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Old 05-18-2009, 12:35 PM   #1
Evan
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Default Visually identify start of each measure

I work a lot with measures/beats and I would like a little more distinction in the Reaper timeline.

I would like the start of each measure to be more easily distinguishable... various ways to do that... examples

Make the measure number in bold. Like

1.1.00
1.2.00
1.3.00
1.4.00
2.1.00
2.2.00
etc...

Or make the font bold and a size or two larger.

Or invert the background/foreground colors... e.g. a light box with the dark number inside

Or something along these lines.

I can provide mockups if need be.

Thank you

Last edited by Evan; 06-17-2009 at 07:47 AM.
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Old 05-19-2009, 01:08 AM   #2
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Hmm, I'm not keen on those particular methods as it could look a bit messy to me (sorry I don't have any better suggestions). So, only as an option/preference.

Meanwhile there is the "Grid lines (start of measure)" theme colour - I've changed it to a contrasting colour to make the measures stand out more. Would it help if this were made "bolder"?

This has some advantages:
-- the start of measure is shown even when the measure number does not appear in the timeline (on zooming out)
-- I don't have to move my eyes from the track to the timeline and back again.
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Old 05-19-2009, 02:19 AM   #3
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Thanks DS,

I tried changing the brightness of the start-of-measure gridline. It does help a lot!

If the start-of-measure gridline could be optionally bold, it would be great to try that also.


Regarding the timeline, I do not have a definitive solution either. But looking at the cubase screenshot I got new insight...

http://musikality.net/wp-content/upl.../cubase4_2.jpg

Reaper uses the Measures.Beats.Ticks(?) e.g. 1.1.00 format always at all zoom levels. At low zooms you can only see the start of each measure in the timeline... but because the number format takes a lot of space, you see lots of numbers and fewer measures. Does that make sense?

If at low zooms only the Measure numbers were shown, you'd deal with a cleaner display of whole numbers, and more of them because they will fit.

As you zoom in, then maybe you can have Measure.Beats display only. Then, in finer zoom levels, when it makes sense, you can have the whole Measure.Beats.Ticks display.
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Old 05-19-2009, 02:35 AM   #4
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i also use beats display all the time, and was thinking the same about the timeline.

To me, what would also help to reduce the clutter, is to get rid of the zeros, so that to display "3.1" instead of "3.1.00" and "3.4.5" instead of "3.4.50".

And while we're at it, when the grid is in triplet time, the timeline numbering should follow that (it currently displays 1.1.00, 1.1.50, 1.2.00, instead of 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, even though the grid line spacing is set to 1/3)
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Old 05-19-2009, 02:39 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evan View Post
Reaper uses the Measures.Beats.Ticks(?) e.g. 1.1.00 format always at all zoom levels. At low zooms you can only see the start of each measure in the timeline... but because the number format takes a lot of space, you see lots of numbers and fewer measures. Does that make sense?
This is what I get as I zoom out, so i always see the complete measure value:

[img]http://img530.**************/img530/7039/dsr258timeline.png[/img]

PS There are not "ticks" (but I really would like to have a Preference so they could be, and in the MIDI Editor too), they are "centibeats" 1/100th of a beat.
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Old 05-19-2009, 04:16 AM   #6
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In your screenshots DS, the zoom levels only allow the following format to be shown: x.1.00

So, you see the beginning of some measures.

If at these zoom levels, the '.1.00' was omited from the display, you would only see whole numbers: 1, 2, 3 etc... In turn, these will take less space and more fine steps will be shown and they will be easy to see.

Example, in your 2nd screenshot, it goes from 1.1.00 to 9.1.00. You only see measures 1 and 9 in numbers. If you want to find measure 6 you have to count the lines. If it was only whole numbers, just the measures, there's a high chance you'd be able to see all of them (in numbers), or more of them.
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Old 05-19-2009, 04:37 AM   #7
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I understand
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Old 06-17-2009, 07:51 AM   #8
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bump...

I noticed the timeline in the MIDI Editor already has a step into this direction. (it's very close to what I want, I would prefer to have the start of each measure in bold and the subdivisions e.g. 1.2 1.3 as they are now).

(reminding: cleaner look, simpler more musical numbering, more numbers/measures fit/are shown in the same space)

It's a step forward.

Thanks
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Old 06-17-2009, 03:42 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evan View Post
bump...

I noticed the timeline in the MIDI Editor already has a step into this direction. (it's very close to what I want, I would prefer to have the start of each measure in bold and the subdivisions e.g. 1.2 1.3 as they are now).

(reminding: cleaner look, simpler more musical numbering, more numbers/measures fit/are shown in the same space)

It's a step forward.

Thanks
You are right. In the way I work I really dont need to see x.1.00 when working in a more zoomed out mode. I like the way the midi editor works..maybe there could be one more option for timeline display called "Measures"

Thanks

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Old 06-17-2009, 04:24 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guido View Post
maybe there could be one more option for timeline display called "Measures"
I think it could work as it is now, but show the numbering depending on the zoom level.

Zoomed out, measures only (1, 2, 3, 4...). Zoomed in some... measures and beats (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, etc...).
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Old 06-17-2009, 04:45 PM   #11
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+1 to the single digit full measures like in the MIDI editor. Additional digits only when not zero. I wouldn't necessarily need them in a bolder font.

Btw and OT, I'd prefer real ticks in the MIDI editors as well...

Last edited by gofer; 06-17-2009 at 04:48 PM.
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Old 06-18-2009, 12:22 AM   #12
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...Ahh, real ticks ... now you're talkin'
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Old 06-18-2009, 09:07 PM   #13
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+1 for ticks display. I don't need those centibeats

++1 for simplified measures and beats display.
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Old 08-08-2010, 02:36 AM   #14
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now there are too much "0" that are pretty useless: i prefer "16.1" rather than "16.1.00"
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Old 08-08-2010, 07:40 AM   #15
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I think that what would be cool is measure numbers with beats and ticks changing as you move your mouse. it would always be visible (like the option always see the items names) with a « sign when the start of the measure is at the left.

When your mouse is over a measure the beats and ticks appear other wise it's only measure numbers. Same thing for time display with min sec ms.

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Old 08-08-2010, 08:27 AM   #16
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plz look here also

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=62880
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Old 10-01-2011, 11:33 AM   #17
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Please also see.
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=85256
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