Keyboard shortcuts for everything.

[langagemachine]

Hello.

I like to rely on keyboard-shortcuts as much as I can: after a day using the computer at work, my hands get too sore to enjoy using a mouse, be it to play with Orion Call me a keyboard-shortcuts extremist if you will ...

So, first, I was surprised to see no reference to shortcuts in Orion manual; after searching this forum, I learnt about Bones' wallpaper which displays all (?) shortcuts. So thanks Bones, this is very valuable ; but nonetheless, I think this list should appear in Orion manual too, shouldn't it ?

Second, I think many shortcuts are still missing, which would enable a super-quick workflow without having to reach for the mouse too often:
- when focus is on a generator, could there be a shortcut for soloing/muting this generator ?
- when focus is on the mixer, could there be a shortcut for raising/lowering volume ? For soloing/muting the track ? For skipping to next/previous track (arrows?) ?

I know about Ctrl + 1-0, but it is not as pratical as the above shortcuts would be.
There has to be other obvious examples, but what do you think of these already ? Could they come convenient to you ?

Cheers.

[bones]

I prefer to use a mouse for most things. It gives me time to think and evaluate as I work. If we were talking about some kind of boring, technical process, like entering data into a spreadsheet, I'd be all for shortcuts, but this is a creative process and I prefer to do it in a less automatic way.

[cooliadh]

I prefer to use a mouse for most things. It gives me time to think and evaluate as I work. If we were talking about some kind of boring, technical process, like entering data into a spreadsheet, I'd be all for shortcuts, but this is a creative process and I prefer to do it in a less automatic way.

For me: Depends! There are some shortcuts I never want to miss. Like the ones for popping up mixer [M], playlist [P] and mastersection [b], as well as [TAB] key for fast switch between generator / piano roll view - or not to forget [T] to switch between pencil / lasso and [+] and [-] inside the piano roll for zooming (although a kind a lá photoshop would be nicer - [CTRL] or [SHIFT] + mousewheel)..., ...

On the otherhand, like you told, It's nicer to tweak parameters like cutoff or gain with the mouse or a midi controller (what I do often).

I think this list should appear in Orion manual too, shouldn't it ?

Yep, that should be...

[langagemachine]

I prefer to use a mouse for most things. It gives me time to think and evaluate as I work. If we were talking about some kind of boring, technical process, like entering data into a spreadsheet, I'd be all for shortcuts, but this is a creative process and I prefer to do it in a less automatic way.

Well, I would not consider every action taken in Orion as a creative one: the ones I mentioned (solo/mute, volume levelling) are more like frequent corrective actions that you are continously taking (as you would steer your driving wheel, maybe).


Besides, you could choose to take your time, AND then act using the keyboard. Using the keyboard is not just a matter of speed, it is a matter of efficiency. And in my case, health.
*

Well, maybe the title of the thread was a bit provocative : I am not expecting a keyboard shortcut for EVERYTHING; but for these very frequent operations (mute/solo track, volume level), it would be a big plus.

[bones]

- or not to forget [T] to switch between pencil / lasso...

You know you don't need that any more. If you want to momentarily switch from one to the other, just hold down CTRL. e.g. With the Pencil tool active, just hold CTRL and drag to make a selection. It's one of those little improvements that's had a big impact on my workflow.

Well, I would not consider every action taken in Orion as a creative one: the ones I mentioned (solo/mute, volume levelling) are more like frequent corrective actions that you are continously taking (as you would steer your driving wheel, maybe).

Excellent example. If you love driving like I do, you'd never want to just press a button and have the car steer itself, you'd always want to do it manually so you can feel the response. It's about an intimate relationship between car and driver, just as the relationship between composer/producer and his song should be. You want to take the time to feel your way around, not just make it all happen automatically.

Besides, you could choose to take your time, AND then act using the keyboard. Using the keyboard is not just a matter of speed, it is a matter of efficiency.

Here we get into the area of using limited development resources where it will do the most good. So whilst I can easily ignore any work done on shortcuts, putting development time into implementing them means something I might actually use doesn't get done.

[Dungeon Studio]

My biggest bane is that Time is under 'I'. Most other things are fairly memorable for me - G for grid snapping, X to kill a pattern, F12 to trigger notes, etc. Even know Copy/Paste shortcuts, I'm still using my mouse to go to the menu most of the time. I think it's just security to recall 'Did I copy that?' - 'Yes, I went to the menu just a moment ago' - 'Ahhh, but did I paste it' - 'Yes, because the other generators now open and I went CTRL+V on it'.... My general conversations with myself.

