Questions & Answers

Macro Toolbar Improvements [Completed 4.5]

+38 votes
703 views
asked Mar 30, 2016 in Completed Feature Requests by Lukas Ruschitzka (256,840 points)
edited Nov 5, 2017 by Lukas Ruschitzka

The Macro toolbar is a quite nice idea. But it's time to rise it to a new level. By adding some tiny features it could be a really big workflow booster!! surprise

Here's my macro wishlist:

- Different macro bars (ability to load and save them as file)

- Possibility to have different macro bars in arrangement and editor (I wanna have my MIDI/musical editing macros in the editor and those zoom/loop/event things in the arrangement)

- Maybe even automatically saving the active loaded macrobar (arrangement + editor) with the song

- We need a macro command for “Set focus into arrangement”, “Set focus into editor” to decide if a macro command applies for arrangement or editor

- Duplicate function for macros

- Reordering buttons and groups by drag and drop

- When too much buttons in one toolbar, it should begin a new line (maybe not necessary if we have different toolbars)

- Hiding group labels

- Collapsing groups (for saving space)

- It would be awesome to share a specific macro button (with text, icon and assigned macro) or a whole group of macro bottons or a whole toolbar using PreSonus Exchange. Then anybody could upload his personal toolbox with macros for certain usecases (like "MIDI editing toolbox", "zoom functions" etc.) with nice icons ;-)

2 Answers

+12 votes
answered Mar 30, 2016 by jpettit (11,810 points)
 
Best answer

Great list.

Here are my feature request list:

I have ask many times in the past but will ask  again:
Expected protection:

1) Add an explicit save as command in the macro edit menu. (fundamental gap)
2) Add a load/refresh command in the macro edit  menu  (fundamental gap)
3) Add a Warning Window if you select Remove group. It is way too easy too hit it and poof the group is gone with no undo.
4) Add a Warning Window if you select Remove button. It is way to easy too hit it and poof the button is gone with no undo.

Workflow  improvements:
1) Make the Edit Macro Windows  Modeless and add a "Run" and Save buttons. This way macros can be developed and tested to work.
2) Add the macro toolbar to the Project Window. ( people can then start making macros for mastering)

Usefulness
1) Since macros do not work unless they have the proper focus area first, Add a  setfocus command  for any view that needs focus for  it subset of commands to work.  (Set focus: Arranger, Editor, Browser, Tempo Track, Arranger track, Scratchpad, Marker Track, Project window)  (fundamental gap)

2) Add Minimal scripting logic commands  to control flow and iterations (Define variables (global,local), While <variable is true>, Foreach <variable>, If then else, Case, exit )

3) For people who do not know how to write a script, a Record Macro feature to capture naturally accuring repeatable actions. 

3) Embed Button icons and expert so that the entire macro including a icon can be sent the the Exchange for sharing 

 Thanks

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