...every once in a while the media pool jumps out of the Effects of Fades tab and goes to import and does something.,

Hi John,

I'm not sure I understand what you mean, but then I know just how difficult it is to describe MEP's all too frequent quirky behaviour!  Especially when it's intermittent like this. I assume you've noted the distinction I made in my earlier post? Until I realised that I was baffled. And I still don't understand the underlying reason for it - but that's true of lots of MEP behaviour!

However, I think you could be describing something more general, not specifically related to displaying properties with that KB shortcut. Namely the confusing way that MEP switches between Import and Effects modes. Sometimes I'm not sure which mode it's in. I suppose I've simply got used to it now. For example see the question I pose in this self-explanatory illustration:

A side point: I can get to effects more quickly by switching to import and then Video Effects or User Video Effects. In practice I use two macros to open these with hotkeys. Then I just click the required sub- folder such as Move, Collage, etc.

BTW, I'm sure I must have seen Ctrl+e and Alt+Shift+e documented but I can no longer find them either in KB Settings or Help or the PDF manual.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi

. . . . In practice I use two macros to open these with hotkeys . . . 

What 'hotkeys' are you using to run these macros?  Are they interfering with the identical key combinations in MEP.

What software are you using for the macros?  Is there a random race effect?  

In other words depending on the which processes Windows is servicing is MEP sometimes getting the key combination and sometimes the macro software - this would give the randomness you are seeing.

John

Hi John,

No conflict, although I always have to be on my guard about that when assigning my (Macro Express Pro) macro hotkeys.

But that's strictly a separate topic to the one under discussion here about 'ambiguous tabs or modes'. With Macro Express closed that still arises. Don't you find the same confusion?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi Terry,

For the shortcut Alt+Shift+e, go to Effects Library, Audio and Video effects - see page 297 in manual.

For Ctrl+E - it seems to be in 2 places. It is with the Travel Route Animation for Save map section - see page 206 in the manual, and also brings up object properties if an object has been selected, but I can't find this documented in the manual or in Ctrl+Shift+u. Of course it shows up as a shortcut with a right click on an object beside Object properties at the bottom of the list.

I have not created any modifications to the shortcuts that come with MEP. When you create your macros, are you checking for conflicts in MEP under Ctrl+Shift+u?

As for my problem, it is or was intermittent. In a couple of sessions what would happen was when I was working with the Effects tab open on Size/Position and resizing an image for example, the focus would suddenly change to Import as though I had pressed the Import tab. Then MEP seemed to be doing something and if I clicked on the Effects tab or used Alt+Shift+e, it would go back to the Effects screen where I was and then jump right back to Import, and so on until it had finished whatever it was doing. It hasn't done it today. Oops, I spoke too soon; it just started doing it again. I click on Effects and within a minute it jumps back to Import. It does it even if I am in another window, like IE typing this message. Strange!

Looking at your screens, I see that in image 1 there is nothing in the first column. Normally if you go collages, you should see the list of effects at the left. See my image and your image 2. I tried to get the same thing by opening MEP2014 and doing Alt+Shift+e, but it still gave me the Effects tab as per the previous session, with the list of effects at the left. How did you get image 1?

Hi

@ Terry

Much as I try from various tabs I cannot get the effects you are seeing.

I am using the standard key map with one minor modification - I swap the N and Shift N shortcuts.

John

Hi

@ Terry

Much as I try from various tabs I cannot get the effects you are seeing.

I am using the standard key map with one minor modification - I swap the N and Shift N shortcuts.

John

Hi John,

Do you really mean what I described in my original edit under 'Mystery solved' or John CB's problem?

If the former, are you saying you can use that shortcut from both Effects and Import?

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

How did you get image 1?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi

. . . . Do you really mean what I described in my original edit under 'Mystery solved' or John CB's problem? . . .

John CB's problem - should have made that clear - everything behaves normally here.

. . . How did you get image 1? . . .

Looking at the screen shots you have posted below it looks like you have customised your import tab left hand pane, adding in more links.

How did you create the link to Video Effects?

John

Hi John,

OK thanks, understood.

Looking at the screen shots you have posted below it looks like you have customised your import tab left hand pane, adding in more links.

Yes, I've had those customised for years now, giving me greater access flexibility.

How did you create the link to Video Effects?

Navigated to it in the tree starting from anywhere convenient. Then used Folder as link...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/MEP-AddLink.jpg

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi Terry

Is that a 'legal' method?

I have always considered the Create link option as a means of linking directly to specific project / resource folders rather than 'internal system'  folders such as Effects.

Without knowing the original intention of this option in MEP , I would be concerned about possible side effects of linking in this way.

John

Hi Terry and John,

Now I understand part of Terry's problem. You are opening the collages folder from Import. But, I don't know how or why that takes one to the Effects screen. I would assume that it would take you to the Collages folder, as the import tab is like Windows Explorer. So I tried out what you did.

Before doing the following, I went to Effects, Movement Effects, Size/Position (my image 4).

I went back to the Import tab and added the Collages folder in Program Data as a link (my image 1), and sure enough, when I click on it, focus changes to the Effects tab, or at least it appear to change as the Effect tab is turned on, and the list of Collages appears (my image 2). Note that I still see the file tree at the left, whereas I don't see it in your image 2. Then I clicked on the tab Import and my Image 3 appeared, still with the focus on Collages and the Collages icons at the left. However, from my image 3, when I click on the tab Effects, it takes me to my image 4, which was my original Effects screen. I find it stange that MEP detects the Collages as it does and changes focus or appears to change focus to the Effects tab. It should not.

My image 1

My image 2

My image 3

My image 4

Question, why do you have a folderCollages in the Import tab in the first place? I just access Collages through the Effects tab.

Now on to my problem:

When I have the focus on the Effects tab, any of the effects including the one in my image 4, for no apparent reason, MEP occasionally switches back to the Import tab as shown in my image 5 below. I don't even have to be doing anything and it does this. I doubt that anyone can replicate this, but if it happens to you, please let me know. It may be a conflict with some other program operating in the background. It definitely is strange and only started happening a few days ago.

My image 5

Hi John

AFAICS you are have now replicated what Terry has done - calling a function that is associated with another tab, hence my questioning whether it is a 'legal' method. 

I think clarifaction from Magix over whether this is a 'legal' method or operation is in order.

John