.. SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2020, 2023 Alexandros Theodotou <alex@zrythm.org>
   SPDX-License-Identifier: GFDL-1.3-invariants-or-later
   This is part of the Zrythm Manual.
   See the file index.rst for copying conditions.

.. _timeline-ruler:

Timeline Ruler
==============

The ruler is mainly used to control looping and
playback.

.. image:: /_static/img/ruler.png
   :align: center

The ruler will display more or less information
depending on the current zoom level. It will also
display the following markers/indicators discussed in
:ref:`loop-points-and-markers`.

Cue point
  Displayed as a blue, right-pointing arrow.
Playhead position
  Shown as a grey, down-facing arrow.
Loop points
  Shown as 2 green arrows, and the area between them is shown in bright green
  if loop is enabled, or grey if disabled. Can be dragged to reposition.

  .. tip:: Looping can be enabled/disabled using the loop button in the :ref:`transport controls <playback-and-recording/transport-controls:Controls>`.

Clicking and dragging on empty space in the
bottom half of the ruler will allow
you to reposition the playhead.

Setting the Cue Point
---------------------
Double click inside the ruler to set the cue point. This
will be used to return to when playback is stopped.

Range Selection
---------------
Clicking and dragging in the top half of the ruler
will create a :term:`range <Range>` selection. If
an existing range exists, you can click an drag it
to move it.

.. figure:: /_static/img/ranges.png
   :align: center

   Range selection
