3 <img src="/images/toolbar-tools.png" alt="Editor toolbar's tools, aka toolbox">
4 <figcaption>Editor toolbar's tools, AKA toolbox.</figcaption>
7 <h2>Global Edit mode</h2>
10 Ardour has a global <dfn>Edit Mode</dfn> selector at the left side of the
11 Editing toolbar, which affects how regions are moved or copied:
15 <tr><th><kbd class="menu">Slide</kbd></th>
16 <td>Regions move freely. Ardour creates overlaps when necessary.</td></tr>
17 <tr><th><kbd class="menu">Ripple</kbd></th>
18 <td>Editing affects the regions to the "right" of the edit (see below).</td></tr>
19 <tr><th><kbd class="menu">Lock</kbd></th>
20 <td>No region motion is permitted (except for "nudge").</td></tr>
24 Ripple Edit mode provides the following:
26 <li>Deleting a range will move later regions to compensate for the deleted time</li>
27 <li>Deleting a region will move later regions to compensate for the deleted region's length</li>
28 <li>Moving a region will move later regions to compensate for the length of the move</li>
29 <li>Inserting a new region (via dragging or via Paste) will move later regions to the right to compensate</li>
34 If <kbd class="menu">Snap To Grid</kbd> is enabled, then regions can
35 only move so that they align with locations determined by the current
36 snap settings (beats, or seconds, or other region boundaries, etc).
37 See <a href="@@grid-controls">Snap To the Grid</a> for details.
40 <h2 id="edit-point">The Edit Point selector</h2>
43 Numerous editing operations require the definition of an Edit Point,
44 that is chosen in this selector. More information about the Edit Point
45 can be found <a href="@@edit-point-control">here</a>.
48 <h2>The <em>Smart</em> mode toggle switch</h2>
51 The <dfn>Smart Mode</dfn> toggle button (shortcut: <kbd>y</kbd>) to the left
52 of the mouse mode buttons modifies the behavior of <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn>: when
53 enabled, the mouse behaves as if it is in <dfn>Range Mode</dfn> in the upper
54 half of a region, while behaving as if it is in <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn> in the
55 lower half. This makes it possible to avoid constant switching between these
62 Editing <a href="@@working-with-regions">regions</a> and their contents
63 is very complex and, by virtue of this, requires different <dfn>Mouse
64 Modes</dfn> in order to be able to perform typical editing chores in a
65 way that is powerful and makes sense.
69 <tr><th><strong>Mode</strong></th><td><strong>Keyboard Shortcut</strong></td></tr>
70 <tr><th>Grab</th><td><kbd>g</kbd></td></tr>
71 <tr><th>Range</th><td><kbd>r</kbd></td></tr>
72 <tr><th>Cut</th><td><kbd>c</kbd></td></tr>
73 <tr><th>Audition</th><td>None</td></tr>
74 <tr><th>Stretch</th><td><kbd>t</kbd></td></tr>
75 <tr><th>Draw</th><td><kbd>d</kbd></td></tr>
76 <tr><th>Internal Edit</th><td><kbd>e</kbd></td></tr>
80 Changes to the mouse pointer only occur when hovering over the track canvas;
81 the mouse pointer <em>always</em> changes to a hand in the ruler area
82 regardless of what mode is selected, and always moves the <a
83 href="@@controlling-playback">playhead</a> to the position <kbd
84 class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicked on—as long as there is no marker
85 or other tag under the mouse position clicked on.
88 <h3 id="object">Grab Mode</h3>
91 <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn> is used for selecting, moving, deleting and copying
92 objects. In this mode, the mouse pointer appears as a hand and can be used
93 to select and perform various operations on objects such as regions, markers
94 etc…. This is the most common mode to work in, as it allows the
95 for selection and moving of <a href="@@working-with-regions">regions</a>,
96 as well as the modification of control points in <a href="@@automation-lanes">automation lanes</a>.
99 <h3 id="range">Range Mode</h3>
102 In <dfn>Range Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a vertical line;
103 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on the track canvas will display
104 the time at the position clicked on. <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking
105 and dragging on the track canvas will create a time range for the track
106 clicked and dragged on; adjacent tracks can be selected as well by dragging
107 the mouse into them. Once a time range has been defined, it can be resized
108 by <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on either the left-hand or right-hand
109 side of the range and dragging the mouse to the desired position.
112 <h3 id="cut">Cut Tool Mode</h3>
115 In <dfn>Cut Tool Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a pair of scissors
116 and allows for the separation of any region into two distinct regions by
117 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking at the desired point of separation.
118 If more than one track is selected, then all the regions on the selected
119 tracks will be split at the point clicked on. If no track is selected,
120 then only the region hovered by the mouse cursor will be split.
123 <h3 id="stretch">Stretch Mode</h3>
126 In <dfn>Stretch Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as an expanding
127 square symbol and is used to resize regions using a timestretch algorithm.
128 Resizing a region is done by <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on
129 the right-hand side of the region and dragging the edge to the desired
130 position; once the button is released a <kbd class="menu">Time Stretch
131 Audio</kbd> dialog will appear, as detailed in the dedicated <a href="@@stretching">
135 <h3 id="audition">Audition Mode</h3>
138 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on a given region using <dfn>Audition
139 Mode</dfn> will play the the session for the time span of that region.
140 The regions can also be <dfn>scrubbed</dfn> by
141 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking and dragging in the direction
142 desired; the amount dragged in one direction or the other will determine
146 <h3 id="draw">Draw Mode</h3>
149 In <dfn>Draw Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer will change to a pencil; the
150 effect it will have depends on the type of track or region it is utilized
155 In an <a href="@@audio-track-controls">audio track</a>, a green line will
156 appear in the region which is that region's <a href="@@gain-envelopes"><dfn>gain
157 envelope</dfn></a>. <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking anywhere in
158 a given region between two existing <dfn>control points</dfn> will add
159 one to the region at the X-coordinate clicked on with the Y-coordinate
160 being on the line connecting the control points on either side of the
161 new one. <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on a control point will
162 allow it to be moved to any point in the region in between the control
163 points that bound it on either side of itself. And finally,
164 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on a control point and pressing
165 the <kbd>delete</kbd> key or holding down the <kbd class="mod3n"></kbd>
166 key while <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd>-clicking on it will delete the
171 In an <a href="@@automation-lanes">automation lane</a>, if any automation
172 is defined in it, a green line connecting its control points will appear
173 in the lane. Control points in the lane are manipulated in exactly the
174 same way as they are in a region's gain envelope (see previous paragraph
179 In a <a href="@@midi-track-controls">MIDI track</a>,
183 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking in a part of the track that has
184 no region, creates a one-bar long region, while <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-dragging
185 will create a region of arbitrary length.
188 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on a region in Percussive mode
189 creates a diamond indicating a hit.
192 <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-clicking on a region in Sustained mode
193 creates a note whose duration is one <a href="@@grid-controls">Grid unit</a>,
194 while <kbd class="mouse">left</kbd>-dragging creates a note of arbitrary
199 <h3 id="edit-internal">Internal Edit Mode</h3>
202 In <dfn>Internal Edit Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer will change to
207 On an automation lane, it allows to edit the automation
211 On a MIDI region, it allows to lasso-select multiple notes at a time.
214 On an audio region, it displays the current level of the signal
215 and allows to edit the region gain like the Draw tool.