But when ideas are flowing, I can't be bothered remembering or looking at lists for a 'shortcut' - it becomes a oxymoron at that point.
Menu + Time, there - it's 3:28, good!

[langagemachine]

Excellent example. If you love driving like I do, you'd never want to just press a button and have the car steer itself, you'd always want to do it manually so you can feel the response. It's about an intimate relationship between car and driver, just as the relationship between composer/producer and his song should be. You want to take the time to feel your way around, not just make it all happen automatically.

You are twisting this badly. Using a keyboard shortcut does not make anything automatic, it is still manual, only 10 times more efficient and precise than with the mouse. A button 'feels' much better than a pointer device for many actions.

The (computer) mouse is an evolution accident, an heresy which, hopefully, will soon disappear from our machines; that day, I'll be dancing on its grave.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/21/gart ... in-five-y/

Even know Copy/Paste shortcuts, I'm still using my mouse to go to the menu most of the time.

Even when going to the menu items, I prefer to use Alt+F (or Alt+I) then the keyboard arrows.

when ideas are flowing, I can't be bothered remembering or looking at lists for a 'shortcut'

For the actions you take the most often, it all becomes very natural. See how that Renoise guy types it all in a flick :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ5jTaXywuM&NR=1

[Eklectro]

The (computer) mouse is an evolution accident, an heresy which, hopefully, will soon disappear from our machines; that day, I'll be dancing on its grave.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/21/gart ... in-five-y/
=

absolutly stupid.
Ok the mouse is not suited for all application, there will be applications for it for a long time... (games )
It is the most general interface device. There is always better for almost every task, but it's always a specific hardware.

[langagemachine]

absolutly stupid.

Thank you very much.


See you in 5 years.

But by then, we will all be using touchscreens or neural interfaces, and this post will be irrelevant, I suppose.

[Eklectro]

absolutly stupid.

Thank you very much.

Ok, didn"t wanted to offense you. sry

This seems to be too hard to implement because of the current the whole mouse based informatic world.

Things are evoluating fast sure, maybe there will me non mouse systems, but I really doubt that it would be the majority...

[Dungeon Studio]

True Langagemachine, it is coming to me by slow osmosis. I was away writing and people couldn't believe what I was doing with the keyboard to assemble the song. It dawned on me 'Holy crap - I do know a lot of these short cuts!'

How do you right click on a touch screen...? Here's a new concept for us all - 'Triple Touch'. Reduce accidents and access with confidence.
Icons and fonts will have to be increased, or larger monitor screens. And those with their 'minis' and 'iPhones' will be as laughable as those that had calulator watches and PalmPilots. :rotflmao:

[bones]

You are twisting this badly. Using a keyboard shortcut does not make anything automatic, it is still manual, only 10 times more efficient and precise than with the mouse.

Quite the opposite a lot of the time. Hotkeys are untargeted. If you don;t have the right window active, you will affect the wrong thing. OTOH, using a mouse works every time.

The (computer) mouse is an evolution accident, an heresy which, hopefully, will soon disappear from our machines; that day, I'll be dancing on its grave.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/21/gart ... in-five-y/

Had you bothered to read the article, you would have noticed the scorn with which the prediction was treated. Even the guy who makes the prediction qualifies his statement - "...[the mouse] works fine in the desktop environment but for home entertainment or working on a notebook it's over". Personally, I cannot imagine a time when any superior device will emerge. The mouse is as close to perfect as it's likely to get.

[Dungeon Studio]

I agree Bones. I'm lappy's all the way. From irksome 'nipples' on old Toshibas, to these little touch pads on Apples and Dells. The precision and options that I can get with a mouse still outdoes the lot by far.

Though I did see a special on 'thought control computing' that the USAF is testing.... Yeah, you're flying a 2 Billion dollar F22 at mach 1 - Taliban are shooting rocket launchers at 2 o'clock, there's a wedding procession in the square, and Osama's cave is dead ahead....

7 Canadians killed in a unidentified strike, possibly American? Officals are looking into it, and will inform when ready.

Never saw this kinda crap in WWII, Korea, Vietnam.... Well, I guess it started there, and never corrected itself.