OpenShot User Guide

OpenShot Video Editor is a free, award-winning, open-source video editor, available on Linux, Mac, Chrome OS, and Windows. OpenShot can create stunning videos, films, and animations with an easy-to-use interface and rich set of features.

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Table of Contents:

Introduction
- Features
- Screenshot
- System Requirements
- License
Installation
- Clean Install
- Windows (Installer)
- Windows (Portable)
- Mac
- Linux (AppImage)
- Linux (PPA)
- Chrome OS (Chromebook)
- Previous Versions
- Uninstall
Quick Tutorial
- Basic Terminology
- Video Tutorials
- Step 1 – Import Photos & Music
- Step 2 – Add Photos to Timeline
- Step 3 – Add Music to Timeline
- Step 4 – Preview your Project
- Step 5 – Export your Video
- Conclusion
Video Editing Basics
- Computer
- Accessories
- Practical Tips
- Exporting
- Conclusion
Main Window
- Overview
- Built-in Tutorial
- Tracks & Layers
- Timeline Toolbar
- Common Keyboard Shortcuts
- Menu
- Notifications
- About OpenShot
- Views
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Using the timeline with a keyboard
- Coming from another editor?
- Mouse shortcuts
- Full shortcut reference
Timeline
- Timeline Basics
- Current Timecode
- Common Timeline Tasks
- Selecting Clips and Transitions
- Timeline Toolbar and Zoom
- Tracks, Locking, and Inserting
- Keyframes in the Timeline
- Next Steps
Recording
- Quick Start
- Quick Audio Commentary
- Recording Sources
- Live Feedback and Timeline Placement
- Timeline Preview During Recording
- Microphone Recording
- Screen Recording
- Webcam Recording
- Combining Sources
- Where Recordings Are Saved
- Permissions and Platform Behavior
- Troubleshooting Recording
- After Recording
Files
- Import Files
- Paste from Clipboard
- File Menu
- Preview File
- Optimize
- Split File
- Export Files
- Add to Timeline
- Properties
- Remove from Project
- Project Assets Folder
- Missing Files
Clips
- Trimming & Slicing
- Razor Tool
- Clip controls while zoomed in
- Selections
- Context Menu
- Effects
- Clip Properties
- More Information
Transitions
- Overview
- Direction
- Transparency
- Cutting & Slicing
- Mask
- Custom Transition
- Transition Properties
Effects
- Masks and Effects
- List of Effects
- Effect Properties
- Effect Parent
- Sequencing
- Video Effects
- Audio Effects
Color
- Understanding Color
- Getting Started
- Video Scopes
- Color Correction
- Color Grading
- Putting It All Together — A Complete Workflow
Export
- Simple Mode
- Advanced Mode
- Export Complete
- Social Media Quick Reference
- Hardware-Accelerated Export
Animation
- Overview
- Key Frames
- Auto Keyframes
- Timing
- Repeating
- Bézier Presets
- Ken Burns Effect
- Image Sequences
Text & Titles
- Edit text directly in the preview
- Overview
- Title Templates
- 3D Animated Titles
- Importing Text
- Installing Inkscape
- Installing Blender
Profiles
- Project Profile
- Choose Profile Dialog
- Edit/Duplicate Profile
- Converting Profiles
- Export Profile
- Custom Profile
- Preset List
- Profile List
Import & Export
- EDL (Edit Decision Lists)
- XML (Final Cut Pro format)
Preferences
- General
- Timeline
- Preview
- Optimize
- Autosave
- Cache
- Performance
- Keyboard
- Location
- Advanced
- Reset (Default Values)
Playback
- Real-Time Preview
- Audio Troubleshooting
- Smoother playback with optimized videos
Advanced AI: ComfyUI
- Minimum Recommended Hardware
- Installation and Setup
- What Users See in OpenShot
- Workflow Templates
- AI Action Dialog
- Tracking (Mask, Blur, Highlight)
- Job Queue, Progress, and Cancel
- Built-in JSON Workflows
- Starting Points for New Users
- Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
- Large or Slow Project Files with Audio Waveforms
- Using Logs to Troubleshoot a Problem
- Windows 11 Unresponsive
- Windows Debugging with GDB
- High DPI / 4K Monitors
Command Line Interface
- Getting started
- Finding commands
- Working with scripts and AI agents
- Sessions and outputs
- Opening and saving projects
- Exporting a video
- Editing
- Profiles
- Inspecting media and timelines
- Handling command timeouts
Developers
- The Big Picture
- Getting the Latest Source Code
- Configuring your Development Environment
- libopenshot-audio (Build Instructions)
- libopenshot (Build Instructions)
- Language Bindings
- openshot-qt (Launch Instructions)
- Command-Line Launch Options
- GitHub Issues
- Share your Changes
Contributing
- How to Contribute
- Did you find a bug?
- Software Developers
- Made with Love
Learn More
Glossary
- Definitions