3 selected in the listview.

Note that on all OSes, the listview selection is displayed differently when the listview is focused compared to when it is not focused. On both windows and mac, selected rows are dark when the listview is focused and light when not focused. When the screenset restores the listview, it's not focused, so the selected row is light.

[Steve Fishboy]

Originally Posted by schwa

What OS are you using?

Windows 11. It looks like you are too, right? That would eliminate the OS as a variable, at least.

Here is what I see. When switching to a screenset that does not show the region manager, region 3 in the project remains selected, displaying a lighter border (this is a change in the current prerelease builds). When switching back to a screenset that displays the region manager, the manager is restored with region 3 selected in the listview.

I see what you're saying in your screencap, but that's not what's going on on my machine. Could this behavior be different in the pre-release builds? I'm using Reaper 7.15 rev 738a09, by the way.

Also, I do notice that all my examples involve markers, while yours involve regions. Could it be that despite the two being grouped together in one category, they behave slightly differently?

Finally, you do see that the item selection in the Region/Marker Manager does not follow recording or playback (FR 2), right? And that selecting markers in the TCP and MIDI editor do not select their entries in the Region/Marker Manager (FR 3)?


I'm gratified that this issue has your attention, and I'd happily contribute whatever I can to helping to get things addressed. I think screencaps on my machine with a different theme might help clear this up. Could you tell me what screencap software you're using?

[schwa]

Originally Posted by Steve Fishboy

that's not what's going on on my machine

Sorry to belabor this, but are you certain that the problem is not with your theme and the selected+unfocused row display? If you switch to the default theme, are you able to tell which rows are selected when reopening the region manager? In any theme, after reopening the region manager, if you right click in the region manager outside of the listview itself and choose "delete selected markers/regions", does anything happen?

Originally Posted by Steve Fishboy

you do see that the item selection in the Region/Marker Manager does not follow recording or playback (FR 2)

Yes, I understand your feature request. I think having the region manager selection follow along with playback would be problematic though, because it would destroy any multiple selection and also change the region render state.

[maxdis]

I'm having the same exact problem, if I close the Region Manager window I lose the "visual" of the selection (but the selection itself apparently is preserved, as you can see in the Render Window). Focusing/clicking on the window does nothing.

[schwa]

Can you show a screenshot of what it looks like when you have a selection in the region manager and click away to focus another window? I want to see if the selected rows are still distinguishable from unselected rows.

[maxdis]

Originally Posted by schwa

Can you show a screenshot of what it looks like when you have a selection in the region manager and click away to focus another window? I want to see if the selected rows are still distinguishable from unselected rows.

Here I'm switchin focus between Region and Matrix windows, I can't see the selected regions when the focus is on the other window.

[smandrap]

Originally Posted by maxdis

Here I'm switchin focus between Region and Matrix windows, I can't see the selected regions when the focus is on the other window.

Actions > show theme tweaker > Search "Window List selected row (inactive)" > change that color.

But i agree that on Windows that color could be a little bit more distinguishable by default

[schwa]

Originally Posted by schwa

Sorry to belabor this, but are you certain that the problem is not with your theme and the selected+unfocused row display?

I think that might be the issue for both users reporting this problem, that "Window List selected row (inactive)" is identical to "Window list background" in their customized themes.

[maxdis]

Originally Posted by smandrap

Actions > show theme tweaker > Search "Window List selected row (inactive)" > change that color.

yes, it seems to fix it, thanks!

[Steve Fishboy]

Originally Posted by schwa

I think that might be the issue for both users reporting this problem, that "Window List selected row (inactive)" is identical to "Window list background" in their customized themes.

I'm afraid not. I just followed smandrap's suggestion and changed the background color. Reaper loses the Region/Marker Manager's selection when switching to and returning from a screen set without the RMM. The same thing happens when switching to a different tab and back (not shown in the screencap).



In the screencap I select several markers and you can see them highlighted in light blue. I then click in the filter box and the selected item turns dark blue, meaning it's still selected but not in focus. So far so good.

Then I close the Region/Marker Manager and reopen it, and... all vestiges of item selection are gone, be it focused or not.

[Steve Fishboy]

Originally Posted by schwa

Sorry to belabor this, but are you certain that the problem is not with your theme and the selected+unfocused row display?

Yes, I'm sure. Please see the GIF in my post above this one.

Originally Posted by schwa

Yes, I understand your feature request. I think having the region manager selection follow along with playback would be problematic though, because it would destroy any multiple selection and also change the region render state.

I've never had any use for these two functions, so I didn't consider that possibility. So if this feature request is implemented (and I really hope it is!), it should definitely be optional.

[Steve Fishboy]

Hi. I'm just curious if I demonstrated the problem that exists clearly in my screencap. I'd be glad to make more, if need be.

All the best!

Originally Posted by Steve Fishboy

In the screencap I select several markers and you can see them highlighted in light blue. I then click in the filter box and the selected item turns dark blue, meaning it's still selected but not in focus. So far so good.

Then I close the Region/Marker Manager and reopen it, and... all vestiges of item selection are gone, be it focused or not.

[fonolit]

Originally Posted by Steve Fishboy

FR: Make the Region/Marker Manager automatically select the region or first marker to the left of the cursor when this changes, be it due to recording, playback, or keyboard/mouse action

+1 for this!

During filmscoring I often use the markers as "to do" notes. I use to have Marker Manager open on my second screen to have it in sight while watching the video. I miss a clear identification of where I am at the moment. With lot of markers in the list it is hard to keep the orientation.

Having the option to "auto-select first marker before the actual playhead position" (or "auto-select marker when playhead passes it") would be great!