User:PeterSampson/Sand-Box

My experimentation page

Sand-Box for when I have to make tricksy edits.

Peter 26Jan13 following feedback from Gale via email I removed the original image (now archived on the Talk page); I have now added images of the cascaded sub-menus in the sections below. This had the added benefit of displaying the shortcuts for the commands.

• Peter 24Jan13: ToDo-1 Gale wrote: "the text of the new sections could do with some amplification. For example, we should say something in the text for "Clip Boundaries" about what a clip is (at the least, link to Audacity Tracks and Clips)". Will be done after this page is published and links corrected.
  

Ed 27Jan13: If we use these images they need some cropping to clean them up.

• Peter 28Jan13: I'll have a bash at that - I was establishing proof-of-concept before working too hard on them. Gale doesn't like these images saying "To the sighted user it looks like duplication(even though there is some benefit is showing the shortcuts).". Instead he suggests "For want of a better idea, I still think the best solution for images on this page is to reuse editing operation images from the sub pages. Not only does it "whet the appetite", it has precedents elsewhere in the Manual."

Ed 27Jan13: Are the images from a newly initialized CFG (are all the shortcuts default)?

• Peter 28Jan13: Not from an initialized CFG - but defaults just the same. I never change the pre-set shortcuts (they are hard enough to learn anyway). The only off-piste shortcuts I have are for four effects (Fade In, SFO, Amplify & Repair) for which I use ALT plus arrow keys, so that would not affect any commands shown here.

The Edit menu provides the standard edit commands (Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete) plus many other commands specific to editing audio.
There are many commands available from this menu so it has been arranged as a series of cascading sub-menus.

Undo

Undoes the last editing operation you performed to your project. You can undo as many times as you want, all the way back to when you opened the window. To undo many operations, select History... from the View Menu. The name of this menu item will change to reflect what will be undone; if you just recorded some audio, the menu item name will be Undo Record.

Redo

Redoes any editing operations that were just undone. After you perform a new editing operation, you can no longer redo the operations that were undone.

Remove Audio or Labels

Commands in this cascading menu remove audio by cutting, deleting, silencing or trimming (which leaves only the selection behind).

• Cut,      Delete
• Split Cut,      Split Delete
• Silence Audio,     Trim Audio

Clip Boundaries

The items in this cascading menu create or operate on separate clips in the audio track.

• Split,     Split New
• Join,     Detach at Silences

Copy, Paste and Duplicate

These commands copy, duplicate and paste audio and labels.

• Copy,     Paste,     Paste Text to New Label
• Duplicate

Labeled Audio

Labeled Audio commands apply standard Edit Menu commands to the audio of one or more regions that are labeled. To use, drag a selection in the Label Track that fully includes (or extends beyond) each region label whose audio is to be affected. Labeled Audio Split can also mark an audio split at each point label where the selection touches (or extends beyond) the point label.

Ed 27Jan13: in the above sentence "Splits are also made…" (my emphasis) we reference a subordinate case in which splits are "also" made but we have not made previous mention of a case in which splits are made. We either need to make the original case or remove the "also".

• Peter 28Jan13: Is that better now Ed?
  • Ed 28Jan13 : Not completely; at least now I think I understand what we are trying to say. Still, we have an "also" case without a previous reference case - just get rid of the word "also" and the sentence will still be logical and grammatical (I think).
• Gale 28Jan13' This is supposed to be a summary. Forbidding "also" makes it very hard to say this concisely and intelligently. The split page itself had "Labeled Audio Split also applies to point labels." I now made that say "Labeled Audio Split can mark audio splits at point labels as well as at region labels."

  For this page I suggest "Labeled Audio Split can also mark an audio split at each point label where the selection touches (or extends beyond) the point label." The "also" refers by implication to the previous sentence. I think it parses far better with also.

The following Edit commands can be applied to labeled audio:

• Cut,      Delete
• Split Cut,      Split Delete
• Silence Audio,     Copy
• Split,     Join ,     Detach at Silences

Peter 25Jan13: these are deliberately not links here - rather the links will be provided from within the sub-page as Gale suggested earlier. We can always turn them into links later if thought necessary.

