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Speed Up Workflow with These AV Audio Editor Shortcuts

Working faster in AV Audio Editor comes down to learning the right shortcuts and arranging your workflow to minimize repetitive actions. Use the tips below to cut editing time, keep projects organized, and produce consistent results faster.

1. Essential navigation shortcuts

• Zoom In/Out: Quickly zoom to waveform detail when editing precise cuts. Use the dedicated zoom-in and zoom-out keys to toggle between project-level and sample-level views.
• Scroll Left/Right: Move horizontally along the timeline with keyboard scroll shortcuts instead of dragging the scrollbar.
• Jump to Start/End: Use Home/End (or the app’s equivalents) to move instantly to the beginning or end of the session.

2. Selection and editing keys

• Extend/Shrink Selection: Hold modifier + arrow keys to grow or shrink a selection by a small increment — far faster than using the mouse.
• Split Clip at Playhead: Place the playhead and use the split key to cut clips precisely at the current position.
• Ripple Delete / Trim to Selection: Use the ripple delete shortcut to remove a selection and automatically close the gap, or trim clips to selection to snap media to selected ranges.

3. Transport and playback controls

• Play/Pause & Stop: Toggle playback with a single key to audition edits rapidly.
• Play Selection Loop: Activate loop-play for a selection with one shortcut to refine edits and fades without restarting manually.
• Nudge Playhead by Frames: Nudge forward/back by small frame or sample amounts to position edits precisely.

4. Multi-track and clip management

• Arm/Disarm Tracks: Arm recording or mute/solo tracks with shortcuts to audition mixes quickly.
• Select All Clips on Track: One-key select of all media on the focused track makes batch moves, deletes, or processing fast.
• Group/Ungroup Clips: Group clips that belong together (dialog takes, music stems) to move them as a unit; ungroup when you need fine edits.

5. Editing tools and modes

• Toggle Tools (Cut/Move/Fade): Switch tools with single keys rather than hunting the toolbar.
• Quick Fade In/Out Presets: Apply short fades with a shortcut, then tweak duration numerically if needed.
• Snap/Grid Toggle: Turn snapping on/off to alternate between precise alignment and free positioning without changing tool.

6. Apply effects and processing faster

• Repeat Last Effect: Reapply the last-used effect to selected clips with one command to maintain consistency.
• Batch Apply/Render Selection: Select multiple clips and use the render shortcut to process them in one pass.
• Bypass/Enable Effects: Toggle effect bypass to compare processed vs. dry quickly.

7. Workflow automation with shortcuts

• Macro / Custom Shortcut: Record frequently repeated actions (normalize → EQ → export) as a macro and bind it to a single key.
• Custom Key Mapping: Remap less-used shortcuts to keys within easy reach to reduce hand movement.
• Templates with Keyed Actions: Save session templates with pre-routed tracks, inserts, and key-assigned markers so new projects start with the same workflow.

8. Markers and navigation

• Add Marker at Playhead: Drop markers to mark takes, sync points, and edits without interrupting playback.
• Next/Previous Marker: Jump between markers to move quickly through sections that need work.
• Label Markers: Use shortcut-driven labeling to categorize markers (e.g., FIX, GOOD, MUSIC).

9. Export and save shortcuts

• Quick Save / Save As: Use quick save to avoid data loss; assign Save As to a shortcut for fast versioning.
• Export Selected Tracks/Range: Export only what’s needed with a shortcut to avoid lengthy exports of unused material.
• Batch Export Presets: Use export presets bound to keys for common delivery formats (MP3 draft, WAV final).

10. Ergonomic and efficiency tips

• Keep Hands on Keyboard: Reconfigure commonly used functions to keys near your natural hand position.
• Use Second Keyboard or Stream Deck: Map heavy-use shortcuts to an external controller for one-press actions.
• Practice Shortcut Sets: Spend 15–30 minutes learning and practicing a set of shortcuts each week — muscle memory saves far more time than trying to look things up.

Quick starter shortcut set (example)

• Play/Pause: Spacebar
• Split at Playhead: S
• Zoom In/Out: = / –
• Toggle Snap: N
• Add Marker: M
• Save: Ctrl/Cmd+S
  (Adapt these to your AV Audio Editor if keys differ; customize for comfort.)

Mastering these shortcuts and automations reduces mouse reliance, keeps your focus on sound, and dramatically speeds delivery. Start by learning 5–10 shortcuts you use most; expand gradually and create macros for repeated tasks.

Comparing ViewShape vs. Competitors: Which Is Best?

Quick summary

• ViewShape is primarily a lightweight 3D model viewer (mobile-focused, from Artec Group) that supports OBJ/STL/PLY/VRML, basic render modes, textures, and simple sharing — good for quick inspection and mobile review.
• Competitors range from simple viewers to full 3D/visualization suites (SketchUp, Blender, V-Ray, Revit, Enscape, D5 Render, Creo, etc.). They differ by capability: modeling, photorealistic rendering, BIM, simulation, collaboration, and pricing.

