Provided by: openshot-qt_3.1.1+dfsg1-3_all 
NAME
openshot-qt - OpenShot Video Editor Documentation
OpenShot Video Editor is an award-winning, open-source video editor, available on Linux, Mac, Chrome OS,
and Windows. OpenShot can create stunning videos, films, and animations with an easy-to-use interface and
rich set of features. [image]
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. [image]
Features
• Free & open-source (licensed under GPLv3)
• Cross-platform (Linux, OS X, Chrome OS, and Windows)
• Easy-to-use user interface (designed for beginners, built-in tutorial)
• Supports most video, audio, & image formats (based on FFmpeg)
• Includes popular video profiles & presets (over 70+ profiles, including YouTube HD)
• Advanced timeline (including drag and drop, scrolling, panning, zooming, and snapping)
• Advanced clips (including trimming, alpha, scaling, location, rotation, and shearing)
• Real-time preview (multi-threaded, and optimized for performance)
• Simple & advanced views (or customize your own unique view)
• Powerful, curve-based Keyframe animations (linear, Bézier, and constant interpolation)
• Compositing, image overlays, watermarks, & transparency
• Unlimited tracks / layers (support for complex projects)
• Video transitions, masks, & wipes (grayscale images and animated masks)
• Video & audio effects (including brightness, gamma, hue, chroma key / blue screen, and more)
• Image sequences & 2D animations (001.png, 002.png, 003.png, etc…)
• Blender 3D integration (animated 3D title templates)
• Vector file support & editing (SVG / scalable vector graphics used for titles and credits)
• Audio mixing, waveform, & editing
• Emojis (open-source stickers & artwork included)
• Frame accuracy (step through each frame of video)
• Time mapping & speed changes (slow/fast, forward/backward)
• Advanced AI (motion tracking, object detection, & stabilization effects)
• Credits & captions (scrolling and animated)
• Hardware accelerated (encoding & decoding supports NVIDIA, AMD, Intel and more)
• Import & export (EDL and Final Cut Pro formats, supports most video editors)
• Desktop integration (drag and drop from file managers)
• JSON project format (compatible with OpenShot Cloud API for cloud-based automation)
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts
• Translations (available in 100+ languages)
• Community support (Join our community to ask questions and discuss topics)
• Professional support: Schedule a call
Screenshot
[image]
System Requirements
Video editing benefits from modern, multi-core CPUs with fast clock speeds (GHz), large amounts of
memory, and fast hard disk drives. Basically, you want the best computer you can afford when video
editing. Here are the minimum system requirements:
TL;DR
Most computers manufactured after 2017 will run OpenShot
Minimum Specifications
• 64-bit Operating System (Linux, OS X, Chrome OS, Windows 7/8/10/11)
•
Multi-core processor with 64-bit support
• Minimum cores: 2 (recommended: 6+ cores)
• Minimum threads: 4 (recommended: 6+ threads)
• Minimum turbo clock speed: 2.7 Ghz (recommended: 3.4+ Ghz)
• 4GB of RAM (16+ GB recommended)
• 1 GB of hard-disk space for installation & usage (recommended: 50+ GB available hard-disk space for
media, videos, images, and storage)
• Optional: Solid-state drive (SSD), if utilizing disk-caching add 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.
OpenShot Video Editor is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
General Public License for more details.
Installation
The latest stable version of OpenShot Video Editor for Linux, Mac, Chrome OS, and Windows can be
downloaded from the official download page at https://www.openshot.org/download/. You can find our latest
unstable versions (i.e. daily builds) at https://www.openshot.org/download#daily (these versions are
updated very frequently, and often contain many improvements not yet released in our stable build).
Windows (Installer)
Download the Windows installer from the official download page (the download page contains both 64-bit
and 32-bit versions), double click it, and follow the directions on screen. Once completed, OpenShot will
be installed and available in your Start menu. [image] [image]
Windows (Portable)
If you need to install OpenShot on Windows without Administrator permissions, we also support a portable
installation process. Download the Windows installer from the official download page, open the command
prompt, and type the following commands:
Install portable version of OpenShot (no administrator permissions required)
cd C:\Users\USER\Downloads\
OpenShot-v2.6.1-x86_64.exe /portable=1 /currentuser /noicons
[image]
Mac
Download the DMG file from the official download page, double click it, and then drag the OpenShot
application icon into your Applications shortcut. This is very similar to how most Mac applications are
installed. Now launch OpenShot from Launchpad or Applications in Finder. [image]
Linux (AppImage)
Most Linux distributions have a version of OpenShot in their software repositories, which can be
installed using your package manager / software store. However, these packaged versions are often very
outdated (be sure to check the version number: Help→About OpenShot). For this reason, we recommend
installing an AppImage from the official download page.
Once downloaded, right click on the AppImage, choose Properties, and mark the file as Executable.
Finally, double click the AppImage to launch OpenShot. If double clicking does not launch OpenShot, you
can also right click on the AppImage, and choose Execute or Run. For a detailed guide on installing our
AppImage and creating a launcher for it, see our AppImage Installation Guide. [image]
Linux (PPA)
For Debian-based Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Mint, etc…), we also have a PPA (Personal Package Archive),
which adds our official OpenShot software repository to your package manager, making it possible to
install our latest version, without relying on our AppImages.
Stable PPA (Contains only official releases)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openshot.developers/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openshot-qt python3-openshot
Daily PPA (Highly experimental and unstable, for testers)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openshot.developers/libopenshot-daily
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openshot-qt python3-openshot
Chrome OS (Chromebook)
Chrome OS supports Linux apps, but this feature is off by default. You can turn it on in Settings. Once
Linux is enabled, you can install and run OpenShot Linux AppImages on any x86-based Chromebook. The
command below will download our AppImage and configure your system to run OpenShot successfully.
• Navigate to chrome://os-settings/crostini (Copy/Paste)
• Under “Linux (Beta)” select “Turn On”. Default values are fine.
•
When the Terminal appears (i.e. black window), Copy/Paste the following command:
• bash <(wget -O - http://openshot.org/files/chromeos/install-stable.sh)
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.
Basic Terminology
To help understand the steps below, here are some definitions of a few basic terms used in this tutorial.
┌────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Term │ Description │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Project │ A project includes references to all │
│ │ the video files and edits │
│ │ (animations, titles, etc…), saved in │
│ │ a single file. │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Timeline │ The timeline is an editing user │
│ │ interface that represents edits and │
│ │ clips on a horizontal ruler. Time │
│ │ progresses from left to right. │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Track │ A separate layer on the timeline, │
│ │ which can hold clips. A timeline is │
│ │ made up of many tracks, stacked │
│ │ vertically. │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Clip │ A trimmed portion of video, audio, or │
│ │ both positioned on a track, and at a │
│ │ specific position in time. When files │
│ │ are dropped on the timeline, they are │
│ │ represented as a Clip. │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Transition │ A method to blend two images. │
│ │ Transitions can take many forms, │
│ │ including cuts, dissolves, and wipes. │
└────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Video Tutorials
If you prefer to learn by watching videos instead of reading, we have many official video tutorials that
cover a wide range of beginner and introductory topics. These videos are a great next step on your way to
master OpenShot Video Editor!
• Video: Getting Started
• Video: The Basics (Part 1)
• Video: The Basics (Part 2)
• Video: Basic Animation
• Video: Trim, Slice, and Split
• Video: Chroma Key
• Video: Masks & Transitions
• Video: Backup & Recovery
Step 1 – Import Photos & Music
Before we can begin making a video, we need to import media files into OpenShot. Most video, image and
music file formats will work. Drag and drop a few videos or images and a music file from your Desktop to
OpenShot. Be sure to drop the files where the arrow in the illustration is pointing to. [image]
Alternative methods to add files to your projects are described in the section Import Files. The “Show
All”, “Video”, “Audio”, “Image” filters above the added files allows you to only see the file types you
are interested in.
Step 2 – Add Photos to Timeline
Next, drag each video or photo onto a track in the timeline (as seen in the illustration). The timeline
represents your final video, so arrange your photos (i.e. clips) 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.
You can also shorten or lengthen each clip, by clicking the left or right edge and dragging your mouse.
For example, if you want a photo to last longer than 10 seconds (the default duration), simply grab the
right edge of the photo (on the timeline), and drag it to the right (to increase the clip’s duration on
the timeline). [image]
Step 3 – Add Music to Timeline
To make our creation more interesting, we need to add some music. Click on the music file that you
imported in step 1, and drag it onto the timeline. If the song is too long, grab the right edge of your
music clip, and resize it smaller (that will make it end earlier). You could also insert the same file
multiple times, if your music is too short. [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 have edited your photo slide-show video, the last step is to export the project. Exporting
converts your OpenShot project into a single video output file. By using the default settings, the video
works on most media players (such as VLC) or websites (such as YouTube, Vimeo, …).
Click on the Export Video icon at the top of the screen (or use the File→Export Video menu). The default
values will work fine, so just click the Export Video button to render your new video. [image]
Conclusion
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 its advanced features.
If you have any questions after reading this User Guide, please consider joining our Reddit User
Community to discuss topics, ask questions, and meet with other OpenShot users.
Video Editing Basics
You do not need to be a trained videographer to understand how to create videos well. Simple editing can
keep your viewers engaged longer, and add a professional feel, even if you are not a professional video
editor.
Basically, video editing is taking footage, cutting it up, removing the pieces you do not want, and
keeping the bits you do. Back in the old days, editing was slicing reels of film and piecing it together.
Thankfully software makes the whole process much more manageable.
There are three main jobs of video editing:
1. Remove mistakes or unwanted sections
2. Keep the video moving at an engaging pace
3. Insert supporting footage, audio, or titles
Use these three points as a checklist as you edit.
Computer
Video editing does not require an expensive machine, especially if you are a beginner. It would be best
if you had a decent monitor and graphics card. If you have an older computer, check your system
specifications against OpenShot’s System Requirements to make sure it works for video editing.
Unfortunately, many older computers are not fast enough for video editing, and you should upgrade your
whole system, if possible.
Accessories
Before beginning a video project, ensure there is enough storage space on your computer to save all the
necessary clips. For example, one hour of 1080i video, such as from a mini-DV camcorder, takes up nearly
11 GB of storage. If your computer’s internal storage device cannot store all the clips, the solution is
to buy an external drive.
It would help if you had several cables, usually Firewire or USB, to connect your computer, external hard
drive, and a camera. Different computers and cameras accept other connectors, so check your manuals
before buying anything.
Practical Tips
Becoming a great video editor isn’t effortless, but with practice and patience, you’ll be editing like a
professional in no time. Here are a few of the essential tips and techniques you need to know to become a
skilled video editor.
1.
Pick the Right Computer
While having a great computer won’t necessarily make you a great video editor, a faster
computer will allow you to focus more of your time on the story you’re trying to tell rather
than your computer rendering. Everyone has their own opinions about what computer is best for
editing, but it all depends on your own preferences.
2.
