Modifying and customizing transitions

You can use the Effect Controls panel to change settings for a transition you placed in a sequence. Transition settings vary for different transition. For more information, see Change transition settings.

In the Effect Controls panel, the adjoining clips and transition are displayed in A-roll/B-roll format.

• To open the transition in the Effects control panel, click the transition in the Timeline panel.
• To preview the transition in the Effect Controls panel, click the Play The Transition button. This doesn’t affect the Program Monitor.
• To view frames from the actual clip or clips in the Effect Controls panel, select the Show Actual Sources checkbox.

Align transitions

A transition does not need to be centered or strictly aligned to the cut. You can drag the transition to reposition it over the cut as desired in the Timeline panel. You can also change the alignment of a transition using the Effect Controls panel.

Align a transition in the Timeline panel

Align a transition using the Effect Controls panel

Move a cut and transition together

You can adjust the location of the cut in the Effect Controls panel. Moving the cut line changes the In and Out points of the clips but does not affect the length of the movie. As you move the cut, the transition moves with it.

Change transition duration

You can edit a transition’s duration in either the Timeline panel or the Effect Controls panel. The default duration for transitions is initially set to 1 second.

Lengthening a transition’s duration requires that one or both clips have enough trimmed frames to accommodate a longer transition. For more information, see Clip handles and transitions.

Change transition duration in the Timeline panel

To change a transition in the Timeline panel, do one of the following:

Change transition duration in the Effect Controls panel

Set the default duration for transitions

If you change the default duration of a transition, the new setting has no effect on existing transitions.

Reposition the center of a transition

Some transitions, such as Iris Round, are positioned around a center. When a transition has a center that can be repositioned, do the following:

Change transition settings

To open the transition in the Effect Controls panel, click the transition in the Timeline panel. In the Effect Controls panel, adjust settings:

• Edge selectors: Change the orientation or direction of the transition. Click an Edge selector arrow on the transition’s thumbnail. For example, the Barn Doors transition can be oriented vertically or horizontally. A transition doesn’t have Edge selectors if it has one orientation or if orientation isn’t applicable.
• Start and End sliders: Set the percentage of the transition that is complete at the start and end of the transition. Hold down the Shift key to move the start and end sliders together.
• Show Actual Sources: Displays the starting and ending frames of the clips.
• Border Width: Adjusts the width of the optional border on the transition. The default Border is None. Some transitions do not have borders.
• Border Color: Specifies the color of the transition’s border. Double-click the color swatch or use the eyedropper to choose the color.
• Reverse: Plays the transition backward. For example, the Clock Wipe transition plays counterclockwise.
• Anti Aliasing Quality: Adjusts the smoothness of the transition’s edges.
• Custom: Changes settings specific to the transition. Most transitions don’t have custom settings.