About Trim mode

View your footage in real-time as you edit using Trim mode.

Trim Edit mode lets you view the outgoing and incoming frames of the trim you're working on, so it's beneficial when you want to fine-tune an edit. In this mode, some of the Program Monitor controls change to make it easier to focus on trimming. Select the Program panel or the Timeline panel before entering the Trim mode and press Shift + T.

Trim mode interface overview

In Trim Edit mode, the selected clip and In and Out points are displayed in a split-screen view on the Program Monitor. The frame shortly before the In point is shown on the left side of the monitor, while the frame soon after the Out point is shown on the right. Your keyboard's J, K, and L keys can play the clip backward, pause, or forward.

A. Outgoing edit point B. Trim type indicator C. Outshift counter D. Trim backward 5 frames E. Trim backward F. Add default transition G. Trim forward H. Trim forward 5 frames I. Inshift counter J. Incoming edit point

Outgoing edit point An outgoing edit point refers to the point in a clip when the cut or transition will occur. It specifies where the clip will finish and the following will begin.

Trim type Indicator It's a signal shown in the Program Monitor during a trim process. It specifies whether the clip's Outgoing Edit Point or Incoming Edit Point is being cut.

Out shift Shows how many frames the out point for the left side has changed.

Trim backward 5 frames This allows you to shorten the clip by five frames while moving the remainder of the timeline to accommodate the change.

Trim backward This allows you to trim the clip to the left one frame at a time while the remainder of the timeline adjusts to accommodate.

Apply Default Transitions to Selection Applies a default transition effect when you transition between two clips in the timeline.

Trim forward Allows you to trim the clip to the right, adjusting the rest of the timeline to account for the adjustment. 

Trim forward 5 frames It trims the right edge of a clip by a duration of five frames. 

In shift Shows how many frames the In point for the right side has changed.

Incoming edit point An incoming edit point is a point in a clip when the cut or transition will begin. It specifies where the clip starts and where the preceding clip ends.

Playback and review trims

To review the currently applied trims while the edit point selection is still active and in Trim Edit mode, select the Play button or press the Spacebar. The playback loops around the current edit point selection, playing from a specified Pre­rolling time before the first edit point and ending at a specified Postrolling time after the last edit point.

To stop playback, select the Play button or press the Spacebar. The playhead will move to the selected edit point nearest where you stop.

Behavior of Trim tools in Trim mode

Within the Trim Edit mode interface, and when playback is paused, use any trim tool, including the Selection tool, to drag across a clip to trim. If you drag over either clip, a ripple trim is performed. If you drag between the two clips, a rolling trim is performed.

If you drag the Selection tool with the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (macOS) held down on the outgoing clip, a regular trim is performed on that side of the edit. If you drag with the same modifier key held down on the incoming clip, a regular trim is performed on that side of the edit.

The behavior of dragging across clips in trim mode on the edit point is the same as with the trim tools in the Timeline. Dragging to the left trims backward and dragging to the right trims forward.

Exit Trim mode

Select anywhere in the timeline to exit Trim Edit mode or press Shift + T.