VSDC Video Editor Help  
User Manual  
Version 08.12.24  
Table of contents  
Part I Program Interface  
Main window..................................................................................................................7  
Ribbon Command Bar..................................................................................................9  
Projects Tab............................................................................................................10  
Scenes Tab.............................................................................................................11  
Edit Tab...................................................................................................................11  
View Tab.................................................................................................................13  
Editor Tab ...............................................................................................................14  
Free shape Tab.......................................................................................................15  
Multicam Tab..........................................................................................................16  
Export project Tab..................................................................................................16  
Conversion Tab ......................................................................................................19  
Tools Tab ................................................................................................................20  
Activation Tab.........................................................................................................20  
Projects/Objects explorer ..........................................................................................22  
Template window ........................................................................................................23  
Properties/Resources window ..................................................................................25  
Source window............................................................................................................28  
Basic effects window..................................................................................................31  
Key Editor Window .....................................................................................................32  
Scopes window...........................................................................................................33  
Wave ......................................................................................................................34  
Parade....................................................................................................................38  
RGB........................................................................................................................39  
Vectorscope...........................................................................................................40  
Scene Area...................................................................................................................44  
Timeline Area ...............................................................................................................45  
Playback volume window ......................................................................................50  
Color grading panel ....................................................................................................52  
Lift, Gamma, Gain & Offset color wheels...............................................................53  
Changing color values for dark tones, bright tones & midtones............................53  
Dark tone and bright tone pivot sliders, and B/W threshold..................................55  
Black point & White point.......................................................................................56  
Correcting isolated areas .......................................................................................57  
Various Toolbars..........................................................................................................58  
Objects Tools..........................................................................................................58  
Editing Tools ...........................................................................................................59  
Paper Tools.............................................................................................................59  
Layout Tools ...........................................................................................................60  
Zoom Tools.............................................................................................................60  
Additional windows.....................................................................................................61  
Object position settings..........................................................................................61  
Video editor ............................................................................................................61  
File’s sequence wizard ...........................................................................................64  
Part II Program Functions  
Overview.......................................................................................................................67  
Working with projects.................................................................................................68  
Starting a new project ............................................................................................68  
Saving a project......................................................................................................69  
Working with scenes...................................................................................................70  
Adding video, image and sound ...............................................................................73  
Sprites...........................................................................................................................76  
Sprite creation ........................................................................................................76  
Sprite properties.....................................................................................................77  
Cutting and Splitting ...................................................................................................79  
Cutting unnecessary parts.....................................................................................79  
Splitting video into parts.........................................................................................81  
Cropping video borders..............................................................................................85  
Working with slideshow wizard.................................................................................86  
Applying video effects................................................................................................89  
Applying Video Transitions.........................................................................................92  
Adding a Video Transition Within a File ..................................................................92  
Adding a Video Transition Through an Overlay Zone.............................................93  
List of Available Effects ....................................................................................98  
Echo filter (visual echo effect)..................................................................................103  
Echo filter settings ................................................................................................104  
Applying audio effects..............................................................................................105  
List of available effects.........................................................................................107  
Applying text effects.................................................................................................109  
List of available effects..........................................................................................109  
Adding objects ..........................................................................................................110  
Adding curve line..................................................................................................112  
How to add a curve line to the scene............................................................112  
Curve line settings..........................................................................................114  
How to wrap text around a curve line ...........................................................119  
How to animate curve lines ...........................................................................121  
Adding free shape................................................................................................123  
Adding text...........................................................................................................125  
Adding subtitles....................................................................................................127  
Adding tooltips .....................................................................................................128  
Adding a counter..................................................................................................129  
Adding a chart......................................................................................................130  
Creating an animation ..........................................................................................131  
Adding Audio Visualization ......................................................................................132  