Strengths — ViewShape

• Mobile-first viewer (iPhone/iPod; simple UI).
• Broad file-format support for common scan/CAD exports.
• Fast, low-friction model inspection and sharing.
• Free / freeware availability in some distributions.

Weaknesses — ViewShape

• Limited editing, rendering, and scene-lighting controls.
• Not designed for production-grade photoreal renders, BIM workflows, or large scenes.
• Fewer collaboration/cloud features and integrations than modern desktop/cloud tools.
• Some user reports of bugs and limited updates.

How competitors differ (high-level)

• Blender: Free, full 3D modeling, animation, and production rendering — steep learning curve but extremely capable.
• SketchUp: Quick modeling for design/architecture; extensive plugin ecosystem; good for concepting.
• Revit / Archicad: BIM-focused — construction documentation, collaboration, parametric modeling (enterprise/BIM workflows).
• V-Ray / Redshift / D5 Render: High-quality photoreal rendering engines and production pipelines (paid).
• Enscape: Real-time rendering and VR for architects — integrates with Revit/SketchUp.
• Creo / SolidWorks: Engineering CAD with parametric modeling, simulation, manufacturing export.
• Other viewers (Cortona3D, 3D Model Viewer apps): lightweight viewers like ViewShape but with differing UI/format support and platform coverage.

Which to choose — prescriptive guidance

• Need quick mobile inspection and sharing: ViewShape.
• Need full modeling, animation, or free open-source power: Blender.
• Need fast architectural modeling with plugins and ease-of-use: SketchUp.
• Need BIM, documentation, and team collaboration for AEC: Revit or Archicad.
• Need photoreal, production rendering for marketing/visuals: V-Ray, Redshift, or D5 Render.
• Need mechanical/parametric CAD and manufacturing toolchain: Creo or SolidWorks.
• Need a lightweight cross-platform viewer with AR: consider other mobile/AR viewers if ViewShape lacks features.

Recommendation (decisive)

• Use ViewShape as a mobile-first viewer for inspection and sharing.
• For any serious modeling, rendering, BIM, or engineering work, pick a specialized tool above (Blender for general 3D work; Revit/Archicad for BIM; V-Ray/D5 for photoreal renders; Creo/SolidWorks for CAD). Match tool choice to your primary workflow (modeling vs. rendering vs. BIM vs. CAD).

Sources: ViewShape app pages and software directories (App Store, UpdateStar) and 3D-visualization competitor lists (G2).

MSSQL to PostgreSQL: Tools, Scripts, and Performance Tuning

Migrating from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to PostgreSQL can reduce licensing costs, increase portability, and leverage PostgreSQL’s extensibility. This guide covers the tools to use, essential scripts for schema and data conversion, and performance tuning steps to ensure a smooth migration and production-ready PostgreSQL deployment.

1. Migration tools — when to use them

• pgloader — Best for straightforward bulk migrations. Handles schema creation, data copy, and basic type mapping with good speed. Use when you can tolerate some manual fixes after automated conversion.
• AWS SCT (Schema Conversion Tool) — Useful if migrating into AWS-managed RDS/Aurora PostgreSQL; converts schema and offers assessment reports. Requires AWS environment for full features.
• ora2pg — Although designed for Oracle, it can help with complex migrations via an extensible rule set; less common for MSSQL.
• SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) — Use for complex ETL workflows, incremental loads, and transformations when staying in Microsoft tooling.
• Custom scripts (Python, Go, Node) — Required for complex transformations, stored procedure translation, or bespoke data cleaning.

2. Schema conversion: common differences and mapping

Data type mapping (common)

Constraints, indexes, and sequences

• MSSQL IDENTITY columns -> PostgreSQL sequences with SERIAL or IDENTITY. Prefer GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS IDENTITY for modern PostgreSQL.
• Primary/foreign keys and unique constraints map directly.
• Filtered indexes in MSSQL require partial indexes in PostgreSQL (CREATE INDEX … WHERE …).
• INCLUDE columns in MSSQL nonclustered indexes can be emulated by covering indexes — place columns in the index expression or accept planner differences.

Collation and case sensitivity

• PostgreSQL collations are set per column or database; add citext extension for case-insensitive text.
• Consider migrating to lowercased values or using functional indexes (LOWER(column)).

3. Translating T-SQL to PL/pgSQL

• Stored procedures and functions must be rewritten: T-SQL control flow, TRY/CATCH, and error handling differ.
• Replace functions like ISNULL(a,b) with COALESCE(a,b).
• String functions: REPLACE, SUBSTRING, CHARINDEX -> REPLACE, SUBSTRING, POSITION.
• Temporary tables: MSSQL uses #temp; PostgreSQL uses unlogged tables or temporary tables with CREATE TEMP TABLE.
• Transactions: PostgreSQL uses explicit BEGIN/COMMIT; notice that some nested transaction patterns require SAVEPOINT/ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT.

