The following features would be of tremendous value to me. While continually trying to improve the workflow of my current project, I keep hitting stumbling blocks of features which I assumed were available, but aren't and then have to either find a workaround or shift gears to a different process. I think every user wants the most optimal and efficient workflow, which also includes some level of intuitively designed functionality. So with that in mind, I don't think any of these requests are unreasonable or too difficult to impliment, but the payoff would be exponentially helpful.
Thank you. --------
(Timeline Panel)
Ability to hide tracks. – So you can keep your timeline clean and clutter free only seeing the tracks you are currently working with. i.e. I'm currently working with 24 different audio tracks, but for each chapter there are only about 4-6. So it's cumbersome to have to constantly scroll up and down to find the 4-6 tracks for each chapter. And once I do, It would be nice to move them all together to layout an efficient workspace.
Ability to move and rearrange the order of tracks.
Ability to lock clips (not tracks) so they can be moved, but not accidentally trimmed or cut.
ability to link multiple audio clips together, similar to how you can link an audio track to a video track.
Ability to hide the audio mix track at the bottom of the timeline
Ability to create shortcut keys to navigate through the horizontal view of the timeline
Ability to create shortcut keys to specific preset views. I know there are 3 different views I work with all the time, so I'd like to be able to have 3 shortcut keys to toggle through them. The backspace button above the enter button is the closest to that, but it's not consistent, it's always changing, so it's not very helpful with my current workflow.
An easier way to delete markers located on clips.
Ability to change the default transition type for all default transitions. i.e every time I add a default transition, I would like it to be "constant gain" as of now, I've been doing that manually.
After using the shortcut key to apply default transitions to a selection, it would be nice to have the ability to remove all default transitions to a selection. (not undo) but the ability to change it letter in your session, but selecting all your clips and in one move removing all the default transitions you previously applied.
A way to quickly remove all silent spots on a dialogue clip, while working in the timeline. The transcript feature has too many bugs at the moment, which makes it even more important to be able to see the work in action while already working on the timeline. Even just the ability to click on a silent section of an audio clip between soundwaves of dialogue and the system would remove that silence in one click would be so very helpful. Automated enough to be helpful, but manual enough to maintain control over whats happening.
After this project is done, I think I'm going to start exploring other software options.
I don't expect any software to be perfect, but it's discouraging for them not to have much interest in addressing any of these improvements unless it reaching a set number of upvotes.
After all the feature requests and bug submissions I've submitted, to not receive any acknowledgement or updates on fixing or improving anything, It's just been a colossal waiste of time. I know some companies pay lots of money for this honest valuable feedback.
I totally understand the frustration. My 'big' area is color, and well ... I've been to NAB for over a decade, meeting and talking routinely with a number of staffers. I've been to MAX a number of times as a TA or teacher, and met staff and other video post pros there. Been a participant here, and over on the facebook pro PrPro editors group.
And yet, with all that contact, they don't seem to simply do what I want! Unbelievable, right? Actually ... I've had very pleasant conversations with leading devs, who simply need to tell me that they do understand why I'm asking for certain things. And they know those would be very useful to a subgroup of users.
But it would be a very small subset of users, and realistically, it ain't gonna get high enough on the priority list to happen.
While a few other things, they've gone ... yea, we're getting interest enough in that, it just might be time. And things changed.
But that's the key ... "we're getting enough interest in that ..."
To put things in perspective: there are several million daily users of Premiere Pro. Each has their own ideas, as we all do everything differently from each other.
It is very common to have three very experienced editors in the same general trade, who disagree vociferously on how and when to use most operations in the app. And what keyboard short should be added, what effects are absolutely necessary to be upgraded, what to simply ignore.
Those discussions, say in the aisle at NAB, are some of the more fascinating moments of my year. And highlight an issue that devs for all the video post apps face, how do you prioritize even who you pay attention to, let alone what changes you work on?
I work for/with/teach pro colorists, have for a decade. So I'm in both Premiere and Resolve on a daily basis. Resolve "power" users, those colorists, all have their own long lists of things that have been "broken" or simply wrong for years, and haven't been 'fixed'.
And those discussions on the Resolve boards can go on ... forever. X is broken ... no it ain't you dufus, you're using it wrong ... no, I've used it since R6, I know what I'm doing ... yada yada yada.
The BlackMagic staffers do put some presence on the Resolve boards, but not as much as we're getting "here" at the moment, especially if you include the public beta board.
None of these apps are perfect. Not even close.
And the devs for all of them need folks to keep pressing for their ideas, so they can get a good sampling. They do not have the time to respond to us all. Several million users, right? Even I, with all the actual in-person contact I've had, don't get many direct interactions here or elsewhere except on sporadic occasions.
But they do comb these forums for data ... and other sources ... and apply that data to make their prioritized work lists.
So please!!!!! ... make those separate Idea posts, as they do specfically watch every one of those. As they watch all public beta discussions!
Will you get staffer response, to let you know they read it? Doubtful most of the time. But occasionally, yes. But that's how the system runs. Sometimes they do pop in on an idea wanting further discussion to understand how the implementation or use would work in specific workflows.
And that ... well, to get that, you make those Idea posts.
@R Neil Haugen Thanks for taking the time to share such a details response.
My big take away from eveything you wrote is that, it may not be the best system for improvement, but it's probably the best it CAN be with the resources available.
Don't get me wrong, I can understand when there's a feature I would like to see that's not available, but the part I struggle with is when a wonderful feature IS available and was created with a smart and intuitive design, but it's missing what I would image be a very obvious portion of the design.
For example, something as simple as adding markers to a clip are such a simple, intuitive and useful feature, but should you need to remove a marker or markers from a clip, you have to go through several steps to get there. So I'm just confused as to why such brilliant minds who are behind the initial design would not go all the way on some of these features...In just this project alone, I've encountered more than a handful of incredible features that seem incomplete, just enough so they are unuseable. And I'm just left wondering, why....
But anywho, to your point, I'm sure it's a brilliant team behind all these features and I would imagine they have lots of different people they need to answer to.
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I don't mind sharing all my notes, but unless another user is working through a similar project or workflow AND also happen to participate in the community forum, I worry that all my time spent sharing notes won't have any payoff.
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Thanks again for sharing your insight, I sincerely appreciate it. If anything, it gives me a little more sympathy and understanding behind the design team and the hurdles, they might be facing on their end.
Anything as huge as the userbase of PrPro is a ponderous critter indeed. And all the parts would prefer something a bit different here, but ... the differences wanted frequently are opposite the wishes of other parts of the critter.
So it's a complex dance. Clunky, much of the time certainly. And kind of amazing at others. All are welcome to the dance, and all should post here about their wishes for differences.
It's in the blending of those differences, the app in general moves forward. I wish more participated, we'd all be better served.
As to markers ... I've had a request in for years for a keyshort so when you hit M for marker and held while playing back, or while holding Shift or something, you get a duration marker that lasts until you let up the key presses.
Seems pretty obvious to me and a fair number of users. Ain't made the "we got it done!" list yet. Sigh. But I keep pushing ...
All of your suggestions are pretty good and useful, and again, please!!!! make individual posts for them. I'd upvote every one of 'em.
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