Why can't I paste a clip on any track I want?

This is on the latest beta, but it's been like that for as far as I remember.

I don't understand why is it that if I have a clip on a timeline that is on track 53 for example, and I create a new timeline, and I want to paste that clip on track 2, I can't simply do that by setting the V1 target on track 2, press Ctrl+V and paste it on track 2.

But no, it creates tracks all the way to 53, and then pastes it there, even if I set the second track as target.

I should be able to grab a clip from any timeline, copy it, and then paste it on another timeline on any track I chose. Is that too much to expect?

Auto Track Selector determines Paste behavior, not Track Destination Selection.

That said, BMD added a (ahem) 'feature' that folks wanted, where it would default to Pasting on the same track it was copied from. So, Copy from 53, Paste to 53...unless you have ATS on a track below 53 disabled. Then it will Paste to the highest track with ATS enabled.

So, to Copy from 53 and Paste on 2, you will need to have a V3 and make sure ATS is disabled on that track.

Auto Track Selector determines Paste behavior, not Track Destination Selection.

That said, BMD added a (ahem) 'feature' that folks wanted, where it would default to Pasting on the same track it was copied from. So, Copy from 53, Paste to 53...unless you have ATS on a track below 53 disabled. Then it will Paste to the highest track with ATS enabled.

So, to Copy from 53 and Paste on 2, you will need to have a V3 and make sure ATS is disabled on that track.

How unnecessarily convoluted. Wouldn't it be just simpler and logical to paste to the track that has Track Destination Selection?

No. Track Destination Selection is for Source Viewer operations.

Auto Track Selector is for timeline operations.

What would help you in this case is for BMD to undo the relatively recent change of Pasting on the same track by default. (Though, I fear too many people wanted that for it to get reversed. You just got caught up in a fringe case where it made things worse.)

Track Destination Selection is for Source Viewer operations.

Source Viewer operations are doing basically the same thing as pasting, just from the source viewer instead of the clipboard. So it does seem like BMD could make it work that way if they wanted to.

That said, it isn't too hard to delete all the empty tracks after pasting.

I should be able to grab a clip from any timeline, copy it, and then paste it on another timeline on any track I chose. Is that too much to expect?

There have been feature requests for simple track selection for basic actions like copy/paste (like in Vegas Pro and literally every DAW I've ever used). The Auto Track Selector is extremely annoying for these basic tasks.

Agreed.

I should be able to grab a clip from any timeline, copy it, and then paste it on another timeline on any track I chose. Is that too much to expect?

There have been feature requests for simple track selection for basic actions like copy/paste (like in Vegas Pro and literally every DAW I've ever used). The Auto Track Selector is extremely annoying for these basic tasks.

However the track selector is great when doing lots of copy/paste operations as you can select any clip/s from any track and paste without reselecting the target track/s. It has saved lots of time in those situations. Less mouse clicks!

There have been feature requests for simple track selection for basic actions like copy/paste (like in Vegas Pro and literally every DAW I've ever used). The Auto Track Selector is extremely annoying for these basic tasks.

However the track selector is great when doing lots of copy/paste operations as you can select any clip/s from any track and paste without reselecting the target track/s. It has saved lots of time in those situations. Less mouse clicks!

In one of the feature request threads for simple track selection, I suggested a button to lock the track selection for the timeline (it could also be assigned to a keyboard shortcut). For repeated operations, ripple editing, etc. you could set the track selection up the way you want, lock it and then it will stay that way until you unlock it. There could even be a modifier to temporarily override track lock (say Alt+click on track header or something like that). This way you wouldn't have to disable track lock to change it. This would give the same behavior as Auto Track Selector, but it would be way more intuitive and you could still have normal track selection. There are many other benefits normal track selection could bring as well.

Given that the auto selectors are common now across most NLEs I hope BMD doesn’t remove them or make them work differently than expected. But adding track selection would be a nice addition that’s quicker, fairly discoverable, and intuitive.

Given that the auto selectors are common now across most NLEs I hope BMD doesn’t remove them or make them work differently than expected. But adding track selection would be a nice addition that’s quicker, fairly discoverable, and intuitive.

Is there any function that auto selectors can do that can't be done with normal track selection?

Not sure. Not the point.
It’s a de facto standard.

Standards change and are deviated from all the time. So my point is that if it's an inferior method and provides no actual benefit, then it should change. Evolving and improving is far superior to remaining stagnant for no other reason than "that's just what we've always done". That's why I asked if there was a function auto track selector can do that can't be done with normal track selection. If the answer is "no", then it should go.