Keep Shooting
Record more video that you think you will need for your project. Include video that enhances
the scene, sets a mood, or tells a story. You can use the extra video for smooth transitions
in your project. If you are comfortable using multiple devices, use two devices simultaneously
the insert video from either device into your project.
3.
Organize Your Project Files
Composition is the key to success, whether you are running Linux, on a Mac, or a Windows
machine. Be sure to label video files, audio files, and even still images clearly and keep all
your clips on the same device and in the same folder for easy access. OpenShot tries to keep
up with your clips, but if you move them after your project is saved, you could lose your
entire project. Organizing before you begin editing can be very advantageous.
4.
Watch Everything
Watching everything is the first step in the editing process. Writer and filmmaker David
Andrew Stoler says there is gold in the most unlikely of places: “Some of the most beautiful
expressions you’re going to get from the actors are after the cut.”
5.
Edit for a Story
Remember that as you edit, you are telling a story. Editing is so much more than merely
cutting footage and adding effects. It is an opportunity to take your audience on a journey.
Whether you are editing a complex narrative film or only putting together a personal video,
you tell a more in-depth story.
6.
Keyboard Shortcuts
One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between and professional video editor and a
novice is to simply look at how much they use the keyboard. Editors that have been in the
business for some time know that a few seconds saved add up over the length of the project.
7.
Learn the Lingo
Video editing is not just a hobby or a profession; it is an industry. And just like any
industry, there is a ton of jargon to learn. Practically speaking, you do not need to know all
the terms on the Glossary to become a better video editor, but a fundamental knowledge of the
terms may help you communicate better with other video editors or clients.
8.
Assemble, Then Make a Rough Cut
Drag and drop all your video footage into a timeline and make sure your frame size and frame
rates are consistent. Begin a new timeline and drag-and-drop the best clips into what becomes
your assembly cut. Remember to save your work frequently, and notate the date and time of each
version.
9.
Refine Your Video
In this phase, your rough cut begins to resemble a cohesive project. Adjust the sound and
color, make sure the dialog is audible, and add music, titles, or graphics in this phase.
Color correction is the process of setting your footage to a color baseline. No matter how
great your subject looks on set, you will almost always need to do some basic post-processing
for a consistent video.
10.
Refine Some More
A slow scene can set the mood and add tension or it can bore an audience. A fast scene can
add adrenaline to your audience’s systems or it can give them headaches. Some editors cut
their projects several different ways before they find the right pace. Do not let cutting your
project several times discourage you.
Exporting
People view most of their projects on phones, tablets, or computers, so it is essential to know how to
export for the web. The goal when exporting a video for the web is to create the highest quality possible
with the smallest file size. Four main factors determine the file size of your finished video:
•
Codec: A codec determines the type of file format (MP4, AVI, MOV). The more compression performed by
the codec, the smaller your video’s size. Videos that are smaller in file size tend to be lower
in visual quality.
•
Resolution:
Resolution refers to the number of horizontal and vertical pixels (dots on display) your video
contains. For example, a 4K UHD (2160P) video has four times the resolution of FHD (1080P)
video. A higher resolution means more information to store so that you will have larger file
sizes.
•
Bit Rate:
The Bit Rate is the measure of the speed of data processing of your video. A higher bit rate
means higher-quality video and larger files. OpenShot allows you to manually set the Bit Rate /
Quality in the Advanced tab of the Export Video window.
•
Frame Rate:
The frequency (in Hz) at which consecutive images, called frames, appear on the display is the
Frame Rate. Typically, you export your video in the film standard (24fps) or the TV broadcast
standard of 30fps (or 25fps in PAL). While there is not much wiggle room here, you should note
that if you decide to export your video in 48fps, 50fps, or 60fps, your file size doubles.
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, Effects, │
│ │ │ and Emojis. │
├────┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 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, slicing │
│ │ │ razor, and jumping between │
│ │ │ markers. │
├────┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 6 │ Zoom Slider │ This slider will adjust the │
│ │ │ time-scale of your timeline. │
│ │ │ Drag the left or right edge │
│ │ │ to zoom in or out. Drag the │
│ │ │ blue area to scroll the │
│ │ │ timeline left or right. │
│ │ │ Clips and transitions are │
│ │ │ displayed as simple │
│ │ │ rectangles, to give you │
│ │ │ context for adjusting the │
│ │ │ zoom to specific clips. │
├────┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 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. │
│ │ │ Hold Shift key while │
│ │ │ dragging the playhead to │
│ │ │ snap to nearby clips. │
├────┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 8 │ Timeline │ The timeline visualizes your │
│ │ │ video project, and each clip │
│ │ │ and transition in your │
│ │ │ project. You can drag the │
│ │ │ mouse to select, move, or │
│ │ │ delete multiple items. │
├────┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 9 │ Filter │ Filter the list of items │
│ │ │ shown (project files, │
│ │ │ transitions, effects, and │
│ │ │ emojis) by using these │
│ │ │ buttons and filter textbox. │
│ │ │ Enter a few letters of what │
│ │ │ you are looking for, and the │
│ │ │ results will be shown. │
├────┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 10 │ Playback │ Left to Right: Jump to │
│ │ │ Start, Rewind, Play/Pause, │
│ │ │ Fast Forward, and Jump to │
│ │ │ End │
└────┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
For step-by-step instructions on the basic usage of OpenShot, be sure to read the Quick Tutorial.
Built-in Tutorial
When you first launch OpenShot, you will be presented with a friendly built-in tutorial. It will
demonstrate 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 stack the layers and mix each one together,
just like a photo editing application. You can have an unlimited number of tracks, but typically a simple
video project will not need more than 5 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. Often watermarks │
│ │ │ and titles are placed on │
│ │ │ higher tracks. │
├───┼──────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 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. │
│ │ │ Often audio clips are placed │
│ │ │ on lower tracks. │
└───┴──────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Keyboard Shortcuts
Here is a list of the default keyboard shortcuts supported by OpenShot. You can configure these shortcuts
in the Preferences window, which is opened by selecting Edit→Preferences from the OpenShot menu bar. (On
macOS, choose OpenShot Video Editor→Preferences.) 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+Up │ Center on Playhead │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+P │ Choose Profile │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Shift+ESC │ Clear All Cache │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+C │ Copy │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Delete │ Delete Item │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Backspace │ Delete Item (Alternate 1) │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+D │ Details View │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Shift+C │ Duplicate Title │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Not Set │ Edit Title │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+E │ Export Video │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ L │ Fast Forward │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ F11 │ Fullscreen │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+F │ Import Files… │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Shift+E │ Insert Keyframe │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+End │ Jump To End │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Home │ Jump To Start │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+N │ New Project │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Right │ Next Frame │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Right │ Next Marker │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Shift+Left │ Nudge left │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Shift+Right │ Nudge right │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+O │ Open Project… │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+V │ Paste │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Space │ Play/Pause Toggle │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Up │ Play/Pause Toggle (Alternate 1) │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Down │ Play/Pause Toggle (Alternate 2) │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ K │ Play/Pause Toggle (Alternate 3) │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Shift+P │ Preferences │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Left │ Previous Frame │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Left │ Previous Marker │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+I │ Properties │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Q │ Quit │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Y │ Redo │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ J │ Rewind │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Not Set │ Save Current Frame │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ 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 │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ s │ Slice Selected: Keep Both Sides │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ d │ Slice Selected: Keep Left Side │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ a │ Slice Selected: Keep Right Side │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+G │ Snapping Enabled │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+X │ Split Clip… │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Shift+D │ Thumbnail View │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+T │ Title │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ R │ Toggle Razor │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+R │ Transform │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Z │ Undo │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ = │ Zoom In │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ - │ Zoom Out │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ctrl+Middle Button │ Scroll Timeline │
└────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┘
Files
To create a video, we need to make media files available to our project by importing 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.
Note that imported files are not copied anywhere, they remain in the physical location they were before
and are simply being made available to your video project. So, they must not be deleted, renamed, or
moved after adding them to your project. The “Show All”, “Video”, “Audio”, “Image” filters above the
files allows you to only see the file types you are interested in. You can also toggle the view between
details and thumbnails view of your files.
Import Files
These are all possible methods to import media files into OpenShot: [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]
Please refer to the section Trimming & Slicing for more ways to cut and slice clips directly in the
timeline.
Export Clips
If you want your clips available outside of your OpenShot project, or want to copy all your video assets
to one place, you can do this with the Export Clips dialog. Simply Ctrl+Click to select any clips or
files you like, then Right Click and choose Export Clips. In the dialog that appears, choose a
destination folder, and click Export.
NOTE: This will export each clip using it’s original video profile (width, height, framerate, aspect
ratio, etc…). It also supports any Split Clip (described above). For example, if you have split a long
video file into many different clips (and named them), you can now export all the clips as separate video
files (using the original clip’s video profile). [image]
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]
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 │
└───┴─────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Remove from Project
This will remove a file from the project. It will not delete the underlying physical file though, so
removing a file from the project merely makes it unavailable for this video project.
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 many properties, which affect how and when the
clip is rendered and composited, such as position, layer, scale, location, rotation, and alpha. OpenShot
can animate these properties over time, and when combined, can create some amazing effects.
To display a clip’s properties, either right-click and choose Properties or double click on the clip.
Clip properties appear in the properties dock, in alphabetical order. These properties can be filtered by
typing a few letters in the filter box, at the top of the property panel.
To adjust a property, you can:
• click on its value and drag the slider from side to side for a coarse adjustment
• double click on its value and enter a value. Numerical values display to 2 decimal places, but you can
enter more precise numbers. You can often enter valid values that are outside the range offered by the
slider adjustment.
• right-click or double-click to select an option (for non-numerical values)
Clip properties are part of the Animation system. If you change a clip property, you create a keyframe at
the current position of the playhead. If you want a property to apply throughout the clip, you must place
the playhead at (or before) the start of the clip before making the change. An easy way to locate the
start of a clip is to use ‘next/previous marker’ on the Timeline toolbar. [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 │
└───┴────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Trimming & Slicing
OpenShot has many easy ways to adjust the start and end trim positions of a clip (otherwise known as
trimming). The most common method is simply clicking and dragging the left (or right) edge of the clip.
Here is a list of all methods for cutting or trimming clips in OpenShot:
Keep in mind that the above cutting methods also have Keyboard Shortcuts, 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]
Transform
To quickly adjust the location, scale, rotation, and shear of a clip, select a clip on the timeline. By
default, the selected clip appears in the preview window with transform controls (blue lines and
squares). Or if disabled, right click on a clip and choose Transform. Dragging the blue squares will
adjust scale, and dragging the center will move the image. Dragging the mouse on the outside of the blue
lines will rotate the image. Dragging along the blue lines will shear the image in that direction.
Dragging the circle in the middle will move the origin point that controls where we rotate the image.
Note: Pay close attention to the play-head position (red playback line). 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.
