Old 05-04-2011, 12:43 AM   #1
lawrs
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Default "Jump to time" improvements

Hi all,

I would like to give some feedback regarding doing
audio for video post-production work in Reaper v4alpha.

I've aligned my video to the timeline, and I want to
use the "Jump to time" feature so bad, because there's
embedded timecode on my video file. However, everytime
I hit the "Jump to time" button, I have to key in the
full timecode, which makes this feature get redundant
very quick.

Would it be possible to change the behavior of the "Jump to time" input to
only change the numbers depending on how many digits have been entered?

For example, if my timecode is currently 01:00:00:00 ,
when I hit "Jump to Time" , I only enter 04,
and "Jump to Time" window inputs 01:00:00:04

So if I want to jump to 4 seconds instead of 4 frames,
I enter 0400, and "Jump to time" changes to 01:00:04:00

This would make using this feature alot faster,
and redundancy reduced.

Onegaishimasu Cockos-san!
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Old 05-05-2011, 03:01 AM   #2
lawrs
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Anyone care to share their comments on this?
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Old 05-05-2011, 03:31 AM   #3
airon
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Sure thing Lawrs.

This "Go to" requester that users can key in timecodes suffers from one severe limitation.

It makes the user key in the separation characters.

The thought behind this probably was to allow the user to key in any timecode in any format available in one box. Here's why way this is implemented is actually slowing the user down to a crawl.

Problem

Keying in characters like ":" or "|" is a two-handed affair. In Protools, timecode entry is one-handed all the way. The user needs to have picked the right primary timecode type of course, but users rarely change that.

Solution to maintain flexiblity

Entering data

Keep a dropdown menu of timecode formats in the "Go To" dialog box, reachable via a backwards TAB (SHIFT+TAB for example)key and the mouse. When that dropdown menu is in focus, let users pick the timecode format with the first letter of its name.

"B" for bars and beats, "S" for seconds, "M" for minutes and seconds, "T" for timecode which is the general term for SMPTE-type timecodes, "A" or something else for samples, since this is rarely used.

Any number (-edit-or Return/Enter key) pressed returns the focus to the timecode entry area.

This area provides the delimiter characters for the user. Only the numbers can be entered in the box. If the user clicks on data entry field, the numbers in it are selected and overwritten with anything the user enters.


Three formats require more than one number.


Bars and Beats can have up to three. Users will almost always try to use only the first two, so the third should be zero by default unless the user enters more. The cursor LEFT and RIGHT keys, as well as the TAB and SHIFT TAB keys let the user travel back and forth between the data entry fields.

Limitations are placed for number of digits and range for the second and third field. 1 to 4 for the second, 0 to 99 for the third.


Minutes and seconds is pretty much the same for two fields of data entry. The second is limited to numbers between 0 and 59.


SMPTE Timecode
These are static fields of two digits each. This is the only timecode format in which the user does not needs to TAB to the next data entry field. In fact, this is how it's done in Protools, and it's probably the quickest way to enter timecode.

Perhaps for Bars And Beats and Minutes And Seconds one of the numeric keypad keys could be used to jump to the next data entry, such as the "/" key on the numeric keypad. It's in easy reach. Folks who want or need to customize this setup will need a keyboard config context, laptop users without a numeric keypad for example.

Modifying existing data

TAB to fields and use Numeric Keypad PLUS and MINUS keys to increase or decrease the values.
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Last edited by airon; 05-05-2011 at 06:09 AM.
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Old 05-05-2011, 06:49 AM   #4
DanXIV
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2 digits = Bar or Min
4 digits = Bar Beat or Min Sec
6 digits = Hour Min Sec

Ex time: 0428 = 04M 28S

And let us do it there:
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Last edited by DanXIV; 05-05-2011 at 07:51 AM.
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Old 05-05-2011, 08:54 AM   #5
lawrs
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Thanks for all the clear elaboration on the problems and solutions. The mockup looks like a HUGE step forward.

I would like to suggest adding "edit field" option too, for user to choose to ONLY edit specific fields:

"Left to Right"
"Right to Left"
"Hour"
"Minute"
"Seconds"
"Samples"
"Beat"
"Bar"

Here's a mod of DanXIV's mockup, with the Edit field option added.

Attached Images
File Type: png edit.png (9.3 KB, 296 views)
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