Timeline Navigation Frustration

New user. Am editing a trailer for a feature documentary. I've had no trouble using the bin and assemble editing my rough cut. That has worked great!

To do finish editing, am struggling to navigate the timeline. Am on a Mac. I need shortcut keys and simple tips to...

1. Make the timeline zoom in/out?
2. Shortcuts to jump playhead to the home or end of the timeline? To beginning or end of clip?
3. Cut-and-paste to change order of clips by cutting a clip in the timeline (Ctrl-X), moving the playhead, and pasting it there to push everything to the right and not overwrite?
4. Grab everything in the timeline to the right of the playhead and drag everything to the right to make room for a clip I don't have yet, but anticipate getting later and want to leave a hole?
5. Drag clips in the timeline to another spot to change the order of edits only, and have the timeline shift everything so it doesn't overwrite or leave a hole?
6. Any keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet for Resolve 17?

Thank you!

Rob

[Peter Chamberlain]

Besides reviewing the user guide and numerous training videos take a look at the keyboard Preferences or even just the menus as these are normal editing operations which I recall all have shortcuts

While I appreciate any reply, I need answers to the very specific navigation questions I asked. If useful beta feedback is desired, I need to know what Resolve 17 is supposed to do. Does anyone here know the product well enough to answer specific questions?

RTFM is not helpful. What shortcut keys I could find in the documentation, don't work for screen navigation. I don't know if I'm looking at the wrong docs, that the beta is different, that I'm not doing it right, or the beta simply doesn't work.

Please help.

Rob

Never mind my last post. I figured out most of it, except timeline zoom in/out. I can't get Ctrl- or Ctrl+ to do anything. How do I increase/decrease the size of the timeline?

Rob

Vision 17 keystrokes are the same as Version 16, with the exception of jumping to a specific timecode. Other than that, you should report if the manual says that jumping to the start or end of the timeline says a certain keystroke and that keystroke does not work.

But be careful that you don't have conflicting keystrokes set up in your OS or other programs. For example, one keystroke in Fusion is CMD-Space, which by default in MacOS brings up Spotlight Search. I've had two other keystrokes where other programs (Little Snitch, etc) overrode them. No one can help you there, since you could have arbitrarily many keystrokes mapped explicitly or implicitly to values that conflict with Resolve.

Last, keystrokes are not necessarily global in Resolve. Obviously, if you are typing in the Inspector and hit Space, you don't want your Timeline to start playing. So sometimes you need to make sure the window you are using has your focus, but clicking in it. (There is a preference to cause a red highlight line to appear in the window that has focus.)

[Shrinivas Ramani]

The actions you're looking for in #1, #2 are under View > Zoom and Playback > Go To.
The A and T hotkeys allow you to switch mode in the Edit page for #3, #4.
Search the manual for move clip for #5.
Keyboard shortcuts are customizable in DaVinci Resolve, so check the keyboards customization dialog to check/change the hotkey for the action(s) you need.

New user.

Start with the Beginner's Guide, rather than a real project.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... e/training

Besides reviewing the user guide and numerous training videos take a look at the keyboard Preferences or even just the menus as these are normal editing operations which I recall all have shortcuts

Thats the problem. Too many hot keys with too many variables and NO MODIFIER keys to help with gestural editing. All resulting in a cumbersome editor with too many inconsistencies.

And BTW, I have been using Resolve since v7. I'm a "hotkey /3point Editor" and have read and referenced the manual many times and made my own hot keys over the years. I feel OP's pain everyday I try and edit in Resolve. Especially when going back and forth from Avid/Premiere or even Flame. Resolve is fine for picture locked timelines for finish and color, or simple edits, but not true editorial. Certainly not in supervised editing sessions, or broadcast environments. Aside from the basics, reliance of too many Hot keys are a bandaid for needed solutions in the UI.

Many of the hot keys don't work as they should.

Many of the hot keys don't work as they should.

Can I have some examples?

Thats the problem. Too many hot keys with too many variables and NO MODIFIER keys to help with gestural editing.