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. For the full list of
effects, see Effects. [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 │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Alpha │ Curve representing the alpha (1 to 0) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 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) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Frame Number │ The format to display the frame │
│ │ number (if any) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Duration │ The length of the clip (in seconds) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ End │ The end trimming position of the clip │
│ │ (in seconds) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Gravity │ The gravity of a clip determines │
│ │ where it snaps to its parent (details │
│ │ below) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Enable Audio │ An optional override to determine if │
│ │ this clip has audio (-1=undefined, │
│ │ 0=no, 1=yes) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Enable Video │ An optional override to determine if │
│ │ this clip has video (-1=undefined, │
│ │ 0=no, 1=yes) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ID │ A randomly generated GUID (globally │
│ │ unique identifier) assigned to each │
│ │ clip │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Track │ The layer which holds the clip │
│ │ (higher tracks are rendered on top of │
│ │ lower tracks) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 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) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Volume Mixing │ The volume mixing choices control how │
│ │ volume is adjusted before mixing │
│ │ (None=don’t adjust volume of this │
│ │ clip, Reduce=lower the volume to 80%, │
│ │ Average=divide volume based on # of │
│ │ concurrent clips, details below) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Origin X │ Curve representing the rotation │
│ │ origin point, X position in percent │
│ │ (-1 to 1) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Origin Y │ Curve representing the rotation │
│ │ origin point, Y position in percent │
│ │ (-1 to 1) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Parent │ The parent object to this clip, which │
│ │ makes many of these keyframe values │
│ │ initialize to the parent value │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Position │ The position of the clip on the │
│ │ timeline (in seconds, 0.0 is the │
│ │ beginning of the timeline) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Rotation │ Curve representing the rotation (0 to │
│ │ 360) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Scale │ The scale determines how a clip │
│ │ should be resized to fit its parent │
│ │ (details below) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Scale X │ Curve representing the horizontal │
│ │ scaling in percent (0 to 1) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Scale Y │ Curve representing the vertical │
│ │ scaling in percent (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) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Start │ The start trimming position of the │
│ │ clip (in seconds) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Time │ Curve representing the frames over │
│ │ time to play (used for speed and │
│ │ direction of video) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Volume │ Curve representing the volume (0 to │
│ │ 1) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Wave Color │ Curve representing the color of the │
│ │ audio wave form │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Waveform │ Should a waveform be used instead of │
│ │ the clip’s image │
└─────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Details
Gravity:
Gravity sets an initial position for the clip, once it has been scaled as above. The options are:
• Top Left – the top and left edges of the clip align with the top and left edges of the screen
• Top Center – the top edge of the clip aligns with the top edge of the screen; the clip is
horizontally centered on the screen.
• Top Right – the top and right edges of the clip align with the top and right edges of the screen
• Left – the left edge of the clip aligns with the left edge of the screen; the clip is vertically
centered on the screen.
• Center (default) – the clip is centered horizontally and vertically on the screen.
• Right – the right edge of the clip aligns with the right edge of the screen; the clip is vertically
centered on the screen.
• Bottom Left – the bottom and left edges of the clip align with the bottom and left edges of the
screen
• Bottom Center – the bottom edge of the clip aligns with the bottom edge of the screen; the clip is
horizontally centered on the screen.
• Bottom Right – the bottom and right edges of the clip align with the bottom and right edges of the
screen
Scale:
This is the initial resizing method, which may be further adjusted by Scale X and Scale Y (below). The
options are:
• Best Fit (default) – the clip is as large as possible without changing the aspect ratio.
• Crop – the aspect ratio of the clip is maintained while the clip is enlarged to fill the entire
screen, even if that means some of it will be cropped.
• None – the clip is its original size.
• Stretch – the clip is stretched to fill the entire screen, changing the aspect ratio if necessary.
Volume Mixing:
Mixing audio involves adjusting volume levels so that they maintain a good range within each clip, and
then adjusting them in proportion to other clips used in the project. The following values are
available:
• None - Make no adjustments to volume data before mixing audio
• Average - Automatically divide the volume of each clip based on the # of overlapping clips. For
example, 2 overlapping clips would each have 50% volume.
• Reduce - Automatically reduce the clip’s volume by 20%, allowing it to mix with other clips, and
reducing the likelihood of over-volume loud events.
Consider the following guidelines when adjusting volume levels:
• If you combine particularly loud audio clips on multiple tracks, clipping (a staccato distortion)
may occur. To avoid clipping, reduce volume levels.
• If you need to adjust the volume separately in different parts of a clip (for example, one person’s
voice is faint, while later another’s is too loud), you can use keyframes to vary the volume
throughout the clip.
• If the original level of a clip is much too high or low, you can change the input level. However,
adjusting the level will not remove any distortion that may have resulted from recording the clip
too high. In those cases, it is best to re-record the clip.
More Information
For more info on key frames and animation, see Animation.
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:
Keep in mind that all of the above cutting methods also have Keyboard Shortcuts.
Mask
Like Clips, 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.
Effects
Effects are used in OpenShot to enhance or modify the audio or video of a clip. They can modify pixels
and audio data, and can generally enhance your video projects. Each effect has its own set of properties,
most which can be animated over time.
Effects can be added to any clip by dragging and dropping them. Each effect is represented by a small
colored icon and the first letter of the effect name. To view an effect’s properties, click on the effect
icon. The property editor will appear, where you can edit 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. [image]
Video Effects
Effects are generally divided into two categories: video and audio effects. Video effects modify the
image and pixel data of a clip. Below is a list of video effects, and their properties. Often it is best
to experiment with an effect, entering different values into the properties, and observing the results.
Alpha Mask / Wipe Transition
Uses a grayscale mask image to gradually wipe / transition between 2 images.
┌───────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ brightness │ (float, -1 to 1) This curve controls │
│ │ the motion across the wipe │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ contrast │ (float, 0 to 20) This curve controls │
│ │ the hardness and softness of the wipe │
│ │ edge │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ reader │ (reader) This reader can use any │
│ │ image or video as input for your │
│ │ grayscale wipe │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ replace_image │ (int, choices: ['Yes', 'No']) Replace │
│ │ the clips image with the current │
│ │ grayscale wipe image, useful for │
│ │ troubleshooting │
└───────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Bars
Add colored bars around your video.
┌────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ bottom │ (float, 0 to 0.5) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the bottom bar size │
├────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ color │ (color) The curve to adjust the color │
│ │ of bars │
├────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ left │ (float, 0 to 0.5) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the left bar size │
├────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ right │ (float, 0 to 0.5) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the right bar size │
├────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ top │ (float, 0 to 0.5) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the top bar size │
└────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Blur
Adjust the blur of the frame’s image.
┌───────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ horizontal_radius │ (float, 0 to 100) Horizontal blur │
│ │ radius keyframe. The size of the │
│ │ horizontal blur operation in pixels. │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ iterations │ (float, 0 to 100) Iterations │
│ │ keyframe. The # of blur iterations │
│ │ per pixel. 3 iterations = Gaussian. │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ sigma │ (float, 0 to 100) Sigma keyframe. The │
│ │ amount of spread in the blur │
│ │ operation. Should be larger than │
│ │ radius. │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ vertical_radius │ (float, 0 to 100) Vertical blur │
│ │ radius keyframe. The size of the │
│ │ vertical blur operation in pixels. │
└───────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Brightness & Contrast
Adjust the brightness and contrast of the frame’s image.
┌────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ brightness │ (float, -1 to 1) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the brightness │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ contrast │ (float, 0 to 100) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the contrast (3 is typical, 20 is a │
│ │ lot, 100 is max. 0 is invalid) │
└────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Caption
Add text captions on top of your video.
┌────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ background │ (color) Color of caption area │
│ │ background │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ background_alpha │ (float, 0 to 1) Background color │
│ │ alpha │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ background_corner │ (float, 0 to 60) Background corner │
│ │ radius │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ background_padding │ (float, 0 to 60) Background padding │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ caption_font │ (font) Font name or family name │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ caption_text │ (caption) VTT/Subrip formatted │
│ │ caption text (multi-line) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ color │ (color) Color of caption text │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ fade_in │ (float, 0 to 3) Fade in per caption │
│ │ (# of seconds) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ fade_out │ (float, 0 to 3) Fade out per caption │
│ │ (# of seconds) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ font_alpha │ (float, 0 to 1) Font color alpha │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ font_size │ (float, 0 to 200) Font size in points │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ left │ (float, 0 to 0.5) Size of left margin │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ line_spacing │ (float, 0 to 5) Distance between │
│ │ lines (1.0 default) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ right │ (float, 0 to 0.5) Size of right │
│ │ margin │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ stroke │ (color) Color of text border / stroke │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ stroke_width │ (float, 0 to 10) Width of text border │
│ │ / stroke │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ top │ (float, 0 to 1) Size of top margin │
└────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Chroma Key (Greenscreen)
Replaces the color (or chroma) of the frame with transparency (i.e. keys out the color).
┌───────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ color │ (color) The color to match │
├───────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ fuzz │ (float, 0 to 125) The fuzz factor (or │
│ │ threshold) │
├───────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ halo │ (float, 0 to 125) The additional │
│ │ threshold for halo elimination. │
├───────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ keymethod │ (int, choices: ['Basic keying', │
│ │ 'HSV/HSL hue', 'HSV saturation', 'HSL │
│ │ saturation', 'HSV value', 'HSL │
│ │ luminance', 'LCH luminosity', 'LCH │
│ │ chroma', 'LCH hue', 'CIE Distance', │
│ │ 'Cb,Cr vector']) The keying method or │
│ │ algorithm to use. │
└───────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Color Saturation
Adjust the color saturation.
┌──────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ saturation │ (float, 0 to 4) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the overall saturation of the frame’s │
│ │ image (0.0 = greyscale, 1.0 = normal, │
│ │ 2.0 = double saturation) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ saturation_B │ (float, 0 to 4) The curve to adjust │
│ │ blue saturation of the frame’s image │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ saturation_G │ (float, 0 to 4) The curve to adjust │
│ │ green saturation of the frame’s image │
│ │ (0.0 = greyscale, 1.0 = normal, 2.0 = │
│ │ double saturation) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ saturation_R │ (float, 0 to 4) The curve to adjust │
│ │ red saturation of the frame’s image │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Color Shift
Shift the colors of an image up, down, left, and right (with infinite wrapping).
Each pixel has 4 color channels:
• Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha (i.e. transparency)
• Each channel value is between 0 and 255
The Color Shift effect simply “moves” or “translates” a specific color channel on the X or Y axis. Not
all video and image formats support an alpha channel, and in those cases, you will not see any changes
when adjusting the color shift of the alpha channel.
┌─────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ alpha_x │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Alpha X │
│ │ coordinates (left or right) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ alpha_y │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Alpha Y │
│ │ coordinates (up or down) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ blue_x │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Blue X │
│ │ coordinates (left or right) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ blue_y │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Blue Y │
│ │ coordinates (up or down) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ green_x │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Green X │
│ │ coordinates (left or right) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ green_y │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Green Y │
│ │ coordinates (up or down) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ red_x │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Red X │
│ │ coordinates (left or right) │
├─────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ red_y │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Red Y │
│ │ coordinates (up or down) │
└─────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Crop
Crop out any part of your video.