Ed 25Jan13 : I think it too confusing if they are not links

• Gale 25Jan13: It could also be a bit confusing if the links are provided, since they would not go to the Labeled Audio page. If providing the links, I think the text should say that the links are to the pages that explain what the actions do.
  • Peter 26Jan13: I totally agree with Gale that the links, if implemented here, would be very confusing. Since I have now added the image of the cascaded menu I don't think we need this non-linked list of menu items - so accordingly I have commented them out.
  • Ed 26Jan13 : this is very inconsistent and confusing; I feel that we should give some serious thought to making this section function like the other sections in re. links
  • Peter 27Jan13: The trouble is Ed that these commands act subtly differently to the existiing cut, delete etc. commands in that they only operate on the selected audio and not the selected label track. Which prabaly means that we would have to create a parallel set of documentation for each of the commands within this section - alternatively we would have to (over)complicate the existing command documentation pages with explanations of how they work "normally" and gow they work with labeled audio. Neither of those prospects do I find enticing or appealing.
  • Gale 27Jan13: I agree about the "inconsistent" part, especially if we retain images of menus on this page. So I don't think the answer is to comment out the operations. The text itself was confusing as it suggested that label tracks are affected. I see you have improved that now, but I was editing at the same time so I used my text for now. Are links acceptable with my rewording (or retain the list of operations without links)? I am now inclined to favour links.
    • Peter 28Jan13: OK I addded the links. I still think we need something in the text to say that it is only the audio and not the label track that is operated on - the label track (and the selection within it) is merely the guide for the operable audio region assuming I've understood it correctly?
    • Gale 28Jan13: Correct. An image would make it clearer :=)

Select

ToDo-2 Gale 25Jan13: Overflow of the "Select" items inside the phrase when zooming isn't really acceptable. Do you want to fix this with a table or space the items using styling?

• Peter 26Jan13: I don't know how to do this with styling - and I certainly don't have the HTML skills to tackle tables - sorry.
  • Peter 28Jan13: @Gale: is Ed's test #1 a satisfactory solution?
  • Gale 28Jan13: Thanks, Ed. Forcing a line break is not really the best solution, not least that the following line doesn't indent correctly. #2 is harder to break by having three lines, but it is not hard to break it with a reduced size, zoomed in window.

The commands in this cascading menu select ranges of audio.

• All,     None,     Left at Playback Position,     Right at Playback Position,     Track Start to Cursor,     Cursor to Track End
• In All Tracks,     In Sync-Locked Tracks

Ed 27Jan13 begin test #1

• All,     None,     Left at Playback Position

Right at Playback Position,     Track Start to Cursor,     Cursor to Track End

• In All Tracks,     In Sync-Locked Tracks

Ed 27Jan13 another test #2

• All (Ctrl + A),     None (Ctrl + Shift + A)

Left at Playback Position ([),     Right at Playback Position (])

Track Start to Cursor (Shift + J),     Cursor to Track End (Shift + K)

• In All Tracks (Ctrl + Shift + K),     In Sync-Locked Tracks (Ctrl + Shift + Y)

Peter 28Jan13: Connie insists that in these shortcuts caps should be used e.g. SHIFT, CTRL, ALT etc. despite the usage in the GUI; we discussed this at some length earlier.
Furthemore I personally don't like having the shortcuts encased in brackets - it looks clumsy and we don't do it like that elsewhere in the manula afaik.
If we retain the images of the cascaded menus (and I would still like to) then the shortcuts as in this test of Ed's would be un-necessary.

Ed 27Jan13 end test

Find Zero Crossings

This command helps to avoid clicks at the edit points when making cuts and joins by moving the edges of a selection region (or the cursor position) slightly so they are at a rising zero_crossing point.

Move Cursor

These commands move the cursor directly to the start or end of the selection or the track.

Region Save

Stores the position of the current selection region or cursor as observed on the Timeline. The position of this region or cursor can then be recalled by using Region Restore (see below). Using this command again will overwrite the previously stored position information. The command is grayed out if there are no audio tracks.

Region Restore

Moves the selection region or cursor to the position stored by the last Region Save command (see above). If a region is restored, this is only explicitly placed inside those tracks which are currently selected.

Only the position of the region or cursor is restored. No audio content is restored. Labels or split lines that were associated with the region or cursor are not restored. The screen focus does not return to the restored position, so you may need to zoom out or scroll the project to see the restored position.

Ed 27Jan13: ToDo needs more detail

• Gale 28Jan13: Does the above help?

Play Region

The items in this sub-menu allow you to Lock and Unlock the play region in the Timeline. See Play Regions.

Ed 27Jan13: ToDo What does it mean to "Lock" or "Unlock" the play region? Since we do not discuss this on the linked page we need to define the terms here – explaining what this pair does.

Preferences...

Displays the Preferences dialog. Preferences enable you change most of the default behaviors and settings of Audacity.