Kwideo User Guide

Quick Start

1. Create a project and set the intended resolution, frame rate, and color workflow.
2. Open Media and import from Photos or Files.
3. Select a source, place the playhead, then Append, Insert, or Overwrite.
4. Select a timeline clip and use the contextual Inspector for timing, color, audio, effects, titles, or transitions.
5. Open Export, verify the format and destination, then create and inspect the finished file.

Insert creates space at the playhead. If the playhead is inside a clip, Kwideo creates coherent left and right segments and places the new source between them. Lock any track that must not move.

Workspace

The collapsible Media panel holds source media and import controls. The Viewer provides picture evaluation and transport. The Timeline holds clips, transitions, markers, tools, and compact track controls. The collapsible Inspector shows only controls relevant to the current selection.

On iPad, Media and Inspector collapse independently for portrait, split view, and Stage Manager. On Mac, workspace commands can restore all panes, show editor and Inspector, or focus the editor.

Media

Import and organize

Import from Photos, Files, document providers, or drag and drop on Mac. Use bins, search, media filters, and sort controls to find sources. Kwideo validates actual streams before import and reports rejected items with a recovery action.

Relink and proxies

Relink offline sources to the same media kind. Image sequences require every consecutive frame. Proxy mode on Mac reduces decoding pressure while camera originals remain available for final output.

Timeline Editing

Use Selection, Blade, Ripple, Roll, Slip, and Slide for direct and precision work. Snap aligns to the playhead, markers, clips, and edit points. Magnetic mode keeps downstream material coherent. Clip frames, waveforms, borders, transition positions, and state badges remain visible in the timeline.

Picture Finishing

Transform, crop, composite, retime, stabilize, key, mask, track, and stack effects from contextual controls. Titles and captions use system fonts, including fonts enabled through installed system profiles.

Mac color tools include scopes, LUTs, primary and secondary grading, Rec.709, Display P3, linear Rec.2020, ACEScg processing, and PQ or HLG output metadata. Blackmagic RAW currently uses the vendor Rec.709 display transform. RED R3D is supported on Mac only.

Audio

Use clip gain, fades, pan, automation, dialogue processing, meters, loudness, buses, and stem delivery. Audio Focus exposes sound controls for video clips. Mac supports compatible sandboxed Audio Unit and VST3 plug-ins; iPad uses built-in processing.

Multicam

Create a multicam group, choose synchronization, inspect alignment, and cut live angles with controls or number keys 1 through 4. Refine the resulting angle edits with normal timeline trim tools.

Interchange

Import and export FCPXML 1.10, CMX3600 EDL, and OpenTimelineIO. Include a reference movie and preserve a snapshot before handoff. Render effects or generators that have no equivalent in the destination editor, then reimport the exchange file into a clean project to verify timing and source mapping.

Delivery

Verify codec, container, dimensions, frame rate, color tags, audio layout, captions, and destination. Create a high-quality master before compressed derivatives. Reopen the completed file and check duration, sync, representative motion, first and last frames, color metadata, and loudness.

Frame.io is an optional review destination. Local editing and export require no account or internet connection.

Recovery

Manual saves write the project package. Autosave maintains lightweight recovery state and access bookmarks. Timeline snapshots preserve named versions. Portable packages can embed source media for transfer or archive.

Input Reference

Open the complete in-app shortcut and gesture reference with Command /.