Issues with editing a phrase and a few suggestions

no matter which tool I select, whether for individual notes, figure parts, or the entire phrase.. 95% of the parameters on the right are inactive

• Activate the chain link above the parameter block (it links views to current parameter selection).
• Every parameter remembers its last used tool. Select a tool after you selected a parameter.
• Check if you have HyperEdit mode disable (H button)

the author grabs a note or part of a figure, clicks on Range, which brings up a large vertical piano roll, and then clicks on a key to change the selected part or note

This video shows how the Interpretation parameter responds to instrument pitch range. What you see displayed is the Output parameter.

I can't even change the pitch of a selected single note with my keyboard's arrow keys outside the scale of the progression

Figure is an algorithm that takes the current Harmony rules as input. If a certain note is not allowed you need to change the chord or scales in the Harmony parameter. Or bypass voice leading and allow chromatic for the Figure segment.

Check out this for more tips: https://docs.cognitone.com/synfire/EN/tasks/FineTuningInterpretation.html

Increase or decrease a value in the parameter outlets ... with the mouse wheel

Select objects in the parameter view and use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the selection. Or use the sliders on the parameter inspector.

When altering a value, such as Transpose, there is no visual feedback in the selected figure

Transpose takes effect only when output is rendered. It does not modify the Figure. 

But it would indeed be nice if the shadow of the Figure could reflect that when Transpose is edited. Step does so. The challenge is that it will be hard to grasp which Figure is transposed any why. Transpose can be set anywhere, affecting a Figure from one or more other containers. Both need not sit side by side.
 

I don't understand yet where exactly you get stuck. Maybe the three Figure tutorials might help. A tutorial for editing other parameters is still on the wait list.

A DAW has only one MIDI piano roll and automation lanes. With 40+ parameters it is a bit difficult to have them all in one place. The view is required to change in order to display the currently selected parameter.

Audio Voltage :  Use Licecap to show what you are doing in Synfire 
Cockos Incorporated | LICEcap

 Double clicking brings you to the editor and back

Hide or show the prhase editor icon: shows both screens or not (arrangement screen en editor screen)

Hi, then you must describe exactly what you want to do with the figures/symbols.
"most parameters accessible in the right panel are deactivated" ?
Yes, the large vertical parameter block 
Making a snapshot of parameter in the parameter block makes it lit (bright)
Example : harmony : making a harmony snapshot is adding chords to the arrangement

first try clicking on the second to last button in the tool bar at the top, it looks like an H. it turns on hyper edit which makes it easier to edit different parameters without switching to just displaying that parameter.

Many of the parameters you need to draw them in where the figures are displayed, it is possible to extract them from the figures, drag them to and from a libary, you can even drag the figure green light to the rythem parameter too. Most things you can drag an drop between parameters and synfire will do its best to extract the right information, there are also right click menus and menus at the top that let you extract stuff too.

i tend to keep hyper edit mode on, drag the figure parameter (in the parameter block on the right where the green light is) to the rythem parameter. Then select the rythem parameter. Been a while since ive done this so my memory might be off.

Those vertical lines are probably the rythem, they indicate the quantisiation points and will line up with the figures because it came from the figures. Try doing the same with velocity, play it and make a note of what it sounds like. Then drag a figure from a library to the velocity parameter and play, it should sound different. Step is a great parameter to play with it tells synfire when to play the notes rather than the rythem

Once it falls into place you will realise just how powerful it is, especially when you realise those parameters can come from a container either inheriting from above or overriding below, the container doesnt need to have a figure.

Dragging and dropping between different parameters especially from a libary can produce some really unexpected but still musical results.

Another thing I noticed with your second video, your pan parameter didnt have any length, so any value you set went at the begining of the sequence. If you select the pan view you should be able to move the end/loop marker to the length you want, you can use the line or freehand draw tool to just draw the pan parameter for the number of measures,

also i think i forgot, you need to shift or control drag the parameters to other parameters otherwise you do a move not a copy. as i said, Im not very current and my memory is a bit hazy

hyper edit mode only works when you have a figure, it allows you to edit certain parameters like velocity, length, etc that a figure has but arent proper parameters. if you think about some midi, a midi note has a velocity, a note length, etc. There is no separate velocity parameter or length parameter although you can override the values by adding a velocity, pan, length parameter.

It was alt drag to copy a parameter from one place to another. You should also be able to right click on the parameter you want, for instance rythem, and select extract from figure.

this page of the manual might help...
https://docs.cognitone.com/synfire/EN/references/ParameterConversion.html

and

https://docs.cognitone.com/synfire/EN/parameters/Encyclopedia.html

Thanks for the GIFs. I now see where your confusion comes from.

Ok, here are two quick examples, I hope the .gifs are working

Contrary to your assumption, the parameters (e.g. Rhythm, Transpose) are not properties of a Figure segment. They are completely separate "automation lanes" that can affect multiple phrases at the same time (e.g. if you put them in Global Parameters).

If you want to transpose Figure segments destructively (i.e. modifying the Figure), select them and use the arrow keys (my favourite, you can also just drag them).

Chain Symbol

When the chain symbol is unlinked (off), you always see Figure regardless which parameter is selected. This is handy when you want to copy/paste parameters around, or make quick adjustments on the parameter inspector that don't require a full display of the parameter. It helps you stay focused on the Figure.

When you are editing parameters, just keep the chain linked, select the desired parameter and edit it. As said, parameters are separate "automation lanes".

We would love to have two separate views for Figure and for the other parameters. There's simply not enough screen space to accommodate them. If they were all linear curves, like Transpose, it might work, but some parameters need more room for editing.

Use also : Hide or Show embedded help , it gives tooltips or help