Snapshot Views / Layout Presets
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:31 pm
Hi everyone.
I would like to suggest the introduction of a SNAPSHOT VIEWS functionality.
Ableton has by now become "dense" at a graphic level.
Working with 2 windows and 2 monitors has become indispensable.
Clip view, device view, browser view, mixer, I/O, send/return, etc, are all very useful views, which are mandatory when needed but at times can be annoying.
And the shortcuts have become "numerous and complex" combinations.
All of this, in my opinion, distracts from the work flow.
Introducing the possibility to save and recall favorite views (via keyboard, controller and graphically) would be fantastic.
Recalling View changes, otherwise achievable with sequences of multiple shortcuts, with a single gesture, would solve and speed up the work process without worries and without looking away from the monitors.
The Focus window rectangle could be made colored (or customizable).
And at the moment there is no shortcut to move it to the Arrangement View mixer, unless you open/close the mixer itself.
This makes it even longer to manage it with dedicated and contextual shortcuts; if the focus shifts, the global shortcuts, cmd+alt + S, R, I… act in the other Views (Session and Arrangement).
To give an example.
Or recalling the opening of external plugin windows.
And others could be made.
In general, combinations of 3 keys and sequences of these are not immediate to find.
They slow down the work.
(In another post there was talk of making shortcuts customizable; it is interesting, but probably more complex to realize, it would be a profound change)
Another solution to make the functionality would be an official integration with BitFocus Companion.
I "solved" it by creating very simple commands acting on the operating system that press exactly the keys I would press on the keyboard and the result is very pleasant.
But if all of this were realized by you, it would simplify everything a lot.
Working without third-party software is always better.
Otherwise, making them compatible yourselves, rather than having users write them, would be just as pleasant.
I would like to suggest the introduction of a SNAPSHOT VIEWS functionality.
Ableton has by now become "dense" at a graphic level.
Working with 2 windows and 2 monitors has become indispensable.
Clip view, device view, browser view, mixer, I/O, send/return, etc, are all very useful views, which are mandatory when needed but at times can be annoying.
And the shortcuts have become "numerous and complex" combinations.
All of this, in my opinion, distracts from the work flow.
Introducing the possibility to save and recall favorite views (via keyboard, controller and graphically) would be fantastic.
Recalling View changes, otherwise achievable with sequences of multiple shortcuts, with a single gesture, would solve and speed up the work process without worries and without looking away from the monitors.
The Focus window rectangle could be made colored (or customizable).
And at the moment there is no shortcut to move it to the Arrangement View mixer, unless you open/close the mixer itself.
This makes it even longer to manage it with dedicated and contextual shortcuts; if the focus shifts, the global shortcuts, cmd+alt + S, R, I… act in the other Views (Session and Arrangement).
To give an example.
Or recalling the opening of external plugin windows.
And others could be made.
In general, combinations of 3 keys and sequences of these are not immediate to find.
They slow down the work.
(In another post there was talk of making shortcuts customizable; it is interesting, but probably more complex to realize, it would be a profound change)
Another solution to make the functionality would be an official integration with BitFocus Companion.
I "solved" it by creating very simple commands acting on the operating system that press exactly the keys I would press on the keyboard and the result is very pleasant.
But if all of this were realized by you, it would simplify everything a lot.
Working without third-party software is always better.
Otherwise, making them compatible yourselves, rather than having users write them, would be just as pleasant.