Inspiring

Answered

Why do Timelines Close and Reorder when Switching Workspaces?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
November 3, 2020
13 replies
1529 views

More often than not, when I switch to a new workspace, the timelines that I had open change order.
Even worse, some of them close.
And when I go back to my Editing Workspace, it happens again.

For me, switching between Workspaces contantly shifts and changes which timelines I have open.

I want to use Workspaces, but when I do, they very often mess-up my flow.

Does anyone know why this happens? And possibly how to fix it?

User interface or workspaces

Correct answer PaulMurphy

When you save a Workspace, it also saves the number of timeline panels that are displayed. All of the default workspaces that come with Premiere are designed to display one timeline panel.

If you don't want your Workspace to change the number of displayed timelines, the first thing you should do is open the maximum number of sequences you might need and then choose Window > Workspaces > Save Changes to this Workspace. (Just a tip: don’t overdo it—opening 100 sequences and saving your Workspace will slow down switching workspaces.)

If you create a workspace with 20 timelines and have 20 timelines open, it won’t close any timelines. If you have less than 20 timelines open, it won’t add any extra timelines.

However, workspaces in Premiere are always being updated, even if they're not being saved. So, if you created a workspace with 20 timelines but then closed one, the next time you switch to that workspace, it will only display 19 timelines.

The good news is that switching workspaces doesn't technically "close" that timeline - it just doesn't display it. If you go to Window > Workspaces > Reset to Saved Layout (shortcut Option/Alt + Shift + 0), it will ensure there are enough timeline panels to display all your open sequences.

TLDR:

Switch to a workspace
Open 10-30 sequences in the Timeline
Go to Window > Workspaces > Save Changes to this Workspace
If you close a timeline, this will reduce the number of timelines the Workspace will display. However, Window > Workspaces > Reset to Saved Layout (shortcut Option/Alt + Shift + 0) will restore all open sequences.

ntfriar

Participant

Adobe, if you are reading, how about a simple preference: "Persist open sequences across workspaces?" I'll put that request in the proper place as this user forum is just that, but I've mostly switched to Resolve for this and many other reasons. That was an easier choice than waiting years for legitimate problems to be addressed while at the same time experiencing more pain and frustration when other things were changed unnecesarily (cough, clip label colors, cough). Resolve has it's frustrating quirks also but this is not one of them. Now that it supports ProRes Raw it will become my full go to NLE. I have one major project that is too big to rebuild outside of Premiere but once it's fully done, Premiere is done for me as well.

P

PaulMurphy

Correct answer

Community Expert

When you save a Workspace, it also saves the number of timeline panels that are displayed. All of the default workspaces that come with Premiere are designed to display one timeline panel.

If you don't want your Workspace to change the number of displayed timelines, the first thing you should do is open the maximum number of sequences you might need and then choose Window > Workspaces > Save Changes to this Workspace. (Just a tip: don’t overdo it—opening 100 sequences and saving your Workspace will slow down switching workspaces.)

If you create a workspace with 20 timelines and have 20 timelines open, it won’t close any timelines. If you have less than 20 timelines open, it won’t add any extra timelines.

However, workspaces in Premiere are always being updated, even if they're not being saved. So, if you created a workspace with 20 timelines but then closed one, the next time you switch to that workspace, it will only display 19 timelines.

The good news is that switching workspaces doesn't technically "close" that timeline - it just doesn't display it. If you go to Window > Workspaces > Reset to Saved Layout (shortcut Option/Alt + Shift + 0), it will ensure there are enough timeline panels to display all your open sequences.

TLDR:

Switch to a workspace
Open 10-30 sequences in the Timeline
Go to Window > Workspaces > Save Changes to this Workspace
If you close a timeline, this will reduce the number of timelines the Workspace will display. However, Window > Workspaces > Reset to Saved Layout (shortcut Option/Alt + Shift + 0) will restore all open sequences.

fancygriddles

Participant

This is not an acceptable solution.

Premiere Pro workspaces should not save or restore open sequence tabs.

A workspace should control panel layout, docking, sizing, and visibility. Open sequences, sequence-tab order, and the active sequence are project editing state and should remain unchanged when switching workspaces.

Currently, saving a workspace with multiple Timeline panels or sequence tabs creates two undesirable outcomes:

If fewer tabs are represented in the workspace, switching to it can close currently open sequence tabs.
If many tabs are represented, switching to it can open sequences that are not part of the editor’s current working context.

This makes seamless workspace switching IMPOSSIBLE. Please separate Timeline panel layout from the sequences currently loaded inside those panels. Switching workspaces should preserve all currently open sequence tabs, their order, and the active sequence unless the user explicitly changes them.

It’s stuff like this that makes me wonder if you guys actually consult a broad scope of real, working professionals when building your software.

P

PaulMurphy

Community Expert

Workspaces do not save the specific sequences loaded in the Timeline. They only save the maximum number of timeline tabs that can be open at once. If that maximum isn't exceeded, switching workspaces will not close any open sequences, and it will not open sequences that weren't already loaded.

B

BarkmanConcrete

Participant

Hi John, I've been experiencing the exact same issue I believe. I tried Ali_Jaber's solution which did not fix it for me. Have you found a solution or workaround?

John StanowskiAuthor

Inspiring

Sorry, no, I haven't. I just learned to live with it.
I guess Adobe doesn't think that some editors will have more than one sequence open at a time.

And I guess they're right. Still, I don't get why this reordering takes place.

"Something" in the code is "deciding" what to show after one changes workspaces so I would think it would be an easy fix, but there's probably not that much demand for it.

J

jholt88

Participant

This is one of my biggest pet peeves about Premiere. I am constantly working on 4-5 sequences at a time. Usually they are variations of the same video. I need to easily move between all sequences in different workspaces to copy and paste elements and colorgrading. Adobe...please give us a solution to this slow torture of a workflow.

A

Ali Jaber

Community Expert

Yes, I struggle with that problem for years. Try that: save a workspace with specific sequences opened, change the workspace, and then reload the saved one: Premiere will restore those perfectly. So, It looks like Premiere Pro is saving opened sequences with saved workspace, and whenever you load the workspace in another project it searches for the specified sequences in it, and if it didn't found those it will replace them with sequences from the project panel, and then everything will look messy.

A

Ali Jaber

Community Expert

That's why if you want to switch between two workspaces while working on a project, just save the workspace before switching, this way you will restore it perfectly

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