Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 5

There are three ways to adjust or trim two edit points at the same time without changing sequence length. The three methods are rolling, slipping, and sliding. In each method, the length of a sequence is not changed, because you are trimming both edit points simultaneously by equal amounts. Each of these trimming methods uses a tool from the Tool palette.

NOTE

The term edit point can refer to a single clip's In or Out point, but it can also refer to the juncture between adjoining clips.

Rolling

Rolling an edit point trims the Out point of one clip and the In point of the following clip simultaneously. You can roll the edit point left or right. If you roll left, the first clip will be shorter, and the second clip will be longer. The opposite is true when you roll to the right: the first clip becomes longer, and the adjacent clip becomes shorter. Rolling edit points left or right does not change the overall sequence duration because as one edit point changes, its neighbor compensates for the change.

Edit point selected

Rolling edit point left

Rolling edit point right

Slipping

Slipping adjusts both the In and Out points in a single clip at the same time. You can slip the contents of a clip left or right of its edit points. Clip and sequence durations remain the same, but you will be showing a different selection of clip content.

Starting clip content

Content after slipping

Sliding

Sliding adjusts two edit points but involves three contiguous clips. You can shift, or slide, the middle clip into the one on the left, making the first clip shorter; but the In point of the third clip adjusts to compensate, and the third clip becomes longer. The opposite holds true if you slide the middle clip to the right. The middle clip content remains unchanged though its position shifts slightly right or left in the Timeline.

Starting center clip position

Sliding center clip left

Sliding center clip right