so sync to cursor also is auto keyframe? how goofy, i thought they actually started making it work like other nles whith sync to cursor- but why would that turn on auto keyframe?

No, sync cursor is NOT also auto frame. It will ALWAYS automatically create a keyframe (whether or not sync cursor is on) wherever the cursor is on the effect timeline if one does not already exist there. What turning off Sync Cursor does is let it open up and automatically be on the FIRST keyframe instead of somewhere else on the effect timeline.

thanks

i no of no other app (of the ones i use) that forces you to have keyframes created unless a current keyfrmae is selected, i hope they add a switch to let us have an option here. Sometimes its fine but other times its just annoying and counter creative.

I, personally, don't see it as a problem. I leave Sync Cursor turned off. That way I can view any area of the clip I wish by moving the cursor on the main timeline. If I wish to create another keyframe, I move the effect cursor on the effect timeline. Otherwise I'm always working on the one keyframe at the beginning. How exactly would you want it to behave differently??? Seems to me it works great, and flexibly, the way it is.

i like woirking on fx while looping to see variables in realtime.

I do this all the time... and just have synch cursor off... and it works great. Can't quite see the problem with having the sync cursor off and still doing this. Can you explain a little more about how this is a problem for you?

It's a major PIA. It worked more or less right in V4 and got broken in V5 and has been complained about by many users. The problem seems to be that turning Sync To Cursor ON is global even though you turn it OFF in the next event.
Say I want to do a zoom in event 1, so I set it ON in event pan / crop, fine it works as it should. Go to event 2 and it's ON there too. Turn it OFF there but it's still ON. As DSE says you've got to close the window and then open it again for it to read the global setting. So you go on your merry way until 20 events later you want to use keyframes for another zoom or pan and then you've got to remember to engage in the same ritual to turn it OFF again.
Mr Hendrix is right, Vegas 5 is the only NLE with this wonky approach, even Vegas 4 didn't do it.
Actually it gets worse. If you've got it on and you want it on it's still a pain. Say I want to go to a frame halfway between two keyframes to see the effect in the preview window of adjusting the previous keyframe. Guess what, you can't do that because it'll create a NEW keyframe where you are, not change the value of the selected keyframe. Ah, yes, well what about turning off Sync To Cursor, ha, no dice. It'll still create a new keyframe even though it says it wont. I've got to close the window and open it again. Hardly an aid to the workflow.
Bob.

You are right about that. This is one of the very few Vegas absurd and illogical behaviors.

I can't count how many times this bothered me. Why not simply put an "enable keyframe" switch on all keyframable tools windows? This just escape to me, really...

Yep... I would agree the workflow now is a bit nuts... and it does seem like we have to fight with Vegas to get it to do what we want in the case you describe.

My response was mainly dealing with the assertion from Mr Hendrix that it was impossible to adjust FX keyframes while looping the video. It is possible to do that right? Even with this "feature" of turning off/on the sync cursor.

Let's hope the sync cursor side of things has been addressed in V6.