Smart tool

The Smart tool is the default tool in Cakewalk. The Smart tool is a multi-function tool that combines functions from several other tools. The function is determined by where you click.

To select the Smart tool

Do one of the following:

Click the Smart tool button in the Control Bar.

Press T to display the Tools HUD, then select the Smart tool.

Press F5.

Clip headers and the Smart tool

Clips are drawn with a header, which can be clicked with the Smart tool to select and move the clip. Clip headers automatically disappear if the track height is less than 36 pixels.

Figure 224. Clip headers are visible when clips are higher than 36 pixels.

See also To hide clip headers and maximize clip waveform display.

Note: The Smart tool behaves differently when editing takes in Take lanes. For details, see Using the Smart tool in Take lanes and Comping with the Smart tool and Comping tool.

To customize the Smart tool

The Smart tool can be customized in order to disable specific functions and simplify the Smart tool behavior.

To customize the Smart tool, long press or right-click the Smart tool button to open the Smart tool menu, then enable/disable the desired behaviors:

Move. Enable/disable move behavior.

Crop. Enable/disable crop behavior, which affects clips and Note events in the Piano Roll.

Fade. Enable/disable fade behavior, which affects clip fade in/out and note velocity in the Piano Roll.

Draw. Enable/disable draw/insert behavior, which affects envelope nodes and Note events in the Piano Roll.

Comp. Enable/disable comping behavior for the Smart tool when clicking the bottom half of clips in Take lanes.

Enable All. Enable all Smart tool behaviors, including Move, Crop, Fade, Draw, and Comp.

 

If any Smart tool behaviors have been disabled, the Smart tool icon changes to a hollow arrow to indicate that the tool has been customized:

Smart tool settings are global and persist across projects and sessions.

Using the Smart tool on audio clips

Figure 225. Smart tool hotspots on audio clips.

 

Table 18. Using the Smart tool on audio clips 

Hotspot	Default action	+ALT	+CTRL	+CTRL+SHIFT	+ALT+SHIFT	Right-click
A	Adjust fade in
B	Adjust fade out
C	Crop clip start Note: If the clip contains a fade in, drag the top half to crop clip start and move the fade in, or drag the bottom half to only crop the clip without moving the fade in (does not apply when editing in Take lanes).			Stretch clip	Crop clip start and also move clip data Note: If the clip contains a fade in, drag the top half to crop clip start and move the fade in, or drag the bottom half to only crop the clip without moving the fade in.
D	Crop clip end Note: If the clip contains a fade out, drag the top half to crop clip end and move the fade out, or drag the bottom half to only crop the clip without moving the fade out (does not apply when editing in Take lanes).			Stretch clip	Crop clip end and also move clip data Note: If the clip contains a fade out, drag the top half to crop clip end and move the fade out, or drag the bottom half to only crop the clip without moving the fade out.
E	Select by time					Drag to lasso select
F	Click to set the Now time and clear the selection; drag to select by time	Split clip	Adjust clip gain		Move data within clip	Drag to lasso select
G	Click to set the Now time and clear the selection; drag to select by time Note: Click the clip header to select the clip, or drag the header to move the clip.	Split clip			Move data within clip	Drag to lasso select

Using the Smart tool in Take lanes

Figure 226. Smart tool hotspots in Take lanes (two split clips shown).

 

