4 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-grid.png" alt="Editor toolbar's grid">
10 Ardour's editor utilizes a <dfn>grid</dfn> to assist in the placement
12 of regions on the timeline, or with editing functions that need to happen
14 at a specific point in time. You can choose if you want the cursor and
16 various objects to snap to this grid, and how you want the snapping to
18 behave. You can modify the grid units to fit your needs.
24 <h2>About Snapping</h2>
28 <p>There are two ways to think about aligning material to a grid.
30 The first and most obvious one is where an object's position is clamped
32 to grid lines. In Ardour, this is called <dfn>absolute snap</dfn>
34 and is commonly used when working with sampled material where audio
36 begins exactly at the beginning of a file, note or region.</br>
38 The second, <dfn>relative snap</dfn>, is used when an object's position
40 relative to the grid lines is important. In music, this allows you to
42 move objects around without changing the "feel" (or timing) of a performance.</br>
44 Absolute snap is the default method of snapping in Ardour.</br>
46 While dragging objects you may switch from absolute to relative snap by
48 pressing the absolute snap modifier key(s).</br>
50 You may also disable snap entirely by using the snap modifier (see below).</br>
52 Note that in relative snap mode the reference point is taken to be the distance
54 to the nearest grid line.</br>
56 Note also that when an object lies exactly on a grid line, there will be no difference
58 between relative and absolute snap modes.</br>
60 The realtive snap and snap modifiers (along with other modifier keys) may be set in
62 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction</kbd></br>
64 For common use patterns, it is recommended that you assign a unique key for
66 one snap modifier and two keys for the other in such a way that they share an otherwise unused key.
68 For example, you may choose the snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key and the
70 relative snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> and <kbd class="mod4"> </kbd> keys.
80 Using the above modifications, Ardour supports three different modes of snapping to the grid:
86 <dl class="wide-table">
88 <dt><kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd></dt>
90 <dd>disables the grid. All objects move freely in this mode.</br>
92 In <kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd> mode, you may temporarily activate the grid by pressing the
94 snap modifier (for absolute snap) or switch to relative snap by pressing the relative snap modifier.</dd>
96 <dt><kbd class="menu">Grid</kbd></dt>
98 <dd>activates normal snapping. All positions of objects snap to
100 the grid. (See <a href="#gridunits">Grid Units</a> below
102 to change the grid). If you try to move an object in "Grid"-mode, it
104 does not change its position until you move the mouse far enough for the
106 object to reach the next grid line.</br>
108 Sometimes you may wish to maintain an objects' position relative to the grid line.
110 In order to do this, use the "snap relative" modifier.
112 When holding down this modifier during a drag, the dragged object will jump
114 while maintaining its original distance from the line.</br>
116 New objects will always be created at grid points.</br>
118 Holding down the snap modifier will disable the current grid setting and allow you to move the object freely.</br>
122 <dt><kbd class="menu">Magnetic</kbd></dt>
124 <dd>is a less strict type of snapping. Objects can still be moved to any
126 position, but positions close to the relative or absolute grid points will snap.
128 In order to move an object very close to a snap point, it may be necessary
130 to zoom in to prevent snapping to that point, or to use the snap modifier to disable snap completely.</br>
132 As with Grid mode, the snap modifier will disable snap completely while the
134 absolute snap modifier will move the "notch" of Magnetic snap to the grid lines.</dd>
140 <h2>Syncing Regions to the Grid</h2>
144 By default, a region's beginning will be used as the reference for both types of snapping,
146 but you can change this behaviour by setting a <dfn>sync point</dfn> in
148 the region. Select the region(s) and press <kbd>V</kbd>. This will set
150 the sync point to your edit point.</p>
154 <h2 id="gridunits">Grid Units</h2>
158 The selector next to the grid mode selector defines the size of the grid
160 elements. You can set your grid to several different units:
164 <dl class="wide-table">
166 <dt><kbd class="menu">CD Frames</kbd></dt>
168 <dd>A CD Frame is 1/75th of a second. Snapping to CD Frames (using absolute snap) can be used to avoid issues with CD track
172 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Frames/Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
174 <dd>The duration of a frame depends on the timecode settings for the
178 <dt><kbd class="menu">Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
180 <dd>These are absolute time units, unaffected by sample rate or timecode settings</dd>
182 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats/N</kbd></dt>
184 <dd>Set the grid to units of 1/N beats, where N can be 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
186 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats</kbd></dt>
188 <dd>Set the grid to whole beats. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
190 <dt><kbd class="menu">Bars</kbd></dt>
192 <dd>Set the grid to whole bars. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
194 <dt><kbd class="menu">Markers</kbd></dt>
196 <dd>The grid lines are the markers.</dd>
198 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Starts</kbd></dt>
200 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start points (see below).</dd>
202 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Ends</kbd></dt>
204 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region end points (see below).</dd>
206 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Syncs</kbd></dt>
208 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region sync points.</dd>
210 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Bounds</kbd></dt>
212 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start or end points.</dd>
220 To use Region starts/ends/syncs/bounds as snap choices, you must have
230 <li><em>No</em> tracks selected, which means that Ardour snaps to regions on any track, or </li>
232 <li>Several tracks selected, which means that Ardour only snaps to regions on those selected tracks.</li>
240 If you are moving items on a track, and only the current track is selected,
242 then you will only be able to snap to other regions on the same track.
244 This means that enabling
246 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Link Selections of Regions and
248 Tracks</kbd> will make the "Region" grid unit unusable. Avoid the use of this option if
250 you are going to use any of the Region grid units.