Timeline Menu tutorial

[Planxty]

Guys-
Are any of you able (willing) to create a tutorial for those of us unable to figure out this piece of the SS mosaic?....I've tried many times to understand the manual for this menu, and always failed to get it........maybe it's just me and my lack of musical/math training, but I suspect I'm not alone, and the tutorial section from SawStudio doesn't cover it, does it? If it does and I've missed it, apologies, and perhaps you could point me to it.
Thanks.

[Bob L]

From the Menu Reference Section of the Helpfile:

TimeLine Menu

Time Mode
Sets the position readout display information to standard time.

Smpte/Mtc Mode
Sets the position display information to SMPTE / MTC time.

Tempo Mode
Sets the position display information to measures, bars and beats.

Sample Mode
Sets the position display information to Sample count.

Set Zero Locate Point (Shift-Home)
Sets the current cursor position to be the new zero reference point. All position displays will read zero until this point is passed. Functions that return to the zero position will return to this point instead of actual zero on the MultiTrack.

Clear Zero Locate Point (Ctrl-Home)
Resets the zero reference point back to absolute zero on the MultiTrack.

Tempo Settings
This option controls the settings which define the tempo display. The following sub-menu choices are available:

Set Tempo
Allows you to set the default session tempo from 20.000 to 350.000 beats per minute.

Set Tempo To Marked Measures
Allows you to calculate a reference default session tempo based on a Marked Area which defines a preset number of measures according to waveform display data. When activating this option, you will be prompted for the number of measures your Marked Area defines.

Set Time Signature
Allows you to set the default session time signature such as 4/4, 3/4/, 7/8, etc. The numerator may range from 1 to 16, and the denominator may be 2, 4, 8, or 16.

Set Tick Resolution
Allows you to set the default session tick resolution from 48 to 999 ticks per quarter note.

TempoMap Settings
This option opens a sub menu allowing you to change tempo parameter values at specific positions along the timeline, thus creating a TempoMap. This TempoMap saves with the edl session files. When not in Select Mode, you may use the [Shift-Right-Arrow] or [Shift-Left-Arrow] key to jump to the next or previous TempoMap entry. The following sub-menu choices are available:

Set Tempo At Position
Allows you to set a new tempo from this position forward to the end of the timeline or the next TempoMap entry. This entry is allowed only on beat boundaries.

Set Tempo To Marked Measures At Position
Allows you to set a new tempo calculated from a marked area from this position forward to the end of the timeline or the next TempoMap entry. This entry is allowed only on beat boundaries.

Set Time Signature At Position
Allows you to set a new time signature from this position forward to the end of the timeline or the next TempoMap entry. This entry is allowed only on measure boundaries.

Set New Measure Count At Position
Allows you to set a new measure count from this position forward to the end of the timeline or the next TempoMap entry. This entry is allowed only on measure boundaries. You may use this to restart the measure count at any value from 1 up to the current measure count. To clear a previously changed measure count, simply enter the original sequential measure count value, which is the default value displayed in the dialog.

Clear TempoMap At Position
Allows you to clear the current TempoMap entry. This entry is allowed only on an exact TempoMap entry boundary.

Clear Entire TempoMap
Allows you to clear the entire TempoMap.

Snap-To-Grid (G)
This option toggles the snap-to-grid on and off. Pressing the [G] key operates this option also. When this option is on, two vertical bars will surround the current time mode display text under the time display area, and the cursor will snap to invisible grid points based on the grid size set for each timeline mode. Moving entries will also snap along the grid points forcing the entries to start on an exact grid point. This option saves with the preferences.

[Right-Clicking] in the Grid Zone will toggle the Grid Mode on and off. [Left-Clicking] the Grid Zone will popup the grid settings and toggle the Grid Mode on if it is currently off.

The [Ctrl-Insert] option of the Regions view (which adds the selected Region repeatedly along a marked area) will also respond to the Snap-To-Grid mode making it easy to build a click track from a small Region of data.

When using the Snap-To-Grid feature while [Ctrl-Inserting] a region in a Marked Area, the length of the region is automatically truncated to the grid length forcing all entries to add properly on the next grid point regardless of whether the region length is too long to fit. This operation tracks tempo map changes. This makes building a click track to tempo an extremely simple procedure.

Auto Snap-To-Grid In Select Mode
When this option is active, the snap-to-grid will be turned on every time Select Mode is entered, and turned off when Select Mode is exited. If the grid was active prior to entering Select Mode, it will be left undisturbed. This option saves with the preferences.

Auto Snap-To-Grid When Shifting Entries
When this option is active, the snap-to-grid will be turned automatically when grabbing and shifting MT Entries, and turned off when the entry is released. If the grid was active prior to entering Select Mode, it will be left undisturbed. This mode leaves the cursor free to move without constraints, but forces all MT Entry moves to snap to the grid. This option saves with the preferences.

Grid Settings
This option opens a sub menu allowing you to set grid sizes for each of the TimeLine Modes. These sizes save with the preferences. [Left-Clicking] in the current time mode display area (when Snap-To-Grid is active and the two vertical bars are displayed) links directly to the associated TimeLine Grid Settings option, without the need to go through the menus. The following sub-menu choices are available:

Set Time Grid
Set Smpte Grid
Set Tempo Grid
Set Samples Grid

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Most of this stuff seems fairly self explanatory... what specifically are you having difficulty understanding?

For the most part, you are using the TimeLine options to simply display the timeline in one of the formats that fits the project you are working on... normal time mode... Smpte mode... etc.

If you are trying to reference tempos, you may be better served with the Midi WorkShop add-in.

There are much easier ways to build tempo and measure maps and adjust compositional tempo timelines by using the Midi WorkShop, if you are trying to do that kind of thing.

Bob L