Using Sections

With sections, you can create different arrangements using simple drag-and-drop operations.

Each section label above the timeline represents a segment of your project. When you drag a section label to a new location of the timeline, all events, envelopes, regions, commands, and markers within the section follow.

Insert a sectionClosed

  1. Create a time selection that includes the portion of the timeline that you want to use as a section.

  2. From the Insert menu, choose Section (or press Shift+S). A section label is added above the marker bar.

  3. Type a name to identify the section and press Enter.

Adjust a section's lengthClosed

  1. Hover over the end of a section label. The mouse pointer is displayed as a .

  2. Drag the end of the section: to extend or shorten it.

TIP Tips:

  • Hold Shift to override snapping.

  • If you drag a section over an adjacent section, both will be adjusted simultaneously:

Rename a sectionClosed

  1. Right-click the section label and choose Renamefrom the shortcut menu. The section label changes to an edit box.

    TIP Press F2 to rename the selected section.

  2. Type a new name in the edit box.

  3. Press Enter

Change a section's colorClosed

  1. Right-click the section label and choose Color from the shortcut menu.

  2. Choose a color from the menu. The color of the section label is updated, but event colors do not change.

Move (shuffle) sectionsClosed

Shuffling sections allows you to move all events, envelopes, regions, commands, and markers within a section in a single operation.

  1. Drag a section label to a new position on the timeline. A is displayed to indicate where the section will be moved.

  2. When you drop the section, events are split at each end of the section, and all events within the section are moved to the position where you dropped the section. Downstream events ripple to make room for (or fill the space of) the section you dragged:

NOTE Notes:

  • Hold Ctrl or Shift to select and shuffle multiple selections.

  • When shuffling envelope points, the shape of the envelope is copied to the new location and  additional points are created at each end of the section if necessary.

  • The tempo, time signature, and key of the section will be preserved during shuffling, and tempo, time signature, and key markers will be created if necessary.

Copy a sectionClosed

When you copy a section, you copy all events within the section in a single operation.

  1. Hold Ctrl and drag a section label to a new position on the timeline. A is displayed to indicate where the section will be copied.

  2. When you drop the section, it is copied to the position where you dropped it.

NOTE Hold Ctrl or Shift to select and copy multiple selections.

Delete a sectionClosed

Deleting a section removes the section and all events from the timeline.

Right-click a section label and choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Events are split at each end of the section, and all events, envelope points, regions, commands, and markers within the section are deleted. Downstream events ripple to fill the space of the section you deleted.

Move a section labelClosed

Hold Alt while dragging a section label to move the selected labels without affecting the contents of the timeline.

Hold Ctrl+Alt while dragging a section label to create copies of the selected labels without affecting the contents of the timeline.

Remove a section labelClosed

Removing a section label removes the section label from the timeline without affecting the section's events.

Right-click a section label and choose Remove Label from the shortcut menu.

Clear all events from a sectionClosed

Clearing events removes the events from a section while leaving the section label intact.

Right-click a section label and choose Clear Events from the shortcut menu. Events are split at each end of the section, and all events within the section are deleted.