Permanently Grouped Controls

This is also referred to as "Control-Mode Grouping."  To permanently group controls, select the desired controls while in the "Control" Mode.  Each of the controls in the selected group will be highlighted by a red outline around it.  You can remove a control from the group by using CTRL + Click (see section on rodent control for more mouse info).  This toggles the selected controls in and out of the group.  Next, choose "Group" from the "Tools" Menu.  The selected objects are now permanently grouped.

Each of the controls in the selected group will be highlighted with a red outline around them.  When you adjust any control in this group, all of the controls in the group will be simultaneously adjusted.  They will adjust in a relative manner if you are adjusting either a knob, button, or fader.  In other words, if you adjust a fader in a selected group up from its original setting, all the other faders in the group will go up from their original settings (unless they hit the limit of their range).  Conversely, if you reduce the level by gesturing the control down, all the other faders in the group will go down from their original settings (unless they hit the limit of their range).  Please note that the relative offset value is not always maintained.  This type of grouping is based on control position, and not on the value setting of the control.  Also if you release the grouped control while one of its component controls has reached the limit of its range, the new control offset will now be maintained.

There are exceptions to this however.  If you type in a specific value, such as -3.5, instead of gesturing the knob (or fader) up or down, then all of the selected controls will be set to EXACTLY -3.5, NOT to a setting -3.5 down from their original setting.  This is referred to as an absolute (as opposed to a relative) setting.

To key (type) in a relative change as opposed to an absolute value, use the notation "+=numeric value" to increase all the selected controls or “-=numeric value” to decrease all the selected controls by the same amount.  For example, if you want to increase all of the faders in a selected group up +3.5 dB relative to their current setting, type in "+=3.5" (ignoring the quotation marks).

Unlike temporarily grouped controls, when you group controls using the "Group" command from the "Tools" menu, once you perform the next action, other than adjusting the selected group, the selected controls will NOT become ungrouped.

If you accidentally selected a control, or want to remove a control from a group before using the “Group” command, select the control using CTRL + Click, which will toggle the selected device in and out of the group.  After using the “Group” command, you must first use the “Ungroup” command, then CTRL + Click on the control you wish to remove, then use the “Group” command again.

IMPORTANT!  Note that grouping controls in "Control" mode groups only their settings, NOT the locations on the screen of their graphic controls!

There are two types of groupings (well, actually three, if you include "Control (Parameter) Grouping"), groups made in Control Mode, and groups made in Edit Mode.  It is important to realize that objects can be grouped in both the Control Mode and the Edit Mode.  Grouping and ungrouping devices while in the Edit Mode will group or ungroup only the device’s graphic locations on the screen.  In other words, you will be able to move them on the screen as one set of objects, or as one apparent object if you have stacked them, edit them (cut, copy, and paste, etc.), but they will NOT be grouped as far as control function!  Adjusting one control in a group of controls that were grouped in Edit Mode will only adjust the one control being adjusted, NOT all the other controls belonging to that group!  A control can be a member of one group in the Edit mode, and another group in the Control Mode.

In order to belong to a group in both modes, first, you must enter Control Mode, select the objects, group them using the "Group" command from the Tools Menu, then enter Edit Mode, select the objects again, and then using the "Group" command from the Tools Menu, group them again.  Now they belong to a group in both modes, and will not only maintain the same location on screen relative to each other, but they will be grouped as control elements as well.

There is a variant on groups constructed in the Edit Mode, which is referred to as stacking.  This takes a group of controls (which heretofore may have been in different locations on a control panel), and "turns them into one control".  To stack controls, in Edit Mode move each of the desired controls onto the top of the control you wish to "stack" them on top of.  It is helpful to use the "Align Top" and then the "Pack - Left" controls from the Edit Menu, to be sure the controls are lined up, so it looks like one control, as opposed to a jumble of controls laid haphazardly on top of each other.  Once they look right in Edit Mode, draw a selection rectangle with the mouse across all of the items that are stacked on top of each other.  When you release the mouse button each of the controls in the selected group will be highlighted with a red outline around them, although you will only be able to see the top one.  Now, select "Group" from the Tools menu.  Voila, now they are one control as seen on the screen, which can be moved, cut, copied, or pasted where ever you want it.  You must next group the controls in Control Mode.  To select all the controls in the stack, draw a selection rectangle with the mouse across the controls (if you only click on the stack you will have only selected the top control).  Then use the “Group” command from the “Tools” menu.  From now on you can just adjust the top control and all the rest will follow.  To make sure the controls are all synchronized, once the view file has been compiled, turn the control to minimum and release it, then turn it to maximum and release it.  Now save your view file, and the controls will remain synchronized.

Ungrouping Grouped Controls

To ungroup a permanently grouped set of controls, first select the desired group of controls by clicking on one of them. Then choose "Ungroup" from the Tools Menu.

To ungroup a group which has been grouped in BOTH Control and Edit Modes, would require ungrouping twice.  In other words, ungrouping from within each mode.

You could also ungroup in only one mode, leaving the devices grouped in the other mode.