manual/include/insert-remove-time.html

<h2>Insert Time</h2>

<figure>
  <img src="/images/insert-time.png" alt="The Insert Time window">
  <figcaption>
    The Insert Time window
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  The <dfn>Insert Time</dfn> window allows to insert blank space in the timeline,
  on the selected track(s). It is accessed through the <kbd class="menu">Track
   &gt; Insert Time</kbd> menu.
</p>
<p>
  The Insert Time window not only allows to set the time inserted, but also some fine tuning options:
</p>

<table class="dl">
  <tr><th>Insert Time starting at:</th>
    <td>Sets the point in the session where the time will be added. By default, it is the playhead's position</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Time to insert:</th>
    <td>Duration of the blank space inserted</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Inserted regions should:</th>
    <td>A choice as to what happens to regions that exists at the Insert Time set above. See below.</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Apply to all the track's playlists</th>
    <td>As a track can have multiple <a href="@@understanding-playlists">playlists</a>, the insertion can happen either only on the active playlist or on all the plylists of this track</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Move glued-to-musical-time regions (MIDI regions)</th>
    <td>Defines if MIDI regions in selected tracks are affected by the operation</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Move markers</th>
    <td>As a <a href="@@working-with-markers">marker</a> can be <kbd class="option">locked</kbd> or <kbd class="option">glued to bars/beats</kbd>, this option and the two subjascent ones allow to shift the time position of those markers</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Move tempo and meter changes</th>
    <td>The <a href="@@tempo-and-meter">tempo and meter</a> markers, that can be used to change the tempo along the session, can also be shifted in the process. Though, moving the tempo markers while e.g. keeping the MIDI regions unaffected can create oddities.</td></tr>
</table>

<p>
  Both the two time fields have a useful context menu, that allows to copy/paste
  the time and change the display among one of the <a href="@@editing-clocks">clock
  modes</a>. The Insert Time field also has two options to <kbd class="menu">Set
  from Playhead</kbd> (to get the insertion time from the playhead, which is what
  happens by default) and <kbd class="menu">Locate to This Time</kbd> which moves
  the playhead to the time field value, useful if the field has been manually edited
  to better visualize the insertion point.
</p>

<p>
  By default, inserting time only results in shifting positions of the regions
  beginning <em>after</em> the insertion point. The "Inserted regions should" dropdown
  menu allows to choose what happens to the regions that exist at the insertion time :
</p>

<table class="dl">
  <tr><th><dfn>stay in position</dfn> <em>(default)</em></th><td>The crossed regions are not affected by the time insertion</td></tr>
  <tr><th><dfn>move</dfn></th><td>The crossed regions are shifted in time</td></tr>
  <tr><th><dfn>be split</dfn></th><td>The crossed regions are split, and the section that is after the time insertion point are shifted in time</td></tr>
</table>

<p>
  This last mode allows a <em>brute force</em> insertion, creating a blank space
  in all the selected tracks, and replacing multiple operations.
</p>

<p class="note">
  Note: One interesting option is, if a range selection (created with in <a href="@@toolbox">
  Range Mode</a>) exists, it is used as the default parameters in the window, instead
  of the playhead, for both the start time and duration.
</p>


<h2>Remove Time</h2>

<p>
  The <dfn>Remove Time</dfn> window, accessed through the <kbd class="menu">Track
   &gt; Remove Time</kbd> menu, is very similar to the previous, and its options
   are very similar. Only the <em>"Inserted regions should"</em> option is not present
</p>

<p>
  The range selection note above can be especially useful in this context.
</p>