As another example, always deleting clips when they overlap is also a "de facto standard" among other NLEs. But as you know, this is the #1 thing I have been trying to get changed in Resolve.

If other NLEs want to continue using auto track selector, or always deleting clips on overlap, or other terrible methods then that's on them... why should we continue to suffer just because they are?

Not the same thing.
With auto selectors people know how to use them. So removing them, like removing say JKL, would be a bad thing even if you had a seemingly better way of navigating than JKL.

Nothing wrong with adding a better way - but removing a standard one makes the program harder to learn. Which I’m pretty sure you get.

Not being destructive when dragging a clip over another clip doesn’t make it confusing for others and is very discoverable. So again not at all the same thing.

So removing them, like removing say JKL, would be a bad thing even if you had a seemingly better way of navigating than JKL.

JKL are just keyboard shortcuts, you literally can remove them... in fact, I HAVE removed them.

Nothing wrong with adding a better way - but removing a standard one makes the program harder to learn. Which I’m pretty sure you get.

Normal track selection is one of the most intuitive things to pick up in any editor, there is no way this makes the program harder to learn. Also, I think having both options fighting each other would only make things more complicated and harder to learn. For example, if you wanted to use auto track selectors to lock in a selection, then how to you prevent clicking on a track or clip from adding to your auto selectors?

However, I think I have a good compromise. In order to have both, have a toggle button to switch between using normal track selection OR auto track selectors. This way you would only be using one or the other, but not both together.
- Normal Track Selection Mode: the auto track selector buttons are removed and you just select tracks normally.
- Auto Track Selector Mode: the auto track selector buttons are visible and you cannot select tracks by normal selection.

In fact, using Auto Track Selector Mode could be a way to "lock" the normal selection because clicking on a track or clip would not change the select, you would have to use the track selector buttons to change the selection. If you make a selection in normal selection mode and switch to auto track selector mode, then those same tracks will have the auto track selector buttons enabled. Likewise, if you enable track selector buttons and then switch to normal track selection mode, those same tracks will be selected. So you can make a selection in either mode and it will be remembered when you switch to the other mode.

I think this is the best of both worlds. Does this work for you too?

Standards change and are deviated from all the time. So my point is that if it's an inferior method and provides no actual benefit, then it should change. Evolving and improving is far superior to remaining stagnant for no other reason than "that's just what we've always done".

Very wise words. I wish everybody had your point of view on this software and many others.

I’m in no way saying things should stagnate. But standards that everyone knows are gold. You don’t just toss them out.

So many examples. You know how to set a clock? Or turn on an oven? Everyone used to know - until microwaves and VCRs appeared. Now you’ve gotta read the manual.

Same thing for car door locks, where the shifter is, where the e brake is, window controls, etc. The same for virtually every car until a few companies started to “innovate.” They made things gratuitously different and that was/is worse.

There’s no need here to take away what so many users across all NLEs know how to do. Neither is there a reason to penalize those who use the current system by blocking them from using track selection. Just add it and let them pick for themselves what combination they want to use.

To original poster @Mixolydian, note that once you know the problem, you are aided in the solution by using alt-click on the track selector icon of the track you want to paste to. Alt-click will toggle between "enable this one and disable all others" and "disable this one and enable all others".

So... alt-click to enable the one auto-selector,
paste,

then if you want to be complete alt-click again to enable-all-others, and then
release the alt and click the one track so that now every track is auto-selected again, and you are back to where you started.

Just add it and let them pick for themselves what combination they want to use.

That's what I said....

----------
In order to have both, have a toggle button to switch between using normal track selection OR auto track selectors. This way you would only be using one or the other, but not both together.
- Normal Track Selection Mode: the auto track selector buttons are removed and you just select tracks normally.
- Auto Track Selector Mode: the auto track selector buttons are visible and you cannot select tracks by normal selection.

In fact, using Auto Track Selector Mode could be a way to "lock" the normal selection because clicking on a track or clip would not change the select, you would have to use the track selector buttons to change the selection. If you make a selection in normal selection mode and switch to auto track selector mode, then those same tracks will have the auto track selector buttons enabled. Likewise, if you enable track selector buttons and then switch to normal track selection mode, those same tracks will be selected. So you can make a selection in either mode and it will be remembered when you switch to the other mode.
----------

That's the best way to have both. The Auto Track Selector mode would perform the same function as the "lock selection" button I had suggested before for the Normal Track Selection mode. By doing it this way, the auto track selection now provides a useful function and these modes actually compliment each other. The track selection can be "locked" but you can still change the selection using the auto track selection buttons, which are harder to accidentally change.

