Though… no conclusions what so ever have been made, I can try to sum up a few things for you and point a direction for all this.
Initially there was this discussion about a multipattern setup vs a clip arranger setup.
This pretty much ended up with that too many ppl would just hate to separate instruments from each other into single patterns.
We want them side by side as they are now.
So instead the focus went on to a clip based arranger.
The reason for this can be a bit complicated to grasp initially.
Think of clips as blocks of pattern data that you save as a clip.
So instead of copy/paste blocks in the pattern editor as you do now, you can ‘save’/make them into clips. Then you arrange these clips both in a the standard pattern editor and also in a separate arranger window. A clip can contain note data, other clips have fx data/automation etc. Or everything into the same clip (group). This depends on how you choose to view the clips (optional).
Now… don’t be mad if you really want to arrange entire patterns.
If you have a look in the RNI future thread.
There you can see som talk about ‘instrument-patterns’.
Now this means that you can track your instruments as separate patterns that you trigger inside the instrument.
So all you would have to do to arrange patternwise is to track your patterns inside the instruments. Then just insert a single note from this instrument into the clip arranger. Then this clip will behave like a independent pattern. Just the way you suggest.
IMO this is a much more flexible system that will please everyone 
About the zoom. I don’t see any problems with it. Don’t use it if you don’t need it.
Hope this helped to explain a few things.
I know it’s a lot of information in those threads. But they really have been discussed thorough.
cheers