The behavior that seems normal and desired is that the fill option “loop” deactivates once automation is punched out.
However, if you punch out before stopping transport and locate on the timeline by jumping to next event, marker or automation point “loop” remains selected. Not only that but if you then stop transport it remains selected.
Example of the problem: imagine you are working rapidly and select a region, activate “preview” and “loop”, adjust EQ settings for dialog, and then punch manually without stopping - *then *locate to the next point by simply using “locate next event”… “loop” remains selected and any changes you then make will also fill the loop range no matter where you are in the timeline. If that second automation change is fader level on a different track and later in the timeline that track on which you are now changing level will have that level written to the earlier loop range once you stop playback.
Repro:
- create a loop range on the timeline, before your current location
- select “loop” as “fill” option, automation set to latch
- press play
- adjust fader level down to -20
- activate “punch out” (manually)
- wait a couple of seconds and verify that loop was filled, raise fader to +10
- stop playback
- loop should now be -20 but is +10
Repro for locating is as above but instead of manually punching out (#5) you simply “locate next event”.
PS: The argument for why this is a bug or design flaw is that if you choose to use “Preview” mode along with “loop” as a fill option the system correctly deactivates “Preview” and if it was consistent it would also deactivate “loop”, but it does not.