Timeline Introduction

The timeline is the central workspace where you arrange audio, MIDI, video, text, and automation regions on tracks. Time flows left to right, with tracks stacked vertically. The track headers on the left show per-track controls (name, mute, solo, record arm, volume, pan).

Playhead

The playhead is a vertical line showing the current playback position. Click anywhere on the timeline ruler to move the playhead to that position.

During playback, the playhead advances in real time. When stopped, you can reposition it by clicking the ruler or using transport commands.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Command	Description
Space	`transport:toggle-play`	Toggle play / stop
Return	`transport:play`	Play from current position
0	`transport:stop`	Stop playback
Enter	`transport:to-start`	Return playhead to start
, (comma)	`transport:back`	Move back one bar
. (period)	`transport:forward`	Move forward one bar
Home	`transport:go-home`	Go to bar 1 and scroll to show it
End	`transport:go-end`	Go to project end and scroll to show it
↑	`track:select-prev`	Select previous track
↓	`track:select-next`	Select next track

Lua Examples

-- Seek to a specific sample position
pl.cmd("transport:seek", { position = 48000 })

-- Go to bar 1
pl.cmd("transport:go-home")

-- Go to project end
pl.cmd("transport:go-end")

-- Move forward one bar
pl.cmd("transport:forward")

-- Move back one bar
pl.cmd("transport:back")

Zoom & Scroll

The timeline supports both horizontal zoom (time resolution) and vertical zoom (track height).

Parameter	Range	Description
`zoom_x`	0.1–100.0	Horizontal zoom — higher values show more detail
`zoom_y`	0.1–10.0	Vertical zoom — higher values show taller tracks
`scroll_x`	≥ 0	Horizontal scroll offset
`scroll_y`	≥ 0	Vertical scroll offset

Use Shift+M to toggle the Mixer panel, or pinch/scroll gestures on trackpad for zoom control.

Snapping

Plinken supports snap modes to help you align regions precisely. When snapping is enabled, regions snap to the nearest grid position when moved or resized.

Snap Mode	Description
Off	Free positioning (no snapping)
Grid	Snap to beat/bar grid based on time signature
Region	Snap to edges of other regions

Resolution

Plinken uses 960 PPQ (Pulses Per Quarter note) for internal timing — the same resolution used by Logic Pro. This gives you extremely precise MIDI timing and region placement, with each beat divided into 960 discrete positions.

Tick Reference

Musical Value	Ticks
Whole note (4/4 bar)	3,840
Half note	1,920
Quarter note (beat)	960
Eighth note	480
Sixteenth note	240
Thirty-second note	120
Triplet quarter	640
Triplet eighth	320

Default Cycle Length

At 4/4 time signature, the default cycle region spans 4 bars = 15,360 ticks.

Time Signature & Tempo

The transport bar shows the current tempo and time signature. Defaults are 120 BPM in 4/4 time.

Property	Type	Default	Range	Description
`tempo`	f64	`120.0`	20–999 BPM	Project tempo
`time_sig_num`	u8	`4`	—	Beats per bar
`time_sig_den`	u8	`4`	—	Beat value

-- Read current tempo
local tempo = plinken.get("transport", "tempo")

-- Change tempo
plinken.set("transport", "tempo", 140.0)

Track Header Width

The track header panel width is adjustable between 100–400 pixels:

-- Set track header width
plinken.set("timeline", "track_header_width", 200)