Issue with automation in Pro Tools using the shortcuts

[Ivan_C]

Hello !

I'm the developer of Sugar from Process.Audio, and our beta testers reported an issue that I'm currently not able to solve, even to understand, with automation in Pro Tools on mac OS. I'm wondering if that's something related with my code or the DAW itself, hence this topic.

In Sugar, there are two big knobs in the UI which change the cutoff frequencies of post low pass and high pass filters. If one clicks on them, using the key modifiers CTRL+OPT+CMD, a popup appears allowing to enable automation for them. If we use it, and select the parameter in the combo box displayed in the track properties in Pro Tools, it is possible to display the current automation curve associated with that parameter, and change it using the pen tools. Then, if we play the content of the track, the parameter changes following the automation curve values in the timeline as expected.

Now, if instead of selecting the parameter in the track properties combo box, I do CTRL+CMD+click on the parameter control, I can display directly the automation curve, and I can draw the automation curve freely with the pen tool this way as well. However, if I do so, and then play the content of the track, the automation curve isn't considered at all, the parameter doesn't move at all, and I don't get either any call in the plug-in that I can catch with a debugger. For a reason I don't get, everything is working properly in that case with all the parameters from Sugar but the two filter controls and the saturation control.

In both cases, the plug-in is in the same steady state, I can write automation curves that are matched, I see them the same way. But because in one case I displayed and edited the curve with the track properties combo box, it worked, and in the other case I used the shortcut, which made the combo box displays the same parameter name by the way, and there the automation isn't doing anything to the plug-in for these three specific controls.

What do you think ? Could it be an issue related with Pro Tools, since everything looks the same in the DAW side ?

Thanks in advance !

Ivan