Arena 5 Suggested improvements (2016)

"Where is Feature X? I need Feature X! How can you not have Feature X?"
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Dubrunner
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Arena 5 Suggested improvements (2016)

Post by Dubrunner »

Arena 5 is an amazing program and I'm very impressed with what it can do, but it's missing some super basic core functionality's.....
A few things that would be amazing to see added:

Screen/Slice/Mask Locking: This seems like a no-brainer; it's a feature in every single other program out there which uses layers... fundamental!

Layer linking for masks: What is the current solution if you want to use multiple masks with multiple Slices? We can't? Something like Photoshop/AE where you can link a mask so it only effects that layer.
This option would also be extremely useful for actual layers/ clips. I often like to mask out a layer with black and white clips. It would be good to be able to link layers together so that they are not effecting others.

Simultaneously Change BPM Sync for Multiple clips: Be able to select multiple clips and change them all to BPM sync. The amount of wasted time i've spent going through a deck which for example has 8 layers and 15 clips in each layer then telling each one to switch to BPM....
We should be able to select them all and set them all to BPM and choose which BPM /16 etc. I understand that some tweaking will always be involved.... but it would get you 80% of the way there with 4 clicks instead of having to select every clip!!!
In that simple scenario; 8 layers x 15 clips = 120 objects to click x bpm click = 240 clicks. ;). If each click takes just 2 seconds that's 8 minutes just to change an option..... and that's if your clicking like a speed demon... such a nightmare (RSI anyone?).

Numbered looping for clips: An option to tell a clip to loop X number of times before it then moves onto the next one. Would save massive amounts of column space and allow more control!

Joris
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Re: Arena 5 Suggested improvements (2016)

Post by Joris »

Those are all really good suggestions, thanks for sharing them.

We're aware of all of them and most are either on our roadmap or already possible. For instance, you can select multiple clips using the Shift modifier. Then you can change all their Transport settings to BPM Sync, either via the Clip menu or via the right-click contextual menu.

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