Timeline and cutting
Tracks
- Video, audio and subtitle tracks, as many as you need: Timeline › Add Video Track, Add Audio Track, Add Subtitle Track, or Add Track above the timeline. A right-click on the empty space below the last track offers them too. Dragging a clip above the top track also makes a new one.
- Each track can be muted, played solo, hidden or locked from its header.
- Upper video tracks lie over lower ones.
Placing and moving clips
- Drag clips from the library onto a track, or double-click them to add them at the playhead.
- Drag clips along a track to move them. They snap to cuts, markers and the playhead; N switches snapping, holding Shift while dragging suspends it.
- A video's sound is linked to its picture and moves with it. Ctrl + L links selected clips, Ctrl + Shift + L unlinks them.
Cutting and trimming
- Ctrl + K splits at the playhead (or click the scissors on the playhead).
- Delete removes the selection and leaves a gap; Shift + Delete closes the gap (ripple delete).
- Drag the edge of a clip to trim it.
- Shift + E switches a clip off without deleting it.
- Ctrl + A selects all clips, Esc selects none.
Moving around
- Space plays and pauses. J K L play backwards, pause and play forwards; press again for double speed.
- ← → step one frame, with Shift ten frames. ↑ ↓ jump to the previous and next cut, Home and End to the start and end.
- = and - zoom the timeline, \ fits everything.
Markers and In/Out
- M adds a marker at the playhead.
- I and O set an In and Out point, Alt + X clears them. The range is used by the export, Auto Captions and the render preview.
Compound clips
Select several clips and choose Timeline › Create Compound Clip (Alt + G): they become one clip that moves, gets effects and transitions like any other. Alt + Enter opens it to edit inside, Alt + Backspace goes back, Alt + Shift + G breaks it apart again.
Smooth playback of heavy parts
Timeline › Render Preview (Ctrl + Enter) renders a demanding section once so that it plays smoothly. Render Preview Automatically does this by itself a few seconds after you stop editing; Delete Render Files frees the space.