sync-lock

[Gale_Andrews]

@steve

@Gale Andrews

Perhaps the user had recorded or imported them. If user had done that, then the tracks would be normal height to begin with.

Do we have a platform difference?
If, with “Automatically fit tracks vertically zoomed” enabled, I import 10 tracks, the tracks are “expanded” but they are all resized to little more than minimum height.

Correct.

@steve

They are certainly not “normal size”.

Added tracks are normal size if that preference is off.

@steve

@Gale Andrews

So with the preference off, to make each new track fit but not be of minimal height, I would have to use View > Fit Vertically for each new track, or manually drag each new track up to a height where it fitted.

I don’t need to do that here.
Ctrl+A then Ctrl+Shift+F
or
Edit > Select > All
View > Fit Vertically

Does that not work on Windows?

It works, but what is the point in that, every time you add a new track? If you want all new tracks to be fitted, the preference does it automatically.

And what is the point in “Select All”? View > Fit Vertically works on all tracks, selected or not.

@steve

@Gale Andrews

with eight tracks I personally do not want them of minimal height. Why should I want that?

Unless you have a huge monitor display, the track controls will probably be hidden.

Agreed, but I can use the keyboard to access the track controls. It’s more comfortable than using the mouse for some people.

@steve

@Gale Andrews

Personally, even if I had 32 tracks I would still use the preference, because automatically having them minimised is less work than having each new track stand out at exaggerated height and have to keep using Collapse All Tracks or the collapse button.

Why would you need to “keep using Collapse All Tracks”?
You said that you prefer to have all tracks minimised and use keyboard shortcuts for the track controls, in which case you only need to collapse all tracks once.

I don’t need to “keep using Collapse All Tracks”, but apparently you will need to if you prefer to use the mouse. Create a project with 32 tracks then record a new track. That track is normal size. At any time you don’t want that, you’ll have to resize the track.

@steve

@Gale Andrews

my understanding is that articles (except “Workflows”) try to be as general and inclusive as possible, mentioning other possible ways of working,

I don’t see any point in suggesting something as a “tip” just because it works. The purpose of a “tip” as I see it is to provide advice from the point of view of experience and expertise.

I admit I don’t often use more than 8 tracks in Audacity, but when I know I want any number of tracks > 2 (even 32!) I will most definitely want the said preference on.

@steve

I see no benefit to enabling “Automatically fit tracks vertically zoomed” when working on multi-track projects

Well I think I have detailed the “benefit” four times now and this is my last attempt. If you build up the project by adding tracks, the preference saves you having to refit the new track to the project every time you add a new track.

If one prefers to use the keyboard to access the track controls, then even in projects with > 10 tracks, the preference saves time - you don’t have to fit the tracks even once.

@steve

for large mult-track projects my recommendation, from personal experience of working on hundreds of large multi-track projects, is to ensure that setting is off. “Tips” are not compulsory - they are advice/recommendation based on experience and/or expert knowledge. Users are of course at liberty to ignore that advice/recommendation if they prefer to use some other method. (I sometimes even ignore my own advice )

If you refuse to tell the users about the existence of “the other method” how are they supposed to find out about it?


Gale

[steve]

@Gale Andrews

Well I think I have detailed the “benefit” four times now and this is my last attempt. If you build up the project by adding tracks, the preference saves you having to refit the new track to the project every time you add a new track.

Advantages of enabling “Automatically fit tracks vertically zoomed” when working with multi-track projects:

• You don’t need to resize a track after recording / importing a new track.

Disadvantages:

• Track controls are only accessible via keyboard shortcuts (not mouse or touchpad)
• Track Gain is hidden.
• Track Pan is hidden
• Resizing tracks to see the waveform at a reasonable size requires clicking and dragging the lower edge of the track
• Tracks that have been resized manually are “reset” to their reduced size immediately after any edit, generate or process action, so any detailed work on one track requires resizing the track by manually dragging the lower edge after every edit, generate or process action.

---

Advantages of disabling “Automatically fit tracks vertically zoomed” when working with multi-track projects:

• Track controls are accessible via keyboard shortcuts, mouse or touchpad.
• Approximate Track Gain can be seen at a glance (may require clicking on the Track Expand button).
• Approximate Track Pan can be seen at a glance (may require clicking on the Track Expand button).
• Resizing tracks to see the waveform at a reasonable size is a one click operation.
• Tracks that have been resized manually remain resized while detailed editing is performed

Disadvantages:

• Collapsing a track after recording requires one click on the track collapse button.
  
  
  

@Gale Andrews

If you refuse to tell the users about the existence of “the other method” how are they supposed to find out about it?

Include it in an appropriate part of the manual?

[Gale_Andrews]

@steve

Disadvantages of enabling “Automatically fit tracks vertically zoomed” when working with multi-track projects:
Track controls are only accessible via keyboard shortcuts (not mouse or touchpad)

Not true because you can…

@steve

Resizing tracks to see the waveform at a reasonable size requires clicking and dragging the lower edge of the track

@steve

@Gale Andrews

If you refuse to tell the users about the existence of “the other method” how are they supposed to find out about it?

Include it in an appropriate part of the manual?

Well you’ll pique their interest by telling them to make sure to turn it off, so (linked to or not), why not tell them the one advantage of turning it on?


Gale