Lock devices in place

[Faastwalker]

This has been annoying me forever. My concern is when you try to adjust a parameter, and don't quite hit it bang on, clicking & dragging drags the whole device. It's a small thing but bloody annoying. I'd love it of we could lock device in place in the rack so it cannot be accidentally dragged when programming.

[selig]

This has been annoying me forever. My concern is when you try to adjust a parameter, and don't quite hit it bang on, clicking & dragging drags the whole device. It's a small thing but bloody annoying. I'd love it of we could lock device in place in the rack so it cannot be accidentally dragged when programming.

IIRC, there was a time in past versions where the 'hit zone' for controls was wider. The problem then was the opposite: it was more difficult to find the right place to drag a device when you wanted to move it.

In my experience with other applications where you can lock elements, I always find it frustrating when it's time to move a locked element! So I don't think device locking is the ultimate answer.

With any design, the ultimate goal is to not allow the user to make the error in the first place. Locking devices is a workaround, fixing a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place IMO!

The more logical solution would be to add a modifier key to drag/move devices in the rack. In this way you would never need to lock devices, and you would also never accidentally drag a device when editing a control. Win/win, if you will...



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[Creativemind]

Yes, exactly what I was going to say. Add a keyboard shortcut (or modifier) to drag devices, say ctrl and drag, problem solved.

[Faastwalker]

I like the modifier idea. Shift + drag gives precision control. Maybe CTRL + drag (if that's not already used! I really can't remember not being in front of my machine) to move a device in the rack. Problem solved. No more annoying, accidental click + dragging devices. Actually it's extra annoying of you are using the shift + drag control & don't land bang on a parameter. This can drag the device then unwire everything! A simple undo obviously fixes. But this problem should exist in the first place.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

I like the modifier idea. Shift + drag gives precision control. Maybe CTRL + drag (if that's not already used! I really can't remember not being in front of my machine) to move a device in the rack. Problem solved. No more annoying, accidental click + dragging devices. Actually it's extra annoying of you are using the shift + drag control & don't land bang on a parameter. This can drag the device then unwire everything! A simple undo obviously fixes. But this problem should exist in the first place.

Ctrl+drag is a copy (duplicate).. will have to be another modifier like "Alt" + drag...

[Faastwalker]

I like the modifier idea. Shift + drag gives precision control. Maybe CTRL + drag (if that's not already used! I really can't remember not being in front of my machine) to move a device in the rack. Problem solved. No more annoying, accidental click + dragging devices. Actually it's extra annoying of you are using the shift + drag control & don't land bang on a parameter. This can drag the device then unwire everything! A simple undo obviously fixes. But this problem should exist in the first place.

Ctrl+drag is a copy (duplicate).. will have to be another modifier like "Alt" + drag...

Yes of course. Forgot about that.

ALT + drag is free ........ I think! Maybe not for the sequencer but I think we're okay in the rack

[faun2500]

Is there a LOCK in any new version?? This drive me crazy too - moving the device when trying to turn a knob!

[selig]

Is there a LOCK in any new version?? This drive me crazy too - moving the device when trying to turn a knob!

This may just be my imagination, but I've found since using the new Application Zoom feature at 120%, I'm no longer missing the hit zones for knobs/faders and accidentally dragging devices!

[bxbrkrz]

I switched to a pen tablet 5 years ago.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Is there a LOCK in any new version?? This drive me crazy too - moving the device when trying to turn a knob!

This may just be my imagination, but I've found since using the new Application Zoom feature at 120%, I'm no longer missing the hit zones for knobs/faders and accidentally dragging devices!

So you are saying you could resolved this issues years ago by buying a big fat pair of glasses LOL

(it's also something that has always frustrated me)

[avasopht]

I'm with a modifier key for locking to adjusting knobs/moving devices.

[crimsonwarlock]

Giving every device a dedicated drag handle on the interface is actually really easy to implement. They only have to resize the grab-area of the whole front panel to just a portion of the front panel. However, any such change would mean we have to re-download every RE again (like we had to do for hi-res). So, my guess it that we will get a solution eventually, but they will wait with it until it can be bundled with another reason to re-download everything (like moving to a new RE API version).

Thinking about it some more, some REs might not have room for a drag-handle and need to be redone for that. And with several devs gone now, that might also be the limiting factor.

[Arrant]

+1 for this, it's a major annoyance

[selig]

This may just be my imagination, but I've found since using the new Application Zoom feature at 120%, I'm no longer missing the hit zones for knobs/faders and accidentally dragging devices!

So you are saying you could resolved this issues years ago by buying a big fat pair of glasses LOL

(it's also something that has always frustrated me)

I don’t think so, because what I needed was probably just more actual mouse/pixel resolution not more “clear” vision!
I also could have slowed down and been REALLY careful with my selection, but that’s a perfect reason for the designers to pay attention to Fitts Law!
https://lawsofux.com/fittss-law/

[DaveyG]

Hehe. Resurrecting a five year old thread...

Voltage Modular has a setting that is called something like "Allow dragging on any part of module" and it's off by default so you have to drag the top of the module, typically the part with the module name. Reason could easily have an option where you could only drag the rack ears or similar. Of course, players don't have rack ears but I'm sure they could have (and I think they should have!) or you could just drag the imaginary rack ears for players. If you made the mouse cursor change to a grabby hand thing when over the correct zone we'd soon learn.

I'll put it on the list. Maybe it will get implemented in super quick time. Maybe even before the next resurrection of this thread!

[challism]

Yup, this annoys me too. Especially on those crowded devices with small controls. One of the only device this hasn't been an issue with is Saturation Knob.

I got glasses about 18 months ago. Didn't help with this issue, but I've stopped walking into sh!t.

[Faastwalker]

I've partially overcome this annoyance by not using a mouse to click or drag anymore. Now I just hover the mouse pointer over and use a Microsoft Surface Dial to adjust parameters. All made possible with a handy bit of software called Elephant by SaveTheHuman5 that kind of 'hacks' the Surface dial to make it into something useful!

Takes a little getting used to. And if the mouse pointer is not aligned over a parameter, you get the same problem of dragging a device with a turn of the dial. But it is definitely much less of a problem controlling this way. And it feels a more precise and intuitive way of changing parameters than clicking & dragging with a mouse.

https://savethehuman5.com/elephant/