Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2 User Guide

							 Chapter 7    Edit your project 111
Replace a clip in the Timeline using keyboard shortcuts
 1 In the Browser, select the source clip or range.
 2 In the Timeline, select the clip you want to replace.
Note:  This must be a whole clip selection, not a range selection. For more information, see  About 
selections and filmstrips
 on page 91 .
 3 Do one of the following:
 •To perform a standard replace edit: Press Shift-R.
The target clip is replaced with the source clip selection. The duration is determined by the 
duration of the source clip selection. If the source clip selection and the target clip have 
different durations, the subsequent clips ripple.
 •To perform a Replace from Start edit: Press Option-R.
The target clip is replaced with the source clip, starting from the beginning of the source clip. 
The duration is determined by the duration of the Timeline clip.
Note:  In the case of Replace from Start, if the source clip selection is a range selection with a 
shorter duration than that of the target clip and there is sufficient extra media, Final Cut Pro 
extends the source selection to match the target clip duration. The resulting storyline duration 
does not change.
The source clip selection appears in the Timeline, in place of the original clip.
Add and edit still images
In Final Cut Pro, you can add and edit a variety of still-image formats in your projects, including 
photos and graphics files.
Add a still image to the Timeline
You can add still images to your project from the Browser or the Photos Browser.
 m To add a still image from the Browser: Import the still image into an event, and then select all or 
part of the still-image clip and drag it from the Browser to the Timeline.
Note:  Once a still image is imported, it functions like any other clip in Final Cut Pro. You can use 
any of the techniques described in this chapter to add still-image clips to the Timeline.
 mTo add a still image from the Photos Browser: Open the Photos Browser, select a still image, and 
drag it directly into the Timeline.
The default initial duration for range selections in still images is 4 seconds, but you can change 
this setting in the Editing pane of Final Cut Pro preferences.
There is no limit on the duration of a still-image clip. To adjust the duration of a still-image clip in 
the Timeline, use any of the trimming techniques described in this chapter. To adjust the duration 
of multiple still-image clips at once, select the clips and choose Modify > Change Duration (or 
press Control-D).
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Add layered graphics files to the Timeline
You can add layered graphics files, such as Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files, created with another 
image editing application to the Timeline.
 1 Import the layered graphics file into an event.
Important:  If the layered graphics file has a transparent background, make sure your project’s 
render format is set to Apple ProRes 4444 to preserve the transparency when rendering. See 
Modify a project’s settings
 on page 89 .
 2 In the Browser, Control-click the layered graphics image and choose Open in Timeline from the 
shortcut menu.
Each layer appears in the Timeline as a connected clip that you can edit as you would any other 
clip. For example, you can animate layers by fading them in or out.
Layered graphics image in the Viewer
Clips representing individual layers
The default duration for a layered graphics file is one minute. To adjust the duration of one of the 
layers in the Timeline, use any of the trimming techniques described in this chapter. To adjust the 
duration of all the layers, select them and choose Modify > Change Duration (or press Control-D).
For more information on creating layered graphics files for Final Cut Pro, go to 
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5152.
Edit a still image with an external image editing application
You can modify a still image with an external image editing application, and the changes appear 
automatically in the clip in Final Cut Pro. 
 1 To add a still-image clip to the Timeline, follow the steps above.
 2 To locate the clip’s source media file in the Finder, press Shift-Command-R. 
 3 Open the source media file in the external image editing application.
 4 In the image editing application,  modify the image and save the changes.
 5 Switch back to Final Cut P ro.
The changes appear automatically in the still-image clip in Final Cut Pro.
You can also create freeze frames from your video clips. For more information, see Create freeze 
frames
 on page 11 3.
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Create freeze frames
You can easily create freeze-frame clips from any video clip. Freeze-frame clips hold a particular 
frame in place, temporarily stopping the action onscreen.
You can create freeze-frame clips from clips in the Timeline or the Browser. If you create a freeze-
frame clip from the Browser, it is attached to the primary storyline at the playhead location as a 
connected clip.
You can create freeze frames on the fly during playback or by navigating to a specific frame in 
a clip.
Note:  A freeze-frame clip preserves any attributes that were applied to the source clip, such as 
settings and effects.
Create a freeze-frame clip
 1 In the Timeline or the Browser, do one of the following:
 •Move the skimmer or playhead to the frame you want to freeze.
 •Begin playback of the clip.
 2 Choose Edit > Add Freeze Frame (or press Option-F).
How the freeze frame is added to the project depends on whether the freeze frame was created 
from the Timeline or the Browser.
 •If you created the freeze frame from a clip in the Timeline: A new freeze-frame clip is inserted at 
the skimmer or playhead location in the Timeline.
 •If you created the freeze frame from a clip in the Browser: A new freeze-frame clip is attached as a 
connected clip at the playhead location in the Timeline.
Change the default duration of freeze-frame clips
Freeze-frame clips have the same default duration as still-image clips: 4 seconds. You can change 
the default duration in Final Cut Pro preferences.
