The dark side of WRITE TO SELECTION

[Bill Denton]

That's always one of the paradoxes when developing user interfaces...do we give the total ditzes enough warnings so they aren't constantly screwing up, or do we give the pros enough flexibility so they can work efficiently?

Which means we're always up against wonderful metric of: What is the minimum IQ required just to sustain life? Somehow, it seems like that number gets lower every year, which means we now have to goofproof our software for people with IQs of 10 or below...roughly the IQ of a brick.

For the pros, we try to design in ways to turn off "stupid" mode so they can get their work done on time...sometimes we can readily do that, but sometimes it's just not feasible to do so.

And in that vein, I'll leave you with my favorite "tech support" story so you can see some of the things we have to deal with...

This was back in the early days of personal computers...One woman had complained several times about her computer suddenly "typing" a whole bunch of characters when her hands weren't even on the keyboard. I "caught the call", and I arrived at her desk just in time to discover that in addition to having very large breasts, which all of us on the tech staff knew about, she was also a bit myopic, which none of us on the tech staff knew, and that every time she leaned forward to try to read something on the monitor, her "ampleness" landed right on the keyboard, pressing a lot of the keys and causing the "automatic typing"!

Needless to say, I had a lot of fun writing up THAT "incident report"...

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by Bill Denton

That's always one of the paradoxes when developing user interfaces...do we give the total ditzes enough warnings so they aren't constantly screwing up, or do we give the pros enough flexibility so they can work efficiently?

Which means we're always up against wonderful metric of: What is the minimum IQ required just to sustain life? Somehow, it seems like that number gets lower every year, which means we now have to goofproof our software for people with IQs of 10 or below...roughly the IQ of a brick.

Wow, finally a constructive response. It's the user who's just too dumb. But wait, the help-info says this function is called "write to selection" but it does it even when nothing is selected. Guess, I'm just not smart enough to grasp the genius concept behind this. I think over the last 5 years I have probably wanted to write by preview-buffer to the entire track twice. And in those cases I selected the track over the entire length of the session. What a mistake! I could have saved 2 mouse-clicks in 5 years by simply hitting write to selection without selecting anything. So much time wasted. Nothing compared to the hours I've lost importing tracks from backups to fix wiped automation due to my low IQ. learn something now every day, Frank.

[Danny Caccavo]

The problem is that selections to write automation are TIMELINE SELECTIONS, and not EDIT SELECTIONS. When you make an edit selection during "stop," the "Link timeline and edit selections" pref does just that - and your edit selection is also a timeline selection.

Problem is, when you are playing, and still "linked," one cannot make an actual timeline selection without retriggering "play." But i you make a playlist selection it will not create a timeline selection, or interfere with it.

To me, the easiest fix would be - - always throw warning dialog (regardless of the pref checkbox) after hitting "write to all" if no timeline selection has been made. Since you cannot make a timeline selection during play, this would keep you safe.

The only downside with this is that there are undoubtably people out there who like to "write to all" as a means of updating a rough mix level for an entire track. With this implementation, they would always get a nag whether they liked it or not.

Just a thought.

[bernhard]

Update:
The Guardian Angel now works with PT11
PC Version available by request.

[markuse]

Many thanks Bernhard!

[Frank Kruse]

Danke Bernhard!

Is the version already up on your site? The page still says "(Pro Tools 11 is currently not supported)".

Let us know when you've uploaded it.

Thanks again!

Frank.

[fork-media]

I got bit by this bug the other day.. accidentally hit the N key -

I dont quite understand the benefit?

or is it more of u better revert to save ?

[ggegan]

I have an innate distrust of automated processes, so I tend to avoid the type of command you are describing. Whenever a command is being written downstream over existing automation you are particularly vulnerable to SNAFUs. In general I would advise you to mix mostly in the moment rather than trying to apply automation too far downstream. It isn't just that you can misinterpret what PT is going to do, you can also overlook consequences that you fail to anticipate due to the complexity of the mixing process. Sometimes trying to save time can wind up having the opposite effect. Of course, if you thoroughly understand and carefully consider all the ramifications of such a command then you will probably be fine, but then you have taken yourself out of the mix for that period of time that you are thinking about it. Maybe that's old-school, but I'm just more of a feel-it-as-it-happens kind of guy. It keeps me out of trouble.

[fork-media]

yeh but its not all that thrilling holding 3.5dB at 1700hz on an eq for a 3 min scene.....


I am still a protools newbie - so I need to research snapshots more.. fine line between improving skillset and getting on with job in hand!
I did start looking but I got directed towards the joys of preview. which is quite good - just that FU moment when it tells you I just wrote the entire session and u cant undo..

personally I started hitting save - then the write to selection button - just in case!

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by fork-media

yeh but its not all that thrilling holding 3.5dB at 1700hz on an eq for a 3 min scene.....


I am still a protools newbie - so I need to research snapshots more.. fine line between improving skillset and getting on with job in hand!
I did start looking but I got directed towards the joys of preview. which is quite good - just that FU moment when it tells you I just wrote the entire session and u cant undo..

personally I started hitting save - then the write to selection button - just in case!

There are several ways to do what you want to do. Try writing automation in latch mode. You won't have to hold the controls because as soon as you touch them they pop into hard write and hold their positions until you stop. Or else try selecting a logical group of clips, go into Preview mode, loop through that section and adjust all the controls to get a ballpark setting and then do Write to All Enabled for that section. That sets a static automation base so that when you exit Preview and go back over the section you can ride the controls in touch write doing mini tweaks. When you let go of the control it will glide back to the base settings you established. There are other ways to approach it as well, but that's a start.