If you have a digitlal mixer, it seems that you really should route all your tracks from your from your DAW to the mixer. If you don't, then you can't use any of the effects of your mixer, nor can you sum in the mixer which would allow you to use routing, pan and other controls on your mixer,. You might as well just get a controller, no?

If you agree with this, then I assume you feel the faders on your DAW should be set at 0, and then just sum in your mixer. You can route all your channels from your DAW to your mixer and save the template.

However the Yamaha mixers for instance have midi fader levels as well. So I guess that allows you to use the automation of your DAW with your digital mixer. The problem I see is once the audio is in your digital mixer, you have to route all the channels to a two track master in your DAW. Doesn't this affect the way you are using effects, automation with going back into your DAW?