Table 19. Using the Smart tool in Take lanes 

Hotspot	Default action	+ALT	+CTRL	+CTRL+ALT	+CTRL+SHIFT	+ALT+SHIFT	Right-click
A	Adjust fade in
B	Adjust fade out
C	Crop clip start				Stretch clip	Crop clip start and also move clip data
D	Crop clip end				Stretch clip	Crop clip end and also move clip data
E	Drag the top half to select by time. Drag the bottom half to isolate.						Drag to lasso select
F	Click the bottom half to isolate clip. Drag the bottom half to split across lanes and Isolate clip. Click the top half to select clip or drag to select by time.	Click top half to split current clip. Click bottom half to split clips in all lanes.	Click to toggle clip mute status; drag top half vertically to adjust clip gain. To heal splits, select multiple clips on the lane and CTRL-click the lower half of the clip.			Move data within clip	Drag to lasso select
G	Click the clip header to select the clip, or drag the header to move the clip.	Split clip	Click to toggle clip selection status	Adjust a single crossfade		Move data within clip	Drag to lasso select
H (split point)	Drag left/right to move split point on all Take lanes; if crossfade exists, move the crossfade.		Drag the top half to crop a single clip. Drag the bottom half up/down to extend overlaps with crossfades				Drag to lasso select

Using the Smart tool on MIDI clips

Figure 227. Smart tool hotspots on MIDI clip.

 

Table 20. Using the Smart tool on MIDI clips 

Hotspot	Default action	+ALT	+CTRL	+CTRL+SHIFT	+ALT+SHIFT	Right-click
A	Crop clip start			Stretch clip	Crop clip start and also move clip data
B	Crop clip end			Stretch clip	Crop clip end and also move clip data
C	Select by time					Drag to lasso select
D	Click to set the Now time and clear the selection; drag to select by time	Split clip	Drag top half vertically to adjust clip velocity		Move data within clip	Drag to lasso select
E	Click to set the Now time and clear the selection; drag to select by time Note: Click the clip header to select the clip, or drag the header to move the clip.	Split clip			Move data within clip	Drag to lasso select

Using the Smart tool on PRV notes

Figure 228. Smart tool hotspots on PRV notes.

 

Table 21. Using the Smart tool on PRV notes 

Hotspot	Default action	Double-click	Right-click	+CTRL	+ALT	+SHIFT	CTRL+Right-click	ALT+Right-click	SHIFT+Right-click	CTRL+ALT+Right-click	CTRL+ALT+SHIFT
A	Drag up/down to adjust note velocity			Stretch all selected velocities		Scale all selected velocities
B	Adjust note start
C	Click to select note; drag to move note	Open Note Properties dialog	Erase note		Split note	Add note to selection	Toggle selection	Move note to active track	Mute note	Copy note to active track
D	Adjust note end
E	Insert a new note (before releasing mouse button, drag left/right to change duration, and up/down to change pitch)	Insert a new note	Click to deselect Drag to lasso select		Insert a new note with the selected duration	Change the Event Filter to Clips		Drag to perform the alternate mode of the selected Erase tool (either lasso Erase or Mute)			Draw notes line

Using the Smart tool on automation

Figure 229. Smart tool hotspots on automation.

 

Table 22. Using the Smart tool on automation 

Hotspot	Default action	Double-click	+CTRL	+ALT	Right-click
A	Move node	Reset node
B	Drag up/down to adjust selected nodes		Insert nodes at the selection points
C	Drag left/right to select nodes				Drag to lasso select
D	Insert a node	Add new node	Select segment
E	Time select nodes			Click or drag to insert new events (Piano Roll Controller Pane only)	Drag to lasso select

Using the Smart tool on AudioSnap transients

Figure 230. Smart tool hotspots on AudioSnap transients.

 

Table 23. Using the Smart tool on AudioSnap transients clips 

Hotspot	Default action	Double-click	+ALT	+CTRL
A	Drag transient marker line to stretch selected transients (non-proportional stretch)	Select all adjacent transient markers in other tracks		Drag transient marker line to stretch selected transients proportionally
B	Drag transient marker handle (diamond) to move transient marker (non-stretch)
C	Lasso select transients		Insert new transient marker
D	Lasso select transients across clips and tracks

 

See also:

Tools

Smart tool

Select tool

Move tool

Edit tool

Stretch tool

Comping tool

Split tool

Freehand tool

Pattern tool

Line tool

Pattern tools

Erase tool

Mute tool

Scrub tool

Zoom tool