┌────────┬────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ bottom │ (float, 0 to 1) Size of bottom bar │
├────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ left │ (float, 0 to 1) Size of left bar │
├────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ right │ (float, 0 to 1) Size of right bar │
├────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ top │ (float, 0 to 1) Size of top bar │
├────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ x │ (float, -1 to 1) X-offset │
├────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ y │ (float, -1 to 1) Y-offset │
└────────┴────────────────────────────────────┘
Deinterlace
Remove interlacing from a video (i.e. even or odd horizontal lines)
┌───────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ isOdd │ (bool, choices: ['Yes', 'No']) Use │
│ │ odd or even lines │
└───────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Hue
Adjust the hue / color of the frame’s image.
┌──────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├──────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ hue │ (float, 0 to 1) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the percentage of hue shift │
└──────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Negative
Negates the colors, producing a negative of the image.
Object Detector
Detect objects through the video.
┌───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ class_filter │ (string) Type of object class to │
│ │ filter (i.e. car, person) │
├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ confidence_threshold │ (float, 0 to 1) Minimum confidence │
│ │ value to display the detected objects │
├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ display_box_text │ (int, choices: ['Off', 'On']) Draw a │
│ │ rectangle around detected objects │
├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ objects │ (list) List of detected object ids │
├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ selected_object_index │ (int, 0 to 200) Index of the tracked │
│ │ object that was selected to modify │
│ │ its properties │
└───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Pixelate
Pixelate (increase or decrease) the number of visible pixels.
┌──────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ bottom │ (float, 0 to 1) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the bottom margin size │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ left │ (float, 0 to 1) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the left margin size │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ pixelization │ (float, 0 to 0.99) The curve to │
│ │ adjust the amount of pixelization │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ right │ (float, 0 to 1) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the right margin size │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ top │ (float, 0 to 1) The curve to adjust │
│ │ the top margin size │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Shift
Shift the image up, down, left, and right (with infinite wrapping).
┌──────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├──────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ x │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the X │
│ │ coordinates (left or right) │
├──────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ y │ (float, -1 to 1) Shift the Y │
│ │ coordinates (up or down) │
└──────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Stabilizer
Stabilize video clip to remove undesired shaking and jitter.
┌──────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├──────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ zoom │ (float, 0 to 2) Percentage to zoom │
│ │ into the clip, to crop off the │
│ │ shaking and uneven edges │
└──────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Tracker
Track the selected bounding box through the video. The tracked object can be selected as a parent on
other clips.
Wave
Distort the frame’s image into a wave pattern.
┌────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ amplitude │ (float, 0 to 5) The height of the │
│ │ wave │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ multiplier │ (float, 0 to 10) Amount to multiply │
│ │ the wave (make it bigger) │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ shift_x │ (float, 0 to 1000) Amount to shift │
│ │ X-axis │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ speed_y │ (float, 0 to 300) Speed of the wave │
│ │ on the Y-axis │
├────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ wavelength │ (float, 0 to 3) The length of the │
│ │ wave │
└────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Audio Effects
Audio effects modify the waveforms and audio sample data of a clip. Below is a list of audio effects, and
their properties. Often it is best to experiment with an effect, entering different values into the
properties, and observing the results.
Compressor
Reduce the volume of loud sounds or amplify quiet sounds.
┌─────────────┬─────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ attack │ (float, 0.1 to 100) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ bypass │ (bool) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ makeup_gain │ (float, -12 to 12) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ ratio │ (float, 1 to 100) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ release │ (float, 10 to 1000) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ threshold │ (float, -60 to 0) │
└─────────────┴─────────────────────┘
Delay
Adjust the synchronism between the audio and video track.
┌────────────┬─────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────────┼─────────────────┤
│ delay_time │ (float, 0 to 5) │
└────────────┴─────────────────┘
Distortion
Alter the audio by clipping the signal.
┌─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ distortion_type │ (int, choices: ['Hard Clipping', │
│ │ 'Soft Clipping', 'Exponential', 'Full │
│ │ Wave Rectifier', 'Half Wave │
│ │ Rectifier']) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ input_gain │ (int, -24 to 24) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ output_gain │ (int, -24 to 24) │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ tone │ (int, -24 to 24) │
└─────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Echo
Reflection of sound with a delay after the direct sound.
┌───────────┬─────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────────┼─────────────────┤
│ echo_time │ (float, 0 to 5) │
├───────────┼─────────────────┤
│ feedback │ (float, 0 to 1) │
├───────────┼─────────────────┤
│ mix │ (float, 0 to 1) │
└───────────┴─────────────────┘
Expander
Louder parts of audio becomes relatively louder and quieter parts becomes quieter.
┌─────────────┬─────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ attack │ (float, 0.1 to 100) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ bypass │ (bool) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ makeup_gain │ (float, -12 to 12) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ ratio │ (float, 1 to 100) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ release │ (float, 10 to 1000) │
├─────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ threshold │ (float, -60 to 0) │
└─────────────┴─────────────────────┘
Noise
Random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies.
┌───────┬─────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────┼─────────────────┤
│ level │ (int, 0 to 100) │
└───────┴─────────────────┘
Parametric EQ
Filter that allows you to adjust the volume level of a frequency in the audio track.
┌─────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ filter_type │ (int, choices: ['Low Pass', 'High │
│ │ Pass', 'Low Shelf', 'High Shelf', │
│ │ 'Band Pass', 'Band Stop', 'Peaking │
│ │ Notch']) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ frequency │ (int, 20 to 20000) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ gain │ (int, -24 to 24) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ q_factor │ (float, 0 to 20) │
└─────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Robotization
Transform the voice present in an audio track into a robotic voice effect.
┌─────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ fft_size │ (int, choices: ['128', '256', '512', │
│ │ '1024', '2048']) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ hop_size │ (int, choices: ['1/2', '1/4', '1/8']) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ window_type │ (int, choices: ['Rectangular', 'Bart │
│ │ Lett', 'Hann', 'Hamming']) │
└─────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Whisperization
Transform the voice present in an audio track into a whispering voice effect.
┌─────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ fft_size │ (int, choices: ['128', '256', '512', │
│ │ '1024', '2048']) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ hop_size │ (int, choices: ['1/2', '1/4', '1/8']) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ window_type │ (int, choices: ['Rectangular', 'Bart │
│ │ Lett', 'Hann', 'Hamming']) │
└─────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
For more info on key frames and animation, see Animation.
Export
Exporting converts your OpenShot project (clips, effects, animations, titles) into a single video output
file (using a process called video encoding). By using the default settings, the exported video will be
compatible with most media players (such as VLC) and websites (such as YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook).
Click on the Export Video icon at the top of the screen (or use the File→Export Video menu). The default
values will work fine, so just click the Export Video button to render your new video. You can also
create your own custom export profiles, see Profiles.
Simple Mode
While video encoding is very complicated, with dozens of interrelated settings and options, OpenShot
makes it easy, with sensible defaults, and most of this complexity hidden away behind our Simple tab,
which is the default export view. [image]
┌───────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Profile │ Common presets (combinations of │
│ │ presets and video profiles grouped by │
│ │ category, for example: Web) │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Target │ Target presets related to the current │
│ │ profile (collections of common │
│ │ formats, codecs, and quality │
│ │ settings, see Preset List) │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Video Profile │ Video profiles related to the current │
│ │ target (collections of common size, │
│ │ frame rate, and aspect ratios, see │
│ │ Profile List or create your own │
│ │ Profiles) │
├───────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Quality │ Quality settings (low, med, high), │
│ │ which relate to various video and │
│ │ audio bitrates. │
└───────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Advanced Mode
Most users will never need to switch to the Advanced tab, but if you need to customize any of the video
encoding settings, for example, custom bitrates, different codecs, or limiting the range of frames
exported, this is the tab for you.
Advanced Options
[image]
┌─────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Export To │ Export both video & audio, only │
│ │ audio, only video, or an image │
│ │ sequence │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Start Frame │ The first frame to export (default is │
│ │ 1) │
├─────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ End Frame │ The final frame to export (default is │
│ │ the last frame in your project to │
│ │ contain a clip) │
└─────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Profile
[image]
┌──────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Profile │ The video profile to use during │
│ │ export (collection of size, frame │
│ │ rate, and aspect ratios, see Profile │
│ │ List) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Width │ The width of the video export (in │
│ │ pixels) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Height │ The height of the video export (in │
│ │ pixels) │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Aspect Ratio │ The aspect ratio of the final │
│ │ exported video. 1920x1080 reduces to │
│ │ 16:9. This also takes into account │
│ │ the pixel ratio, for example 2:1 │
│ │ rectangular pixels will affect the │
│ │ aspect ratio. │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Pixel Ratio │ The ratio representing pixel shape. │
│ │ Most video profiles use a 1:1 square │
│ │ pixel shape, but others will use │
│ │ rectangular pixels. │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Frame Rate │ The frequency that the frames will be │
│ │ displayed at. │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Interlaced │ Is this format used on alternating │
│ │ scan lines (i.e. broadcast and analog │
│ │ formats) │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Image Sequence Settings
[image]
┌──────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Image Format │ The string format that represents the │
│ │ output file name in an sequence of │
│ │ images. For example, %05d.png would │
│ │ pad a number with 5 digits: │
│ │ 00001.png, 00002.png. │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Video Settings
[image]
┌────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Video Format │ The name of the container format │
│ │ (mp4, mov, avi, webm, etc…) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Video Codec │ The name of the video codec used │
│ │ during video encoding (libx264, │
│ │ mpeg4, libaom-av1, etc…) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Bit Rate / Quality │ The bitrate to use for video │
│ │ encoding. Accepts the following │
│ │ formats: 5 Mb/s, 96 kb/s, 23 crf, │
│ │ etc… │
└────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Audio Settings
[image]
┌────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Name │ Description │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Audio Codec │ The name of the audio codec used │
│ │ during audio encoding (aac, mp2, │
│ │ libmp3lame, etc…) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Sample Rate │ The number of audio samples per │
│ │ second. Common values are 44100 and │
│ │ 48000. │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Channel Layout │ The number and layout of audio │
│ │ channels (Stereo, Mono, Surround, │
│ │ etc…) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Bit Rate / Quality │ The bitrate to use for audio │
│ │ encoding. Accepts the following │
│ │ formats: 96 kb/s, 128 kb/s, 192 kb/s, │
│ │ etc… │
└────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
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 icons are displayed on │
│ │ │ the bottom of the clip for │
│ │ │ each active keyframe │
│ │ │ (circle=Bézier, │
│ │ │ diamond=linear, │
│ │ │ square=constant). These │
│ │ │ icons are filtered based on │
│ │ │ the property window. For │
│ │ │ example, if you filter only │
│ │ │ scale_x, you will only see │
│ │ │ the icons for scale_x │
│ │ │ keyframes, for example. │
└───┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
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 icon (circle=Bézier, diamond=linear, square=constant) will appear on the bottom
of 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.
For more info on creating key frames for location, rotation, scale, shear, and location, see Transform.
For more info on preset animations, see Preset Menu.
For more info on clip properties, see Properties.
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. [image]
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]
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]
Custom Titles
OpenShot can use any vector SVG image file as a title template. Just add an SVG image file to your
.openshot_qt/title_templates/ folder, and it will appear the next time you open the Title Editor
interface. 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 │
├───┼───────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 4 │ Render │ Render the 3D animation, and │
│ │ │ add it to your project │
└───┴───────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Installing Inkscape & Blender
These features require the latest version of Blender (https://www.blender.org/download/) and Inkscape (‐
https://inkscape.org/release/) be installed, and the OpenShot Preferences updated with the correct paths
to the Blender & Inkscape executable. See the General tab in Preferences.
For a detailed guide on how to install these dependencies, see Blender & Inkscape Guide.
Profiles
A video profile is a collection of common video settings (size, frame rate, aspect ratio). Profiles are
used during editing, previewing, and exporting to provide a quick way to switch between common
combinations of these settings.
If you often use the same profile, you can set a default profile: Edit→Preferences→Preview.
Project Profile
The project profile is used when previewing your project and editing. The default project profile is HD
720p 30fps. 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.
For a full list of included profiles see Profile List. [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 │
└───┴────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Choose Profile Dialog
[image]
┌───┬──────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│ # │ Name │ Description │
├───┼──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 1 │ Filter / Search │ Filter the available │
│ │ │ profiles by typing a few │
│ │ │ characters (i.e. FHD, 720p, │
│ │ │ 16:9, etc…) │
├───┼──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 2 │ Selected Profile │ Click on the desired │
│ │ │ profile, and then the OK │
│ │ │ button. You can also double │
│ │ │ click a profile to select │
│ │ │ it. │
├───┼──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 3 │ Filtered Count │ Count of filtered profiles │
├───┼──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 4 │ Accept Profile │ Click the OK button to │
│ │ │ switch to the selected │
│ │ │ profile. │
└───┴──────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
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 an export profile │
│ │ │ from a dropdown. This list │
│ │ │ is sorted from largest │
│ │ │ resolution at the top, │
│ │ │ smallest resolution at the │
│ │ │ bottom. │
├───┼─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 2 │ Search Profiles │ Open Profile dialog to │
│ │ │ filter and search for an │
│ │ │ export profile, which can │
│ │ │ sometimes be much quicker to │
│ │ │ find a specific profile. │
└───┴─────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Custom Profile
Although OpenShot has more than 400 profiles (Profile List) included by default, you can also create your
own custom profiles. Create a new text file in the ~/.openshot_qt/profiles/ or
C:\Users\USERNAME\.openshot_qt\profiles folder. Use the following text as your template (i.e. copy and
paste this into the new 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
┌────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Profile Property │ Description │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ description │ The friendly name of the profile │
│ │ (this is what OpenShot displays in │
│ │ the user interface) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ frame_rate_num │ The frame rate numerator. All frame │
│ │ rates are expressed as fractions. For │
│ │ example, 30 FPS == 30/1. │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ frame_rate_den │ The frame rate denominator. All frame │
│ │ rates are expressed as fractions. For │
│ │ example, 29.97 FPS == 30,000/1001. │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ width │ The number of horizontal pixels in │
│ │ the image. By reversing the values │
│ │ for width and height, you can create │
│ │ a vertical profile. │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ height │ The number of vertical pixels in the │
│ │ image │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ progressive │ `(0 or 1)` If 1, both even and odd │
│ │ rows of pixels are used. If 0, only │
│ │ odd or even rows of pixels are used. │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ sample_aspect_num │ The numerator of the SAR │
│ │ (sample/pixel shape aspect ratio), │
│ │ 1:1 ratio would represent a square │
│ │ pixel, 2:1 ratio would represent a │
│ │ 2x1 rectangle pixel shape, etc… │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ sample_aspect_den │ The denominator of the SAR │
│ │ (sample/pixel shape aspect ratio) │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ display_aspect_num │ The numerator of the DAR (display │
│ │ aspect ratio), (width/height) X │
│ │ (sample aspect ratio). This is the │
│ │ final ratio of the image displayed on │
│ │ screen, reduced to the smallest │
│ │ fraction possible (common ratios are │
│ │ 16:9 for wide formats, 4:3 for legacy │
│ │ television formats). │
├────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ display_aspect_den │ The denominator of the DAR (display │
│ │ aspect ratio) │
└────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Once you restart OpenShot, you will see your custom profile appear in the list of Profiles.
Preset List
OpenShot includes a large list of common profiles and their associated video export settings (video
codec, audio codec, audio channels, audio sample rate, etc…), which targets specific websites and
devices.
All Formats
AVI (h.264)
AVI (mpeg2)
AVI (mpeg4)
GIF (animated)
MKV (h.264 dx)
MKV (h.264 nv)
MKV (h.264 qsv)
MKV (h.264 va)
MKV (h.264 videotoolbox)
MKV (h.264)
MKV (h.265)
MOV (h.264)
MOV (mpeg2)
MOV (mpeg4)
MP3 (audio only)
MP4 (AV1 rav1e)
MP4 (AV1 svt)
MP4 (HEVC va)
MP4 (Xvid)
MP4 (h.264 dx)
MP4 (h.264 nv)
MP4 (h.264 qsv)
MP4 (h.264 va)
MP4 (h.264 videotoolbox)
MP4 (h.264)
MP4 (h.265)
MP4 (mpeg4)
MPEG (mpeg2)
OGG (theora/flac)
OGG (theora/vorbis)
WEBM (vp9)
WEBM (vp9) lossless
WEBM (vpx)
WEBP (vp9 va)
Device
Apple TV
Chromebook
Nokia nHD
Xbox 360
Web
Flickr-HD
Instagram
Metacafe
Picasa
Twitter
Vimeo
Vimeo-HD
Wikipedia
YouTube HD
YouTube HD (2K)
YouTube HD (4K)
YouTube HD (8K)
YouTube Standard
DVD
DVD-NTSC
DVD-PAL
Blu-Ray/AVCHD
AVCHD Disks
Profile List
OpenShot includes a large list of common profiles.
Definitions
• Profile Name: This is a short, friendly name for a video profile (FHD 1080p 30 fps, for example)
• FPS: Frames Per Second
• DAR: Display Aspect Ratio (i.e. 1920:1080 reduces to 16:9 aspect ratio)
• SAR: Sample Aspect Ratio (i.e. 1:1 ratio == square pixel, 2:1 horizontal rectangular pixel). The SAR
directly affects the display aspect ratio. For example, a 4:3 video can be displayed as 16:9, if it
uses rectangular pixels. However, rectangular pixels will cause the final display width to be adjusted.
• PAR: Pixel Aspect Ratio (identical to SAR - but some people prefer this term instead)
• SAR Adjusted Width: This is the width of the final display image, taking SAR (i.e. non-square pixels)
into account
• Interlaced: Display alternating lines of the video image (odd lines, even lines), mostly used by analog
broadcasting
• NTSC: NTSC is an analog TV color system used mostly in America (usually 29.97 fps)
• PAL: PAL is an analog TV color system used in Europe, Australia, and much of the rest of the world
(usually 25 fps)
• UHD: Ultra High Definition
• QHD: Quad High Definition
• FHD: Full High Definition
• HD: High Definition (usually defined as any resolution at equal or greater than 1280x720 pixels)
• SD: Standard Definition (usually defined as any resolution smaller than 1280x720 pixels)
Import & Export
Video editing projects (including tracks, clips, and keyframes) can be imported and exported from
OpenShot Video Editor in widely supported formats (EDL: Edit Decision Lists, and XML: Final Cut Pro
format). For example, if you start editing a video in a different program (Adobe Premier, Final Cut Pro,
etc…), but later need to move all your edits to OpenShot (or vice versa).
EDL (Edit Decision Lists)
The following features are supported when importing and exporting an EDL file with OpenShot.
Example EDL format supported by OpenShot:
TITLE: Clips - TRACK 5
FCM: NON-DROP FRAME
001 BL V C 00:00:00:01 00:00:03:17 00:00:00:01 00:00:03:17
001 AX V C 00:00:00:01 00:00:10:01 00:00:03:17 00:00:13:17
* FROM CLIP NAME: Intro.png
002 BL V C 00:00:00:01 00:00:05:09 00:00:13:17 00:00:18:25
002 AX V C 00:00:00:01 00:00:10:01 00:00:18:25 00:00:28:25
* FROM CLIP NAME: FileName.mp4
* OPACITY LEVEL AT 00:00:00:01 IS 0.00% (REEL AX)
* OPACITY LEVEL AT 00:00:01:01 IS 100.00% (REEL AX)
* OPACITY LEVEL AT 00:00:09:01 IS 100.00% (REEL AX)
* OPACITY LEVEL AT 00:00:10:01 IS 0.00% (REEL AX)
003 BL V C 00:00:00:01 00:00:33:15 00:00:28:25 00:01:02:09
003 AX V C 00:00:14:25 00:00:34:29 00:01:02:09 00:01:22:13
003 AX A C 00:00:14:25 00:00:34:29 00:01:02:09 00:01:22:13
* FROM CLIP NAME: FileName2.mp4
004 BL V C 00:00:00:01 00:00:26:25 00:01:22:13 00:01:49:07
004 AX A C 00:00:00:01 00:02:20:01 00:01:49:07 00:04:09:07
* FROM CLIP NAME: Music.wav
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:00:00:01 IS -99.00 DB (REEL AX A1)
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:00:03:01 IS 0.00 DB (REEL AX A1)
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:02:17:01 IS 0.00 DB (REEL AX A1)
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:02:20:01 IS -99.00 DB (REEL AX A1)
XML (Final Cut Pro format)
The following features are supported when importing and exporting an XML file with OpenShot. This XML
format is supported in many video editors (not just Final Cut Pro). In fact, most commercial video
editors have some support for importing and exporting this same XML format.
Example XML Output (tree view)
[image]
Preferences
The Preferences window contains many important settings and configuration options for OpenShot. They can
be found in the top menu under Edit→Preferences. Many settings will require OpenShot to be restarted
after your changes are applied.
NOTE: Some features such as Animated Titles and external SVG editing require setting the paths for
Blender and Inkscape under the General tab. And if you notice audio playback issues, such as audio drift,
you many need to adjust the audio settings under the Preview tab.
General
[image]
The General tab of the Preferences window allows you to modify the settings that apply to OpenShot as a
whole.
Preview
[image]
The Preview tab of the Preferences window allows you to set a Default Video Profile for your project, if
you have a preference for a specific editing profile. More about Profiles. Also, you can adjust the
real-time preview audio settings, for example, which audio device and sample rate to use.
Autosave
[image]
Autosave is a saving function in OpenShot which automatically saves the current changes to your project
after a specific number of minutes, helping to reduce the risk or impact of data loss in case of a crash,
freeze or user error.
Recovery
Before each save, a copy of the current project is created in a recovery folder, to further reduce the
risk of data loss. The recovery folder is located at ~/.openshot_qt/recovery/ or
C:\Users\USERNAME\.openshot_qt\recovery. If you need to recover a corrupt or broken *.osp project file,
please find the most recent copy in the recovery folder, and copy/paste the file in your original project
folder location (i.e. the folder that contains your broken project), and then open this recovered project
file in OpenShot. Many versions of each project are stored in the recovery folder, and if you still have
issues with the recovered *.osp file, you can repeat this process with older versions contained in the
recovery folder.
Cache
[image]
Cache settings can be adjusted to make real-time playback faster or less CPU intensive. The cache is used
to store image and audio data for each frame of video requested. The more frames that are cached, the
smoother the real-time playback will be. However, the more that needs to be cached requires more CPU to
generate the cache. There is a balance, and the default settings provide a generally sane set of cache
values, which should allow most computers to playback video and audio smoothly.
┌─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Setting │ Description │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cache Mode │ Choose between Memory or Disk caching │
│ │ (memory caching is preferred). Disk │
│ │ caching writes image data to the hard │
│ │ disk for later retrieving, and works │
│ │ best with an SSD. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cache Limit (MB) │ How many MB are set aside for cache │
│ │ related data. Larger numbers are not │
│ │ always better, since it takes more │
│ │ CPU to generate more frames to fill │
│ │ the cache. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Image Format (Disk Only) │ Image format to store disk cache │
│ │ image data │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Scale Factor (Disk Only) │ Percentage (0.1 to 1.0) to reduce the │
│ │ size of disk based image files stored │
│ │ in the disk cache. Smaller numbers │
│ │ make writing and reading cached image │
│ │ files faster. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Image Quality (Disk Only) │ Quality of the image files used in │
│ │ disk cache. The higher compression │
│ │ can cause more slowness, but results │
│ │ in smaller file sizes. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cache Pre-roll: Min Frames: │ Minimum # of frames that must be │
│ │ cached before playback begins. The │
│ │ larger the #, the larger the wait │
│ │ before playback begins. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cache Pre-roll: Max Frames: │ Maximum # of frames that can be │
│ │ cached during playback (in front of │
│ │ the playhead). The larger the #, the │
│ │ more CPU is required to cache ahead - │
│ │ vs display the already cached frames. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cache Ahead (Percent): │ Between 0.0 and 1.0. This represents │
│ │ how much % we cache ahead of the │
│ │ playhead. For example, 0.5 would │
│ │ cache 50% behind and 50% ahead of the │
│ │ playhead. 0.8 would cache 20% behind │
│ │ and 80% ahead of the playhead. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cache Max Frames: │ This is an override on the total │
│ │ allowed frames that can be cached by │
│ │ our caching thread. It is defaulted │
│ │ to 600 frames, but even if you give a │
│ │ huge amount of RAM to OpenShot’s │
│ │ cache size, this will override the │
│ │ max # of frames cached. The reason │
│ │ is… sometimes when the preview window │
│ │ is very small, and the cache size is │
│ │ set very high, OpenShot might │
│ │ calculate that we can cache 30,000 │
│ │ frames, or something silly which will │
│ │ take a huge amount of CPU, lagging │
│ │ the system. This setting is designed │
│ │ to clamp the upper limit of the cache │
│ │ to something reasonable… even on │
│ │ systems that give OpenShot huge │
│ │ amounts of RAM to work with. │
└─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Debug
[image]
Here you can modify how much data should be logged. Normally, Debug Mode (verbose) is off. The default
port is 5556. If you want to help improve OpenShot you can enable Send Anonymous Metrics and Errors.
Performance
[image]
Please keep in mind that hardware acceleration is experimental at the moment. OpenShot supports both
decoding and encoding acceleration. For more information take a look at our Github HW-ACCEL Doc. NOTE:
On systems with older graphics cards, hardware acceleration may not always be faster than CPU encoding.
Keyboard
[image]
This is where hotkeys can be seen and re-assigned, as described under Keyboard Shortcuts.
Location
[image]
Default file path locations for saving/opening projects, importing files, and exporting videos can be
configured here. This can save you time by defaulting the open/save file dialogs to the most appropriate
starting folder (options described below).
┌──────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Setting │ Description │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ File Import │ Default folder to choose when │
│ │ importing a file │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Save or Open Project │ Default folder to choose when saving │
│ │ or opening a project file │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Video Export │ Default folder to choose when │
│ │ exporting a video │
└──────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Values │ Description │
├────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Recent Folder │ The last folder used for this same │
│ │ operation. Project folders, Import │
│ │ folders, and Export folders are │
│ │ tracked separately. │
├────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Project Folder │ The current project folder (or the │
│ │ user’s home folder, if the project is │
│ │ not yet saved) │
└────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
Developers
If you are a programmer (or want to become a programmer), and are interested in developing new features,
fixing bugs, or improving the user interface for OpenShot, the following sections will explain how to get
started and get involved!
The Big Picture
OpenShot Video Editor has 3 main components, a Python & PyQt user interface (openshot-qt), a C++ audio
library (libopenshot-audio) and a C++ video library (libopenshot). If you are not familiar with Python,
PyQt, or C++, those would be great topics to research and learn more about at this point.
However, many bugs can be fixed and new features added with only Python knowledge, since the C++
components are not involved in the user interface at all. Python is an amazing language, and is super fun
to learn, and is the only prerequisite skill needed to become an OpenShot developer!
WARNING:
The instructions that follow are for Ubuntu Linux, which is the easiest environment to configure for
OpenShot development. If you are using another OS, I suggest running a virtual machine with Ubuntu
LTS before continuing any further.
If you must use a Windows or Mac system for development, start by referring to the build notes in the
libopenshot wiki. Building the library with all of its dependencies is the most challenging part of
the process.
• Windows Build Instructions
• Mac Build Instructions
Getting the Latest Source Code
Before we can fix any bugs or add any features, we need to get the source code onto your computer.
Use git to clone our 3 repositories:
git clone https://github.com/OpenShot/libopenshot-audio.git
git clone https://github.com/OpenShot/libopenshot.git
git clone https://github.com/OpenShot/openshot-qt.git
Configuring your Development Environment
In order to actually compile or run OpenShot, we need to install some dependencies on your system. The
easiest way to accomplish this is with our Daily PPA. A PPA is an unofficial Ubuntu repository, which has
our software packages available to download and install.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openshot.developers/libopenshot-daily
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install openshot-qt \
cmake \
libx11-dev \
libasound2-dev \
libavcodec-dev \
libavdevice-dev \
libavfilter-dev \
libavformat-dev \
libavresample-dev \
libavutil-dev \
libfdk-aac-dev \
libfreetype6-dev \
libjsoncpp-dev \
libmagick++-dev \
libopenshot-audio-dev \
libprotobuf-dev \
libqt5svg5-dev \
libswscale-dev \
libunittest++-dev \
libxcursor-dev \
libxinerama-dev \
libxrandr-dev \
libzmq3-dev \
pkg-config \
python3-dev \
protobuf-compiler \
qtbase5-dev \
libqt5svg5-dev \
libxcb-xfixes0-dev \
qtmultimedia5-dev \
swig
At this point, you should have all 3 OpenShot components source code cloned into local folders, the
OpenShot daily PPA installed, and all of the required development and runtime dependencies installed.
This is a great start, and we are now ready to start compiling some code!
libopenshot-audio (Build Instructions)
This library is required for audio playback and audio effects. It is based on the JUCE audio framework.
Here are the commands to build it:
cd libopenshot-audio
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=dist ..
make
make install
Essentially, we are switching to the libopenshot-audio/build folder, then running cmake .. on the parent
folder. This finds dependencies and creates all the needed Makefiles used to compile this library. Then
make uses those Makefiles to compile this library, and make install installs them in the location we
specified. If CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX isn’t set, the files will install to /usr/local/ (by default) and
make install will require administrative privileges to run.
libopenshot (Build Instructions)
This library is required for video decoding, encoding, animation, and just about everything else. It
does all the heavy lifting of video editing and video playback. Here are the commands to build it:
cd libopenshot
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DLIBOPENSHOT_AUDIO_DIR=../../libopenshot-audio/build/dist ..
make
Essentially, we are switching to the libopenshot/build folder, then running cmake .. on the parent
folder. This finds dependencies and creates all the needed Makefiles used to compile this library. Then
make uses those Makefiles to compile this library. Because we provided the location of our compiled
libopenshot-audio installation, that version of the library will be used instead of the system version
(if any).
We don’t install our libopenshot after building, because we don’t need to. For testing purposes, we can
tell OpenShot to use libopenshot right from our build directory.
openshot-qt (Launch Instructions)
This is our main PyQt Python application. Because it is written in Python, it does not require any
compiling to run. To launch OpenShot from the source code with our newly-built libopenshot-audio and
libopenshot libraries, use the following commands:
cd openshot-qt
PYTHONPATH=../libopenshot/build/src/bindings/python
python3 src/launch.py
This should launch the OpenShot user interface. Any changes you have made to the source code files (*.py
Python files, *.ui PyQt UI files, etc…) will be included. This requires the libopenshot-audio and
libopenshot libraries, and if anything went wrong with the steps above, OpenShot will likely not launch.
If OpenShot launches at this point, congratulations! You now have a working local version of OpenShot,
which is running off your local source code. Try making some changes to the source code and re-launch
OpenShot… you should now see your changes!
GitHub Issues
Now that you have successfully compiled and launched OpenShot Video Editor from source code, be sure to
check out our list of bug reports on GitHub: OpenShot Issues. Also, you are encouraged to fill out our
quick contributor form and introduce yourself!
Share your Changes
Once you have fixed a bug or added an amazing new feature, be sure to share it with the OpenShot team.
Ideally, we can merge this into our main source code branch. The easiest way to share your changes is by
creating a fork of our repo, pushing your changes back to GitHub, and creating a Pull Request. A Pull
Request lets the OpenShot team know you have changes ready to be merged. Then we can review things, give
feedback, and hopefully merge your changes into the main branch.
Contributing
Want to help improve OpenShot (and make some friends in the process)? Please consider joining our
open-source team by filling out this quick contributor form and introduce yourself! All volunteers are
welcome, regardless of skills or skill level. Let’s build something amazing!
How to Contribute
There are many different ways to help and support OpenShot, including:
• Testing
• Translations
• Documentation
• Customer Service
• Social Media / Marketing
• Software Development
• Art / Design / UI
• User Community
• Donations
All of these areas are equally important, so we would love to know which ones appeal to you the most.
Please take a moment and fill-out our quick contributor form.
Did you find a bug?
Please use our step-by-step bug reporting page: https://openshot.org/issues/new/ to troubleshoot a
potential new bug. This guide will instruct you on how to delete you log files, test with the latest
daily build, and search for duplicate bug reports (in case someone else has already reported this same
issue). At the end of the guide, it will help you create a detailed and useful bug report for our
development team and volunteers.
Software Developers
OpenShot uses GitHub to manage issues and source code: https://github.com/OpenShot. Please read our guide
on Becoming a Developer for a step-by-step guide on compiling OpenShot and making your first pull request
on GitHub.
Made with Love
OpenShot Video Editor is a volunteer effort and a labor of love. Please be patient with any issues you
find, and feel free to get involved and help us fix them!
Thank you for your support!
– OpenShot Team
Learn More
We are working hard to expand this user guide and to improve OpenShot Video Editor, but if you are stuck
and don’t know where to turn, OpenShot has several sources for additional information.
1. OpenShot has several YouTube Tutorials available to help you learn more.
2. OpenShot has a Reddit User Community dedicated to users helping users, answering questions, and
discussing video editing and OpenShot topics.
3. If you would like to help improve this User Guide, view source on GitHub.
4. If you have discovered a new bug, please Report a Bug.
5. If you need professional support, you can open a ticket by sending an message to ‐
support@openshot.org or Schedule a call.
Glossary
There is much technical terminology in today’s fast-moving media-centric world. If you find yourself
wondering what a video production term or an acronym means, you are certainly not alone. Like most
industries, video production has a language all its own. Here is a list of terms commonly found in video
editing. Becoming familiar with these terms only makes your job easier. [image]
Definitions
These definitions are a work-in-progress. Please let us know if you need a term defined by contacting ‐
support@openshot.org.
-A- -B- -C- -D- -E- -F- -G- -H- -I- -J- -K- -L- -M- -N- -O- -P- -Q- -R- -S- -T- -U- -V- -W- -X- -Y- -Z-
-A-
A-Roll:
The Principal video that is usually someone speaking.
Aliasing:
The undesirable jagged or stair-stepped appearance of angled lines in an image, graphic, or text.
Alpha: Alpha blending is a convex combination of two colors allowing for transparency effects in computer
graphics. The value of alpha in the color code ranges from 0.0 to 1.0, where 0.0 represents a
fully transparent color, and 1.0 represents a fully opaque color.
Alpha Channel:
An alpha channel is a channel in an image or movie clip that controls the opacity region.
Ambient Noise:
Ambient noise is background noise specific to the shooting location.
Animation:
The technique of making inanimate objects or drawings appear to move in motion pictures or
computer graphics.
Anti-Aliasing:
Anti-aliasing is a process for smoothing jagged lines in an image. Anti-aliasing can also mean a
method of filtering out erroneous frequencies in an audio signal.
Artifact:
An artifact is undesired data in an image because of digital processing.
Aspect Ratio:
The ratio of width to height in a flat surface or 2-dimensional abstract construction, such as an
image, video, character, or pixel. The standard ratios for NTSC SD videos are 4:3 (or 1.33:1) and
HD 16:9 (or 1.77:1). The most common aspect ratios for motion pictures are 1.85:1 and 2.35:1.
ATSC: ATSC is a digital broadcast standard that replaced the older analog NTSC standard. The standard
covers both standard and high-definition formats.
Audio Sample Rate:
The number of samples taken per second to reproduce audio digitally. The higher the sample rate,
the higher the quality of the digital audio. A rate of 44,100 samples per second produces
CD-quality audio and captures the range of human hearing.
-B-
B-roll:
B-roll is supplemental footage that provides supporting details and greater flexibility when
editing video. Common examples include the footage used to cut away from an interview or news
report to help tell the story.
Bit: The elementary unit for digital storage. A BIT can be either a 1 (one) or a 0 (zero).
Bit Depth:
In digital graphics and video, bit depth indicates the number of colors an image can display. A
high-contrast (no gray tones) black and white image is 1bit, meaning it can be off or on, black or
white. As bit depth increases, more colors become available. 24-bit color allows for displays of
millions of colors. Similarly, in digital audio, bit depth indicates the number of bits per
sample. The higher the number, the better the sound quality.
Bitrate:
The frequency at which bits (binary digits) pass a given physical or metaphorical point, measured
in bps (bits per second). For every second in the video, the Bit Rate, or Data Rate, is the
amount of data used each second. The bitrate, in Kilobits per second, can be variable or
constant.
Blue Screen:
A blue screen is a blue background that the subject stands in front of that the computer later
replaces with another background in post-production. See also blue screen compositing and green
screen.
Blue Screen Compositing:
The process of making all blue elements in an image transparent and placing a different background
underneath.
-C-
Capture:
The process of transferring source video from a camcorder or tape deck to a computer. If the
source video is analog, the capture process converts the video to digital.
Channel:
A channel is one of several grayscale components used to make up a color image. Red, green, and
blue channels make up RGB images, with an optional alpha channel for transparency.
Chromakey:
Chromakey is a method of creating transparency in a video source by selecting a specific “key
color” to create an alpha matte. It is frequently used on news programs to display weather
graphics behind talent and for visual effects compositing.
Clip: A digitized or captured portion of video, audio, or both. Clips are media files added to the
Timeline, usually part of a more extensive recording.
Codec: Codec is a video compression technology used to compress data in a video file. Codec stands for
“Compression Decompression.” An example of a popular codec is H.264.
Color Correction:
The process of altering the color of a video, especially one shot under less than ideal
conditions, such as low light.
Compositing:
Construction of a composite image by combining multiple images and other elements.
Coverage:
Coverage is the process of shooting additional footage and camera angles to cover the action in
the scene. Coverage is so that the editor has a more excellent range of choices when the film
reaches the post-production stage.
Compression:
The process of reducing data, such as in an audio or video file, into a form that requires less
space.
Crop Factor:
Crop factor is a number (typically from 1.3-2.0) that represents the ratio of a sensor’s imaging
area to that of a full-frame sensor. Try multiplying the focal length of your lens by your camera
sensor’s crop factor. It gives you the focal length for the lens/sensor combination.
Crawl: Crawl is a text effect where the text moves right-to-left (in the English-speaking world).
Cross-fade:
A cross-fade is a simultaneous fade-in of one audio or video source as another fades out so that
they overlap temporarily. Also called a dissolve.
Cut: A cut is an instantaneous change from one shot to another.
Cut-in (Insert Shot):
It is a type of shot that most often shows the objects the subject is in contact with or
manipulating. Cut-in shots are correspondingly helpful to b-roll because they stray from the
subject for a short time.
Cutting on Action:
Cutting on action is a technique used to create a more interesting scene. The concept is simple…
when you cut in the middle of an action, it will appear less jarring and more visual interesting.
-D-
Data Rate:
The amount of data moved over time (for example, 10 MB per second). Often used to describe a hard
drive’s ability to retrieve and deliver information.
Denominator:
The number or expression below the line in a fraction (such as 2 in ½).
Digital Video:
Digital video is an electronic representation of moving visual images (video) in the form of
encoded digital data. In contrast, analog video represents moving visual images with analog
signals. Digital video comprises a series of digital images displayed in rapid succession.
Digitize:
To convert analog video or audio to digital form.
Dissolve:
Dissolve is an image transition effect where one picture gradually disappears as another appears.
Also called a cross-fade.
-E-
Editing:
Editing is the process or result of selectively sequencing video and audio clips into a new video
file. Typically involves reviewing raw footage and transferring desired segments from source
footage into a new predetermined sequence.
Effect:
Synthetic sounds and animations created in the digital domain applied to a clip to change a
specific parameter of video or audio. Examples: the color of a visual element or the reverb on an
audio track.
Encode:
To merge the individual video signals (for example, red, green, and blue) into a combined signal,
or to convert a video file to a different format using a codec.
Export:
Export refers to the process of assembling your edited video project into a single file that then
plays back on its own, shared, or uploaded.
-F-
Fade: A fade is the gradual diminishing or heightening of visual or audio intensity. Usage: fade-out,
fade to black, fade-in, or fade up from black.
Fade-in:
1.(n.) a shot that begins in total darkness and gradually lightens to full brightness. 2. (v.) To
gradually bring sound from inaudibility to the required volume.
Fade-out:
1.(n.) a shot that begins in full brightness and gradually dims to total darkness. 2. (v.) To
gradually bring sound from the required volume to inaudibility.
Filter:
A video filter is a software component that performs some operation on a multimedia stream.
Multiple filters used in a chain, known as a filter graph, are the process in which each filter
receives input from its upstream filter. The filter graph processes the input and outputs the
processed video to its downstream filter.
Final Cut:
The final video production, assembled from high-quality clips, and ready for export to the
selected delivery media.
Finishing:
The stage that brings together all assets of a piece. Your output from this stage is your
master/sub-master.
Footage:
Derived from having feet of film, this is almost synonymous with video clips.
Frame: In filmmaking, video production, animation, and related fields, a frame is one of the many still
images which compose the complete moving picture.
Frames Per Second (fps):
The number of frames played every second. At 15 fps and lower, the human eye can detect
individual frames, causing the video to appear jerky.
Frame Rate:
Frame rate (expressed in frames per second or FPS) is the frequency (rate expressed in Hz) at
which consecutive images called frames appear on display. The term applies equally to film and
video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture systems. Common Frame Rate Examples: 24, 25,
29.97, 30, 50, 60.
Frequency:
The number of audio cycles per second, expressed in hertz (Hz). Frequency determines the pitch of
a sound.
-G-
Gamma: A measurement of the intensity of mid-tones in an image. Adjusting the gamma adjusts the level of
the mid-tones while leaving the blacks and whites untouched.
GPU: Graphics processing unit. A microprocessor with built-in capabilities for handling 3D graphics
more efficiently than a CPU (central processing unit).
Gravity:
Gravity in OpenShot is a property of each clip that sets the clip’s initial position on the
screen.
Green screen
A green background that the subject stands in front of that is another background in
post-production.
Green Screen Compositing
The process of making all green elements in an image transparent and placing a different
background underneath, so it appears that the subject is in a different location.
-H-
High Definition (HD):
A general term for a video signal with a significantly higher resolution than standard definition.
HDMI: High Definition Multimedia Interface. Interface for transmitting high definition digital audio
and video data.
HDR: HDR (high dynamic range) is the compositing of two images, one that correctly exposes the
highlights, and another that properly exposes the dark areas. When composited together, you get a
properly exposed image.
HDTV: High Definition TV. A broadcast format that allows for a higher resolution signal than the
traditional formats, NTSC, PAL, and SECAM.
HDV: High Definition Video. The format used to record HDTV-quality data with video camcorders.
Headroom:
The space between the top of a character’s head and the top of the frame.
Hiss: Noise caused by imperfections in the recording medium.
Hue: The shade of a color. This is the general color category into which the color falls. For
example, pink, crimson, and plum are different colors, but they all fall under the hue of red.
White, black, and gray tones are not hues.
-I-
Image Stabilizer:
Also referred to as an electronic image stabilizer. A technique used to remove the movement
caused by camera shake.
Importing:
Importing is the process of transferring videos from your camera onto your computer or into a
piece of editing software.
Interframe Compression:
A compression scheme, such as MPEG that reduces the amount of video information by storing only
the differences between a frame and those preceding it.
Interpolation:
Used in animation to calculate the motion in between two user-generated keyframes so that the
editor does not need to animate each frame manually. This speeds up the process and makes the
resulting animation smoother.
