Provided by: openshot-qt_2.4.1-2build2_all 
NAME
openshot-qt - OpenShot Video Editor Documentation
OpenShot Video Editor is an award-winning, open-source video editor, available on Linux, Mac, and
Windows. OpenShot can create stunning videos, films, and animations with an easy-to-use interface and
rich set of features.
Learning to use OpenShot is easy, and with this guide, you will be a master in no time at all!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction
OpenShot Video Editor is an award-winning, open-source video editor, available on Linux, Mac, and
Windows. OpenShot can create stunning videos, films, and animations with an easy-to-use interface and
rich feature-set.
Features
• Cross-platform (Supports Linux, OS X, and Windows)
• Support for many video, audio, and image formats (based on FFmpeg)
• Powerful curve-based Key frame animations
• Desktop integration (drag and drop support)
• Unlimited tracks / layers
• Clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, rotation, and cutting
• Video transitions with real-time previews
• Compositing, image overlays, watermarks
• Title templates, title creation, sub-titles
• 2D animation support (image sequences)
• 3D animated titles (and effects)
• SVG friendly, to create and include vector titles and credits
• Scrolling motion picture credits
• Advanced Timeline (including Drag & drop, scrolling, panning, zooming, and snapping)
• Frame accuracy (step through each frame of video)
• Time-mapping and speed changes on clips (slow/fast, forward/backward, etc…)
• Audio mixing and editing
• Digital video effects, including brightness, gamma, hue, greyscale, chroma key (bluescreen /
greenscreen) , and many more!
Screenshot
[image]
System Requirements
Video editing benefits from large amounts of memory, modern CPUs, and fast disks. Basically, you want the
best computer you can afford when editing video. Here are the minimum system requirements:
• 64-bit Operating System (Linux, OS X, Windows 7/8/10)
• Multi-core processor with 64-bit support
• 4GB of RAM (16GB recommended)
• 500 MB of hard-disk space for installation
• Optional: Solid-state drive (SSD), if utilizing disk-caching (and an additional 10GB of hard-disk
space)
License
OpenShot Video Editor is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the
GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License,
or (at your option) any later version.
Getting Started
OpenShot Video Editor is available on most operating systems (including Linux, Mac, and Windows). Visit
the official download page and grab the latest and greatest version: http://www.openshot.org/download/.
Linux
Depending on which Linux distribution you use, there are likely many ways to install OpenShot. The
easiest way to ensure you have the very latest version, is to download an AppImage from the project
website (listed above). Once downloaded, right click on the AppImage file, choose Properties, and mark
the file as Executable. Now, go ahead and double click the AppImage to launch it.
Mac
Download the DMG file from the project website (listed above), double click it, and then drag the
OpenShot application icon into your Applications shortcut. This is very similar to how most other Mac
applications are installed. Now launch OpenShot from Launchpad.
Windows
Download the Windows installer executable from the project website (listed above), double click it, and
follow the directions on screen. Once completed, OpenShot will be installed and available in your Start
menu.
Quick Tutorial
Using OpenShot is very easy, and this tutorial will take you through the basics in under 5 minutes. After
this tutorial, you will be able to make a simple photo slide-show with music.
Step 1 – Import Photos & Music
Before we can begin making a video, we need to import files into OpenShot. Drag and drop a few images
(*.JPG, *.PNG, etc…) and a music file (most formats will work) from your Desktop to OpenShot. Be sure to
drop the files where the arrow in the illustration is pointing to. [image]
Step 2 – Arrange Photos on Timeline
Next, drag each photo onto the timeline (as seen in the illustration). The timeline represents your final
video, so arrange your photos in whatever sequence you want them to appear in your video. If you overlap
two clips, OpenShot will automatically create a smooth fade between them, displayed by blue rounded
rectangles between the clips. Remember, you can rearrange the clips as many times as needed by simply
dragging and dropping them. [image]
Step 3 – Add Music to Timeline
To make our photo slide-show more interesting, we need to add some music. You should have imported a
music file in step 1. Click on the music file, and drag it onto the timeline. If the song is too long,
grab the right edge of your music clip, and resize it smaller. [image]
Step 4 – Preview your Project
To preview what our video looks & sounds like, click the Play button under the preview window. You can
also pause, rewind, and fast-forward your video project by clicking the corresponding buttons. [image]
Step 5 – Export your Video
Once you are happy with your photo slide-show video, the next step is to export your video. This will
convert your OpenShot project into a single video file, which will work on most media players (such as
VLC) or websites (such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc…).
Click on the Export Video icon at the top of the screen (or use the File > Export Video menu). Choose
from one of the many preset export options, and click the Export Video button. [image]
You should now have a basic understanding of how OpenShot works. Importing, Arranging, Previewing, and
Exporting. Hopefully this tutorial took less than 5 minutes for you to complete. Please read the rest of
this guide for a more detailed understanding of OpenShot, and it’s advanced features. Enjoy!
Main Window
OpenShot Video Editor has one main window which contains most of the information, buttons, and menus
needed to edit your video project.
Overview
[image]
┌──┬───────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Main Toolbar │ Contains buttons to open, │
│ │ │ save, and export your video │
│ │ │ project. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Function Tabs │ Switch between Project │
│ │ │ Files, Transitions, and │
│ │ │ Effects. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Project Files │ All audio, video, and image │
│ │ │ files that have been │
│ │ │ imported into your project. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│4 │ Preview Window │ This is the area that the │
│ │ │ video will playback on the │
│ │ │ screen. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│5 │ Edit Toolbar │ This toolbar contains │
│ │ │ buttons used for snapping, │
│ │ │ inserting markers, and │
│ │ │ jumping between markers. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│6 │ Zoom Slider │ This slider will adjust the │
│ │ │ time-scale of your timeline. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│7 │ Play-head / Ruler │ The ruler shows the │
│ │ │ time-scale, and the red line │
│ │ │ is the play-head. The │
│ │ │ play-head represents the │
│ │ │ current playback position. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│8 │ Timeline │ The timeline visualizes your │
│ │ │ video project, and each clip │
│ │ │ and transition in your │
│ │ │ project. │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│9 │ Filter │ Filter the list of items │
│ │ │ shown (project files, │
│ │ │ transitions, and effects) by │
│ │ │ using these buttons and │
│ │ │ filter textbox. Enter a few │
│ │ │ letters of what you are │
│ │ │ looking for, and the results │
│ │ │ will be shown. │
└──┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
For step-by-step instructions on the basic usage of OpenShot, be sure to read the quick_tutorial_ref.
Built-in Tutorial
When you first launch OpenShot, you will be presented with a friendly built-in tutorial. It will point
out and explain the basics. Clicking Next will jump to the next topic. You can always view this tutorial
again from the Help->Tutorial menu. [image]
Tracks & Layers
OpenShot uses tracks to layer videos and images. The top most track is the top layer, and the bottom
track is the bottom layer. If you are familiar with layers in a photo editing application, then you
should be quite familiar with this concept. OpenShot will mix each layer together, just like a photo
editing application. You can have an unlimited number of tracks, but typically a video project will not
need more than 10 (or so) tracks.
For example, imagine a 3 track video project [image]
┌──┬──────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Top Track │ Clips on this track will │
│ │ │ always be on top and visible │
├──┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Middle Track │ Clips in the middle (might │
│ │ │ or might not be visible, │
│ │ │ depending on what is above │
│ │ │ them) │
├──┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Bottom Track │ Clips on this track will │
│ │ │ always be on the bottom │
└──┴──────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Keyboard Shortcuts
Here is a list of the default keyboard shortcuts supported by OpenShot. You can configure these shortcuts
in the Preferences dialog. Learning a few of these shortcuts can save you a bunch of time!
┌───────────────────┬────────────────────────────┐
│Shortcut │ Action │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+H │ About OpenShot │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+M │ Add Marker │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Shift+T │ Add Track │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+W │ Add to Timeline │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+B │ Animated Title │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+P │ Choose Profile │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+C │ Copy │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Delete │ Delete Item │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Backspace │ Delete Item │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+D │ Details View │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+E │ Export Video │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│L │ Fast Forward │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│F11 │ Fullscreen │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+F │ Import Files │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+End │ Jump to End │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Home │ Jump to Start │
└───────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘
│Ctrl+N │ New Project │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Right │ Next Frame │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Right │ Next Marker │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+O │ Open Project │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+V │ Paste │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Space │ Play/Pause Toggle │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Up │ Play/Pause Toggle │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Down │ Play/Pause Toggle │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│K │ Play/Pause Toggle │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Shift+P │ Preferences │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Left │ Previous Frame │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Left │ Previous Marker │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+I │ Properties │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Q │ Quit │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Y │ Redo │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│J │ Rewind │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+S │ Save Project │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Shift+S │ Save Project As… │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+A │ Select All │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Shift+A │ Select None │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+K │ Slice All: Keep Both Sides │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+L │ Slice All: Keep Left Side │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+J │ Slice All: Keep Right Side │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+G │ Toggle Snapping │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+X │ Split Clip │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Shift+D │ Thumbnail View │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+T │ Title Editor │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Z │ Undo │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│= │ Zoom In │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│– │ Zoom Out │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Scroll │ Zoom In/Out │
├───────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│Ctrl+Middle Button │ Scroll Timeline │
└───────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘
Files
Before we can begin making a video, we need to import files into OpenShot. Most media file types are
recognized, such as videos, images, and audio files. Files can be viewed and managed in the Project Files
panel.
Import Files
There are many ways to import media files into OpenShot.
┌─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├─────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Drag and Drop │ Drag and drop the files from your │
│ │ file manager (file explorer, finder, │
│ │ etc…) │
├─────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Right Click->Import │ Right click in the Project Files │
│ │ panel, choose Import Files… │
├─────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│File Menu->Import │ File menu->Import Files… │
├─────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Import Files Toolbar │ Click the Import Files… toolbar │
│ │ button (on the top menu) │
└─────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
[image]
File Menu
To view the file menu, right click on a file (in the Project Files panel). Here are the actions you can
use from the file menu. [image]
┌────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Import Files… │ Import files into your project │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Thumbnail/Detail │ Toggle the view between details and │
│ │ thumbnails │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Preview File │ Preview a media file │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Split Clip… │ Split a file into many smaller clips │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Edit Title │ Edit an existing title SVG file │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Duplicate Title │ Make a copy, and then edit the copied │
│ │ title SVG file │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Add to Timeline │ Add many files to the timeline in one │
│ │ step │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│File Properties │ View the properties of a file, such │
│ │ as frame rate, size, etc… │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Remove from Project │ Remove a file from the project │
└────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Split Clip
If you need to cut a file into many smaller clips before editing, the Split Clip dialog is built exactly
for this purpose. Right click on a file, and choose Split Clip… from the file menu. This opens the Split
Clip dialog. Use this dialog to quickly cut out as many small clips as you need. The dialog stays open
after you create a clip, to allow you to repeat the steps for your next clip. When you are finished,
simply close the dialog. [image]
┌──┬───────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼───────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Start of Clip │ Choose the starting frame of │
│ │ │ your clip by clicking this │
│ │ │ button │
└──┴───────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
│2 │ End of Clip │ Choose the ending frame of │
│ │ │ your clip by clicking this │
│ │ │ button │
├──┼───────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Name of Clip │ Enter an optional name │
├──┼───────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│4 │ Create Clip │ Create the clip (which │
│ │ │ resets this dialog, so you │
│ │ │ can repeat these steps for │
│ │ │ each clip) │
└──┴───────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Add to Timeline
In certain cases, you might need to add many files to the timeline at the same time. For example, a photo
slide show, or a large number of short video clips. The Add to Timeline dialog can automate this task for
you. First, select all files you need to add, right click, and choose Add to Timeline. [image]
┌──┬───────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Selected Files │ The list of selected files │
│ │ │ that need to be added to the │
│ │ │ timeline │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Order of Files │ Use these buttons to reorder │
│ │ │ the list of files (move up, │
│ │ │ move down, randomize, │
│ │ │ remove) │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Timeline Position │ Choose the starting position │
│ │ │ and track where these files │
│ │ │ need to be inserted on the │
│ │ │ timeline │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│4 │ Fade Options │ Fade in, fade out, both, or │
│ │ │ none │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│5 │ Zoom Options │ Zoom in, zoom out, or none │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│6 │ Transitions │ Choose a specific transition │
│ │ │ to use between files, │
│ │ │ random, or none │
└──┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Properties
To view the properties of any imported file in your video project, right click on the file, and choose
File Properties. This will launch the file properties dialog, which displays information about your
media file. For certain types of images (i.e. image sequences), you can adjust the frame rate on this
dialog also. [image]
┌──┬─────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ File Properties │ Select an image sequence in │
│ │ │ the Project Files panel, │
│ │ │ right click and choose File │
│ │ │ Properties │
├──┼─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Frame Rate │ For image sequences, you can │
│ │ │ also adjust the frame rate │
│ │ │ of the animation │
└──┴─────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Clips
Each media file you add to the OpenShot timeline is called a clip, and is visualized by a dark, rounded
rectangle (as seen in the screenshot below). A clip has a large number of properties, which affects how
the clip is rendered and composited, such as scale, location, rotation, and alpha. These properties can
also be animated over time, and when combined together, can create some amazing effects.
Overview
[image]
┌──┬────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Clip 1 │ A video clip │
├──┼────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Transition │ A gradual fade transition │
│ │ │ between the 2 clips │
├──┼────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Clip 2 │ An image clip │
└──┴────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Cutting & Slicing
OpenShot has many easy ways to adjust the start and end positions of a clip (otherwise known as cutting).
The most common method is simply grabbing the left (or right) edge of the clip and dragging. Here is a
list of methods for cutting clips in OpenShot:
┌──────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Slice │ When the play-head (i.e. red playback │
│ │ line) is overlapping a clip, right │
│ │ click on the clip, and choose Slice │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Slice All │ When the play-head is overlapping │
│ │ many clips, right click on the │
│ │ play-head, and choose Slice All (it │
│ │ will cut all intersecting clips) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Resizing Edge │ Mouse over the edge of a clip, and │
│ │ resize the edge │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Split Dialog │ Right click on a file, and choose │
│ │ Split Clip. A dialog will appear │
│ │ which allows for creating lots of │
│ │ small cuts in a single video file. │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Razor Tool │ The razor tool cuts a clip wherever │
│ │ you click, so be careful. Easy and │
│ │ dangerous. │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Keep in mind that all of the above cutting methods also have keyboard_shortcut_ref, to save even more
time.
Preset Menu
OpenShot has tons of great preset animations and clip properties, such as fading, sliding, zooming, etc…
These presets can be accessed by right clicking on a clip. [image]
┌───────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Fade │ Fade in or out a clip (often easier │
│ │ than using a transition) │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Animate │ Zoom and slide a clip │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Rotate │ Rotate or flip a video │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Layout │ Make a video smaller or larger, and │
│ │ snap to any corner │
└───────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
│Time │ Reverse and speed up or slow down │
│ │ video │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Volume │ Fade in or out the volume for a clip │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Separate Audio │ Create a clip for each audio track │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Slice │ Cut the clip at the play-head │
│ │ position │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Transform │ Enable transform mode │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Display │ Show waveform or thumbnail for a clip │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Properties │ Show the properties panel for a clip │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Copy / Paste │ Copy and paste key frames or │
│ │ duplicate an entire clip (with all │
│ │ key frames) │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Remove Clip │ Remove a clip from the timeline │
└───────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Transform
To quickly adjust the location and scale of a clip, select a clip on the timeline, right click and choose
Transform. Grab any of the small blue handles to adjust scale, and grab the middle circle to move the
image. Note: Pay close attention to where the play-head (i.e. red playback line) is. Key frames are
automatically created at the current playback position, to help create animations. [image]
For more info on key frames and animation, see animation_ref.
Effects
In addition to the many clip properties which can be animated and adjusted, you can also drop an effect
directly onto a clip. Each effect is represented by a small letter icon. Clicking the effect icon will
populate the properties of that effect, and allow you to edit (and animate) them. [image]
Properties
Below is a list of clip properties which can be edited, and in most cases, animated over time. To view a
clip’s properties, right click and choose Properties. The property editor will appear, where you can
change these properties. Note: Pay close attention to where the play-head (i.e. red playback line) is.
Key frames are automatically created at the current playback position, to help create animations.
┌───────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Gravity Type │ The gravity of a clip determines │
│ │ where it snaps to it’s parent │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Scale Type │ The scale determines how a clip │
│ │ should be resized to fit it’s parent │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Frame Display Type │ The format to display the frame │
│ │ number (if any) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Scale X │ Curve representing the horizontal │
│ │ scaling in percent (0 to 1) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Scale Y │ Curve representing the vertical │
│ │ scaling in percent (0 to 1) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Location X │ Curve representing the relative X │
│ │ position in percent based on the │
│ │ gravity (-1 to 1) │
└───────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
│Location Y │ Curve representing the relative Y │
│ │ position in percent based on the │
│ │ gravity (-1 to 1) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Rotation │ Curve representing the rotation (0 to │
│ │ 360) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Alpha │ Curve representing the alpha (1 to 0) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Time │ Curve representing the frames over │
│ │ time to play (used for speed and │
│ │ direction of video) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Volume │ Curve representing the volume (0 to │
│ │ 1) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Shear X │ Curve representing X shear angle in │
│ │ degrees (-45.0=left, 45.0=right) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Shear Y │ Curve representing Y shear angle in │
│ │ degrees (-45.0=down, 45.0=up) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Channel Filter │ A number representing an audio │
│ │ channel to filter (clears all other │
│ │ channels) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Channel Mapping │ A number representing an audio │
│ │ channel to output (only works when │
│ │ filtering a channel) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Has Audio │ An optional override to determine if │
│ │ this clip has audio (-1=undefined, │
│ │ 0=no, 1=yes) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Has Video │ An optional override to determine if │
│ │ this clip has video (-1=undefined, │
│ │ 0=no, 1=yes) │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Waveform │ Should a waveform be used instead of │
│ │ the clip’s image │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Waveform Color │ Curve representing the color of the │
│ │ audio wave form │
└───────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
For more info on key frames and animation, see animation_ref.
Transitions
A transition is used to gradually fade (or wipe) between two clips. In OpenShot, transitions are
represented by blue, rounded rectangles on the timeline. They are automatically created when you overlap
two clips, and can be added manually by dragging one onto the timeline from the Transitions panel. A
transition must be placed on top of a clip (overlapping it), with the most common location being the
beginning or end.
Overview
[image]
┌──┬────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Clip 1 │ A video clip │
├──┼────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Transition │ A gradual fade transition │
│ │ │ between the 2 clips, created │
│ │ │ automatically by overlapping │
│ │ │ the clips. │
└──┴────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
│3 │ Clip 2 │ An image clip │
└──┴────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Direction
Transitions adjust the alpha/transparency of the clip below it, and can either fade from opaque to
transparent, or transparent to opaque. Right click and choose Reverse Transition to change the direction
of the fade. You can also manually adjust the Brightness curve, animating the fade in any way you wish.
[image]
Cutting & Slicing
OpenShot has many easy ways to adjust the start and end positions of a transition (otherwise known as
cutting). The most common method is simply grabbing the left (or right) edge of the transition and
dragging. Here is a list of methods for cutting transitions in OpenShot:
┌──────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Slice │ When the play-head (i.e. red playback │
│ │ line) is overlapping a transition, │
│ │ right click on the transition, and │
│ │ choose Slice │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Slice All │ When the play-head is overlapping │
│ │ many transitions, right click on the │
│ │ play-head, and choose Slice All (it │
│ │ will cut all intersecting │
│ │ transitions) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Resizing Edge │ Mouse over the edge of a transition, │
│ │ and resize the edge │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Razor Tool │ The razor tool cuts a transition │
│ │ wherever you click, so be careful. │
│ │ Easy and dangerous. │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Keep in mind that all of the above cutting methods also have keyboard_shortcut_ref.
Mask
Like clips_ref, transitions also have properties which can be animated over time. The fade (or wipe) can
be adjusted with the Brightness curve, or held at a constant value to create a transparency mask on top
of a clip.
Custom Transition
Any greyscale image can be used as a transition (or mask), by adding it to your
/.openshot_qt/transitions/ folder. Just be sure to name your file something that is easily recognizable,
and restart OpenShot. Your custom transition/mask will now show up in the list of transitions.
Properties
Below is a list of transition properties which can be edited, and in most cases, animated over time. To
view a transition’s properties, right click and choose Properties. The property editor will appear, where
you can change these properties. NOTE: Pay close attention to where the play-head (i.e. red playback
line) is. Key frames are automatically created at the current playback position, to help create
animations.
┌──────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Brightness │ Curve representing the brightness of │
│ │ the transition image, which affects │
│ │ the fade/wipe (-1 to 1) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Contrast │ Curve representing the contrast of │
│ │ the transition image, which affects │
│ │ the softness/hardness of the │
│ │ fade/wipe (0 to 20) │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
│Replace Image │ For debugging a problem, this │
│ │ property displays the transition │
│ │ image (instead of becoming a │
│ │ transparency) │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Animation
OpenShot has been designed specifically with animation in mind. The powerful curve-based animation
framework can handle most jobs with ease, and is flexible enough to create just about any animation. Key
frames specify values at certain points on a clip, and OpenShot does the hard work of interpolating the
in-between values.
Overview
[image]
┌──┬───────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Green Property │ When the play-head is on a │
│ │ │ key frame, the property │
│ │ │ appears green │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Blue Property │ When the play-head is on an │
│ │ │ interpolated value, the │
│ │ │ property appears blue │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Value Slider │ Click and drag your mouse to │
│ │ │ adjust the value (this │
│ │ │ automatically creates a key │
│ │ │ frame if needed) │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Play-head │ Position the play-head over │
│ │ │ a clip where you need a key │
│ │ │ frame │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│4 │ Key frame Markers │ Small green tick marks are │
│ │ │ drawn at all key frame │
│ │ │ positions (on a clip) │
└──┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Key Frames
To create a key frame in OpenShot, simply position the play-head (i.e. playback position) at any point
over a clip, and edit properties in the property dialog. If the property supports key frames, it will
turn green, and a small green tick mark will appear on your clip at that position. Move your play-head to
another point over that clip, and adjust the properties again. All animations require at least 2 key
frames, but can support an unlimited number of them.
To adjust the interpolation mode, right click on the small graph icon next to a property value.
┌─────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│Name │ Description │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Bézier │ Interpolated values use a quadratic │
│ │ curve, and ease-in and ease-out │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Linear │ Interpolated values are calculated │
│ │ linear (each step value is equal) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│Constant │ Interpolated values stay the same │
│ │ until the next key frame, and jump to │
│ │ the new value │
└─────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
For more info on clip properties, see clip_properties_ref. For more info on preset animations, see
clip_presets_ref. For more info on creating key frames for location and scale, see clip_transform_ref.
Bézier Presets
When using a Bézier curve for animation, OpenShot includes more than 20 curve presets (which affect the
shape of the curve). For example, Ease-In has a more gradual slope at the beginning, making an animation
move slower at the beginning, and faster at the end. Ease-In/Out (Back) has a gradual beginning and
ending, but actually goes past the expected value and then back (producing a bounce effect).
To choose a curve preset, right click on the small graph icon next to a key frame. [image]
Image Sequences
If you have a sequence of similarly named images (such as, cat001.png, cat002.png, cat003.png, etc…), you
can simply drag and drop one of them into OpenShot, and you will be prompted to import the entire
sequence.
To adjust the frame rate of the animation, right click and choose File Properties in the Project Files
panel, and adjust the frame rate. Once you have set the correct frame rate, drag the animation onto the
timeline. [image]
┌──┬─────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ File Properties │ Select an image sequence in │
│ │ │ the Project Files panel, │
│ │ │ right click and choose File │
│ │ │ Properties │
├──┼─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Frame Rate │ Adjust the frame rate of the │
│ │ │ animation. Typically, │
│ │ │ hand-drawn animations use 12 │
│ │ │ frames per second. │
└──┴─────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Titles
Adding text and titles is an important aspect of video editing, and OpenShot comes with an easy to use
Title Editor. Use the Title menu (located in the main menu of OpenShot) to launch the Title Editor. You
can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T.
Overview
[image]
┌──┬───────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Choose a Template │ Choose from any available │
│ │ │ vector title template │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Preview Title │ Preview your title as you │
│ │ │ make changes │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Title Properties │ Change the text, colors, or │
│ │ │ edit in an advanced SVG │
│ │ │ image editor (such as │
│ │ │ Inkscape) │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Save │ Save and add the title to │
│ │ │ your project │
└──┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Custom Titles
OpenShot can use any vector SVG image file as a title template. Just add an SVG image file to your
/.openshot_qt/titles/ folder, and it will appear in OpenShot’s title editor after you restart OpenShot.
You can also right click on any SVG files in your Project Files panel, and choose Edit Title or Duplicate
Title.
3D Animated Titles
Adding a 3D animated title is just as easy, using our Animated Title dialog. Use the Title menu (located
in the main menu of OpenShot) to launch the Animated Title editor. You can also use the keyboard shortcut
Ctrl+B. [image]
┌──┬───────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
└──┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
│1 │ Choose a Template │ Choose from any available 3D │
│ │ │ title templates │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Preview Title │ Preview your title as you │
│ │ │ make changes │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Title Properties │ Change the text, colors, and │
│ │ │ advanced properties │
├──┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Render │ Render the 3D animation, and │
│ │ │ add it to your project │
└──┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
This feature requires the latest version of Blender (https://www.blender.org/download/) be installed, and
the OpenShot Preferences updated with the correct path to the Blender executable (for example:
/home/USER/blender-2.78/blender).
Profiles
A profile is a collection of common video settings (size, frame rate, aspect ratio, etc…). Profiles are
used during editing, previewing, and exporting to provide a quick way to switch between common
combinations of these settings.
Project Profile
The project profile is used when previewing your project and editing. The default project profile is “HD
720p 24fps”. It is best practice to always switch to your target profile before you begin editing. For
example, if you are targeting 1080p 30fps, switch to that profile before you begin editing your project.
[image]
┌──┬────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Title Bar │ The title bar of OpenShot │
│ │ │ displays the current profile │
├──┼────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│2 │ Profile Button │ Launch the profiles dialog │
├──┼────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│3 │ Choose Profile │ Select a profile for editing │
│ │ │ and preview │
└──┴────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Export Profile
The export profile always defaults to your current project profile, but can be changed to target
different profiles. [image]
┌──┬────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┐
│# │ Name │ Description │
├──┼────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
│1 │ Choose Profile │ Select a profile for export │
└──┴────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘
Custom Profile
Although OpenShot has more than 70 profiles included by default, you can also create your own custom
profiles. Create a new file in the /.openshot_qt/profiles/ folder. Use the following text as your
template (i.e. copy and paste this into the file):
description=Custom Profile Name
frame_rate_num=30000
frame_rate_den=1001
width=1280
height=720
progressive=1
sample_aspect_num=1
sample_aspect_den=1
display_aspect_num=16
display_aspect_den=9
Once you restart OpenShot, you will see your custom profile appear in the list of Profiles.
Learn More
We are working hard to expand this user guide, but if you are stuck and don’t know where to turn, please
submit a question or bug report here: https://github.com/OpenShot/openshot-qt/issues
AUTHOR
Jonathan Thomas
COPYRIGHT
2008-2018 OpenShot Studios, LLC