Example: simple stored procedure conversion

MSSQL (T-SQL)

sql
 ffON2NH02oMAcqyoh2UU MQCbz04ET5EljRmK3YpQ CPXAhl7VTkj2dHDyAYAf” data-copycode=“true” role=“button” aria-label=“Copy Code”>Copy CodeCopied
CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.IncrementCounter @id INT
AS
BEGIN
  UPDATE counters SET value = value + 1 WHERE id = @id;
  SELECT value FROM counters WHERE id = @id;
END

PostgreSQL (PL/pgSQL)

sql
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CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION increment_counter(p_id INTEGER)
RETURNS INTEGER AS $\( </span><span></span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">DECLARE</span><span> </span><span>  v_value </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">INTEGER</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">;</span><span> </span><span></span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">BEGIN</span><span> </span><span>  </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">UPDATE</span><span> counters </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">SET</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">value</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">=</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">value</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">+</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(54, 172, 170);">1</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">WHERE</span><span> id </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">=</span><span> p_id</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">;</span><span> </span><span>  </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">SELECT</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">value</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">INTO</span><span> v_value </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">FROM</span><span> counters </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">WHERE</span><span> id </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">=</span><span> p_id</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">;</span><span> </span><span>  </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">RETURN</span><span> v_value</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">;</span><span> </span><span></span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">END</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">;</span><span> </span><span>\)$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

4. Data migration scripts and patterns

• Use pgloader for fast bulk load:
  • Create target schema (with manual adjustments).
  • Run pgloader with a connection string and mapping rules to transform types.
• For complex ETL, use Python with psycopg2 and pyodbc:
  • Stream rows in batches (e.g., 10k) to avoid memory spikes.
  • Use COPY FROM STDIN for bulk inserts into PostgreSQL.
• Preserve transactionality: for large tables, migrate in consistent batches and use application-level quiesce or snapshot isolation where possible.
• Validate row counts, checksums, and key distributions after migration.

Example Python pattern (simplified)

python
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# pseudocode
src_cursor.execute(“SELECT id, col1, col2 FROM table”)
while rows := src_cursor.fetchmany(10000):
    transformed = [transform_row(r) for r in rows]
    pg_cursor.copy_from(io.StringIO(format_for_copy(transformed)), ‘table’, sep=’	‘)
    pg_conn.commit()

5. Handling identity, sequences, and foreign keys

• After loading data, sync sequences:
  • SELECT setval(pg_get_serial_sequence(‘table’,‘id’), MAX(id)) FROM table;
• Temporarily disable foreign key checks by creating tables without constraints, load data, then add constraints with validation (using NOT VALID and VALIDATE CONSTRAINT later) to speed loading.

6. Performance tuning after migration

PostgreSQL configuration highlights

Schema and query tuning

• Use EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS) to profile slow queries and adapt indexes.
• Replace scalar subqueries with JOINs where appropriate.
• Use BRIN indexes for very large append-only tables.
• Leverage partial and expression indexes for selective filters.
• Normalize vs denormalize decisions: PostgreSQL handles joins well but consider materialized views for heavy aggregations.
• VACUUM and ANALYZE: run VACUUM FULL sparingly; use autovacuum tuning to prevent bloat.

Concurrency and connection pooling

• Use a connection pooler (pgbouncer in transaction mode) to avoid too many active connections.
• Tune max_connections considering RAM and work_mem.

Index maintenance

• Rebuild bloated indexes with REINDEX or CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY to avoid downtime.
• Use pg_repack for online table reorganization.

7. Testing, validation, and cutover strategy

• Staging run: perform a full dry-run migration to a staging cluster; validate schema, query plans, and application behavior.
• Performance baselines: capture query latencies and throughput in MSSQL and compare in PostgreSQL.
• Data validation: row counts, checksums (e.g., md5 concatenated columns), spot-check business-critical queries.
• Cutover options:
  • Big-bang: short downtime, full final sync and switch.
  • Phased: replicate changes (logical replication or triggers) and switch when ready.
• Rollback plan: keep MSSQL read-only fallback for a defined period after cutover.

8. Common pitfalls and fixes

• Unexpected type mismatches: proactively map types and run automated checks.
• Collation/case-sensitivity differences: use citext or functional indexes.
• Transaction semantics differences: test stored proc and transaction behavior under load.
• Sequence mismatches causing unique violations: set sequences after load.
• Missing indexes leading to slow queries: run EXPLAIN and re-add appropriate indexes.

9. Checklist (pre-migration to post-cutover)

1. Inventory schemas, procedures, and ETL jobs.
2. Map data types and collations.
3. Convert stored procedures and functions.
4. Choose migration tool(s) and test on staging.
5. Migrate schema, then data in batches; sync sequences.
6. Validate data integrity and query correctness.
7. Tune PostgreSQL settings and rebuild indexes.
8. Execute cutover, monitor performance, and validate.
9. Post-cutover: enable autovacuum tuning, backups, monitoring, and set maintenance routines.

10. Resources and commands (quick reference)

• pgloader: https://pgloader.io
• psql COPY example:

sql
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COPY mytable (col1, col2) FROM STDIN WITH (FORMAT csv);

• Set sequence:

sql
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SELECT setval(pg_get_serialsequence(‘mytable’,‘id’), (SELECT MAX(id) FROM mytable));

sql
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EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS) SELECT ...;