No, the OP's problem is that they don't want to read the manual and learn the basics, they want us to save them that time.

Having read your many posts, I'm surprised that you don't give the OP some sage advice: don't use Resolve instead of the Industry Standard Premiere, After Effects, Audition, and Lumetri. If I were being frustrated hundreds of times a day and was embarrassing myself with errors in front of clients, I'd certainly be willing to pay a few dollars a day to Adobe to use Industry Standard tools that would avoid all of those problems. They'd pay for themselves before lunch time of the first day of each month. (And I'd be able to eat lunch without the heartburn of continuous frustration and confusion.) If you have the choice between Industry Standard Editorial and something else, why should the OP choose something else?

There are these zoom controls of course, in the Edit page.

There are these zoom controls of course, in the Edit page.

I do wish those buttons had key shortcuts. I really, really do. At one point I thought that Shift-Z selected full-view (left icon), but in fact it stays in Custom View (right icon) and adjusts the zoom level. It'd be nice to be able to set Custom view for a reasonable medium-sized view for the timeline I'm editing, and then be able to jump out to full view (left icon) move locator and zoom back to Custom for my medium view. Similarly for the opposite direction: zoom down to near-frame-level (middle icon) to tweak something, then back to either full timeline or to medium.

I click on the icons, but key shortcuts would be very nice.

To do finish editing, am struggling to navigate the timeline. Am on a Mac. I need shortcut keys and simple tips to...

1. Make the timeline zoom in/out?
There are hot keys for incremental zoom in/out. But not to zoom into what you only want to see. There is a toggle button with a slider to preset your zoom. But this is impractical. Nobody zooms in to a set preset. plus its a TOGGLE, so you don't know if you are in our out relative to your current zoom state. We have been asking for a Zoom tool for a LONG time. One where you can zoom into the section you want. Not hit increments multiple times to get there.
So yes, this is a VALID point. Making it hard to navigate. Especially when Dissolve are so small you have to zoom in far.
OP -Tip: set the slider on the timeline to almost all the way in. Then use a hot key for "zoom to fit". Its just a toggle between the slider set and all the way out. Its better then hitting zoom in or out all the time.
I'd prefer a NON-HOTKEY Gestural solution for this so that one doesn't have to drop the Mouse or Pen and hit a hot key multiple times to NAVIGATE to where they want. A Zoom tool Like Premiere or a Zoom then Drag select a boundary like Avid.
So, can one navigate the timeline by zooming into just the area they want? No.
So valid point. One can't zoom into just what they want to see.

2. Shortcuts to jump playhead to the home or end of the timeline? To beginning or end of clip?

OP. You answered your own question. Home and End are mapped o "Timeline Start" and "Timeline End". There is no way to do that with the mouse or button. While not necessary, OP has point that it s not in the UI. Sound like he/She is on a Laptop. Which, Home and End no longer exist.
So, valid point.


3. Cut-and-paste to change order of clips by cutting a clip in the timeline (Ctrl-X), moving the playhead, and pasting it there to push everything to the right and not overwrite?

You would have to Map "Paste Insert" to a key. I mapped mine to Cmd/Option V.
However, OP has a valid point. One would assume if the "Trim Edit" button is active, it would behave like the rest of the program. Pasting with this on, I assumed would past insert. It doesn't. Another inconsistency, and another hotkey to remember. Shouldn't Paste with Edit Mode selected work this way? Bug or oversight?
VALID POINT!!!


4. Grab everything in the timeline to the right of the playhead and drag everything to the right to make room for a clip I don't have yet, but anticipate getting later and want to leave a hole?

Both Avid and Premiere have Buttons for this. Again, Resolve requires you to memorize another HotKey.
Map "Select Clips Forward on all Clips". But be carefull. Its not "All Clips". Its "All Clips" that have the Auto Selectors Active per track. Since there are two steps to Deselect all Auto Selectors and Select Auto Selectors for both Video and Audio Independently. It's cumbersome and hard to "NAVIGATE" what you want to do.

Step 1. Select all Video Track Selectors.
Step 2. Select All Audio Track Selectors
Step 3. Move your playbar over the first clip or transition.
Step 4. Map "Select Clips forward on all Clips." and use that key combo.
Step 5. Move those clips.
Step 6. Select the video Tracks you were working on.
Step 7. Select the Audio Tracks you were working on.
You are back to what you want to do.

See. It is not that easy to navigate the timeline. Is it.
Why not give us a hot key for Select/Deselect ALL Auto Selectors? A Feature request for years!


5. Drag clips in the timeline to another spot to change the order of edits only, and have the timeline shift everything so it doesn't overwrite or leave a hole?

This can't be done gesturally and is SOOOO frustrating. An Avid and Premiere NLE Standard for 30 years.
You can learn another hotkey for Swap. but look out! It acts differently depending on what mode you are in and can be destructive. Almost unusable. One can't do this on multiple tracks either! I actually think this has been broken for years.
Again. Valid Point. And actually destructive if you don't have the right combo. It doesn't recognize gaps either and will just select the next clip available regardless of Auto Track Selectors. It even moves your Audio if a track selector is accidentally active!
so Since Swap works in mysterious ways. AND ONLY ON ONE TRACK with bordering clips.
Step 1. DeSelect all Video Track Selectors.
Step 2. DeSelect All Audio Track Selectors
Step 3. Select just the clip you want to Swap
Step 4. Make sure Link is in the desired mode.
Step 5. Use mapped Swap cmd.

So again. OP is totally justified in this one.

6. Any keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet for Resolve 17?

RTFM. lol.



"Navigating the Timeline" doesn't just mean zooming and scrolling. It also means editing without obstacles getting in the way. Such as a lack of features, too many hotkeys and inconsistent UI implementation and exponential variables in tool combinations.

So, perhaps instead of jumping on a newbie to just go RTFM, perhaps one should have looked a little deeper into the issue. It is hard to navigate Resolve's timeline and it is littered with additional steps, inconsistencies between tools, button, hotkeys and many bugs.

Having read your many posts, I'm surprised that you don't give the OP some sage advice: don't use Resolve instead of the Industry Standard Premiere, After Effects, Audition, and Lumetri. If I were being frustrated hundreds of times a day and was embarrassing myself with errors in front of clients, I'd certainly be willing to pay a few dollars a day to Adobe to use Industry Standard tools that would avoid all of those problems. They'd pay for themselves before lunch time of the first day of each month. (And I'd be able to eat lunch without the heartburn of continuous frustration and confusion.) If you have the choice between Industry Standard Editorial and something else, why should the OP choose something else?

Oh boy. I'll refrain. You don't know me, and I'm very comfortable and successful in client sessions. I can assure you that spending money in this industry for productivity is never a barrier for me in a professional environment such as mine. Certainly not compared to what we used to spend! Nor would I consider those apps a Standard (except for AE). The freemium model does more harm to Pro’s than good. Actually, I'd prefer Adobe, BMD and Avid charge more to fund more Pro needs. FCPX will never be accepted in Studios. We learned our lesson with Apple/FCP.

And since you prodded... yes, I would tell the the OP that if he/she wants to get into the Film industry as an editor, that learning Avid/Premiere would be my advice. The cut page will never be, and the Edit Page hasn't matured. It has even regressed now that one has to add yet another HOTKEY "=" every time they want to "NAVIGATE" the timeline via timecode. But that is not what the OP was asking.

To your greater point / attack(?),
Yes, I'm disappointed in Resolve's lack of Editorial development. There are long standing bugs and needs for Pros that BMD has not addressed in YEARS! So my frustration is because Resolve could be sooo much better! I post with passion because I see the promise, but concerned the direction BMD is taking is more towards consumers and iMovie/FCPX.

So... why stick with resolve? Resolve Color is what I enjoy working in for almost a decade and why I stay. I love it. It gets better every release (except for keyframing). For smaller jobs, we are using Resolve more and more for editorial rather than conforming for color. But is frustrating to edit with it.

So one thing you got right, Resolve isn't the all encompassing Post solution I was hoping it would become. Investing in time, training staff and giving BMD money with hope it could be. It's been over five years now since BMD acquired Fusion and Fairlight, and the Edit page is mostly the same. I need to come to terms with this.

Thanks for the many informative and thoughtful responses from Brendon, Shrinivas, Wayne, Jim and Charles. By the way, am not a editor newbie, only new to Resolve. Edit with Avid, Premiere and Final Cut.

Another Resolve navigation shortcut question... I have my rough cut. There's a clip in my timeline that I want to pop back into the playback window because I think there might be a segment after it that I may want to use. Not to change the clip I have in the timeline, but to jump back into its source clip in the bin, shuttle, mark a new in/out, and append that to the end of my timeline. While I could search manually for the source clip, I don't want to do that. I want the shortcut (hot key or not). Starting in the timeline of my edit, how do I put the source of a clip, not the edit timeline, in the edit window?

how do I put the source of a clip, not the edit timeline, in the edit window?

Just double click the clip on the timeline

Thanks for the many informative and thoughtful responses from Brendon, Shrinivas, Wayne, Jim and Charles. By the way, am not a editor newbie, only new to Resolve. Edit with Avid, Premiere and Final Cut.

Another Resolve navigation shortcut question... I have my rough cut. There's a clip in my timeline that I want to pop back into the playback window because I think there might be a segment after it that I may want to use. Not to change the clip I have in the timeline, but to jump back into its source clip in the bin, shuttle, mark a new in/out, and append that to the end of my timeline. While I could search manually for the source clip, I don't want to do that. I want the shortcut (hot key or not). Starting in the timeline of my edit, how do I put the source of a clip, not the edit timeline, in the edit window?

You'd have to map a Match frame key. Double Clicking (from the timeline) goes into the weird Trim world. Which can be confusing.

Thanks for the many informative and thoughtful responses from Brendon, Shrinivas, Wayne, Jim and Charles. By the way, am not a editor newbie, only new to Resolve. Edit with Avid, Premiere and Final Cut.

Starting in the timeline of my edit, how do I put the source of a clip, not the edit timeline, in the edit window?

As you are experienced, you must already know about match framing to put the media pool source clip into the Source Viewer. Resolve works the same as Avid, Premiere & FCP.

Double click on the clip in the timeline to load the timeline instance of the clip into the Source Viewer for editing if you want to modify the clip in the timeline.

Thanks for the tips. Double-clicking in the timeline does nothing interesting for me. I had to click on the SyncBin to get to my master clip. Is that right? Is there a better way?

Timeline manipulation feels slippery. I can make Resolve do what I intend, but often not on the first try. Is it just me still getting the hang of it or is it this tweaky for everyone?

Dragging the time cursor feels backwards in direction from what my brain expects. Like up/down does with the mouse scroll wheel does since Apple reversed directions to match iOS. Just me or everyone?

By the way, I'm a user and maker of editing systems. For example, I designed the 3D mo-cap animation software Mattel uses in making their hit cartoon series Barbie Vlogger: https://play.barbie.com/en-gb/videos/vlogger

[Peter Chamberlain]

Rob, if ur using the sync bin your in the cut page which has, by design, different operation to the edit page which is traditional. Maybe try there.

I can't see if this went answered but:

No.1

I choose to Opt + scroll

no. 4

Option+Y (Select clips forward on all tracks)
Option+CMD+Y (Select clips backward on all tracks)

Thanks for the tips. Here's another navigation oddball. I have created a title. I have it over a clip with sound. I want the title background to be opaque, not super the title over the clip video underneath it in the timeline. Simple white letters over black background. I select my title segment, go the the inspector, set background opacity to 100% instead of 0%. Nothing happens. How do I persuade my title clip to cover and not superimpose?

If you want a title over black, put it over a black clip. (Not so much a timeline navigation issue, though.)

seeing as this post seems to be about resolve 16 im probably too late to the discussion but in the version I'm using 18. in that one you can hold alt and use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out and it will center around where you cursor is on the time line. incase anyone else is looking for this.