 1 Choose Final C ut P ro > P references (or press Command-Comma), and click the Editing button at 
the top of the window.
 2 Adjust the Still Images value slider.
If you don’t want to create a separate clip for freeze frames, you can create a hold segment using 
the Retime pop-up menu. For more information, see Create a hold segment
 on page 313.
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Add clips using video-only or audio-only mode
By default, whenever you add clips from an event to the Timeline, all of the video and audio 
components of the event clip are included in the edit. However, you can also add just the video 
portion or just the audio portion of event clips to the Timeline, even if the event clips contain 
both video and audio.
Make video-only or audio-only edits
 1 To set the edit mode, do one of the following:
 •To add just the video from your selection to the Timeline: Choose Video Only from the Edit 
pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Shift-2). 
 •To add just the audio from your selection to the Timeline: Choose Audio Only from the Edit 
pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Shift-3). 
The edit buttons in the toolbar change their appearance to indicate the mode you selected:
Video-only mode
Audio-only mode
 2 Add clips to the Timeline as you normally would.
The video-only or audio-only clip appears in the Timeline.
To return to the default (video and audio) mode, choose All from the Edit pop-up menu in the 
toolbar (or press Shift-1).
Remove clips from your project
When you remove clips from a project in the Timeline, the source media in events, the 
Final Cut Pro media browsers, and the Finder is not affected.
Delete clips or ranges from the Timeline
 1 In the Timeline, select the clips or the range you want to remove. 
 2 Choose Edit > D elete (or press the Delete key).
The selected clips or portions of clips are removed from the Timeline and any clips to the right of 
the selection ripple to close the resulting gap.
To undo the deletion immediately, choose Edit > Undo (or press Command-Z).
Note:  Normally, if you select an entire Timeline clip (for example, with the C key) or a range 
that consists of an entire clip (for example, with the X key) and delete it, any connected clips or 
storylines are also deleted. However, it’s possible to delete a clip without affecting its connected 
clips by holding down the Grave Accent (`) key while pressing the Delete key. For more 
information, see “Move, trim, or delete clips in the primary storyline without affecting connected 
clips” in Connect clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects
 on page 10 3 . 
Also, if you delete a partial range of a clip that includes a connected clip or storyline, the 
connected items are not deleted but are instead shifted to the closest primary storyline clip.
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Delete clips or ranges without affecting the total project duration and timing
If you want to remove clips from the Timeline but still maintain the total project duration and 
timing, you can replace clips with gap clips. This method prevents any ripple edits.
 1 Select the clips or range you want to remove.
 2 Choose Edit > Replace with Gap (or press Shift-Delete).
Final Cut Pro replaces the selection in the Timeline with a gap clip.
Note:  This method preserves connected clips. When you replace a clip with a gap clip, any 
connected clips will be attached to the resulting gap clip.
Solo, disable, and enable clips
Sometimes, it’s helpful to compare how a sequence plays with and without certain clips. In 
Final Cut Pro, you can quickly play one clip’s audio, excluding audio from other clips. This feature, 
called solo, works by disabling the audio in all unselected clips in the Timeline. You can also 
disable (rather than delete) selected clips, making them invisible and silent during playback. 
Disabled clips do not appear in any output. You can just as easily reenable them.
Solo selected items
When you want to focus on a subset of clips in the Timeline in isolation, you can select the clips 
and solo them.
 1 In the Timeline, select the clips you want to isolate.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose Clip > Solo (or press Option-S).
 •Click the Solo button in the upper-right corner of the Timeline.
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When solo is turned on, the Solo button turns yellow, and nonsoloed clips are shown in black 
and white, making the soloed clips outlined in yellow easy to identify.
 3 To turn off solo, click the Solo button again.
Disable and reenable one or more clips
 1 Select one or more clips in the Timeline.
 2 Choose Clip > Disable (or press V ).
Disabled clips are dimmed in the Timeline and are invisible and silent during playback.
Disabled clipEnabled clip
 3 To reenable the disabled clips, select them in the Timeline and choose Clip > E nable (or press V ). 
Find a Timeline clip’s source clip
You can quickly find the source event clip for any clip you’re using in your project in the Timeline. 
This is particularly useful if you want to duplicate a clip in your project or add the same clip to a 
different project.
Find and reveal the source event clip for a Timeline clip
 1 In the Timeline, select the clip whose source event clip you want to locate.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose File > Reveal in Browser (or press Shift-F).
 •Control-click the clip and choose Reveal in Browser from the shortcut menu.
A selection border appears around the source clip or range in the Browser, and the playhead 
position in the source clip matches the playhead position in the Timeline clip. An orange line 
along the bottom of the source clip indicates that the clip is being used in the current project 
(open in the Timeline).
