I've finally gotten around to more seriously working on memorizing keyboard shortcuts and getting away from the mouse while transitioning from Xpress to Media Composer. I've applied the "American" keyboard stickers from the Media Composer boxed set.

I'm pretty sure that the "H" key used to be "Add Edit", and that's what the sticker shows - however it's defaulted to "Focus" in the settings/keyboard. There are some other minor key/function default differences as well. I've read several posts and the help files, but I just can't seem to remap a function onto any key using "Command Pallete" and "Keyboard" click 'n drag 'n such 'n thus method(s).

Seems Media Composer has some 'smart' editing automatic fuctions built in that result in fewer keystrokes for those in the know, and that may very well be why it's missing from the keyboard.

 But, I'd still like to have my 'add edit' key back somewhere on the keyboard.

Any thoughts? What am I missing here?

Got mine on the - (minus) key. Don't know if that is default, though.

You can map most functions to any key on your keyboard or button on the interface.

You'll need to edit your Keyboard settings using the Command Pallette (Control+3).

Check the help...it has all the information you need.

"H" is add edit on xpress pro keyboard,  it's Focus on MC.  You can remap it anything you like though.

 Here's a set of keyboard shortcuts. It's for Newscutter, but the only significant keyboard differences are that "N" applies keyframes and segment editing is activated or deactivated by the colon and apostrophe keys.

I really appreciate the replies.

Think I'm confusing mapping menu 'buttons' with keyboard keys somehow. I re-read the help topics again about using the COMMAND PALETTE and KEYBOARD popup windows to map "buttons" but I'm still not getting anywhere.

1. Opened and tore the HAMBURGER menu containing the ADD EDIT menu 'button' item onto the desktop.

2. Selected a key, "H" in this case, in the KEYBOARD popup. The key turned purple and the cursor changed to a "small white menu" per the help file.

3. Clicking on the desired function - i.e. ADD EDIT - in the COMMAND PALETTE per the help file results in a warning message stating, "That button cannot be changed."

4. Clicking and 'dragging' the ADD EDIT button from the HAMBURGER menu per the help file does nothing.

5. Clicking the ADD EDIT button without dragging changes it to purple and nothing else.

I've tried pressing ENTER to complete each command and several other variations in sequence. Just can't seem to get it down. . .

Could one of you kind and helpful Coaches go through the exact sequence, step by step, with me?

Thanks!

 You're doing essentially the right thing, just ignore "that button can't be changed". I always wanted to yell at it "Idiot! I don't want to change it, I just want to move it!"  Just click and drag the button from the command palette to the desired key on the keyboard - it will take. You do not need the keyboard if you want to map command palette buttons to the buttons on your source and record monitors.

 Also, you can map menu pull down items to the keyboard as well, using the "menu to button" mode on the command palette. FIrst click on the desired key, then click on the appropriate menu pull down item. Great for mapping toolsets to the keyboard.

softoz:

2. Selected a key, "H" in this case, in the KEYBOARD popup. The key turned purple and the cursor changed to a "small white menu" per the help file.

This says to me that you've got "Menu to Button" selected and are following the steps to re-assign menu commands to the keyboard.  To re-assign a button to the keyboard you don't ever need to select the button on the Keyboard first.  Just drag it to the location.

Here are the sure-fire steps:

1)  Open Keyboard Settings

2)  CTRL+3 to open Command Palette

3)  Make sure "Button to Button" is selected

4)  Navigate to the tab in the Command Palette that contains the Add Edit button, (I believe it's "Edit")

5)  Drag the Add Edit icon to the key of your choosing

The method you outlined probably isn't working because I think you can only re-assign buttons on the interface to and from the tear away Fast Menu or from other locations on the interface, not to and from the Keyboard.

Perfecto! Thanks, Kenton!

While were on a roll, I do have two more questions to close out this thread:

1. How do you navigate to and select a single clip out of dozens spread out on several video tracks in the timeline using only the keyboard?

I've always used the mouse, but I'd like to get away from that if possible.

2. Is there a way to 'nudge' a selected clip one single frame at a time left or right in the timeline using only the keyboard?

For example, in Pro Tools a selected audio segment can easily be nudged back and forth one unit at a time on a grid simply using the left/right arrow keys. At least once every Avid session I do that out of old habits. It'd be nice if a video clip in MC could be bumped left/right in the same easy way.

There are always many ways to do things, but here are a couple of answers:

1. Map the FFW and REW functions to your keyboard. There are settings that determine what they stop on and whether or not they follow your track lights or not.  Or, if the source clip is loaded in the source monitor, you can use reverse match frame.  But I think you will find using the mouse easier :).

2. You can't do it with just the keyboard, but if you enter trim mode and double-click on a clip, you will see rollers on the end frame of your previous clip and the start frame on the next clip.  Using the trim 1 field buttons will let you slip that clip back and forth to your heart's content.

I'm sure others will have other suggestions as well, so stay tuned!

softoz:

1. How do you navigate to and select a single clip out of dozens spread out on several video tracks in the timeline using only the keyboard?

You can use the RW/FF or Prev/Next edit commands mapped to the keyboard to get you there

softoz:

2. Is there a way to 'nudge' a selected clip one single frame at a time left or right in the timeline using only the keyboard?

In segment mode, use the Trim buttons on the keyboard to nudge it.