manual/include/ruler.html

<img src="/images/ruler.png" alt="Ardour's Ruler">

<p>
  The <dfn>Ruler</dfn> scales the session along time, allows navigating, and can be marked for different uses. The main use of the Ruler is to move the playhead: clicking anywhere on the timeline will bring the playhead at this location in time.
</p>

<p>
  It is made of a succession of rows, each having a special role related to time. From top to bottom, those rows are:
</p>

<table class="dl">
	<tr><th><dfn>Timecode</dfn></th><td>scaling the session whith the traditionnal Hours:Mins:Secs:Frames notation</td></tr>
	<tr><th><dfn>Bars:Beats</dfn></th><td>slicing the time according to the time signature ot the Meter</td></tr>
	<tr><th><dfn>Meter</dfb></th><td>shows the time signature. It can be changed along the timeline, by <kbd class="mouse">Right click</kbd> &gt; <kbd class="menu">New Meter</kbd>. The Bars:Beats ruler will reflect the change.</td></tr>
	<tr><th><dfn>Tempo</dfn></th><td>shows the BPM. It can be changed along the timeline, by <kbd class="mouse">Right click</kbd> &gt; <kbd class="menu">New Tempo</kbd>. The Bars:Beats ruler will reflect the change.</td></tr>
	<tr><th><dfn>Range Markers</dfn></th><td>allow to create and modify ranges directly on the Ruler.</td></tr>
	<tr><th><dfn>Loop/Punch Ranges</dfn></th><td>are special kind of ranges designed to be played as a loop and to do punch recording, i.e. recording on a precise section of time, respectively.</td></tr>
	<tr><th><dfn>CD Markers</dfn></th><td>are markers designed to be used while creating a recording that has to be split in time, as an audio CD</td></tr>
	<tr><th><dfn>Location Markers</dfn></th><td>is meant to receive any kind of marker, user generated or from Ardour itself.</td></tr>
</table>

<p>
  Most of the operations on the markers are described in <a href="@@working-with-markers">Working with Markers</a>, while the Meter, Tempo, Bars:Beats and Timecode use are described in <a href="@@tempo-and-meter">Tempo and Meter</a>.
</p>