The timeline is where you build your edit in the LIGR Video Editor. This article explains how tracks are organised and how to move through your edit, zoom in for detail, rearrange clips, and mute or remove tracks.
[VIDEO PLACEHOLDER: Video_Editor_04_Timeline_Basics_v1.1.mp4]
Before you start
Open a sequence in the Video Editor.
Import the media you want to use, such as highlight clips, audio, images or text, and place it on the timeline.
How tracks are organised
Your clips sit on the timeline in horizontal rows called tracks. There is one type of track for each kind of media:
Video tracks hold your video clips, such as a goal highlight from Harbour City (HCF) v Ridgeview (RVR).
Audio tracks hold music, commentary and other sound.
Text tracks hold titles and captions.
Image tracks hold logos, stills and other pictures.
Each track type has its own icon at the start of the row, so you can see at a glance what each track contains. Keeping media types on separate tracks helps prevent syncing problems, because audio and video can't get mixed up on the same row.
The timeline reads from left to right. Clips further to the left play earlier in your edit, and clips further to the right play later.
Move through your edit with the playhead
The playhead is the vertical marker that shows your current position in the edit. The preview player shows whatever is under the playhead.
Click and hold the playhead.
Drag it left or right along the timeline.
Watch the preview player update as you move, so you can find the exact moment you want to work on.
Dragging the playhead is the quickest way to check a cut, line up a title with the right moment, or jump to a specific part of a long highlight.
Zoom the timeline
Use the zoom slider to change how much of your edit you can see at once.
Move the slider one way to zoom in. Clips appear wider and you can see more detail, which helps with precise edits such as trimming a few frames or lining up a sound with a goal.
Move the slider the other way to zoom out. You'll see more of the timeline at once, which helps when you're arranging a whole compilation.
Zooming only changes your view of the timeline. It doesn't change the length or timing of any clips.
Move clips on the timeline
Change when a clip plays
Click and hold the clip you want to move.
Drag it left to make it play earlier, or right to make it play later.
Release the clip where you want it.
Drag the playhead back over the area and check the result in the preview player.
Move a clip to another track
You can also drag a clip up or down onto another track, as long as it's a track of the same type. For example, you can move a video clip from one video track to another video track, or a logo from one image track to another.
Clips can't be moved onto a track of a different type. An audio clip won't drop onto a video track, and a video clip won't drop onto an audio track. If a clip won't move where you expect, check the track icon to make sure the types match.
Mute or remove a track
Each track has controls for managing the whole row at once.
Speaker icon: click it to mute the track. Use this to hear your edit without a particular track, for example to check the crowd noise without the music. Click it again to unmute.
Bin icon: click it to remove the track from your timeline. Only do this when you no longer need anything on that track.
Tips and common mistakes
Zoom in before making small adjustments. It's much easier to place a clip accurately when you can see more detail.
Mute a track rather than removing it if you just want to compare versions. Muting is easy to undo by clicking the speaker again.
Check the track icons before you drag. Most "clip won't move" problems come from trying to drop media onto the wrong track type.
After moving clips, play back that section to make sure nothing overlaps or leaves an unwanted gap.