Custom Window settings are volatile

what's Custom Layout 1 and 2 doing for you guys? Mine never seen to stick for more than a couple of sessions, on either the Powerbook or the desktop. Haven't really jam tested it, but I've noticed them disappearing and having to reset them regularly. Anybody else? If so, I'll start documenting it. If not, I'll assume I'm nuts, which isn't a bad place to start working from...

Hey, Chawla.

No, you're not mad, or if you are, you're not alone...

My Custom window settign #1 (SHIFT U to re-call) has disapeared on me a couple of times.
Cant get it to do it on comand, though.
It's quite random.
Custom Layout #2 (OPTION U to re-call) was trouble free.

(been using the CONTROL U Fatory pre-set lately as it's now pretty much how I used to set up my SHIFT U layout. Havent been using the new save to 5 keyboard keys way of saving layouts, yet.)

Another weird behaviour in this department is that when I recalled my SHIFT-U layout, (and, I think my OPTION U layout) the Timeline window was always overlapping ever so slightly the windows above it.
It wan't saved that way. I know because when it hapened, i re-set it, and re-saved it, and when I re-re-called it, it was still overlapping.
It's certainly not a show-stopper, but there is something not quite right in the window layout dept.
Somone earlyer on made refference to Custom Window Layout being a known "buggy" area, I think.
It's going to be hard to pin this one down, though, I suspect, but that shouldnt stop us reporting the weird behaviour.

Cheers,
Nick

Hey man; both one and two disappear on me. I'll check out what you mentioned about the offset thing. Yeah this isn't a deal breaker, until you're writing a book and you want to TELL people to USE the dang feature ;0)

I'll start documenting each time it occurs. I take a particulr interest in interface bugs; FCP's interface is its greatest strength if you ask me. compared to other apps, its miles ahead. So when something's wonky in the interface, its pretty high on my priority for them to fix. I have to demo and train Avid people fairly regularly, so you can imagine how the interface stuff matters...

OK figured out that the Timeline window doesnt like being right up aginst the bottom edge of my lap-top's screen, and that's why it kept jumping up over the other windows (albeit only fractionaly)

BUT...

Last night assigned custom windows layouts to boith SHIFT U and OPTION U.
Basically my SHIFT U is the CONTROL U factory pre-set with out the tool bar, and the TL strectched out a litle further.
CONTROL U is the same but with the viewer enlarged to stretch over the browser.
(That's for working keyframes)

Today tried them both, and while they both *kind of* work, the TL is the original size, with a gap where the Tool bar would have been.
(SIGH)

Nick

overnight on the PowerBook, set them both, there are not here today

You both know that this is a known issue, right?

[docs.info.apple.com]

Symptom

Custom window layouts don't appear in the Window > Arrange menu.

There are three issues that can cause custom layouts not to appear:

1. The Dock was made larger or was moved after a layout was created .
2. Final Cut Pro window(s) spanned across monitors on a dual-monitor system when you saved the layout.
3. You logged in as a NetInfo user.

Products affected

* Final Cut Pro 4.0 or later
Solution

Try the following for issue 1:

* Choose Apple menu > Dock > Turn Hiding On (Option-Command-D).
* If the Dock has been resized or moved, create a new layout.
* If the Dock has been resized or moved choose Window > Restore Window Layout and then save new the readjusted layout with same name.
Try the following for issue 2:

* Never save a window layout that overlaps another Final Cut Pro window or overlaps monitors.
* Choose Window > Restore Window Layout and then save new readjusted layout with same name.
Try the following for issue 3:

* Choose Window > Restore Window Layout

it might be related somehow, but neither of the conditions in the TIL applies to the machines or behavior I am seeing. This is more regular behavior in fact on the PowerBook, which is a single screen. The Dock has not been adjusted in 6 months or more, and I have never used NetInfo. None of the TIL's issues are relevant to what I am seeing on several different machines...

Another problem that afflicts layouts not being saved is if they are overlapped. This seems to cause some confusion to the application, I think if the currently active window is obscured or hidden in the saved layout. This is just based on observation and not as known fact.

All the best,

Tom

to the extent that I have tested, I set both layouts to the color correction layout, so that there were no possible overlapped windows (this is also mentioned in the TIL Horton mentioned). At some point, the custom layouts I just set via Shift and Option U are no longer available and the options are grayed out in the window menu. Can't tell exactly when it is dropped because I don't reset the windows THAT frequently.

Where do those custom layouts for shift and option U get stored? Isn''t it in the prefs file itself? I wonder if any other prefs are getting dropped that I just haven't noticed...

now that I'm checking it regularly, thbis morning I see that the Shift U preset is gone, but THE OPTION U PRESET IS STILL AVAILABLE! It only ditched one!

Also, When I pulled up the Trim Edit window earlier, it was half out of the PowerBook screen. The Outgoing window was offscreen. Now, I haven't used a second monitor with this thing, have no idea how that default placement occurred. Is there a default originating location for the Trim Edit? Does it always initially appear directly over the Viewer window? THAT would be a BIG old clue, me thinks. Ralph, do you knowe about the 'window appearance location default' type thingie?

The size of the TEW has always been dictated by the sie of the Canvas I think. Just like L&C and E2T. The position behavior for the FCP4 TEW is different from the previous version. It certainly does seem to be tied to the position of the Viewer.

Curious what type of PB you're using and what screen resolution you're working at?

All the best,

Tom

yes, the size of the Trim Edit was always tied to Canvas and Viewer, just like the L&C. But I just tested it in 3 (to make sure) and the Trim Edit location is new and DEFITNITELY follows the Viewer now. Not sure if this is relevant, but it is a significant difference. One of my favorite layouts is Standard with the Canvas and Viewer switched, and I alternate that on the fly with the Color Correction layout. When I have standard setup as just described, the Trim Edit starts half off screen. I don't think its safe to allow any windows to default off screen! Kinda sucks. L&C does not exhibit this appearance behavior, BTW...

Don't know if its relevant to this because its been dropping Custom Layouts even when they were both set to Color Correction where the Viewer is safely in the left of the screen. And in the last post I mentioned that the behavior this morning is Shift and Option U are the same, yet one was dropped overnight while the other wasn't!

I've seen this both on the Desktop Dualie 800 with the 22" LCD (at 1600 res) and on the PowerBook 867 15" at 1280 res. More so on the PB, because I've been working there more

have lost the Shift_U Custon Layout several times. The Option_U has been solid as a rock. I'm beginning to think that I may have ditched the Option_U through user error, but the Shift_U is almost a guaranteed loss every other time I reboot from overnight!