----------------------------
- BugBonanza & FeatureFest -
----------------------------
LWP 5.2.0

Bugs/Bad Features: 23
Improvements: 4
New Features: 19
New Options: 2
Changes: 2
----------------------
50

Considering that all of these bugs have so far slipped through, some
of them version after version after version... I guess I'd qualify as
a beta tester. I can't believe I'm the only one who's encountered
these bugs. Why do they still exist?

Will these bugs be killed? Would any self-respecting software
developer let them remain once they've been pointed out? Is this all
too much to ask for?

Will we find the bugs reported here in 5.2.1? In 5.3?

---------------------------------------------------
Rant: Cubase, can't switch, why? Skip if necessary.
Are you aware of the lack of features of Cubase SX? The software
design is IMO incomplete. I don't think Cubase developers use Logic.
At least not half of it's features. If they did, they couldn't live
with their lack of features. They just couldn't stand it. Basic key
commands are missing. There simply aren't enough commands to do the
job efficiently. It's totally incredible how immature Cubase still is
(Honestly - I felt, like, this has gotta be a joke, right?) Just try
doing the same things in Logic and Cubase - that's a suggestion for
all you Cubase lovers & developers - you'll see. When Cubase has all
Logic's essential commands and routing capabilities I'll switch.
(I admit there are features that are missing in Logic and certain
things are more cumbersome to do in Logic, but IMO those deficiencies
are not critical.)
---------------------------------------------------


Emagic: You don't test your key commands and don't play much with
windows, either, do you? Here's what you haven't noticed or haven't
had the time to fix so far:

You should be able to open as many windows as you want.
All windows should open the same size as they were when closed.
All windows should open where they were last time.
All commands should have key commands.
All key commands should be visible in menus.
All commands should do something useful.

Bugs and sloppy design, some since 4.x. They're neither show
stoppers, nor mere nuisances. Really basic stuff that should be fixed
within hours. Waiting for the next bugdate.


-----------
- WINDOWS -
-----------


Bugs
----

1 Minimize Window
Minimize a window. Go to the current screen set. Restore the window
by double clicking.

2 Maximize Window
Maximize a window. Go to the current screen set.


Bugs/Bad Features
-----------------

1 Open windows number limited
I've hit the number of open windows limit. I open a new window and
lock the screen set. Press the screen set number and an old window
disappears. I can repeat this and always an older window disappears.
The limit seems to be 30 windows, or maybe I made a mistake somewhere.

I have a rather "ripe" screen set. This screen set is not
complicated, it's just got everything. Or I wish. Now that I cannot
add any more, it consists of:

3 Arranges
3 Transports
3 Audio Configuration (I need at least 5 more)
1 Hyper Editor
1 Matrix Editor
1 Score Editor
1 Event Editor (Bug: When Event Float and Event Editor are open, key
command Toggle Event Editor closes Event Float first and another
press closes Event Editor, and if Event Float is open and I press
Toggle Event Window)
2 Track Mixers
11 Environments
1 Key Commands (always open to retain it's position when activated,
not necessary when the bugs are removed)
1 Marker List
1 Audio Window
1 Tempo List
1 Transform

Don't tell me I need to use screen sets. I do. They have around five
windows each.

2 Zoomed Windows
When Windows is Zoomed, you should be able to bring other windows in
front of it at normal sizes, not zoomed full. The logic: I zoomed one
window, not all of them.


Improvements
------------

1 Resizeability and appearance
All windows and their parts should be completely resizeable, so that
no part of them, eg. the time line, is left visible. Parts that are
only partially visible should be hidden. I don't wanna see the tops
of some buttons which I can't use. Try making arrange window time
line and track list as small as possible by pulling it all the way up
and left. Play. Not pretty, eh?

2 More zoom levels
Zoom to fit locators doesn't work like it should yet.

3 Colors
Scroll bars and Audio Configuration (and some other windows if I
remember right) window and old audio objects style grey colors should
be match the colors of the new UI.

4 History
Esc to stop history window updating (cancel operation).


New Features
------------

1 Toggle scroll bars on/off
By Alt-clicking on them.

2 Small title bar
Like when a window is floating. By Alt clicking.

3 Collapsible windows
Double click the small title bar and you see only the title bar.

4 Variable title bar position
The title bar should be movable to any side of the window so you
could have toolbar like handles on the sides of the screen.


----------------
- Hyper Editor -
----------------


Bugs
----

1 Screen draw
Some times I see small fonts in a local menu in the window, like on
the Mac.


-----------------------
- Audio Configuration -
-----------------------


New Features
------------

1 Should have folders for each type.

2 Slots (or actually columns) should be horizontally resizeable.

3 Should scroll when dragging objects.

4 Should be able to drag and drop objects between windows.

5 Should be able to select and change and drag multiple objects.

6 Should be able to save channels.

7 Should be able to save combinations of tracks and all the buses and
auxes it uses (using free buses and
auxes when originals not available).