Oh. I thought you were suggesting something buried in the settings. Having a control right there in the UI could work. I was thinking that track selection, being more ephemeral, would just override the auto selects when it was used.

I imagine either way would work. Devil is in the details of how it’s implemented as to how clear it is to the user what’s going on.

And of course BMD will do what it will do. Who knows if any of this will make an impression.

in my limited and simple workflow I also find pasting to a different track convoluted. I ended up "living with it", I just paste on a temp timeline, move the clips where I want and then copy and paste on final destination.

I'd agree that a simpler way to quickly select the destination would be cool for those with limited requirements

I like the Avid feature: "Copy to Source Monitor"

Would be nice to see it in Resolve as well.

Oh. I thought you were suggesting something buried in the settings. Having a control right there in the UI could work.

Ah I see. Yes, I was thinking of a button near the "Timeline View Options" button that would toggle track selection between Normal Track Selection and Auto Track Selection mode. This would be easily accessible and clear to see which mode you were in.

I was thinking that track selection, being more ephemeral, would just override the auto selects when it was used.

The problem I see with this is that it takes away the only a useful function of the auto track selectors, which is that it is more difficult to change the track selection because you have to click a button on the track header to do it. With normal track selection track you can select a track by selecting a clip, clicking on the background of a track, or clicking on the track header. This setup would fight against the auto track selection.

For example, if you have a track you do not want to be included in the selection (auto track selection is off for that track) but you want to copy a clip from that track, clicking on the clip to select it would also select that track too. This would change your track selection. This is why I previously suggested a "lock selection" button to prevent track selection from changing when you click on other clips. However, adding the Auto Track Selection mode would accomplish this same task because selecting a clip would not change the track selection. Plus it would provide the additional benefit of not having to "unlock" the selection to change your selection, because you could use auto select buttons to modify the selection.

Doing it this way, normal track selection does not step all over the auto track selection. There is a clear purpose for each mode and they both compliment each other.

I imagine either way would work. Devil is in the details of how it’s implemented as to how clear it is to the user what’s going on.

I agree. This is why I'm working through examples to illustrate the problem of having the two modes operating at the same time. Separating them into two different modes solves the problem. Plus, being able to switch back and forth where the selection remains the same in both modes would be very useful. You could use normal track selection to quickly select the tracks you want, then switch to auto track selection mode to "lock" it so that selecting more clips will not impact your track selection. This would be perfect.

I'd agree that a simpler way to quickly select the destination would be cool for those with limited requirements

I agree, and I will add that having normal track selection would also be great by opening up more possibilities that currently are not available...

For example, being able to select multiple tracks to change all of their parameters together, or drag multiple tracks to move them at once (IF Resolve ever adds this ability directly to the timeline, which they should), being able to target which clips are opened up in Fusion or Color pages, being able to target clips to edit with the Speed Editor/Editor Keyboard, etc.

Regarding the last one, the inability to easily navigate up and down on the timeline is a huge reason why the Speed Editor is so useless on the Edit page. In other editors that use normal track selection, navigating up and down across different tracks with keyboard shortcuts is super easy. The entire track is highlighted so you can clearly see which track (or tracks) you will be editing on. Put navigation keys on the Speed Editor (and also normal keyboard as well) and you have an easy way to move around the time line selecting the clips you need to edit without ever touching the mouse.

Wow... super glad you guys aren't in charge of Resolve UI design. ;)

To original poster @Mixolydian, note that once you know the problem, you are aided in the solution by using alt-click on the track selector icon of the track you want to paste to. Alt-click will toggle between "enable this one and disable all others" and "disable this one and enable all others".

So... alt-click to enable the one auto-selector,
paste,

then if you want to be complete alt-click again to enable-all-others, and then
release the alt and click the one track so that now every track is auto-selected again, and you are back to where you started.

Thanks for the tip!

Wow... super glad you guys aren't in charge of Resolve UI design.

If you prefer I can stop posting and leave you to listen to more of Jim instead.

Wow... super glad you guys aren't in charge of Resolve UI design.

And why is that exactly? Please explain why having an optional normal track selection mode in addition to the auto track selection mode would be a "bad" thing. If you actually have a substantive argument against it, I'd love to hear it. I've already explained my reasons supporting it, so lets hear your counter arguments against it... or were you being sarcastic?

Wow... super glad you guys aren't in charge of Resolve UI design. ;)

If you prefer I can stop posting and leave you to listen to more of Jim instead.

:lol: