Edit on the timeline

#What it is

The timeline is the strip at the bottom of the AI Editor. Every clip, text and sound sits on a row. You move, trim and cut clips here, and you scrub the playhead to see any moment in the player.

#Who can use it

Everyone. The app does not check your plan for the timeline, so Free and Pro get the same tools. The editor needs a screen at least 1,024 pixels wide. On a smaller screen it asks you to open infinall.ai on a laptop or desktop.

The Pro tools switch on the timeline is not a plan. It only shows or hides extra tools, and everyone can turn it on.

#Cost

Free, no credits. Editing on the timeline never uses credits.

#Where to find it

Open AI Editor in the sidebar and open a project. The timeline fills the bottom of the editor, under the player. Its tools are in the bar at the top of the timeline.

#Buttons and controls

The numbers below match the screenshot, which is taken with Pro tools switched on. With Pro tools off you only see numbers 1 to 5, 11 to 13, 17 and 18.

#On each row

The left side of every row is its header. Drag a header up or down to reorder rows.

#Right-click menus

Right-click a row header for: Rename Track, Remove Gaps (grey when there is no gap), Ungroup Track (only when grouped), Group with (another row name) under Move & trim together, and Delete Track.

Right-click a video, image or audio clip for: Copy Clip, Duplicate, Select All Clips on Track, Split at Playhead, Close Gap to Previous, Copy Effects and Paste Effects (video and image), Separate Audio (video with sound), Copy Audio Effects and Paste Audio Effects (audio), Ripple Delete and Delete.

Right-click a text, shape, SVG or sticker clip for: Duplicate, Select All Clips on Track (or Select All Captions on a caption), and Delete.

#How to cut and trim a clip

1. Click the clip to select it.
2. Click the ruler or drag the playhead to the moment you want.
3. Choose Cut to split the clip in two at the line.
4. To shorten a clip instead, drag the thin handle on its left or right edge. The handles are named Trim start of and Trim end of the clip. Or turn on Pro tools and use Remove everything before the line (Q) or Remove everything after the line (W).

Locked rows cannot be edited. Unlock the row first.

#How to move clips

1. Drag a clip left or right to change when it plays. Drag it up or down to move it to another row.
2. Hold Shift, Cmd or Ctrl and click more clips to move several at once.
3. To select many clips, drag a box on an empty part of the timeline. Hold Shift, Cmd or Ctrl to add to what is selected.
4. A red ring on the clip means you cannot drop it there.
5. To close a gap, right-click the clip and choose Close Gap to Previous, or right-click the row name and choose Remove Gaps.

There is no ripple move mode. Gaps close only with the commands above or with ripple delete.

#How to add, lock, mute, hide and reorder rows

1. Turn on Pro tools and choose Add row. Pick Track, Dialogue, Music or Captions. The plus button under the row names adds a plain row.
2. Use the icons on the row header: the eye to hide, the speaker to mute, the headphones to solo, the lock to lock.
3. To reorder, drag a row header, or open All rows and use Move (row name) up and Move (row name) down.
4. In All rows you can also search the Search tracks box, filter by All, Video, Image, Audio, Text or Graphics, and choose Rename, Duplicate or Delete for a row.
5. Deleting from All rows asks first: "Delete (row name)?", with the note "Its clips will be removed. You can undo this action." Choose Delete track to confirm or Cancel.

Delete Track in the row header right-click menu deletes at once. Use Undo if you change your mind.

#How to zoom and snap

1. Use Show more of the video and Show more detail, or drag Zoom the timeline.
2. Hold Cmd or Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel over the timeline to zoom around your pointer. Hold Shift and scroll to move sideways.
3. Press Cmd or Ctrl and 0 to fit the whole video in view.
4. With Pro tools on, use Clips stick together (key N) to turn snapping on or off. When on, a clip being moved snaps to the edges of other clips, the playhead and a one second grid, and a guide line shows where it will land.

#How to add keyframes

Keyframes make a clip change over time, for example fade in or slide across.

1. Select a clip, then open the inspector's Motion view.
2. In the Keyframes section, under the heading Animate Property, choose the button that reads Select Property. Pick a property: Position X, Position Y, Scale X, Scale Y, Rotation, Opacity, Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Blur, Volume or Pan.
3. Move the playhead to the moment you want.
4. Choose Add Keyframe at that time. The button reads Keyframe exists at that time if there is already one.
5. Change the value next to the time in the Keyframes list, or use the easing button for that keyframe. Use the trash button, named Delete keyframe, to remove it.
6. Small yellow diamonds show along the bottom of a clip that has keyframes.

For a graph, select the clip and open More options at the bottom of the player, then Animation editor. See the options below.

#How to add and use markers

1. Move the playhead to a moment.
2. Press M. A blue flag called Marker 1, Marker 2 and so on appears on the timeline.
3. Click a flag to jump to it. Double-click to rename it: type in the Marker label box, press Enter to save or Esc to cancel.
4. Hover a flag and choose Remove marker (the small x) to delete it.

#Options explained

Zoom. The slider runs from 10 to 500 pixels for each second of video. A new project starts at 50.

Snapping. Snapping pulls a clip when it comes within 40 pixels of an edge, the playhead or a grid line. The grid is 1 second apart. You cannot change these from the screen.

Row types in Add row. Track is a plain row. Dialogue, Music and Captions are plain rows with that name and role.

Animation editor. The panel is titled Keyframe Editor. It has a Property menu, Copy, Paste and Delete buttons, a graph where you drag points, and a list with Time, Value and Easing. Click keyframes to select them, then use the Easing menu below to change how they move. Its list has Linear, Ease In, Ease Out and Ease In Out, then the same three steps for Cubic, Quart, Back, Elastic and Bounce, for example Ease In Cubic. Close keyframe editor closes it. The line "N keyframes selected" shows how many are picked.

Easing in the inspector. The easing button on each keyframe offers a longer list in groups: Basic, Quad, Cubic, Quart, Quint, Sine, Expo, Circ, Back, Elastic and Bounce. Basic includes linear and hold.

New text. Pressing T adds a title for 5 seconds at the playhead.

#Limits

• Zoom runs from 10 to 500 pixels per second.
• Snap distance is 40 pixels.
• Imported files can be up to 500 MB each. See import media.

#When something goes wrong

#Questions

#Is the timeline free?

Yes. It uses no credits, and Free and Pro have the same tools.

#What is the Pro tools switch?

It shows or hides extra tools: trim to the playhead, ripple delete, Add row, All rows, snapping, row size and timeline size. Anyone can turn it on, on any plan.

#Why is the Cut button different from Cmd+X?

The Cut button splits a clip at the playhead. Cmd or Ctrl and X cuts the selected clips to the clipboard. The Copy button makes a copy of the clip at once, while Cmd or Ctrl and C copies to the clipboard. See editor shortcuts.

#How do I undo a mistake?

Choose Undo in the timeline bar or the top bar, or press Cmd or Ctrl and Z. See projects, history and undo.

#Can I see keyframes as a track under the clip?

Not in the current screen. Keyframes show as small diamonds on the clip. Use the inspector's Keyframes section to edit them, or the Animation editor to see the graph.

#Where do I add text and sound?

Text goes on its own row. See text and captions and audio.