2 <h2>Interface Elements</h2>
4 <p class=fixme>Add missing content, if the following is really meant to be documented</p>
8 <h3>Pull Down Menus</h3>
10 <h3>Context Menus</h3>
16 By default, Ardour will show helpful <dfn>tooltips</dfn> about the purpose
17 and use of each <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr> element if
18 the pointer is positioned over it and hovered there for a short while. These
19 little pop-up messages can be a good way to discover the purpose of many
24 Pop-ups can also be distracting for experienced users, who may wish to
25 disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Show
26 tooltip if mouse hovers over a control</kbd>.
29 <h2>Selection Techniques</h2>
32 Ardour follows the conventions used by most other computer software
33 (including other DAWs) for <dfn>selecting objects</dfn> in the <abbr
34 title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>.
37 <h3>Selecting individual objects</h3>
40 Clicking on an object (sometimes on a particular part of its on-screen
41 representation) will select the object, and deselect other similar objects.
44 <h3>Selecting multiple (similar) objects</h3>
47 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd>-click on an object toggles its selected
48 status, so using <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd> on a series of objects
49 will select (or deselect) each one of them. A completely arbitrary set of
50 selections can be constructed with this technique.
53 <h3>Selecting a range of objects</h3>
56 In cases where the idea of "select all objects between this one and that one"
57 makes sense, select one object and then <kbd class="mod3
58 mouse">left</kbd>-click on another to select both of them as well as all objects in between.
61 <h3>Time range selection</h3>
64 To select a time <dfn>range</dfn> in the Editor, <kbd
65 class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click and drag the mouse. A <kbd class="mod1
66 mouse">Left</kbd> drag then lets you create other ranges and a <kbd
67 class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd>-click extends a range to cover a wider area.
70 <h3>Selection Undo</h3>
73 The set of objects (including time range) that are selected at any one time
74 is known as the selection. Each time an object is selected or deselected, the
75 new selection is stored in an undo/redo stack. This stack is cleared each
76 time the content of the timeline changes.
80 If a complex selection has been built up and then accidentally cleared it,
81 choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> will restore
82 the previous selection. If a selection is undone and a return to the state
83 before the undo is desired, choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Redo
84 Selection Change</kbd> will take the selection back to where it was before
85 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> was chosen.
88 <h2>Cut and Paste Operations</h2>
91 The <dfn>clipboard</dfn> is a holder for various kinds of objects (regions,
92 control events, plugins) that is used during <dfn>cut-and-paste
99 A <dfn>cut</dfn> operation removes selected objects and places them in the
100 clipboard. The existing contents of the clipboard are overwriten. The default
101 key binding is <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
107 A <dfn>copy</dfn> of the selected objects are placed in clipboard. There is
108 no effect on the selected objects themselves. The existing contents of the
109 clipboard are overwritten. The default key binding is <kbd
110 class="mod1">c</kbd>.
116 The current contents of the clipboard are <dfn>paste</dfn>d (inserted) into
117 the session, using the current <dfn>edit point</dfn> as the destination. The
118 contents of the clipboard remain unchanged—the same item can be pasted
119 multiple times. The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
122 <h2>Deleting Objects</h2>
125 Within the Editor window (and to some extent within the Mixer window too),
126 there are several techniques for <dfn>deleting</dfn> objects (regions,
127 control points, and more).
130 <h3>Using the mouse and keyboard</h3>
133 Select the object(s) to be deleted and then press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.
134 This does <strong>not</strong> put the deleted object(s) in the clipboard, so
135 they cannot be pasted elsewhere.
138 <h3>Using normal cut and paste shortcuts</h3>
141 Select the object(s) and then press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>. This puts the
142 deleted object(s) in the clipboard so that they can be pasted elsewhere.
145 <h3>Using just the mouse</h3>
148 By default, <kbd class="mouse">Shift Right</kbd> will delete the clicked-upon
149 object. Like the <kbd>Del</kbd> key, this does <strong>not</strong> put the
150 deleted object(s) in the clipboard.
154 The modifier and mouse button used for this can be controlled via <kbd
155 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction > Delete using
156 …</kbd>. Any modifier and mouse button combination can be used.
159 <h2>Undo/Redo for Editing</h2>
162 While editing, it sometimes happens that an unintended change is made, or a
163 choice is made that is later decided to be wrong. All changes to the
164 arrangement of session components (regions, control points) along the
165 timeline can be <dfn>undone</dfn> (and <dfn>redone</dfn> if necessary).
169 The default keybindings are <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> for Undo and <kbd
170 class="mod1">R</kbd> for Redo. These match the conventions of most other
171 applications that provide undo/redo.
175 Changes are also saved to the <dfn>session history</dfn> file, so that
176 undo/redo is possible even if the session is closed and reopened later, even
177 if Ardour is exited in between.
181 The maximum number of changes that can be undone can be configured under <kbd
182 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Undo</kbd>. The maximum
183 number of changes stored in the history file is a separate parameter, and can
184 also be set in the same place.
188 In addition to the normal undo (which works only on actions that change the
189 timeline), there is a <dfn>visual undo</dfn> which will revert any command
190 that affects the display of the editor window. Its shortcut is <kbd
191 class="mod3">Z</kbd>. There is also an undo for selection; see "Selection