Zoom hotkey only zooming into the timeline, not the viewer

Hi, not sure if i'm missing something simple here but haven't been able to find an answer and would save alot of time to figure it out. I try to zoom into the viewer and hit cmd + or -, but it only zooms in and out of the timeline, requiring to click the % at the top to zoom into the viewer to change the zoom, which is tedious to do often.. I've tried clicking all over the viewer, but always just changes the timeline zoom. It doesn't always happen, sometimes i can select the viewer and zoom with the hotkey perfectly fine, but it seems that randomly sometimes that doesnt work no matter what i do. Is there something i need to do (other than click the viewer) to make it so i can zoom in with hotkeys? Would really appreciate your input. Thanks, Dan

Try hitting CMD-3 to activate the viewer, then CMD-+/- to zoom in/out. Hitting CMD-2 will re-activate the timeline and then CMD-+/- will zoom in/out on that.

I find that often I'm trying to zoom the Viewer, and unknowingly have the Timeline active. Wish Apple would find a better way to make BLATANTLY OBVIOUS which pane is active. Way to subtle and unnoticeable as it is.

Thanks for the input. I've tried hitting cmd 3 to switch to viewer but it wont let me zoom, the keys will still just zoom in the timeline. I can hit command 1 or 2 and change between the the browser and back to the timeline and use keys to manipulate these (also works with the event viewer). and when i hit command 3, whatever i have selected (the timeline or the browser or event veiwer) will un-highlight as if its been deselected, but the viewer doesn't highlight as if its been selected, and they keys will always still manipulate the timeline. In addition to clicking in the viewer and using the cmd 3 hotkey, i've also tried going into window > go to> browser, but no success with the keys. Have tried with several libraries too. Any ideas? Is something not working right?

Maybe you have the shortcut command-3 associated with something else?
Try clicking somewhere inside the viewer area and then press command-plus. Does it zoom in the viewer then?

FYI, I find on all three of our systems, that Cmd-3 followed by Cmd - or + doesn't always work as it should. I've filed out a bug report for it before. But actually clicking in the Viewer always works for us.

yea i've tried clicking in the viewer, and have checked the hotkey settings and its cmd3. sounds like a bug i guess, i'll ask apple about it. thanks for your help again

It beggars belief that you need to use these inconvenient zoom hotkeys at all. Both Color and Shake had much better timeline and viewer navigation respectively.

A right click and drag in the timeline or viewer with option or command qualifier should be all that's necessary to zoom in the appropriate area and would be far more intuitive than the finger gymnastics that are required now.

Clicking in the viewer and then using the zoom hotkeys doesn't work for me as it still zooms the timeline. I'm pretty sure it used?

Unfenswinger wrote: It beggars belief that you need to use these inconvenient zoom hotkeys at all. Both Color and Shake had much better timeline and viewer navigation respectively.

A right click and drag in the timeline or viewer with option or command qualifier should be all that's necessary to zoom in the appropriate area and would be far more intuitive than the finger gymnastics that are required now.

Clicking in the viewer and then using the zoom hotkeys doesn't work for me as it still zooms the timeline. I'm pretty sure it used?

I fail to see how these are superior to the standard command-plus. FWIW, you can also zoom the timeline (but not the viewer) with a standard two-finger gesture in the trackpad, if you prefer.

As to how and why the shortcut seems to fail for some people in the viewer, sorry, no clue. It works for me with Command-3 and I can't seem to make it fail.

lichinho wrote:

Unfenswinger wrote: It beggars belief that you need to use these inconvenient zoom hotkeys at all. Both Color and Shake had much better timeline and viewer navigation respectively.

A right click and drag in the timeline or viewer with option or command qualifier should be all that's necessary to zoom in the appropriate area and would be far more intuitive than the finger gymnastics that are required now.

Clicking in the viewer and then using the zoom hotkeys doesn't work for me as it still zooms the timeline. I'm pretty sure it used?

I fail to see how these are superior to the standard command-plus. FWIW, you can also zoom the timeline (but not the viewer) with a standard two-finger gesture in the trackpad, if you prefer.

As to how and why the shortcut seems to fail for some people in the viewer, sorry, no clue. It works for me with Command-3 and I can't seem to make it fail.

Really? You can't see how clicking and dragging in the appropriate area plus one single modifier key with variable zoom is better than CMD -/= which only zooms in discrete increments? I've often wanted pan and zoom controls in the viewer especially when I'm positioning shape masks off screen. Mouse drag + modifier is common for 3D software navigation and you never have to take your eyes off the screen, it's a pretty standard navigation method in DCC packages.

I bought a Magic trackpad for navigating in FCPX and was surprised pinch zoom wasn't supported in the viewer, it would be great if Apple did support this gesture.

Cmd3 to switch always works for me - odd that some are seeing issues and others not.

Trackpad - I hadn't even thought to try the pinch but it works in the timeline so I thought I'd try it in Motion and it works in the timeline AND in the Canvas there. In the Canvas you can also use a two finger drag to move the zoomed out canvas around. If it works in Motion then why not FCPX?

I might start using my trackpad for more than opening Launchpad! :woohoo:

ianstubbs wrote: I might start using my trackpad for more than opening Launchpad! :woohoo:

Does anybody use Launchpad???

One quick gesture on the trackpad, type the first two or three letters of an app and launch. For any app that isn't in the dock it's a fast way to do it.

I was teaching Motion to some students yesterday and used the pinch to resize the canvas! (After I'd launched the app from the Launchpad of course.) :lol:

ianstubbs wrote: One quick gesture on the trackpad, type the first two or three letters of an app and launch. For any app that isn't in the dock it's a fast way to do it.

I was teaching Motion to some students yesterday and used the pinch to resize the canvas! (After I'd launched the app from the Launchpad of course.) :lol:

Never even knew that you could use Launchpad that way... I use an essentially equivalent method, but via Spotlight. It is command-space rather than a trackpad gesture, the rest is the same. Always good to learn new things!

ianstubbs wrote: ... If it works in Motion then why not FCPX?...

… that's why I'm looking forward for some MotionX ... there are many discrepencies:
Why is the Inspector in M5 left? FCPX right.
Why is the 'Effect tab' left? FCPX right.
Why can I pinch&zoom in M5, in FCPX just timeline?
Why can I copy/paste adjustments in FCPX, in M5 not?
Why can I drag'n drop adjustments in M5, not in FCPX?
Why does cmd-2 switch to timeline in FCPX, not so in M5...
Why does M5 offer a content-aware HUD, FCPX not?

tbc...

ok, key-combo-artists like Mark Spencer will kill me, but as a non-heavy-user I frequently mix commands...

lichinho wrote: …Does anybody use Launchpad???

<from the far back> me, me!!!

As an excessive MTP user, 5-fingers-closed, tic, app launches/switchin gto app, is a frequent operation. Arrange Launchpad to your needs, most wanted 1st page, least last page .. handy