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Remove blank tracks, they return...
UnlikelySalsero [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Apr 24, 2012 12:50 Messages: 45 Offline
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I might be doing something wrong:

In order to see a music track I have toward the bottom, I remove all blank tracks on the timeline.

That leaves tracks 1 & 2 (both video + audio) and track 3 gets removed with the shortcut menu.

That allows me to see the lowest track I use without scrolling. (I use the track with the two musical notes for my background music.

After additional editing, I noticed track 3 is added back!!! It happens over and over, I remove blank tracks, then later notice track 3 is back. I haven't figured out when it appears again, but it is there within 5 minutes after I remove it.

I noticed it's always there when I re-open PD10 with the same project, then I remove it, it's there next session (and returns at points during my edit session.)

I'm guessing it's a bug, but it's annoying because I have to scroll down to see my music track when it's there, but when I remove blank tracks, I can see all my working tracks.

Any known workarounds? PD 12 - 12.0.2930.0
Windows 8 (64 bit)
16 GB RAM
ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Hi there -

No it's not a bug. That's what PD does - it always generates an extra track.

If you want to see everything, just pop your audio in Track 3 & 4. An extra track will be generated below it, but it'll be out of your way!

Cheers - Tony
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UnlikelySalsero [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Apr 24, 2012 12:50 Messages: 45 Offline
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Quote: Hi there -

No it's not a bug. That's what PD does - it always generates an extra track.

If you want to see everything, just pop your audio in Track 3 & 4. An extra track will be generated below it, but it'll be out of your way!

Cheers - Tony

I guess I don't see how that's not a bug when it has a command to remove blank tracks, Then I do it, and it puts them back after a little while.

Why have the "remove blank tracks" menu command, which doesn't remove some of the other blank tracks (below track 3), but it DOES remove my blank track 3 (video + audio) and then a few minutes later, puts them back.

Inconsistent behavior from my POV.

I do get your point, I'll do something different because the default behavior doesn't make sense to me. Using track 3 leaves an extra track (the video track) which is am NOT using on the timeline. Not a deal killer, the program is excellent overall.

I also hope someone rethinks this behavior in the future. (I can easily add tracks from that shortcut menu too... if I manually remove them, I would know how to get more if desired too...)

I appreciate your feedback and suggestions!



PD 12 - 12.0.2930.0
Windows 8 (64 bit)
16 GB RAM
James Dotson
Senior Contributor Location: Tennessee Joined: Aug 24, 2009 20:40 Messages: 3066 Offline
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It's not a bug because it was designed to work that way, however annoying it can be. When you add a clip to the last track, it adds a new track. I do wish there was a setting to stop this, and maybe there is. Tracks 1 and 2 can not be removed. The unused tracks do not hurt anything. If you place a clip on a lower track then drag it to the last track, it should not add a new one. __________________________________
CORNBLOSSOM
UnlikelySalsero [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Apr 24, 2012 12:50 Messages: 45 Offline
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Quote: It's not a bug because it was designed to work that way, however annoying it can be. When you add a clip to the last track, it adds a new track. I do wish there was a setting to stop this, and maybe there is. Tracks 1 and 2 can not be removed. The unused tracks do not hurt anything. If you place a clip on a lower track then drag it to the last track, it should not add a new one.


OK... I agree it's not a bug. (I'm a software developer, so I have to agree.)

It's a design flaw/oversight and I suspect it's really the results of a team of developers.

Here's the normal scenario: One person doing the shortcuts realizes it makes sense to allow a user to remove unused tracks. Another developer (or group) thought it makes sense to automatically add a track, not realizing a user may have just removed unused tracks manually. The two developers (or groups) don't realize they are crossing each other until later. Then they decide it's not a big enough deal to change the design. Both features stay even if they make little sense in some scenarios... (I've been in those meetings.)

Since there is a specific audio track toward the bottom, some newer people (like me) assumed there is some reason to put things there. If I don't have a track 3, I can see it without scrolling. Removing track 3 (unused for me) actually made my user experience better, or 5 minutes or so. And if you reload a project, it ignores the fact that track 3 was removed just before the project was saved.

I certainly don't mean to argue with you, I'll just move up to track 3 with my background audio, let the unused video track stay there, and it will work.

So there is a reasonable workaround. I already use a track 2 video for all my titles.

I need to go watch some more tutorials, since I'm not clear on the intent of the dedicated audio track toward the bottom of the timeline and/or the value of the tracks below track 3. They have different icons and someone clearly intended them for specific use, but I don't use them that way (except background music, I did put that on the audio track with the double music note icon.)

I already use track two for my titles and my external audio (I record all my video on camera and in parallel the audio goes to an external digital recorder.)

I'm fine the way it is, but over time I like to understand why a product has certain features and what the developer intended. Usually they have a reason, even if it's not obvious to me.

I appreciate your clarifications.

PD 12 - 12.0.2930.0
Windows 8 (64 bit)
16 GB RAM
HalCon
Senior Contributor Location: Charlottetown, PEI Joined: Mar 01, 2008 10:36 Messages: 719 Offline
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There is another option to view more tracks.

Right click anywhere in the tracks and set the track height. Yo have three options Small, Medium and Large. (I use small)

Then you can re-size the track window by dragging the top part up.

Just a thought.

Hal
OS - Win11 Pro, Alienware R13, CPU - Intel Core I7-12700KF 12 CPUs), 16g DDR5 4400 RAM, Video - Geeforce RTX 3080ti 12g, PD11 & PD365
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