Intertitles:
Titles that appear on their own between footage. Commonly seen in silent movies to substitute
dialogue, also used as chapter headings.
-J-
J-Cut: An edit in which the audio starts before the video, giving the video a dramatic introduction.
Also known as an audio lead.
Jog To move forward or backward through video by playing it one field or frame at a time.
Jump Cut:
A jump cut is an unnatural, abrupt switch between shots identical in the subject but slightly
different in screen location, so the subject appears to jump from one screen location to another.
-K-
Key: A method for creating transparency, such as a bluescreen key or a chroma key.
Keyframe:
A keyframe is a frame that contains a record of specific settings (e.g., scale, rotation,
brightness). Start and endpoints for animated effects. By setting multiple keyframes, you can
adjust these parameters as the video plays to animate certain aspects.
-L-
L-Cut: An L-cut is an edit in which the video ends before the audio. L-cuts act as a subtle transition
from one scene to the next.
Letterbox:
A technique used to preserve the original aspect ratio of a motion picture when played on a TV.
Letterboxing adds black bars to the top and bottom of the screen.
Linear Editing:
A form of video editing which lays out cuts sequentially, one by one, to produce the final scene.
This contrasts with non-linear editing which allows cutting in any order.
Log: A record of start and end timecode, reel numbers, scene descriptions, and other information for a
specified clip.
Lossless:
A compression scheme that results in no loss of data from decompressing the file. Lossless files
are generally quite large (but still smaller than uncompressed versions) and sometimes require
considerable processing power to decode the data.
Lossy: Lossy compression is a compression scheme that degrades quality. Lossy algorithms compress
digital data by eliminating the data least sensitive to the human eye and offer the highest
compression rates available.
-M-
Mark In:
Placing a marker at the beginning of where you want your clip to start.
Mark Out:
Placing a marker at the beginning of where you want your clip to end.
Match Action:
Match action (or match cut) is a technique where an editor will cut from one visually similar
scene to another.
Memory Bank:
A Memory Bank is a video that documents specific periods or events in someone’s life. It can be
set to music, make use of natural sound, record vacations, or just capture moments in everyday
life.
Marker:
An object used to mark a location. Clip markers signify essential points within a clip. Timeline
markers indicate scenes, locations for titles, or other significant points within an entire movie.
Use clip markers and timeline markers for positioning and trimming clips.
Mask: The transparent area of an image, typically defined by a graphic shape or a bluescreen background.
Also called a matte.
Matte: Matte is an image mask used in visual effects to control applying an effect to certain parts of
the image.
Montage:
A montage is a self-contained sequence of shots assembled in juxtaposition to each other to
communicate an idea or mood. The implied relationship between seemingly unrelated material
creates a new message.
Motion Artifact:
Visual interference caused by the difference between the frame rate of the camera and the motion
of the object. The most common display of this is when filming a computer or television screen.
The screen flickers or a line scans down it, which is the difference in frame rates and a lack of
synchronization between the camera and television.
-N-
Noise: Undesired data in a video or audio signal. See also artifact.
Non-linear Editing:
An editing system that performs edits at any time, in any order. Access is random, which means
that the system can jump to specific pieces of data without having to look through the whole
footage to find it.
Numerator:
The number or expression above the line in a fraction (such as 1 in ½).
NTSC: NTSC is an abbreviation for National Television Standards Committee. NTSC is the group that
initially developed the black & white and subsequently color television system. The United
States, Japan, and many other countries use NTSC. Five-hundred twenty-five interlaced lines make
up NTSC that display at a rate of 29.97 frames per second. ATSC Has now superseded by NTSC.
-O-
Offline Editing:
Editing a rough cut using low-quality clips, and then producing the final cut with high-quality
clips, usually on a more sophisticated editing system than that used for developing the rough.
Online Editing:
Doing all editing (including the rough cut) on the same clips that produce the final cut.
Opacity:
An inverse measure of the level of transparency in an image, which is of importance when
compositing. An image’s alpha channel stores its opacity information.
-P-
PAL: PAL is an abbreviation for Phase Alternate Line. This is the video format standard used in many
European countries. Six-hundred twenty-five lines make up a PAL picture that displays at a rate
of 25 frames per second.
Pan: A horizontal movement of the camera on a fixed axis.
Pan and Scan:
A method of converting widescreen images to a 4:3 aspect ratio. Cropping the video so that it
fills the entire screen and panning it into position shows the essential parts of the scene.
Picture in Picture (PIP):
An effect of superimposing a small window of footage over a larger window and the two play at the
same time.
Pixel: One of the tiny dots that make up the representation of an image in a computer’s memory. The
smallest unit of a digital image.
Pixel Aspect Ratio:
Aspect ratio is the ratio between the width and height of your video; the Pixel Aspect Ratio is
the ratio between the width and height of the pixels. A standard Pixel Aspect Ratio is 1:1.
Pixelation:
The display of large, blocky pixels in an image caused by over-enlarging it.
Playhead:
When editing audio or video in a current computer, the Playhead is a graphic line in the Timeline
that represents the current accessed position, or frame, of the material.
Post-production (Post):
Post-production (post) is any video production activity following the initial recording.
Typically, post involves editing, the addition of background music, voice-over, sound effects,
titles, and various visual effects resulting in completed production.
Poster Frame:
A single frame of a clip, selected as a thumbnail to indicate the clip’s contents.
Project:
A project is all the files, transitions, effects, and animations that you make or use within
OpenShot.
-R-
Raw Footage:
Raw footage is pre-edited footage, usually direct from the camera.
Real-time:
Real-time occurs immediately, without delay for rendering. If a transition occurs in real-time,
there is no waiting, the computer creates the effect or transition on-the-fly, showing it the
results immediately.
Rendering:
The process by which the video editing software and hardware convert the raw video, effects,
transitions, and filters into a new continuous video file.
Render Time:
The render time is the time it takes an editing computer to composite source elements and commands
into a single video file. Rendering allows the sequence, including titles and transition effects,
to play in full motion.
Resolution:
Resolution refers to the actual number of horizontal and vertical pixels your video contains.
Common resolution Examples: (SD) 640×480, (HD) 854x480, (HD) 1280×720, (FHD) 1920×1080, (QHD)
2560x1440, (UHD) 3840x2160, and (FUHD) 7680x4320. Often the numbers that appear vertically refer
to the resolution. The examples listed would appear as SD, 480p, 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 4K and 8K,
respectively.
RGB: Monitors, cameras, and digital projectors use the primary colors of light (Red, Green, and Blue)
to make images.
RGBA: A file containing an RGB image plus an alpha channel for transparency information.
Roll: Roll is a text effect commonly seen in end credits, where text typically moves from the bottom to
the top of the screen.
Rough cut:
A rough cut is a preliminary edit of footage in the approximate sequence, length, and content of a
finished program.
-S-
Sample Rate:
In digital audio, the number of samples per second. The higher the number, the better the sound
quality.
Scene: Action that occurs in one location at one time.
Scrub: Scrubbing is an act of moving the cursor or playhead across the Timeline manually. Once specific
to audio tracks, the term now also refers to video tracks.
Shot: A recording of a single take.
Slow-motion:
A shot in which action takes place at a slower than average speed. The camera achieves
slow-motion by speeding up the frame rate during recording and then playing back the frames at a
slower speed.
Snap: Snapping quickly positions an object in alignment with grid lines, guidelines, or another object.
Snapping causes the object to automatically jump to an exact position when the user drags it to
the proximity of the desired location.
Splice:
The process of physically attaching two pieces of film using tape or cement.
Split cut (L-cut or J-cut):
An edit in which the audio starts before or after the picture cut. Used for easing the transition
from one scene or shot to another.
Splitscreen:
A unique effect that displays two or more scenes simultaneously on different parts of the screen.
Sound Effects:
Sound effects are contrived audio, usually prerecorded, incorporated with a video soundtrack to
resemble a real occurrence. Blowing on a microphone, for example, might simulate wind to
accompany hurricane images.
Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is the audio portion of a video recording, often multifaceted with natural sound,
voiceovers, background music, or other sounds.
Stabilization:
Image stabilization is a family of techniques that reduce blurring associated with the motion of a
camera or other imaging device during exposure.
Standard Definition (SD):
Television broadcasting standard with a lower resolution than high definition.
Step: The act of moving forward or backward through video one frame at a time.
Still Frame:
A single frame of video is repeated, so it appears to have no motion.
Straight Cut:
The most common edit, consecutive clips placed one after another in the Timeline window. Straight
cuts are preferable to transitions when the scenes are similar, and you do not want edits to be
noticeable.
Superimposing:
Combining images, where one or more layers involve transparency.
Sync (Synchronization):
Synchronization refers to the relative timing of audio (sound) and video (image) parts during
creation, post-production (mixing), transmission, reception, and play-back processing.
SECAM: Systeme Electronique Couleur Avec Memoire, a TV format used mainly in Eastern Europe, Russia, and
Africa.
-T-
Tilt: Tilting is a cinematographic technique in which the camera stays in a fixed position but rotates
up/down in a vertical plane.
Timecode:
The timecode is the discrete address given to each frame of the video (for example, 1:20:24:09).
Timecode makes frame-accurate editing possible and allows editors to identify scenes precisely in
a log.
Time-lapse:
It is a technique for capturing each frame in a video at a much slower rate than usual. When
played back at regular speed, time appears to go by faster. An editing program achieves this by
fast-forwarding or increasing the speed of your video.
Timeline:
The Timeline is an editing interface that lays out a video project in a linear fashion consisting
of clips laid horizontally across the screen.
Timeline Editing:
Timeline editing is a computer-based method of editing, in which bars proportional to the length
of a clip, represent video and audio clips on a computer screen.
Titling:
Titling is the process or result of incorporating on-screen text as credits, captions, or any
other alphanumeric communication.
Track: A separate audio or video layer on a timeline.
Transcode:
Converting a digital file to another digital file format. This usually involves audio and video
compression.
Transparency:
Percentage of the opacity of a video clip or element.
Transition:
A method of juxtaposing two scenes. Transitions can take many forms, including cuts, dissolves,
and wipes.
Trim: Removing frames from the beginning, middle, or end of a clip.
-V-
Video Format:
The video format is a standard that determines the way a video signal records on videotape.
Standards include DV, 8-mm, Beta, and VHS.
Voiceover:
A term used to describe off-camera narration that is not part of a scene (non-diegetic).
VTR: A Videotape recorder also referred to as a ‘deck’. Decks duplicate videotapes and inputting and
outputting from a computer.
-W-
Widescreen:
A format in which the width-to-height ratio of the frame is greater than 4:3 so that it is
significantly wider than it is tall.
Wipe: A wipe is a transition from one shot to another. The edge of the transition moves across the
original image as a line or a pattern, revealing the new shot.
-Z-
Zoom: A shot where the image grows more substantial or smaller by adjusting the focal length of the lens
instead of physically moving the camera.
AUTHOR
Jonathan Thomas
COPYRIGHT
OpenShot Studios, LLC
3.1 Jun 27, 2025 OPENSHOT-QT(1)