FRs: Usability improvements

[robenestobenz]

I thought I'd start a thread for small, and potentially easy to implement feature suggestions that would augment Mu's workflow. Please add any ideas you've got.

I'll start:

• Double click in empty space in track area / rack area to create a new track / rack
• Shift+click or something on a track header selects all parts in that track
• When selecting mixdown with only ONE part selected, could it automatically assume you do want to hear it and unmute the track for mixdown?
• Add a feature to load a sequence from the workspace's context menu... seems a bit odd to have to create an empty sequence just to load an existing sequence up.
• Being able to set the loop region dragging from right to left as well would be handy, IMO.

[TheGuysanIdiot]

I like this kind of thread but I do understand that Jo may have already finalized functions for M3 and I for one do not wish to hold up the release of M3 beta by making too many late additional programming suggestions. With that in mind and if there is time and any of the points raised in this entire thread could be addressed for M3 then please see my views/opinions below.

a) "Double click in empty space in track area / rack area to create a new track / rack"
The above seems a good idea to me as double click in these areas currently does nothing.

b) Say, set left loop marker at 2.1.000 and right loop marker at 6.1.0000 then double click on the main grid on the track you want and a new empty sequence is created between the loop markers in this case a 4 bar empty sequence.

c) and or double click on the main grid between say bar 11 and bar 12 you then get a one bar empty sequence between 11 and 12 one bar long.

d) Currently if I want to rename a sequence I do this: right click > left click to expand sequence > then left click to choose rename. This two stage method applies to all sequence and part changes in the context menu. If the context menu was already expanded I could then choose any option I wanted from the single drop down list. (The context menu would always be long so maybe a show stopper.)

e) Most right click context menus in MU.LAB seem to have the same method as "d)" above. This means two stages to select an option.

One of the reasons I like MU.LAB so much is that it is "lite" on functions and I would hate to see it bloated with little used functionality. This thread is about improving workflow and that is always a good idea.

I want MU.LAB to be MU.LAB not a sum of all other DAWs best parts. It must remain rock steady and stable. If it means MU.LAB has to buck some trends to achieve ultimate stability then so be it.

OZ

[liquidsound]

Of course we do not want to hold the M3 release time.

Improvements even coming from the best of other DAWs are essentials.
Programs have a purpose but not without users.
They are virtual in a world that comes to life by the users.

This is a game of minds. We humbling ask what we find Useful from our experience with other software and with this Jo has a chance to improve his vision. We all want MuLab simplicity. Still, features are requested for a very good reason: Personal needs in making MuLab a more powerful tool at our disposal.

There is a difference between a wishlist and the Yellow pages: The SIZE!
And I agree with Jo. He must draw the line somewhere. He is the one to do it. We must keep wishing. He'll pick wisely. He always does.

[TheGuysanIdiot]

OK.

Do you have any workflow ideas that you can add to this thread?

OZ

[liquidsound]

Well, I am also trying to be in the Good Guys Jo's list.
I did suggest several Sequence editing features and some of them will gratefully implemented in the M3 according to Jo.
So I must be fair and wait for M3 to see the tip of the Iceberg (Jo's mind).

Thanks for asking, but you could regret it!

[pljones]

...in this case a 4 bar empty sequence...

I like the double-click shortcut. I'm going to record why I agree that it should be a Sequence Part rather than an Audio Part, as otherwise I'll probably moan at some stage that they're being treated differently.

This is a shortcut. You're unlikely to want a shortcut to an empty Audio Part - you'll want to either record a new part or pick an existing one: neither susceptible to a quick shortcut. Same argument on picking an existing Sequence Part -- use the menu. The short cut is there for creating an empty sequence.

Right, I feel better now. Feel free to ignore this contentless post

[robenestobenz]

d) Currently if I want to rename a sequence I do this: right click > left click to expand sequence > then left click to choose rename. This two stage method applies to all sequence and part changes in the context menu. If the context menu was already expanded I could then choose any option I wanted from the single drop down list. (The context menu would always be long so maybe a show stopper.)

The amount of steps through context menus drove me nuts until Jo gave me a little tip:

- Open up Mulab.txt in <your mulab app folder>\Settings\
- Find the UseUnfoldedContextMenus value, this controls how many menu levels will be expanded by default. I use 1, so the editing menus tend to show all options at once but the VST / VSTI menu levels in the rack slot menus aren't expanded.

[TheGuysanIdiot]

Thanks.

"UseUnfoldedContextMenus" set it to 1 and problem solved.

OZ

[TheGuysanIdiot]

This maybe sort of workflow stuff.

After editing the mulab.txt the context menus expand to full length and I can see all the functions and naming all at once which for me is great.

I have been looking around the forum threads in general and was wondering if some of the naming of functions could/should be changed to make them shorter (easier to read/less cluttered) or more meaningful.

There is nothing really wrong with any of the names currently used but would some name changes be better for the wider audience. There maybe reasons for the naming to remain unchanged but it will not hurt to take a look at them.

Here is a list to start with. What bugs you?

Quit - Change to Exit (CTRL + X) and all references to "Quit" changed to Exit.

New/Save/Open Session - Drop the "Session" and just have New etc

Ghost - Clone

Duplicate - Un-Clone or Un-Ghost

Are there any names you find could be made shorter and/or more meaningful.

OZ

[robenestobenz]

I'm not so bothered about the other stuff, but you've got a good point with ghost. I had to look it up when I first came across the term, whereas clone immediately brings your expectation somewhere in the region of what the feature actually does.

[DaveL60]

Ghost - Clone

Duplicate - Un-Clone or Un-Ghost

Are there any names you find could be made shorter and/or more meaningful.

For these I suggest changing "Ghost Copy" to "Linked Copy", and "Duplicate" to "Unlink Copy"

Then (based on updating the defaults as discussed in an earlier thread):
* Click-Drag moves a selected item
* Cntrl-Click-Drag creates an unlinked copy of the selected item
* Shft-Cntrl-Click-Drag creates a linked copy of the selected item
* Context Menu, Unlink changes a linked copy to an unlinked copy

To me a ghost or a clone have an existence distinct from their original, which is why I prefer "linked" -- indicates an ongoing connection and is therefore less ambiguous.

DaveL

[robenestobenz]

There's another usability improvement -- at the moment, duplicate does not work with multiple selected sequences.

[TheGuysanIdiot]

Yes.

I like the linked / unlink idea.

I looked in the dictionary for "linked" and it said "chained".

So a variation on your idea could be "chained" and "unchain".

Either way it is probably more meaningful than ghost / clone.

(and yes it only currently works on single parts not multi selected)

OZ

[MuTools]

Double click in empty space in track area / rack area to create a new track / rack

In M3, a double-click on an editor's background generally creates a new object. This replaces the 'directional' mouse tool method which was previewed here in a test version some months ago. The double-clicking method is more standard / intuitive.

E.g. To create a new part, double-click in the composer, hold the mouse down on the second click and drag the new part as long as you want it.

The above 2 requests will work as well.

Shift+click or something on a track header selects all parts in that track

Note that this function already exists in the track context menu.

...

Note that though i'm not replying on every single FR as i'm focussing on getting a first M3 preview/test version ready, i do take notes for the future where appropriate. This applies to all messages in this thread.

[MuTools]

New/Save/Open Session - Drop the "Session" and just have New etc

Ok for me. What about others?

Ghost - Clone

In fact the word "ghost" is never used in MU.LAB nor in the docs.

But i agree that when talking about copying, the terms 'copy' and 'clone' are good terms.

Duplicate - Un-Clone or Un-Ghost

I can't agree here because you can also 'Duplicate' a real copied part!