manual/include/basic-gui-operations.html

<p>
  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>

<p>
  Pop-ups can also be distracting for experienced users, who may wish to
  disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit &gt; Preferences &gt; GUI &gt; 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 &gt; 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 &gt; Redo
  Selection Change</kbd> will take the selection back to where it was before
  <kbd class="menu">Edit &gt; 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&mdash;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 &gt; Preferences &gt; User Interaction &gt; Delete using
  &hellip;</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 &gt; Preferences &gt; Misc &gt; 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>