Video Editor
Keyframes
A keyframe pins a value (position, scale, opacity, a colour, the volume…) at one moment of a clip; between two keyframes the editor animates from one value to the next. You add keyframes from the Inspector, the timeline toolbar or the keyboard, see them as diamonds on the clip, and shape how they move with curves.
What you can animate
| Group | Properties |
|---|---|
| Transform | Anchor, Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity |
| Frame | Crop |
| Audio | Volume |
| Look | Blur, Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Hue, Temperature, Filter strength, Mask size, Mask feather, Strength |
| Text style | Text size, Text colour, Outline colour, Outline width, Line spacing |
Add a keyframe
- Select one clip and move the playhead onto it.
- Either:
- click the diamond beside a field in the , or
- press Add keyframe in the timeline toolbar (⌥ K), which keys the clip's animated values at the playhead.
- Move the playhead and change the value: the editor adds a keyframe there automatically, because the value already animates.
Moving or scaling a clip on the canvas while its position animates keys it at the playhead too.
Keyframes on the clip
The selected clip shows a diamond at each frame that holds keys. Diamonds closer than a few pixels merge into one counted marker. Keys left outside the clip by a split or trim show faded at its edge.
| Gesture | What it does |
|---|---|
| Click a diamond | Move the playhead to it and select its keys. Shift/⌘-click adds or drops it. |
| Drag a diamond | Move the selected keys. They snap to the playhead, markers and other keys; Alt frees them. |
| Right-click (or long press) | The keyframe menu (below). |
| Double-click | Open the Curve of those keys. |
| ⌥ ← / ⌥ → | Nudge the selected keys one frame (Shift: ten). |
| Esc | Deselect the keys. |
On the timeline's keyframe button that rides the playhead, a filled diamond means the playhead sits on a key.
The keyframe lane
Turn on Keyframe lane in the timeline toolbar for one row per animated property under the selected clip, grouped into Transform, Look and Text style (fold a group with Collapse / Expand).
| Gesture on a row | What it does |
|---|---|
| Click empty space | Add a key for that row's properties at that frame. |
| Drag sideways | Box-select keys across rows (Shift/⌘ adds). |
| Drag up or down on a single-value row | Pull the value at that frame, keying it. The line shows the value over time. |
A row with more keys than it needs offers Simplify keyframes, which thins them without changing the motion.
The keyframe menu
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Curve… | Shape the motion from these keys to the next. |
| Copy keyframes / Paste keyframes | Ctrl/⌘ C / V. Pasted keys keep their spacing, starting at the playhead. |
| Simplify keyframes | Thin out keys that don't change the motion. |
| Delete keyframes | Delete / Backspace. |
| Previous keyframe / Next keyframe | ⌥ [ / ⌥ ]. |
Easing and curves
Curve… shows the curve leaving the picked keys, with the property's real motion to the next key drawn behind it, and the speed along it.
| Easing | Feels like |
|---|---|
| Linear | Constant speed. |
| Ease in | Starts slow, ends fast. |
| Ease out | Starts fast, ends slow. |
| Ease in-out | Slow, fast, slow. |
| Hold | Jumps to the next value at the next key. |
| Back in / Back out | Pulls back or overshoots a little. |
| Custom | Drag the two handles to shape your own. |
Handles preview live on the Player; letting go saves the curve once.
FAQ
Why does changing a value add a keyframe?
That value already animates, so a change at a new moment becomes a new key. To change it everywhere, delete its keys first.
Can I copy an animation to another clip?
Yes. Select the keys, Copy keyframes, select the other clip, put the playhead where it should start, and Paste keyframes.