Controversial I know, but control in App for switching grids via computer keyboard.

[machinesworking]

So, most of us in DAWs like DP, Cubase etc. (or other applications), have long since memorized the keyboard shortcuts to jump to different edit window. So it's just screen real estate wasted having to set up a command in Metagrid to jump to the Tracks window in DP and the grid that you would normally use for that window. It would be great if Metagrid would switch to the grid that you set up for the Tracks window for instance by responding to the command shift t that all DP users are familiar with. I don't (and would expect I'm not alone) think of Metagrid as completely replacing the computer keyboard shortcuts as much as filling in all the ones you rarely use, or cannot access as easily without Metagrid and Keybaord Maestro etc. Odd request but it really would make things better IMO. Save the looking at the iPad for things that are not burned into memory.

[machinesworking]

OK I'm thinking it's possible, just not that documented. This is what I found:

METASERVER

• Enable Scene Switching From Computer Keyboard – this enables MetaGrid Pro on your iPad to change scenes by keyboard shortcuts on your computer keyboard. The shortcuts can be defined in MetaServer on your computer (Setup > Key Shortcuts) .

Going to mess around with this and see if this the answer, if I can set up it to switch grids in Metagrid Pro while switching edit windows in Digital Performer.
If this is the case it's a legit advantage that Metagrid has over hardware solutions like Stream Deck which do not have this as a possible fearture.

[Przemek]

MetaGrid 1.3 will be able to react to changing windows within apps.

[machinesworking]

MetaGrid 1.3 will be able to react to changing windows within apps.

That's great to hear!

Could you clarify the controls we have now? it's a rabbit hole for me. I'm a bit confused by Metaserver/Setup/Key Shortcuts in the mac. The documentation on it is just one paragraph in the manual. It looks like it would do what I want, which is to assign the key shortcuts for various windows in DP11 to Scenes in Metagrid. I use the consolidated window in DP11 for the most part, and hitting the key shortcuts for the windows draws focus to them etc.

The issue is that there isn't any way in Metagrid on the iPad to assign key shortuts to get Metagrid to change Scenes/Grids, it has only CC messages as a way to do this?? Without being able to assign key shortcuts to Scenes inside Metagrid on the iPad, what is the purpose of the Metaserver Key Shortcuts?

[Przemek]

You can switch grids from computer keyboard - have a look at this video: https://fb.watch/gXB4PROhCW/.

[machinesworking]

You can switch grids from computer keyboard - have a look at this video: https://fb.watch/gXB4PROhCW/.

That's showing a computer keyboard attached to the iPad isn't it? I'm talking about using the keyboard attached to the computer, so you switch windows in your DAW via a DAW specific key shortcut that also fires off the switch in Metagrid.

I'm still curious as to what the Metaserver/Setup/Key Shortcuts does? The one paragraph in the manual states:

METASERVER

• Enable Scene Switching From Computer Keyboard – this enables MetaGrid Pro on your iPad to change scenes by keyboard shortcuts on your computer keyboard. The shortcuts can be defined in MetaServer on your computer (Setup > Key Shortcuts) .

I mean that sounds like it would do what I want? but maybe the focus being my DAW breaks it? Which is weird because Metaserver on Mac OS cannot be the focused app? and how do you assign Scenes in Metagrid on the iPad? Seriously, this part is just not well documented, I still don't know what it's supposed to do?

[Przemek]

The keyboard is attached to the computer. The keyboard shortcuts defined in MetaServer relate to the computer keyboard. Pressing the defined keyboard shortcuts on your computer should do the respective action as indicated in MetaServer. In this video I toggle Omnispace and navigate to the next/previous scene with computer keyboard.

[machinesworking]

The keyboard is attached to the computer. The keyboard shortcuts defined in MetaServer relate to the computer keyboard. Pressing the defined keyboard shortcuts on your computer should do the respective action as indicated in MetaServer. In this video I toggle Omnispace and navigate to the next/previous scene with computer keyboard.

OK one more time, inside Metagrid on the iPad I see no way to define Key Shortcuts to switch Scenes. There's no number system to speak of like it shows in the Metaserver on the computer in the Key Shortcuts menu. The only thing I see relating to assigning a specific command to activate a scene is the "Switching on Incoming MIDI CC" command, but that doesn't help.

For a second I was able to get the two Scenes I had set to switch via Key Shortcuts, then it stopped working, but I can't troubleshoot it, because there's no documentation on it to speak of, no information on what exactly makes a Scene fire by a Key Shortcut assigned to one of the 10 Scene slots in Metaserver.

The problem sometimes is you as an engineer understand your logic, I do not. I have two Scenes with two grids. I don't know how I can get my Key Shortcuts in Metaserver to fire them, there is nothing that lets me know if only the primary grid is attached to Scene 1, or if Secondary is Scene 2 etc. if the order of the Scenes is how the shortcuts are assigned?

So, what exactly makes a "Scene 2" Key Shortcut for example, in Metaserver switch to a specific Scene in Metagrid? When you go to edit Scenes, the only control that might work is the MIDI CC one, because at least it changes the Scene, but it's not a key shortcut... The Macros seem to be for firing commands when you switch Scenes, not to switch to the Scene.

[machinesworking]

Answering my own question it seems that it's hierarchical, that the order of Scenes determines the scene number. It also seems that Metagrid freezes out a bit if ignored. Probably why the shortcuts disappeared for a second there.

Another thing, hitting the Key Shortcut again switches to the secondary Grid. This is a great feature but documentation on this would be super helpful. These are good selling points, but thinking you're missing a setting or something because Scenes are not numbered, but they are in Metaserver, and not knowing that key shortcuts get automatically assigned via placement in the Profile made for unnecessary stress.

This is great though, it would be helpful if the Scene slots were numbered and the documentation mentioned the order being important though, because it really threw me for a loop.

[Przemek]

machinesworking Thank you for your feedback - much appreciated. Indeed the scenes are not numbered in MG Pro - we will think how to solve this in the future release. And we will make the documentation clearer. As said - much appreciated.

[Project]

What I've also noticed is that if I don't release the shortcut keys the scene change doesn't happen, I don't know if this is inevitable, but it gives the impression that sometimes scene switching doesn't work, while if it's just that we are keeping the key pressed

[Przemek]

Thanks for the reports - while analysing the code after your feedback, we have found a small issue that may affect keyboard shortcut recognitions on some machines. The fix will come to MetaServer 3.3.1 to be released this week.