Tools

The timeline toolbar runs across the top of the Timeline panel. Each tool is a mode: activate it, use it, deactivate it. Some tools are keyboard-accessible without a toolbar click. This page covers every tool the Editor ships with.

Select (cursor) tool

The default. Cursor icon. Click a clip to select it. Drag to move clips horizontally. Shift-click to add to selection. Drag on empty timeline space to rubber-band multiple clips.

Return to Select mode from any other tool with V or Esc.

Cut (razor) tool

Razor icon. When active, hovering over a clip shows a vertical razor line with a small gap indicator showing exactly where the split will land. Click to split the clip into two independent clips at that position.

Shortcut: C activates, V or Esc deactivates. A one-shot split at the current playhead on the selected clip is bound to S (no mode change required).

After cutting, both halves remain on the timeline. Downstream clips do not shift. Use the ripple modifiers from the Select tool if you want downstream clips to close the gap.

Snap toggle

Magnet icon. On by default. With snap on, dragging clips or the playhead causes them to snap to:

• Other clip edges on nearby tracks.
• The playhead.
• Loop IN/OUT markers.
• Custom markers.

Shortcut: N. Useful to turn off for precise frame-level placement.

Zoom

A slider in the toolbar (0.05x to 8x), plus three buttons: zoom in, zoom out, zoom to fit. Zoom changes how many timeline seconds fit in the visible panel; clip widths scale accordingly.

Shortcuts:

• Shift+Z: zoom to fit the entire timeline.
• Ctrl+Shift+Z: zoom to fit the current selection.
• Ctrl+Scroll or two-finger pinch: zoom at cursor position.

Loop IN / OUT

Mark an inclusive playback region. With IN and OUT set, hitting play loops that region instead of playing the whole timeline.

• I: set IN at the playhead. Alt+I: clear IN.
• O: set OUT at the playhead. Alt+O: clear OUT.
• Alt+X: clear both.
• Ctrl/Cmd+/: toggle loop playback on or off.

IN and OUT render as bracket flags in the ruler. The loop region is shaded.

Marker tool

Add colored markers at arbitrary positions along the timeline. Useful as navigation anchors, TODO pins, or review notes. A split-button in the toolbar: the main half drops a marker of the current color, the chevron opens a color palette plus a "clear all" item.

Keyboard: M drops a marker at the playhead. Double-click a marker in the ruler to rename it. Right-click a marker to delete.

Full marker behavior is covered in Markers and loops.

Hand (grab) tool

Grab icon. Activate with H. Click-and-drag anywhere on the timeline to pan the viewport without interacting with clips. Useful when you are heavily zoomed in and want to navigate without accidentally grabbing a clip.

Undo / Redo

Undo (Ctrl/Cmd+Z) reverses the last clip operation. Redo (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z) reapplies it. The undo stack survives until you close the timeline tab. Most operations are undoable: add, delete, move, trim, split, transition change, marker edit.

Track creation

Two small buttons in the toolbar:

• Add video overlay: inserts a new video track above V1. Used for title cards, picture- in-picture, lower thirds.
• Add audio track: inserts a new audio track below A1. Used for music beds, SFX layers, commentary.

Right-click a track label for rename, solo, mute, lock, hide, or delete.

Where to go next

• Tracks and clips: how to actually edit once tools are chosen.
• Keyboard shortcuts: complete reference.