Someone mentioned in another post the extra step of needing to change tools with the mouse when executing a certain procedure.
Just in case anybody isn’t aware of this idea, I want to mention programming most of the tool changes into your mouse. I did this about 2 years ago and it has been a HUGE workflow helper for me. I bought a mouse with as many buttons on it as I could find at the time - a Logitech Performance MX - and programmed in my most often used tools. In a very short time I was used to switching between mute, range tool, glue, split, and cycling thru normal sizing/sizing-moves-contents/sizing-applies-time-stretch at lightening speeds. It’s amazing how much it can speed up the editing process. Between the keyboard shortcuts with your one hand and the tools changing with the other on the mouse, you can really fly thru things. And the buttons on the mouse are such minute movements with your fingers not having to change positions - a tiny nudge of the scroll wheel or right, a gentle pressure with your thumb without having to move it at all - that it’s actually MUCH faster than keyboard shortcuts or having to move your mouse to another part of the screen and click.
Great idea-- and would be greatly enhanced by the option of making the action either temporary/momentary or a toggle. Like tool modifiers. I hope this isn’t a topic hijack…
Being not as imaginative as I’d like to be, and apparently unable to come up with these solutions on my own… I’d be interested in other shortcuts and speed enhancers you or anybody else might have come up with over the years.
Actually it IS temporary/a toggle. You can choose any tool via one of the aforementioned mouse buttons, and then immediately get back to your pointer (or any other tool you want) in literally 1/10th of a second, maybe it’s even 1/50th of a second. That’s why I said that once you have these mouse buttons set that you can REALLY fly around with tools and edit at lightening speeds. Your mouse hand gets used to these micro movements fairly quickly, and you zip thru the tool choosing truly without barely lifting a finger.
BTW - I didn’t come up with this idea on my own either - I read it years ago in a forum - might’ve even been this one.
Interesting thread. I’ve been wanting to be able to temporarily switch to the range tool holding a modifier key. But I haven’t come up with anything yet.
What I mean is, for example: being in pointer mode (little arrow), pressing down ‘control’ would change it to the range tool. Releasing ‘control’ would turn it into the pointer again.
Martijn… what you’re talking about is EXACTLY what I wish for about (no exaggeration) 1000+ times per 20-40 hour audiobook project.
I’m going to experiment with what Ray’s talking about when I’m through with this score I should be working on now instead of typing here… but I’ve been trying to figure out a way to momentarily zip from pointer to range for at least the last three Nuendo versions.
The most logical solution would be to use tool modifiers, but as you doubtless have experienced, as I, you can’t decide for yourself what those options will be. You can only choose what is available in the list. Why??
Which (and I’ve commented on this here at least once or twice through the years), is a real missed opportunity to turn a limited convenience into an extremely useful and versatile function.
So, well: Steinberg people who read this: How about considering changing this?
I would love to experience the embarrassment of being shown that I’m absolutely wrong and this no-brainer function exists.
In the meantime, look forward to monkeying with mouse button programming and seeing if I can come up with what Ray’s talking about…
Haha, I’m glad we are on the same page! But seriously, this would save us a lot of clicking. When editing I switch between these 2 tools hundreds of times a day, maybe more. So yes, it would be very cool to be able to pick them out of the list you are talking about! I’m as baffled as you are. Have you tried to contact Steinberg directly about this or should I try to shake them up?
Happy button programming!
Martijn.
BTW, several years ago, when switching from Pyramix to Nuendo, this function was the only function I wasn’t able to replicate. I still miss it
I haven’t done anything more than attempt to start a couple of threads here over the course of the past three or four years. Made a “FEATURE REQUEST”… but never achieved critical mass, I guess. If you have somebody’s ear at Steinberg… by all means rattle the cage! I’d be happy to join in.
I was in a situation for about 10 years where I’d use Nuendo at home and Digital Performer at a regular scoring gig, because it was there. I never very much enjoyed using DP, but there were a few things about it that I really wish Nuendo would incorporate. What we’re talking about here is probably at the top of the list.
This is such an obvious missing feature. I doubt I could live without the Alt modifier cursor/scissors. It would be sooooo useful to be able to programme ANY tool with a modifier key.
Steinberg were way ahead of the pack when they started offering key commands for everything - it would be great if they could just make up the few which are still missing.
I’m looking forward to checking out the Steinberg booth at NAMM this weekend… and mentioning, for what it’s worth, how nice it would be to bring more flexibility to tool modifiers. I’m with you, David-- the arrow/scissors combo is reflexive for me… and there are other combos that would be just as great.
That and a “fill range” command (something I brought up in a previous thread) would keep me quiet and happily editing for a long, long time…
A nudge of the scroll wheel left brings me to the “object selection” tool or arrow. If I’m already on object selection, it then cycles me thru “sizing moves contents” and “sizing applies time stretch”.
A nudge of the scroll wheel right gives me the “mute” tool.
The button that sits under where my thumb rests gives me the “range” tool.
The button above my thumb and slightly forward is the “play” tool, which can also cycle thru “scrub”.
The button above my thumb and slightly back is the “glue” tool.
And son of a gun if I didn’t discover another button that I didn’t know existed below the last two buttons mentioned when I was analyzing my mouse in order to answer this question! Now I’ll have to figure out what to assign that to…
I’m embarrassed that I didn’t make it to the Steinberg booth. Got to the show an hour before closing and got all caught up catching up with some guitar maker friends from out of town. Sorry to have nothing to report; probably would just be reporting on baleful looks of “why are you bringing this up here” anyway. I pledge to make a better effort at the next LA Cubase/Nuendo event.
I have the same performance Mx mouse, but instead of programming for tools changing I did for project navigating
assigning ctrl to the thumb button for zooming in and out and moving objects to range position , shift to one of the buttons above for moving rigth and left in using mouse wheel.
I will try your settings and try to merge with mine and see what happens.
