Can't align label tracks with another label track

It seems that label tracks were designed to work with other audio tracks, not with other label tracks.

I want to align the label duration with the label duration of another track:

So that it produces:

Without having to vastly zoom in to align accurately.

Here is another label intersection to be aligned:

To produce:





Another issue I have found is that the selection in an audio track(by taking advantage that in the audio track, label delimiter snaps do work) does not transfer to the desired label track(by pressing the up/down arrow keys to select the label track and pressing ‘Enter’):

I am thinking about a script that could automate this. The algorithm wouldn’t be too complicates.

Just find the nearest label delimiter of the target label track to the label delimiter on the base label track, reassign the label delimiter’s time position of the target track to the timestamp of the label delimiter of the base track.

Unfortunately I don’t know LISP syntax, if it were a C like syntax it would be easier for me to try it out.

Unfortunately Nyquist is not able to read label tracks. Nyquist can create labels, but it does not know where existing labels are.

Generally I find the easiest way to align labels is to simply create a new label that is correctly aligned, then cut and paste the text from the original label, then delete the old label.

Another method is to use the Label Editor: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/label_tracks.html#editor

What do you mean by Nyquist can read label files? In the very next phrase you seem to contradict that.

Hmmm… the only solution, hence, seems to be to use the label editor to select the ranges of the label, watch such values from the selection viewer(because I cannot copy and paste them) and manually input them for the other label track’s corresponding label range. This begs automation…

That is not what I wrote.
I wrote: "Nyquist is not able to read label tracks"

Yes, sorry for the typo.

So basically you are suggesting that Nyquist can write but not read label files. Am I correct?

Basically, the best alternative is manipulating the label and editing the TXT file by using manual or scripting methods.

As I wrote previously:

I find the easiest way to align labels is to simply create a new label that is correctly aligned, then cut and paste the text from the original label, then delete the old label.

Another method is to use the Label Editor: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/label_tracks.html#editor

How can I move the labels along with the initial label I point to and drag?


See here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/label_tracks.html#edit

We can add your vote for labels snapping to each other.

That should not be a problem.

Please give steps 1, 2, 3… to reproduce that issue.


Gale

There was no answer to my question in such link.

Moving the label through the circle, will only move that label and not the connected ones.

You cannot move multiple labels with the mouse yet.

Drag in the label track only (not the audio track) from the left boundary of the first label to the right boundary of the last label (the yellow vertical guides will show you where to click). Then Edit > Remove Audio > Cut. Then click in the label track where you want the left boundary of the labels to go, and Edit > Paste.

Is this a problem https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/cant-align-label-tracks-with-another-label-track/27631/11 ?



Gale

OK thanks, that worked.

If you can use a mouse, just click in the label to select its audio and open the label for editing.

If you cannot use a mouse, DOWN arrow then TAB to the label you want. This does the same as a mouse click in the label.


Gale

(Edited the previous explanation).

The issue is that the label track should be affected by the selection on an audio track by pressing the down or up arrow(effectively choosing the label track) and pressing enter(to transfer the selection from the audio track to the label track).

It works with the mouse(by shift-clicking on the label track), it should work with the keyboard, but it does not.

When focus is on the audio track (indicated by a yellow line around the track), hold down the shift key and press the down arrow.

OK I can confirm on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux that although Return/ENTER and NUMPAD_ENTER are both supposed to toggle the focused track, from Audacity 1.3.13 onwards, Return/ENTER does not toggle Label Track selectedness unless a label is selected.

I’ve opened a bug report http://bugzilla.audacityteam.org/show_bug.cgi?id=636 .

If you have NUMPAD_ENTER, try that instead, or after moving focus into a label track containing at least one label, use TAB then Return or ENTER twice to toggle selectedness.

SHIFT + DOWN arrow or SHIFT + UP arrow will extend the selectedness into the label track but you still won’t be able to toggle selectedness of that track with Return or ENTER unless a label is selected.


Thanks


Gale