Additional shortcuts for looping behaviors

[petersampsonaudacity]

Describe the bug
There are no system-defined default shortcuts for the new commands introduced in 3.1.x
a) Transport > Looping > Clear Loop
b) Transport > Looping > Set Loop to Selection

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to Transport > Looping menu
2. Observe: no shortcuts for "Clear Loop" or "Set Loop to Selection"

Expected behavior
System-defined default shortcuts for the new commands (in both the Standard and Full set)
a) Transport > Looping > Clear Loop
b) Transport > Looping > Set Loop to Selection

Screenshots

Additional information (please complete the following information):

• OS: Windows 10 - but assume all OS
• Version Audacity 3.1.x
• (if relevant) Sound Device [e.g. Windows WASAPI, USB Sound card]

Additional context
Now that more focus has been placed on looping with 3.1 with efforts to try to make it more "discoverable" and thus used more widely it would helpful to the user if in addition for the new shortcut "L" to turn looping on/off there were also default shortcuts for the other new commands "Clear Loop" or "Set Loop to Selection".

Especially given that turning looping off does not of itself clear a loop region.

Also note that using the Transport menu takes 3 clicks to achieve the goal - and using the Timeline context menu involves a right-click followed by a left-click,

Flagging @Tantacrul as a UX issue

Workaround:
Of course the reasonably smart user can create custom shortcuts for these commands - but my past experience shows that for a user finding an unused shortcut key is tricky and tedious

[petersampsonaudacity]

@DavidBailes - might VI users benefit from further shortcuts in the "Full" set for:
a) Set Loop In,
b) Set Loop Out?

[DavidBailes]

@DavidBailes - might VI users benefit from further shortcuts in the "Full" set for:
a) Set Loop In,
b) Set Loop Out?

I currently don't think that those commands will be used very much. I'm not sure in which use cases the designers thought that these commands would be used.

[petersampsonaudacity]

I currently don't think that those commands will be used very much.

Thanks @DavidBailes

I'm not sure in which use cases the designers thought that these commands would be used.

I'm strongly minded to agree - for me they look like bloatware - flagging @Tantacrul as a UX issue

[petersampsonaudacity]

See also this thread:
Selected region is not shown on Timeline #2067

[petersampsonaudacity]

The following single letter shortcuts remain available - I tested against the Full shortcut set

E, F, G, H, M, N, O, S, T, V, W, Y

I would recommend S for Set Loop to Selection (because of the alliteration)

and then E for Clear Loop as it is close to the S key - and it "Empties" the Timeline of its Loop region

[DavidBailes]

The following single letter shortcuts remain available - I tested against the Full shortcut set

E, F, G, H, M, N, O, S, T, V, W, Y

I would recommend S for Set Loop to Selection (because of the alliteration)

and then E for Clear Loop as it is close to the S key - and it "Empties" the Timeline of its Loop region

Note that the addition of default shortcuts has already been included in #2101.

As I commented on that issue, I think that, because of their convenience, single letter shortcuts should only be used for commands which are going to be very frequently used. It's very useful for there to be some unassigned single key shortcuts so that users can assign these to the commands which they use frequently in their particular workflow.
@LWinterberg 's, suggestion of Shift+L for setting the loop range to selection seems fine to me.
I question whether there needs to be a default shortcut for clearing the looping range. Could you give some examples where you think a user would use that command?

[Tantacrul]

I'm very cautious about filling up those primary shortcuts just now. When we have a new designer hired, we need to look ahead and figure out what kind of primary functions these shortcuts could be assigned to.

For example: E: (opens realtime effects panel)

I could go on but you get the idea.

[petersampsonaudacity]

@LWinterberg 's, suggestion of Shift+L for setting the loop range to selection seems fine to me.

I'd be happy with that

I question whether there needs to be a default shortcut for clearing the looping range. Could you give some examples where you think a user would use that command?

It's because when you

1. turn looping off any existing loop region remains visible and extant.
2. If you then turn looping back on and make a selection in the audio the loop region remains as it was in step 1

But if there is no loop region and you then tun looping on and then make a selection in the audio the selection creates a matching loop region in the Timeline which can be useful.

Though for me that basic issue is that I really think that when looping is turned off then any existing loop region should just be discarded.

[petersampsonaudacity]

I'm very cautious about filling up those primary shortcuts just now. When we have a new designer hired, we need to look ahead and figure out what kind of primary functions these shortcuts could be assigned to.

I see your point - but we could have a similar compound shortcut like the one that @LWinterberg and @DavidBailes suggest for Set Loop to Selection surely

[LWinterberg]

I'd be fine with Shift+L for "Set Loop to Selection" and would like Alt+L for "Clear Looping Region"*, but I see that it's already taken in the full set. Is the standard set a strict subset of the shortcuts found in the full set? Or is it more of a "set of shortcuts from previous releases", with the standard set being allowed to change and evolve independently of it?

*aside, this is something I really like about blender's latest shortcut redesign. They made it so that Alt+key generally does the opposite of key, eg h=hide, alt+h=unhide, which makes it pretty easy to remember)

[petersampsonaudacity]

Is the standard set a strict subset of the shortcuts found in the full set?

Yes it is @LWinterberg

[DavidBailes]

It's because when you

1. turn looping off any existing loop region remains visible and extant.
2. If you then turn looping back on and make a selection in the audio the loop region remains as it was in step 1

But if there is no loop region and you then tun looping on and then make a selection in the audio the selection creates a matching loop region in the Timeline which can be useful.

But you could equally well just execute the command to set the loop range to the selection. It's one command either way.

[DavidBailes]

*aside, this is something I really like about blender's latest shortcut redesign. They made it so that Alt+key generally does the opposite of key, eg h=hide, alt+h=unhide, which makes it pretty easy to remember)

Using Alt+alphanumeric you just have to be careful that there are no conflicts with any of the access keys for the names of the menus in the menu bar (and with any of the access keys used in any of the translations of the menu names).

[Paul-Licameli]

I am assigned this easy task for 3.1.3, but I don't see the simple spec for what exactly the shortcuts must be. Please reach agreement and edit the issue description.

Shift+L for setting loop to selection is agreed, but which key to clear the loop?

[petersampsonaudacity]

I understand his reticence to use a single-key for this so how about Alt + C ? That is available not in the Full set.

UPDATE: no can do with Alt+C that conflicts the the menu shortcuts for access to the Plug-in Manager

But note carefully that keyboard preferences will let you set Alt+C and does not warn you of the conflict - do we need to open a new issue for this ?

[Tantacrul]

@Paul-Licameli - let's discuss next week. @petersampsonaudacity, I'll confer with you on what it should be exactly. Apologies, we're still in hiring mode right now :(

[Paul-Licameli]

I think we have agreed elsewhere that the shortcuts shall be Shift + L and Shift + Alt + L.

[petersampsonaudacity]

Tested on W10 with @Paul-Licameli 's branch build

The new shortcuts are in the Transport>Looping men - and they work as intended.

[petersampsonaudacity]

Tested on W10 with audacity-win-3.2.0-alpha-20211217+8340b56-64bit and the latest 3.1.3 alpha build.

This is now fine in both that alpha builds. The shortcuts are there in both the standard an full sets - and they work as intended.

[petersampsonaudacity]

Tested on W10 with latest 3.1.3 alpha build Audacity_Windows_64bit_1602134390_7887ba0

This looks good to go