Viewing the playhead - where is it? - making it bigger

gary-o wrote on 1/10/2022, 10:09 PM

So two things regarding the playhead:

1. Sometimes when I pause preview, I can't see where the playhead is. It's probably at one of the extreme edges of the screen. So I have to press play to try to find where my current position is and then try to catch where my position is - otherwise when I stop or pause, I can't find where I am again. What am I missing?

Is there a way to make sure the playhead (and current position) is always centered in the screen, say?

Update: This is when it happens. If I scroll to some position on the timeline where the scrub bar is not visible, then press play and subsequently stop the playback (such that the scrub bar returns to the start position), the display reverts to the same position you were in before starting to play (with the scrub bar off-screen). But if you press stop-at-current-position (e.g. Enter) then the display jumps to where the scrub bar has stopped. Is this by design or is it a bug?

Thanks to EricLNZ - the solution to this part is \ to centre the scrub bar in the middle of the screen.

2. Is there a way to make the playhead a lot bigger (and brighter, like a flourescent yellow or something)?

And similarly for the scrub bar? It's a fine black line on a grey background. I tried to change the display colours, but there doesn't seem to be anything for playhead or scrub bar. And although there's a lovely yellow colour for the cursor "snap type"?, I've never seen it.

It helps slightly to change the colour scheme to light grey, at least the playhead and scrub bar are a bit more visible.

Any other ideas?

Comments

lan-mLMC wrote on 1/10/2022, 10:35 PM

So two things regarding the playhead:

1. Sometimes when I pause preview, I can't see where the playhead is. It's probably at one of the extreme edges of the screen. So I have to press play to try to find where my current position is and then try to catch where my position is - otherwise when I stop or pause, I can't find where I am again. What am I missing?

Just scroll the mouse wheel back and forth. Or https://www.reddit.com/r/VegasPro/comments/a6hczc/how_to_keep_the_tracks_timeline_scroll_centred_as/

2. Is there a way to make the playhead a lot bigger (and brighter, like a flourescent yellow or something)?

And similarly for the scrub bar? It's a fine black line on a grey background. I tried to change the display colours, but there doesn't seem to be anything for playhead or scrub bar. And although there's a lovely yellow colour for the cursor "snap type"?, I've never seen it.

It helps slightly to change the colour scheme to light grey, at least the playhead and scrub bar are a bit more visible.

Any other ideas?

You need to make a feature request.

3POINT wrote on 1/10/2022, 11:15 PM

There was a hidden shortcut in the past to center the play head in the centre of the timeline and when playing the timeline the events scrolled by instead of the play head scrolling. Unfortunately I can't remember that shortcut and I'm not sure if it still exists.

john_dennis wrote on 1/11/2022, 12:55 AM

@3POINT

Sound Forge has the Option Scroll Playback (F6). I have been unable to find the analogy in Vegas Pro. I just rock the mouse wheel, as was suggested.

john_dennis wrote on 1/11/2022, 1:07 AM

@gary-o

You can get more contrast by changing the switch Options/Preferences/Display/Reverse Event Background Color.

3POINT wrote on 1/11/2022, 2:40 AM

@john_dennis I'm almost 100% sure that this was possible in (Sony) Vegas and that it was a hidden feature. I used it once but the scrolling events instead of the scrolling playhead was a little unusual to me in those days (before 2010). (I see the same feature back in the fast cut editor of Davinci Resolve).

The only person who definitely knows if it's still possible is probably Gary Rebholz.

EricLNZ wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:18 AM

When paused doesn't "\"(backslash), top right on keyboard help by "Center view around cursor"?

Grazie wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:24 AM

When paused doesn't "\"(backslash), top right on keyboard help by "Center view around cursor"?

@EricLNZ - Have you tried it?

EricLNZ wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:34 AM

@Grazie Yes I use it frequently but I'm a VMS17 user so cannot be sure it's the same in Pro. But I'll be surprised if it isn't.

walter-i. wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:39 AM

I looked in the Vegas Pro 11 manual, there it was still like @EricLNZ says, in Vegas Pro 19 this is (after a test) no longer the case.

I also remember that I used to work like this for a while - but then preferred a wider screen, and wouldn't want to go back either.

Former user wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:47 AM

\ is bottom left on my keyboard, if i'm scrolled/zoomed in on the timeline, \ centres the cursor just like using the mouse wheel

3POINT wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:49 AM

When paused doesn't "\"(backslash), top right on keyboard help by "Center view around cursor"?

That is not the feature I meant. The feature I meant is that the play head remains fix in the center of the timeline while events scrolling from right to left when playing the timeline. I wonder that @EricLNZ answer is marked as solution, because also this feature seems no longer valid.

Grazie wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:53 AM

I wonder that @EricLNZ answer is marked as solution, because also this feature seems no longer valid.

@3POINT - I agree. A red herring. Needs Team-Vegas input.

gary-o wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:58 AM

because also this feature seems no longer valid.

I just tried it (Vegas 19), it works fine. I don't necessarily want to be forced to make the timeline scroll past the scrub line. I just wanted to find where it was and jump to the "current" position when it was out of sight.

3POINT wrote on 1/11/2022, 3:58 AM

I wonder that @EricLNZ answer is marked as solution, because also this feature seems no longer valid.

@3POINT - I agree. A red herring. Needs Team-Vegas input.

As I said, probably Gary is the only one who still knows if this feature is still hidden and possible.

3POINT wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:00 AM

because also this feature seems no longer valid.

I just tried it, it works fine. I don't necessarily want to be forced to make the timeline scroll past the scrub line. I just wanted to find where it was and jump to the "current" position when it was out of sight.

Maybe Vegas version or keyboard dependable. I cannot check at the moment.

Grazie wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:07 AM

The feature I meant is that the play head remains fix in the center of the timeline while events scrolling from right to left when playing the timeline.

@3POINT - Working here. It's the \ between to Z and SHIFT buttons. Hold it down and it works, I could map it to my CSP2?

As the Cursor is continually being updated, so not smooth, but the Tracks do move from Right to Left.

3POINT wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:09 AM

@gary-o Isn't the first solution of @lan-mLMC scrolling mouse wheel back and forth not doing the same as the solution from @ericlnz?

3POINT wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:11 AM

@Grazie Thanks, I will check when back at home.

EricLNZ wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:20 AM

@3POINT - I agree. A red herring. Needs Team-Vegas input.

@Grazie It's not a red herring. It's a solution to Item 1 in @gary-o's first post which said "Sometimes when I pause preview, I can't see where the playhead is."

The hidden shortcut to center the play head in the centre of the timeline and when playing the timeline the events scrolled by instead of the play head scrolling was something @3POINT added to the conversation.

Grazie wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:24 AM

@EricLNZ - Understood. My deepest apologies.

EricLNZ wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:31 AM

Thanks @Grazie. I can go to bed now. Another warm sticky night ahead.

3POINT wrote on 1/11/2022, 4:49 AM

Is there a way to make sure the playhead (and current position) is always centered in the screen, say?

Than I probably misunderstood this question from @gary-o

Grazie wrote on 1/11/2022, 5:00 AM

Thanks @Grazie. I can go to bed now. Another warm sticky night ahead.

@EricLNZ - Far FAR too much information . . .