Overview
The timeline in the Media Editor provides a clear, linear view of the video asset you are editing. Along with showing the video's duration, it serves as the workspace for adding additional elements such as text, shapes, and assets from the Media Library. Just like the main video track, these elements can be timed to appear and disappear at specific points, giving you precise control over your assets.
In addition, you can use the timeline to trim video clips and combine multiple assets into a single sequence.
By familiarizing yourself with the timeline, you can precisely manage every element added to the video asset, bringing your creative vision to life.
Note:
This article explains how to layer and time elements using the video timeline. For instructions on adding elements to the timeline, see our articles in the Media Editor Tools section.
Opening the Timeline in the Media Editor
To begin editing your video asset or adding elements, open the timeline by clicking Timeline in the lower-right corner of the screen.
Understanding the Timeline Interface
Once the timeline is open, it's helpful to understand the interface so that you can make your edits efficiently.
The timeline includes several key components, each labeled in the image below:
| Element | Description |
| (a) Main track | The video asset added to the media placeholder in the scene. This forms the foundation of the video and is always positioned in the lowest layer. |
| (b) Playhead | A blue vertical line that marks the current location of the video timeline and indicates which frame is displayed in the preview window. Click and drag to scrub through your video asset. |
| (c) Timeline ruler | The timeline ruler shows the time in seconds, helping you position and edit elements accurately. |
| (d) Track area | Space for adding elements such as text, shapes, and media assets. These additional elements are added into tracks that are layered on top of the main track. |
| (e) Options menu | Context-sensitive menu accessed by clicking the three dots on any element, providing editing options such as duplicate, delete, and ordering. |
The Timeline Tracks
Each element you add to your video asset—whether it's another media asset, a text box, or a shape—appears as a separate track in the timeline. These tracks are stacked vertically, with each one representing a different component of your composition. In the example shown, there are five tracks:
- Main track: the foundation layer containing the original video asset that you selected to edit
- Media asset (video clip): additional video content layered on top
- Text box: caption for the video
- Shape (arrow): graphic element for visual emphasis
- Shape (arrow): additional graphic element for visual emphasis
Timeline Track Management
The timeline manages tracks in several ways:
Layering: Tracks are arranged vertically in the timeline, with higher tracks appearing on top of lower tracks in the video. The background video always remains at the bottom in the main track.
Independent Positioning: Each element can be positioned independently in the track, allowing you to control when each element appears and for how long it displays.
Visual Organization: The timeline provides a clear visual representation of the video tracks, making it easy to see how the different elements relate to each other.
| To change when an element starts or ends: | |
| 1. | Click and drag the element bar left or right along the timeline. ▶ Drag left to make the element appear earlier in the video. ▶ Drag right to make the element appear later in the video. |
| 2. | Release the mouse button to set the new position. |
| In the example below, the video clip (track 2) and the two arrows (tracks 4 and 5) appear about six seconds after the main video clip begins playing. Together, these three elements remain visible for roughly four seconds. | |
| To change how long an element appears in the video: | |
| 1. | Hover over either edge of the element until the cursor changes to a resize icon. |
| 2. | Drag the left edge to set when the element starts appearing, and drag the right edge to set when it stops appearing. |
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In the example above, the text box (track 3) is extended to remain visible until the background video ends. |
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