Stepped automation? (i.e. bars per grid note)

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I haven't found a way to do this but maybe I'm missing a key shortcut or something. Is there a way to draw automation as bars/steps that are the width of the chosen grid rather than as nodes and curves? Like the Ableton clip modulation mode that allows the same.

Thanks
Last edited by Echoes in the Attic on Thu Nov 24, 2016 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Hm... This?

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Try holding alt when drawing. That should do what you want according to your current grid settings.

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Oh! Yes! Sorry, do not realized..

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shadiradio wrote:Try holding alt when drawing. That should do what you want according to your current grid settings.
Thanks, will give it a try. I tend to use a surface pen though and was hoping there was a way to activate that mode of editing and leave it on without having to hold a key down. Not possible? It's especially useful for drum and rhythmic modulation.

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Ah I see - it would definitely be nice if you could toggle it instead of holding down a modifier key.

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I don't see how alt is supposed to be doing what I'm going for. All it does is allow you to bend a line as far as I can see. I am trying to figure out how to draw in modulation as bars that are the width of the grid size. Anyone who has used Ableton Live will know what I'm talking about. I've never seen an image of Bitwig doing this and am surprised if it can't be done.

Described here (19.5.1 Drawing Envelopes):
https://www.ableton.com/en/manual/autom ... envelopes/

Other images here:

http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/ ... leton-live
https://music.tutsplus.com/articles/how ... audio-6401

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You need to use the Pen tool. When holding Alt while drawing with it steps to the current grid.

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Yup, as svervs mentioned - make sure you have the pencil tool activated, then holding alt will draw in steps according to the grid size:

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Thanks guys. But I guess this leads me to a new question - where is the pencil tool in the tablet view? I can't find any pencil tool.

And don't you think this mode should be able to be toggled on without holding a key down the whole time? I can understand a modifier key for a quick action, but drawing automation? That's something you tend to do for a while, trying different things, especially rhythmic automation like this. I don't want to hold a key down the whole time. There should be an option to toggle it on so you don't have to hold it down. Also, using it in tablet mode (even if I could find the pencil tool). I don't have access to the alt key without some toolbar add-on.

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Also - Does automation snapped to the grid respect the swing setting? Stepped automation like this would really screw up the timing if not.

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