Edit in 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.

How to enter Trim mode

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Applies a default transition effect when you transition between two clips in the timeline.

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

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

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

Trim mode workflow

You can do regular trims, rolling edits, and ripple edits in Trim mode.

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 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.

J-K-L dynamic trimming

When in Trim mode, you can use combinations of the three shuttle keyboard shortcuts (J-K-L) to play the clips and perform a trim based on the location of the playhead when playback stops. This is called dynamic trimming.

You can dynamically trim footage one frame at a time using J-K-L shortcuts. 

Trimming techniques    

Use the following techniques to refine your trim:

• Use the Trim Forward and Trim Backward buttons to trim one frame at a time. The keyboard shortcuts are as follows:
  
  • Windows: Ctrl + Left to trim backward. Ctrl+Right to trim forward.
  • macOS: Option + Left to trim backward. Option+Right to trim forward.
    
• Use the Trim Forward Many and Trim Backward Many buttons to trim by multiple frames at a time. The keyboard shortcuts are as follows:
  
  • Windows: Ctrl + Shift + Left to trim backward. Ctrl + Shift + Right to trim forward.
  • macOS: Option + Shift + Left to trim backward. Option + Shift + Right to trim forward.
• Use the numeric keypad + or ‐ offset entry to trim by the specified numeric offset.
• Select Sequence > Apply Default Transitions to Selection to add the default audio and video transitions to the edit point.
• Select Edit > Undo or Redo menu commands to change the trims during playback.
  

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.

Trimming and the History panel

Asymmetrical trimming

When a combination of Ripple In and Ripple Out edit points are selected on different tracks, with one edit point selected per track, it's an asymmetrical trim. If more than one edit point is selected per track, all edit points move in the same direction. Asymmetrical trimming can be performed in the Timeline and Trim Edit modes.

The trim duration is the same on all tracks for each asymmetrical trim operation, but the direction of each edit point trims left or right may differ.

• The primary direction of the trim determines the primary edit point. The primary direction is determined by selecting a tool, using a keyboard shortcut, or selecting a button, and it's the same on all tracks for each edit point that matches the primary trim type.
  
• The edit points that don't match the primary edit point type trim in the opposite direction. 
• Specifying the primary direction for asymmetrical trims in the Timeline determines the primary edit point for an asymmetrical trim.

Notice that the direction trailing clips shift in is the same on all tracks, left or right is the same on all tracks, which helps to keep all tracks in sync. This shifting is because the tail of the trimmed clip moves in a different direction for a Ripple In versus a Ripple Out edit point.

For example, if you drag an edit point to the right by 10 frames with the Ripple Edit tool, then 10 frames are added to the other edit points set up as Ripple Out points. Conversely, 10 frames are subtracted from edit points set up as Ripple In points.