<p>
- Ardour offers a number of different ways for you to interact with it.
- This chapter provides information on basic techniques for <dfn>entering
- text</dfn>, <dfn>making selections</dfn>, and <dfn>using shortcuts</dfn>.
+ By default, Ardour will show helpful <dfn>tooltips</dfn> about the purpose
+ and use of each <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr> element if
+ the pointer is positioned over it and hovered there for a short while. These
+ little pop-up messages can be a good way to discover the purpose of many
+ aspects of the GUI.
</p>
-{% children %}
+<p>
+ Pop-ups can also be distracting for experienced users, who may wish to
+ disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Show
+ tooltip if mouse hovers over a control</kbd>.
+</p>
+
+<h2>Selection Techniques</h2>
+
+<p>
+ Ardour follows the conventions used by most other computer software
+ (including other DAWs) for <dfn>selecting objects</dfn> in the <abbr
+ title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Selecting individual objects</h3>
+
+<p>
+ Clicking on an object (sometimes on a particular part of its on-screen
+ representation) will select the object, and deselect other similar objects.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Selecting multiple (similar) objects</h3>
+
+<p>
+ A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd>-click on an object toggles its selected
+ status, so using <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd> on a series of objects
+ will select (or deselect) each one of them. A completely arbitrary set of
+ selections can be constructed with this technique.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Selecting a range of objects</h3>
+
+<p>
+ In cases where the idea of "select all objects between this one and that one"
+ makes sense, select one object and then <kbd class="mod3
+ mouse">left</kbd>-click on another to select both of them as well as all objects in between.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Time range selection</h3>
+
+<p>
+ To select a time <dfn>range</dfn> in the Editor, <kbd
+ class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click and drag the mouse. A <kbd class="mod1
+ mouse">Left</kbd> drag then lets you create other ranges and a <kbd
+ class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd>-click extends a range to cover a wider area.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Selection Undo</h3>
+
+<p>
+ The set of objects (including time range) that are selected at any one time
+ is known as the selection. Each time an object is selected or deselected, the
+ new selection is stored in an undo/redo stack. This stack is cleared each
+ time the content of the timeline changes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+ If a complex selection has been built up and then accidentally cleared it,
+ choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> will restore
+ the previous selection. If a selection is undone and a return to the state
+ before the undo is desired, choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Redo
+ Selection Change</kbd> will take the selection back to where it was before
+ <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> was chosen.
+</p>
+
+<h2>Cut and Paste Operations</h2>
+
+<p>
+ The <dfn>clipboard</dfn> is a holder for various kinds of objects (regions,
+ control events, plugins) that is used during <dfn>cut-and-paste
+ operations</dfn>.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Cut</h3>
+
+<p>
+ A <dfn>cut</dfn> operation removes selected objects and places them in the
+ clipboard. The existing contents of the clipboard are overwritten. The default
+ key binding is <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Copy</h3>
+
+<p>
+ A <dfn>copy</dfn> of the selected objects are placed in clipboard. There is
+ no effect on the selected objects themselves. The existing contents of the
+ clipboard are overwritten. The default key binding is <kbd
+ class="mod1">c</kbd>.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Paste</h3>
+
+<p>
+ The current contents of the clipboard are <dfn>paste</dfn>d (inserted) into
+ the session, using the current <dfn>edit point</dfn> as the destination. The
+ contents of the clipboard remain unchanged—the same item can be pasted
+ multiple times. The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
+</p>
+
+<h2>Deleting Objects</h2>
+
+<p>
+ Within the Editor window (and to some extent within the Mixer window too),
+ there are several techniques for <dfn>deleting</dfn> objects (regions,
+ control points, and more).
+</p>
+
+<h3>Using the mouse and keyboard</h3>
+
+<p>
+ Select the object(s) to be deleted and then press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.
+ This does <strong>not</strong> put the deleted object(s) in the clipboard, so
+ they cannot be pasted elsewhere.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Using normal cut and paste shortcuts</h3>
+
+<p>
+ Select the object(s) and then press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>. This puts the
+ deleted object(s) in the clipboard so that they can be pasted elsewhere.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Using just the mouse</h3>
+
+<p>
+ By default, <kbd class="mouse">Shift Right</kbd> will delete the clicked-upon
+ object. Like the <kbd>Del</kbd> key, this does <strong>not</strong> put the
+ deleted object(s) in the clipboard.
+</p>
+
+<p class="note">
+ The modifier and mouse button used for this can be controlled via <kbd
+ class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction > Delete using
+ …</kbd>. Any modifier and mouse button combination can be used.
+</p>
+
+<h2>Undo/Redo for Editing</h2>
+
+<p>
+ While editing, it sometimes happens that an unintended change is made, or a
+ choice is made that is later decided to be wrong. All changes to the
+ arrangement of session components (regions, control points) along the
+ timeline can be <dfn>undone</dfn> (and <dfn>redone</dfn> if necessary).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+ The default keybindings are <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> for Undo and <kbd
+ class="mod1">R</kbd> for Redo. These match the conventions of most other
+ applications that provide undo/redo.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+ Changes are also saved to the <dfn>session history</dfn> file, so that
+ undo/redo is possible even if the session is closed and reopened later, even
+ if Ardour is exited in between.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+ The maximum number of changes that can be undone can be configured under <kbd
+ class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Undo</kbd>. The maximum
+ number of changes stored in the history file is a separate parameter, and can
+ also be set in the same place.
+</p>
+
+<p class="note">
+ In addition to the normal undo (which works only on actions that change the
+ timeline), there is a <dfn>visual undo</dfn> which will revert any command
+ that affects the display of the editor window. Its shortcut is <kbd
+ class="mod3">Z</kbd>. There is also an undo for selection; see "Selection
+ Techniques" above.
+</p>
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