---------------
- Track Mixer -
---------------


Bugs/Bad Features
-----------------

1 Track Mixer tracks are vertically unnecessarily big. Especially
MIDI tracks.



New Features
------------

1 Should be able to select multiple, move and copy plug-ins.

2 Option to have track colors visible in mixer when using new style.

3 Customizable mixer text colors. They're lacking in contrast.


----------------
- Audio Window -
----------------


New Features
------------

1 Audio Window hierarchical view
Generate folders by the first word(s) (number visible on screen) of
audio files or by some delimiter like "_". If you have "Voc 1", "Voc
2" etc. and "Drums OH L", "Drums OH R", you would see "Voc[+]" and
"Drums[+]". Or "Voc whatever Verse_take 1", you'd get "Voc whatever
Verse[+]".
Also "Voc_whatever goes here_Verse Take 1 Good", you'd get "Voc Verse
Take 1" or if limited to two words "Voc Verse".


----------------
- Key commands -
----------------


Bugs
----

1 Toggle Window commands
All Toggle Window commands should obviously have * in front of them.

2 Toggle Transform
Name Open Transform.

3 Extended Sequence Parameters
Extended parameters window disappears when any of the following
windows
is clicked: Transform, Track Mixer, Environment, Audio Configuration

4 Hyper Draw Note Velocity key command
Doesn't work unless you first use Hyper Draw: Autodefine, to show
note velocities once and then don't select anything else.


Suspected bugs
--------------

1 Ctrl-Shift Left/Right Ctrl-Shift Num-4/Num-6 confusion.
Can't differentiate between them. Learn sep. key doesn't help here.


Bugs/Bad Features
-----------------

1 History List
History list key command should toggle on/off, not open multiple
copies of the window. It should center on the latest entry.

2 All windows should open at the same size and place
Mot resizing (usually smaller) and moving with each reopening.

3 Marker List window
Window parameters won't stay hidden when returning to the screenset.

4 Toggle Window
I have multiple arrange windows open and use Toggle Track Mixer
command. Ok. I get Track Mixer (the command names IMO shouldn't have
... after them.) Then I go back to Arrange (the last one which was
selected). So far everything is ok. If I then press Toggle Arrange
Window, the Arrange window disappears. I press it again, and again
and it loses all Arrange Windows. It should close and reopen the
selected window. When all Arrange windows are closed it reopens the
last one, always at a smaller size. There should be a key commands
"Select [window name] Window".

5 Hyper Draw Other...
Doesn't stay open with screen set. Neither does Tempo Operations or
Reclock Song window, but they're not the same. When you close and
open one of these (the same window repeatedly), it appears in the
same position. If you open another one, it resets all other windows
positions to the center of the screen. Each instance of a window
should haev it's own location and size data attributes. Logic is
object oriented, right?

6 Open Audio Record Window...
Closes all environment windows then ends up closing and opening one
window showing Aux layer of the Environment. Should have * in front
of it.

7 Audio Hardware Setup and Preferences...
Audio Hardware Setup opens either Audio Driver or Audio Driver 2
depending on which one was visible last. After this Preferences opens
the last used tab. They should have their own "memory".

8 Menu entry doesn't display key command
SMPTE Time Ruler
Select Inside Locators
Set Optimal Object Sizes
Send to MIDI: Maximum Volume
Send to MIDI: Reset Controllers
Select Equal Objects
Select Similar Objects
MIDI Remote

9 No key commands
Demix by Note Pitch (necessary)
Delete Redundant Audio Tracks (necessary)
Select All Orphan Aliases (necessary)
Delete All Orphan Aliases (necessary)
Marker: Create by Objects (necessary)
Marker: Quick Edit Marker (necessary)
Unpack Folder (use existing tracks) (necessary)
Sort Tracks by [several keys] (necessary)
Scroll in Play (necessary)
Hyper Draw [several keys] (necessary)
Metronome settings
Song Information...
Video Settings...
Video Player...
Video Player as Float...
Delete Orphan Automation Data of Current Track (necessary)
Surround...
Punch on the fly (necessary)
Pre-Fader Metering (necessary)
Toolbox
Stack windows

...and several more. I'll quit here, you do the testing.


Changes
-------

1 Scroll to Selection
If no objects are selected, should center in the center of existing
objects, not at the top object.

2 Menu entries relocation
Event Float, Wave Player and Video Player are windows, not options.
Move them under Windows menu.


New Features
------------

1 Key commands for selecting windows.
Works like Ctrl-Tab.

2 Off switch for Alt-key for menu command -behavior.
Release the key for better use. If you press and release Alt and then
a key, it opens a menu.

3 Hyper Editor Key Commands
Individual Track Zoom keys

4 Hyper Editor Key Command
Toggle Individual Track Zoom


New Options
-----------

1 Wheel scrolling with Shift held down.
Reverse bevahior: Horizontally without shift, vertically with shift.

2 Event Editor
Selected Object is always at the top of the list.


---------------
- ENVIRONMENT -
---------------


Bugs/Bad Features
-----------------

1 View by text keys
View by text, arrow keys don't work for selecting objects.


Bugs
----

1 Key Command: Select Equal Objects
Doesn't work at all.

2 Key Command: Select Similar Objects
Doesn't work at all.


--------------------
- Audio Instrument -
--------------------


Bugs
----

1 Clicking on AudioInst channel plays a short note.


-------------------------------------------------
The pointer feels light and smooth.
The whole interface feels light and smooth.
Effortless.

TrackBall Explorer - Save Your Hand.

Programmable 5 buttons and a wheel.
One click to go back, one to go forward.
It's faster and totally accurate.
It feels like you've always used it.
I'll never use a mouse again.

How long will you let a mouse damage your hand?

Picture:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/features
/2001/10-29hardware.jpg