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Arrange clips in the Timeline
In Final Cut Pro, you can arrange and reorder the clips in your project however you want. If you 
add or move a clip in the Timeline by dragging, Final Cut Pro moves other clips to make room for 
it. Other reordering techniques include moving clips numerically by entering a timecode value, 
nudging clips with keyboard shortcuts, overwriting with the Position tool, and moving clips 
vertically from and to the primary storyline.
Move clips by dragging horizontally
 mIn the Timeline, select one or more clips and drag them to a new location in the project. 
As you drag your clips, you see an outline of your selection at the new position in the Timeline. 
When you release the mouse button, the repositioned clip (or clips) appears at the new location. 
Final Cut Pro ripples clips (and any connected clips) in the Timeline to make room for the 
repositioned clips and to close the gap left by the clips that were repositioned. You can also drag 
clips vertically in and out of the primary storyline.
Note:  This method of moving clips horizontally is the functional equivalent of a shuffle edit in 
Final Cut Pro 7, just easier.
Move clips by entering a timecode value
You can move selected clips in the Timeline by entering an amount of time you want the clips 
to move.
 1 Select one or more clips in the Timeline.
 2 Do any of the following:
 •To move the clips forward: Press the Plus Sign (+) key, and type a timecode duration for the move.
 •To move the clips back: Press the Hyphen (-) key, and type a timecode duration for the move.
Note:  For more information and tips on entering timecode, see Navigate using timecode on 
page 14 3 .
The timecode entry field (with blue numbers) appears in the Dashboard in the toolbar as 
you type.
Timecode entry field in the Dashboard
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 3 Press Return.
The clips move forward or back by the duration you entered. The adjacent clips are trimmed to 
accommodate the change in the clip’s position. If you prefer to fill in the vacated parts of the 
storyline with a gap clip, select the Position tool by pressing P before entering a timecode value.
The clip moves forward or 
back by the duration  you entered.Adjacent clips are trimmed 
to accommodate the change 
in the clip’s position.
Note:  Moving clips by entering a timecode value is similar to making a slide edit. For more 
information, see Make slide edits with the Trim tool
 on page 13 5 .
Nudge clips with keyboard shortcuts
The nudging feature in Final Cut Pro allows you to move selected items by very small amounts, 
such as frames or subframes (for connected audio-only clips).
 1 Select one or more clips in the Timeline.
 2 To nudge the clips, do any of the following:
 •To move the selection left by one frame: Press Comma (,).
 •To move the selection left by 10 frames: Press Shift-Comma (,).
 •To move the selection right by one frame: Press Period (.).
 •To move the selection right by 10 frames: Press Shift-Period (.).
 3 If you want to nudge connected audio clips by one or more subframes, do any of the following:
 •To move the selection left by one subframe: Press Option-Comma (,).
 •To move the selection left by 10 subframes: Press Option-Shift-Comma (,).
 •To move the selection right by one subframe: Press Option-Period (.).
 •To move the selection right by 10 subframes: Press Option-Shift-Period (.).
For more information about subframes, see  View audio waveforms at the audio sample level
 on 
page 16 2.
The nudged clip appears at the new position in the Timeline. The adjacent clips are trimmed to 
accommodate the change in the clip’s position. If you prefer to fill in the vacated parts of the 
storyline with a gap clip, select the Position tool by pressing P before nudging clips.
Note:  Nudging clips in the Timeline is similar to making a slide edit. For more information, see 
Make slide edits with the Trim tool
 on page 13 5 .
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Overwrite clips using the Position tool
You can move clips by dragging them in the Timeline to overwrite other clips. This allows you to 
place clips precisely without causing other clips to move to make room.
 1 Choose the Position tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press P).
The pointer changes to the Position tool  icon.
Tip:  To switch to the Position tool temporarily, hold down the P key. When you release the P key, 
the tool reverts to the previously active tool.
 2 Select the clip you want to move.
 3 Drag the clip to a new position in the Timeline.
The moved clip overwrites any clips at the new position. A gap clip fills in the vacated part of 
the Timeline.
Note:  If you prefer to move clips left or right in the Timeline without leaving a gap, you may want 
to perform a slide edit. 
To return to the Select tool (the default), choose it from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or 
press A).
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Drag clips from and to the primary storyline
You can drag clips from and to the primary storyline. This technique employs ripple edits, which 
affect the total duration of your project. When you move a clip out of the primary storyline, it 
becomes either an individual connected clip or part of a connected storyline.
 1 If the Select tool is not the active tool, choose it from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or 
press A).
 2 Select one or more clips (either clips in the primary storyline or connected clips).
 3 Do any of the following:
 •To move clips out of the primary storyline: Drag the clips from the primary storyline to their new 
position as connected clips (above or below the primary storyline). 
The subsequent clips in the primary storyline ripple left to close the gap left by the clips 
you moved.
Drag the clip to its 
new position as 
a connected clip.Subsequent clips 
ripple left to close 
the gap.
 •To move clips to the primary storyline: Drag the clips from their position as connected clips to an 
edit point between two clips in the primary storyline. 
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