Build the frame, one layer at a time.

Studio Beta in 1.2.0

Find your controls

1. 1

   Keep the source and result separate

   Source keeps its opened original video/image and crop rectangles when you select captions, text, shapes or audio. Choose another original in its selector to change it. Preview immediately outlines the actual selected layer and shows the composition at the playhead. S/P marks a source crop; P marks a preview-only visual layer; A marks audio.

2. 2

   Select a layer

   Click Preview or choose a row in Layers. Alt+click Preview cycles overlapping layers. Use All project layers to find hidden, locked or out-of-time elements. Ctrl/Cmd+click selects several.

3. 3

   Make room for Properties

   Use Collapse Layers to keep its header only, or Move Layers to Library to put the same list on the left. Resize its divider; the content above scrolls separately. The dock position, height and collapse are saved as workspace preferences.

4. 4

   Choose an inspector category

   The vertical icon rail opens Transform, Crop & image, Text & fonts, Captions, Audio, Animation, Effects, Transitions, Background or Channel templates. The compact header shows the category, selection and related count.

Add and place crops

New portrait projects start with a 35/65 Top/Bottom layout and two central crops. Add crop creates another view of a selected source; there is no fixed two-crop limit. Shared crops use the same source clock and do not add more original audio.

Format9:16 or 16:9

Each format retains its own transforms and composition. Switching does not rebuild the timeline.

Fit / FillKeep source proportions

Fit leaves room around the source; Fill covers the layer by cropping its edges. Neither stretches the source.

TransformPosition, size, rotation and opacity

Drag in Preview or use exact values. The circular Rotate handle inside the outline turns the selected element; hold Shift to snap by 15 degrees. Its arrow keys adjust by one degree (Shift: 15); Home resets. Lock aspect ratio, flip, align or snap to guides.

Crop and maskRectangle, rounded rectangle or circle

Move/resize the source rectangle to choose what the layer displays; the output transform controls where it appears.

Use Single, Top/Bottom or Picture in Picture for a starting arrangement. Focused source/output boxes support arrow-key adjustments; Shift increases the step, and Alt resizes. Escape cancels the active drag.

Fill the background

Choose Solid, Gradient, Image, Video or Blurred video. The project background is a fallback; a timed scene background can override it during one scene. Background copies do not add audio.

BlurAvailable for media backgrounds

Blur, zoom and darkening work on a moving video copy. Image and Video backgrounds retain their own blur control too.

ImageFit/Fill, zoom and scale

Select imported media, then enlarge or reduce it without stretching. Empty areas use Fallback color.

Opacity / Grayscale0-100%

Fade or desaturate background media. Foreground image layers also have transform opacity and effects.

Add text and fonts

Add Text or a Shape from the library. Set a text layer's content and active time range, then double-click selected text in Preview for direct editing. Save text styles in the project.

Text, captions, images and shapes trim independently from a film. Follow clip attaches movement to its owner, not a shared duration. Use Detach from clip when an overlay should stay at its absolute project position.

Effects, animation and transitions

Effects offers brightness, contrast, saturation, temperature, grayscale, blur, vignette and opacity. Adding an effect opens its inspector category. Reorder, disable, reset or delete individual effects.

1. 1

   Set the playhead

   Animation evaluates project time during both playback and seeking. Choose position, scale, rotation, opacity, crop or effect parameters.

2. 2

   Add keyframes

   Use Linear, Ease In/Out or Hold interpolation. Fade, Slide, Zoom and Pop presets create visible editable keyframes.

3. 3

   Join clips

   Choose Crossfade, Dip to black, Wipe or Slide for adjacent video clips. The default 0.3-second transition creates visible overlap, shifts later linked material and adds an audio crossfade as one Undo operation.

Copy appearance samples the visible values at the playhead. Paste effects/text style to compatible selections, optionally including transform and crop, while keeping source, words and timeline timing.