Adobe video and audio applications provide a consistent, customizable workspace. Although each application has its own set of panels (such as Project, Metadata, and Timeline), you move and group panels in the same way across products.

The main window of a program is the application window. Panels are organized in this window in an arrangement called a workspace. The default workspace contains groups of panels as well as panels that stand alone.

You customize a workspace by arranging panels in the layout that best suits your working style. As you rearrange panels, the other panels resize automatically to fit the window. You can create and save several custom workspaces for different tasks—for example, one for editing and one for previewing.

You can use floating windows to create a workspace more like workspaces in previous versions of Adobe applications, or to place panels on multiple monitors.

In these two tutorials Andrew Devis from Creative Cow shows how to use different workspaces, and how to customize your workspace.

Example workspace

A.

Application window

B.

Grouped panels

C.

Individual panel

You can dock panels together, move them into or out of groups, and undock them so they float above the application window. As you drag a panel, drop zones—areas onto which you can move the panel—become highlighted. The drop zone you choose determines where the panel is inserted, and whether it docks or groups with other panels.

Docking zones

Docking zones exist along the edges of a panel, group, or window. Docking a panel places it adjacent to the existing group, resizing all groups to accommodate the new panel.

Dragging panel (A) onto docking zone (B) to dock it (C)

Grouping zones

Grouping zones exist in the middle of a panel or group, and along the tab area of panels. Dropping a panel on a grouping zone stacks it with other panels.

Dragging panel (A) onto grouping zone (B) to group it with existing panels (C)

Undock a panel in a floating window

When you undock a panel in a floating window, you can add panels to the window and modify it similarly to the application window. You can use floating windows to use a secondary monitor, or to create workspaces like the workspaces in earlier versions of Adobe applications.

 Select the panel you want to undock (if it’s not visible, choose it from the Window menu), and then do one of the following:

• Choose Undock Panel or Undock Frame from the panel menu. Undock Frame undocks the panel group.

• Hold down Ctrl (Windows®) or Command (Mac OS®), and drag the panel or group from its current location. When you release the mouse button, the panel or group appears in a new floating window.

• Drag the panel or group outside the application window. (If the application window is maximized, drag the panel to the Windows taskbar.)

When you position the pointer over dividers between panel groups, resize icons appear. When you drag these icons, all groups that share the divider are resized. For example, suppose your workspace contains three panel groups stacked vertically. If you drag the divider between the bottom two groups, they are resized, but the topmost group doesn’t change.

To quickly maximize a panel beneath the pointer, press the accent key. (Do not press Shift.) Press the accent key again to return the panel to its original size.

1. Do either of the following:

   • To resize either horizontally or vertically, position the pointer between two panel groups. The pointer becomes a double‑arrow .

   • To resize in both directions at once, position the pointer at the intersection between three or more panel groups. The pointer becomes a four-way arrow .

2. Hold down the mouse button, and drag to resize the panel groups.
   

   Dragging divider between panel groups to resize them horizontally

   A.

   Original group with resize icon

   B.

   Resized groups

• To open a panel, choose it from the Window menu.
• To close a panel or window, press Control-W (Windows) or Command-W (Mac OS), or click its Close button .
• To see all the panel tabs in a narrow panel group, drag the horizontal scroll bar.
• To bring a panel to the front of a group of panels, do one of the following:

  • Click the tab of the panel you want in front.

  • Hover the cursor above the tab area, and turn the mouse scroll wheel. Scrolling brings each panel to the front, one after another.

  • Drag tabs horizontally to change their order.

• To reveal panels hidden in a narrow panel group, drag the scroll bar above the panel group.

Drag horizontal scroll bar to see all panels in narrow group

• To show or hide the toolbar, choose Window > Tools. A check mark by the Tools command indicates that it is shown.
• To undock the toolbar from its default location, drag the handle at the left edge to another location in the work area.
• To redock the Tools panel in its default location, drag the Tools panel tab to the drop zone that spans the entire width of the Adobe Audition window, just under the menu bar.

Available tools differ in each view.

A.

Waveform Editor tools for spectral display

B.

Multitrack Editor tools

The status bar runs across the bottom of the Adobe Audition work area. The far left of the status bar indicates the time required to open, save, or process a file, as well as the current transport status (Playing, Recording, or Stopped). The far right of the bar displays various information that you can customize.

Status bar

A.

Time to open, save, or process file

B.

Video Frame Rate

C.

File Status

D.

Sample Type

E.

Uncompressed Audio Size

F.

Duration

G.

Free Space

H.

Detect Dropped Samples

• To show or hide the status bar, choose View > Status Bar > Show. A check mark indicates that the status bar is visible.
• To change the information displayed at the far right of the bar, choose View > Status Bar, or right‑click the bar. Then select from the following options:

  Video Frame Rate

  Displays the current and target frame rate of open video files in the Multitrack Editor.

  File Status

  Indicates when processing is occurring for effects and amplitude adjustments.

  Sample Type

  Displays sample information about the currently opened waveform (Waveform Editor) or session file (Multitrack Editor). For example, a 44,100 Hz, 16‑bit stereo file is displayed as 44100 Hz • 16‑bit • Stereo.

  Uncompressed Audio Size

  Indicates either how large the active audio file would be if saved to an uncompressed format such as WAV and AIFF, or the total size of a multitrack session.

  Duration

  Shows you the length of the current waveform or session. For example, 0:01:247 means the waveform or session is 1.247 seconds long.

  Free Space

  Shows how much space is available on your hard drive.

  Free Space (Time)

  Displays the time remaining for recording, based upon the currently selected sample rate. This value is shown as minutes, seconds, and thousandths of seconds. For example, if Adobe Audition is set to record 8‑bit mono audio at 11,025 Hz, the time remaining might read 4399:15.527 free. Change the recording options to 16‑bit stereo at 44,100 Hz, and the time remaining becomes 680:44.736 free.

  By default, Free Space (Time) information is hidden. To show it, right-click the status bar, and select Free Space (Time) from the pop-up menu.

  Detect Dropped Samples

  Indicates that samples were missing during recording or playback. If this indicator appears, consider rerecording the file to avoid audible dropouts.

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance (Windows) or Audition > Preferences > Appearance (Mac OS).

2. Adjust any of the following options, and then click OK:

   Presets

   Applies, saves, or deletes a combination of Colors and Brightness settings.

   Colors

   Click a swatch to change the color of waveforms, selections, or the current-time indicator.

   Brightness

   Brightens or darkens panels, windows, and dialog boxes.

   Use Gradients

   When deselected, removes shadows and highlights from panels, buttons, and meters.