This seems like a fairly critical and common-sense addition that is needed, and I’m echoing an old request I posted (here), hoping it gets addressed.
When the track list is divided into top and bottom, let the user tab between the two halves independently – instead of grouping them as a single focus area.
It’s insanely confusing what tracks or regions etc. in either half have focus when you’re moving around your project, and actions become unpredictable - for example, I’m never sure when pressing the ‘delete’ key what will be deleted when there are things selected in both the top and bottom list. The only way is if I remember which track list I edited/clicked in last which is hard when you’re jumping around in editor windows etc.
I see this being solved by 1 of 2 options…
Solution #1: Make top and bottom track lists take focus independently. This is the suggested tab order when Divide Track List is active, and the focus rectangle should follow:
Left Zone
TOP Project track list
BOTTOM Project track list
Lower Zone
Right Zone
or, Solution #2: Only allow track/object selection in one track list at a time. If anything is selected in a track list and the user selects something in the other track list, the first list de-selects anything that was selected. Then there is no ambiguity. Would certainly solve the issue.
+1 for #1 and #2, they are not mutually exclusive; actually, they are both needed. #1 is needed to be able to switch between the two lists without using the mouse, #2 is needed to avoid editing events that are not meant to be edited. Thanks!
Yes, while I’m elated that Cubase 12 got separate visual focus between top and bottom project views, there is still a little room for improvement.
Focus cycle still treats entire project track area as one focus area, instead of two (top/bottom). So switching focus between divided track lists seems exclusively relegated to the domain of mouse interaction. (I can’t find any custom key command that would toggle focus either.)
Some operations still apply to tracks/events in both areas and do not follow focus (ie: Project Logical Editor).
Some operations are buggy or inconsistent (ie: Selecting events in both areas and grouping them does not work. You have to group them while track list is not divided. But then once the events are properly grouped, going back to a divided track list and selecting one member of the group only selects the group’s members in that half of the track list. Editing commands like Delete will in fact delete the entire group in both track list areas even though visually not all group members are selected in both divided track areas. But commands like Nudge Selection or dragging & dropping a group member to move the whole group only results in nudging/moving the group members of the focused track area.)
But TAB still doesn’t differentiate between the separate visual focus sections for the track divider top/bottom. (TAB’ing it treats it as one section, with the last focused the one that is selected for focus when TAB’ing through).
How many times you’re trying to colorize an event at the bottom and something at the top gets the same color because it was also selected… and you didn’t know.
Solution #2 for me
This happens often with me as well, and needs to be fixed.
I say yes to solution #2, OR:
Make it work more like the newer, and more well thought-out “Global Tracks” in the MIDI editor.
I’ve been thinking for a few years about the advantage of the current solution, that could possibly outweight the documented disadvantages.
I still don’t know why the track divide is implemented in its current form