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< img class = "left" src = "/images/toolbar-grid.png" alt = "Editor toolbar's grid" >
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< p >
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Ardour's editor utilizes a < dfn > grid< / dfn > to assist in the placement of regions
on the timeline, or with editing functions that need to happen at a specific
point in time. This < dfn > snapping< / dfn > of the cursor and various objects to the
grid can be toggled on or off, as does its behaviour, and grid units.
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< / p >
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< h2 > About Snapping< / h2 >
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< p >
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There are two ways to think about aligning material to a grid. The first and
most obvious one is where an object's position is clamped to grid lines. In
Ardour, this is called < dfn > absolute snap< / dfn > and is commonly used when
working with sampled material where audio begins exactly at the beginning of a
file, note or region.
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< / p >
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< p >
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The second, < dfn > relative snap< / dfn > , is used when an object's position relative
to the grid lines is important. In music, this allows to move objects around
without changing the "feel" (or timing) of a performance.
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< / p >
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< p >
Absolute snap is the default method of snapping in Ardour.
< / p >
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< p >
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While dragging objects, pressing the absolute snap modifier key(s) switches
from absolute to relative snap.
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< / p >
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< p >
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The snap can also be entirely disabled by using the snap modifier (see below).
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< / p >
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< p >
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Note that in relative snap mode the reference point is taken to be the distance
to the nearest grid line.
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< / p >
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< p >
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Note also that when an object lies exactly on a grid line, there will be no
difference between relative and absolute snap modes.
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< / p >
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< p >
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The realtive snap and snap modifiers (along with other modifier keys) may be set
in < kbd class = "menu" > Edit > Preferences > User Interaction< / kbd >
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< / p >
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< p >
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For common use patterns, it is recommended to assign a unique key for one
snap modifier and two keys for the other in such a way that they share an
otherwise unused key. For example, the snap modifier may be chosen to be the
< kbd class = "mod2n" > < / kbd > key and the relative snap modifier to be the < kbd
class="mod2n">< / kbd > and < kbd class = "mod4n" > < / kbd > keys.
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< / p >
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< h2 > Snap Modes< / h2 >
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< p >
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Using the above modifications, Ardour supports three different modes of snapping
to the grid:
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< / p >
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< table class = "dl" >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > No Grid< / kbd > < / th >
< td > disables the grid. All objects move freely in this mode.< / br >
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In < kbd class = "menu" > No Grid< / kbd > mode, the grid may be temporarily activated
by pressing the snap modifier (for absolute snap) or switch to relative snap
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by pressing the relative snap modifier.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Grid< / kbd > < / th >
< td > activates normal snapping. All positions of objects snap to the grid. (See
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< a href = "#gridunits" > Grid Units< / a > below to change the grid).
Moving an object in "Grid"-mode, does not change its position until
the mouse is far enough for the object to reach the next grid line.< / br >
To maintain an objects' position relative to the grid line, the "snap relative"
modifier can be used. When holding down this
modifier during a drag, the dragged object will jump while maintaining its
original distance from the line.< / br >
New objects will always be created at grid
points.< / br >
Holding down the snap modifier will disable the current grid
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setting and allow moving the object freely.< / td > < / tr >
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< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Magnetic< / kbd > < / th >
< td > is a less strict type of snapping. Objects can still be moved to any
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position, but positions close to the relative or absolute grid points will snap.
In order to move an object very close to a snap point, it may be necessary to
zoom in to prevent snapping to that point, or to use the snap modifier to
disable snap completely.< / br > As with Grid mode, the snap modifier will disable
snap completely while the absolute snap modifier will move the "notch" of
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Magnetic snap to the grid lines.< / td > < / tr >
< / table >
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< h2 > Syncing Regions to the Grid< / h2 >
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< p >
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By default, a region's beginning will be used as the reference for both types of
snapping, this behaviour can be changed by setting a < dfn > sync point< / dfn >
in the region, by selecting the region(s) and pressing < kbd > V< / kbd > . This will set the
sync point to the current < a href = "@@edit-point-control" > edit point< / a > .
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< / p >
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< h2 id = "gridunits" > Grid Units< / h2 >
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< p >
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The selector next to the grid mode selector defines the size of the grid
elements. The grid can be set to several different units:
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< / p >
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< table class = "dl" >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > CD Frames< / kbd > < / th >
< td > 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 lengths.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Timecode Frames/Seconds/Minutes< / kbd > < / th >
< td > The duration of a frame depends on the timecode settings for the session.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Seconds/Minutes< / kbd > < / th >
< td > These are absolute time units, unaffected by sample rate or timecode settings< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Beats/N< / kbd > < / th >
< td > 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.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Beats< / kbd > < / th >
< td > 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.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Bars< / kbd > < / th >
< td > 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.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Markers< / kbd > < / th >
< td > The grid lines are the markers.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Region Starts< / kbd > < / th >
< td > The grid lines are constructed from region start points (see below).< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Region Ends< / kbd > < / th >
< td > The grid lines are constructed from region end points (see below).< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Region Syncs< / kbd > < / th >
< td > The grid lines are constructed from region sync points.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < th > < kbd class = "menu" > Region Bounds< / kbd > < / th >
< td > The grid lines are constructed from region start or end points.< / td > < / tr >
< / table >
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< p >
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To use Region starts/ends/syncs/bounds as snap choices, it is necessary to have either:
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< / p >
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< ul >
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< li > < em > No< / em > tracks selected, which means that Ardour snaps to regions on any
track, or < / li >
< li > Several tracks selected, which means that Ardour only snaps to regions on
those selected tracks.< / li >
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< / ul >
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< p >
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If items are moved on a track, and only the current track is selected, then
snapping will only happen with other regions on the same track. This means
that enabling < kbd class = "menu" > Edit > Preferences > Editor > Link
Selections of Regions and Tracks< / kbd > will make the "Region" grid unit
unusable. This option should not be used in conjunction with the use any of the
Region grid units.
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< / p >
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