3 By default, Ardour will show helpful <dfn>tooltips</dfn> about the purpose
4 and use of each <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr> element if
5 the pointer is positioned over it and hovered there for a short while. These
6 little pop-up messages can be a good way to discover the purpose of many
11 Pop-ups can also be distracting for experienced users, who may wish to
12 disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Show
13 tooltip if mouse hovers over a control</kbd>.
16 <h2>Selection Techniques</h2>
19 Ardour follows the conventions used by most other computer software
20 (including other DAWs) for <dfn>selecting objects</dfn> in the <abbr
21 title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>.
24 <h3>Selecting individual objects</h3>
27 Clicking on an object (sometimes on a particular part of its on-screen
28 representation) will select the object, and deselect other similar objects.
31 <h3>Selecting multiple (similar) objects</h3>
34 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd>-click on an object toggles its selected
35 status, so using <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd> on a series of objects
36 will select (or deselect) each one of them. A completely arbitrary set of
37 selections can be constructed with this technique.
40 <h3>Selecting a range of objects</h3>
43 In cases where the idea of "select all objects between this one and that one"
44 makes sense, select one object and then <kbd class="mod3
45 mouse">left</kbd>-click on another to select both of them as well as all objects in between.
48 <h3>Time range selection</h3>
51 To select a time <dfn>range</dfn> in the Editor, <kbd
52 class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click and drag the mouse. A <kbd class="mod1
53 mouse">Left</kbd> drag then lets you create other ranges and a <kbd
54 class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd>-click extends a range to cover a wider area.
57 <h3>Selection Undo</h3>
60 The set of objects (including time range) that are selected at any one time
61 is known as the selection. Each time an object is selected or deselected, the
62 new selection is stored in an undo/redo stack. This stack is cleared each
63 time the content of the timeline changes.
67 If a complex selection has been built up and then accidentally cleared it,
68 choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> will restore
69 the previous selection. If a selection is undone and a return to the state
70 before the undo is desired, choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Redo
71 Selection Change</kbd> will take the selection back to where it was before
72 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> was chosen.
75 <h2>Cut and Paste Operations</h2>
78 The <dfn>clipboard</dfn> is a holder for various kinds of objects (regions,
79 control events, plugins) that is used during <dfn>cut-and-paste
86 A <dfn>cut</dfn> operation removes selected objects and places them in the
87 clipboard. The existing contents of the clipboard are overwritten. The default
88 key binding is <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
94 A <dfn>copy</dfn> of the selected objects are placed in clipboard. There is
95 no effect on the selected objects themselves. The existing contents of the
96 clipboard are overwritten. The default key binding is <kbd
103 The current contents of the clipboard are <dfn>paste</dfn>d (inserted) into
104 the session, using the current <dfn>edit point</dfn> as the destination. The
105 contents of the clipboard remain unchanged—the same item can be pasted
106 multiple times. The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
109 <h2>Deleting Objects</h2>
112 Within the Editor window (and to some extent within the Mixer window too),
113 there are several techniques for <dfn>deleting</dfn> objects (regions,
114 control points, and more).
117 <h3>Using the mouse and keyboard</h3>
120 Select the object(s) to be deleted and then press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.
121 This does <strong>not</strong> put the deleted object(s) in the clipboard, so
122 they cannot be pasted elsewhere.
125 <h3>Using normal cut and paste shortcuts</h3>
128 Select the object(s) and then press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>. This puts the
129 deleted object(s) in the clipboard so that they can be pasted elsewhere.
132 <h3>Using just the mouse</h3>
135 By default, <kbd class="mouse">Shift Right</kbd> will delete the clicked-upon
136 object. Like the <kbd>Del</kbd> key, this does <strong>not</strong> put the
137 deleted object(s) in the clipboard.
141 The modifier and mouse button used for this can be controlled via <kbd
142 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction > Delete using
143 …</kbd>. Any modifier and mouse button combination can be used.
146 <h2>Undo/Redo for Editing</h2>
149 While editing, it sometimes happens that an unintended change is made, or a
150 choice is made that is later decided to be wrong. All changes to the
151 arrangement of session components (regions, control points) along the
152 timeline can be <dfn>undone</dfn> (and <dfn>redone</dfn> if necessary).
156 The default keybindings are <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> for Undo and <kbd
157 class="mod1">R</kbd> for Redo. These match the conventions of most other
158 applications that provide undo/redo.
162 Changes are also saved to the <dfn>session history</dfn> file, so that
163 undo/redo is possible even if the session is closed and reopened later, even
164 if Ardour is exited in between.
168 The maximum number of changes that can be undone can be configured under <kbd
169 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Undo</kbd>. The maximum
170 number of changes stored in the history file is a separate parameter, and can
171 also be set in the same place.
175 In addition to the normal undo (which works only on actions that change the
176 timeline), there is a <dfn>visual undo</dfn> which will revert any command
177 that affects the display of the editor window. Its shortcut is <kbd
178 class="mod3">Z</kbd>. There is also an undo for selection; see "Selection