Ability to view and set explicit clip duration

Edit Subject

Zoom in on the timeline between 3:00 and 4:00 in the image above, there are about 75 clips on the video track there.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the feedback!

As with most potential features, we like to understand as much as possible about the need for it so we can design something that also solves any deeper problems you're experiencing. With that in mind:

- It seems that you're creating a video out of a bunch of static images accompanied narration. Is that correct? Could you explain your process a bit?
- Are you used to Camtasia Studio (on the PC) and have moved over to the Mac?
- What workarounds to do use right now?

Everyone works a little different according to their experience and needs so it's great when we can understand and fit as many types of workflows as possible.

Many thanks,
Conan.

- It seems that you're creating a video out of a bunch of static images accompanied narration. Is that correct?

No. Approximately 60-75% of my content is video captured as .cmrec files using Camtasia Mac, the remainder is Powerpoint or Keynote slides or animations and occasional flash animations. On the screenshot, the white-background clips between approximately 2:00 and 5:00 are all .cmrec, while the blue-background clips are a mix of keynote static slides and animations. I usually insert Keynote slides as .png files, unless they contain animation, in which case I capture .cmrec files.

- Could you explain your process a bit?

1. Record .cmrec using Camtasia:Mac.
2. Edit ruthlessly to remove every irrelevant frame: bad takes,
mistakes, false starts, unmotivated cursor movements,
spinning beach balls, etc. This creates a multitude of clips.
3. Insert Keynote static slides and animations. There are sometimes
dozens of these.
4. Record voiceover outside Camtasia
5. Insert voiceover onto Camtasia timeline. Editing ruthlessly again,
I end up with a multitude of clips.
6. Deliver video in multiple formats: USB key, YouTube, Screencast.com.

- Are you used to Camtasia Studio (on the PC) and have moved over to the Mac?

Yes. I used Camtasia Studio 3, 5 and 6 then switched to Mac 18 months ago. By the way, thank you for the Mac 2.0 and subsequent upgrades!

- What workarounds to do use right now?
The only method I have is to carefully position the playhead, then drag clip in or out points to the playhead. This works consistently, especially because the playhead snaps to the in and out points of existing clips on the timeline.

The question you didn't ask:
- Describe the new feature you want?

For any clip on the timeline (and hopefully for multiple selected clips), provide IN, OUT and DURATION entry boxes in the Properties pane. Allow me to set each one individually. For example if the default duration is 5;00 and when I inserted a clip the IN point was at 2:00,00, allow me to change IN to 1:59:15 and DURATION to 4;15. OR, let me change the IN point to 1:59:15 and OUT to 2:04,00. Either way, the clip is now 4.5 seconds long, and I didn't have to zoom in and drag the IN and OUT points manually to get to the frame I wanted.

Other question you didn't ask:
- Why is this important?

When you have hundreds of clips on the timeline, you are inevitably doing these tasks over and over:
* Aligning many clips to a common IN or OUT point
* Adjusting IN, OUT and DURATION duration of static images or frame
* Adjusting clips to "standard" timings for that production, such as
"Start audio 1 second after cut transitions" or "Allow 15 frames pause
before starting animations".

All of these tasks can be accomplished by dragging on the timeline or snapping to the playhead. However, that takes much longer than simply entering a numeric value for IN, OUT or DURATION.

In reviewing the screen shot, I noticed that a lot of the clips are titled "FRAME...". This is probably what caused you to say, "It seems that you're creating a video out of a bunch of static images accompanied narration."

In that screen shot, the first three files are .cmrec files, and the rest of the visible files are frames grabbed from those. I use the "Save Frame As..." feature a lot.