Creating moving objects ..........................................................................................133  
Time remapping ........................................................................................................135  
Understanding keyframesand the Y axis.............................................................136  
Understanding the X axis.....................................................................................137  
Time remapping for a multi-vector movement path ............................................138  
Tracking point animation..........................................................................................140  
Rotating objects........................................................................................................143  
Using blending modes..............................................................................................144  
Using motion tracking...............................................................................................146  
How to correct the movement map if the tracking object has been lost ............147  
Motion tracking map conversion .........................................................................151  
Applying a mask tool ................................................................................................153  
LUT editor...................................................................................................................155  
How to create a new LUT in VSDC .....................................................................155  
Understanding the histogram and the grid - Web tab.........................................156  
Saturation control settings ...................................................................................158  
Hue control settings .............................................................................................159  
Lightness control settings ....................................................................................160  
Quick control point selection ...............................................................................161  
How to export your LUT from VSDC...................................................................164  
Video Segmantation..................................................................................................165  
Adding Segmentation ..........................................................................................165  
Parameters of Segmentation ..............................................................................166  
Starting With Segmentation ................................................................................166  
Adding Segmentation Regions............................................................................167  
Fine-Tuning the Results of Segmentation............................................................168  
Adjusting Segmentation Regions.........................................................................177  
Setting Up Points to Refine Segmentation Regions............................................180  
How to Use Tracking Points for Segmentation ...................................................181  
Keyframes..................................................................................................................184  
Using keyframes for video effects ........................................................................184  
Working with Keyframes ......................................................................................187  
Tools Available for Editing Keyframes...................................................................190  
Using keyframes for color correction ...................................................................191  
Changing the Color of Keyframes........................................................................193  
Controlling Color Transition between Keyframes.................................................194  
Adding Additional Effects and Synchronizing Parameters...................................195  
Multicam ....................................................................................................................200  
How to create a multicam clip .............................................................................200  
Working with the multicam clip ............................................................................202  
Saving videos ............................................................................................................204  
Program settings.......................................................................................................206  
General Options ...................................................................................................206  
Acceleration Options............................................................................................208  
Proxy Options.......................................................................................................210  
Timeline options ...................................................................................................212  
Editor options ......................................................................................................215  
Saving options......................................................................................................217  
Application Directories..........................................................................................218  
View......................................................................................................................219  
Paper Settings......................................................................................................220  
Message options..................................................................................................221  
Player options.......................................................................................................222  
Audio recording option.........................................................................................224  
Keyboard shortcuts..............................................................................................225  
Timeline colors .....................................................................................................231  
Internet Options....................................................................................................232  
Part III VSDC Cloud Service  
VSDC Cloud Service.................................................................................................233  
Purchasing and Account Creation..........................................................................233  
Restoring Access to Your VSDC Cloud Account..................................................235  
User Account Management.....................................................................................235  
Account Editing....................................................................................................235  
User License Information .....................................................................................236  
VSDC Cloud Main Window......................................................................................237  
1. Apps Tab..........................................................................................................237  
2. Support Tab.....................................................................................................237  
3. Files Tab...........................................................................................................238  
4. Projects Tab....................................................................................................244  
Main window  
The Main Window of the VSDC Video Editor comprises various elements, such as  
areas, buttons and toolbars, which help perform various editing operations and can be  
customized according to your needs. The following picture shows you the default program  
interface.  
Application Button offers you a drop down menu containing the essential options of the  
program.  
Quick Access Toolbar allows you to quickly access frequently used options of the  
program. You can easily add additional buttons to this toolbar. Right click any button on the  
Ribbon Command Bar and select the “Add to Quick Access Toolbar” option.  
Ribbon Command Bar is a bar located at the top of the VSDC Video Editor. It includes  
the following tabs: Projects, Scenes, Edit, View, Editor, Export project, Tools, Activation.  
Each tab contains appropriate command buttons organized in button groups. You can  
hide the command buttons, so that only tabs will be shown, clicking the “Minimize the  
Ribbon” arrow at the right upper corner of the main window.  
The Panes Manager option, situated in the upper right corner, is a convenient tool for  
organizing your workspace within the editor. It allows you to select from eight presets  
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tailored to optimize window arrangement, or alternatively, to save the current window  
layout as a new template.  
Available presets:  
• Classic: The standard default configuration.  
• Compact: Designed for those working on low-resolution PCs.  
• Color: Focused on details and color correction.  
• Parameters: Configured to display panels containing object and effects  
parameters such as the Properties window, Key editor, and Objects explorer.  
• Timeline: Ideal for working with a large number of files.  
• Libraries: Customized for managing and working with a substantial volume of files.  
• Adobe Premiere: Tailored for users transitioning from Adobe software.  
• DaVinci Resolve: Adapted for users migrating from DaVinci Resolve.  
If you want to customize your workspace, select Configuration from the menu to choose  
the settings you prefer and apply hotkey combinations.  
Projects/Objects explorer gets you access to all the opened projects and scenes within  
each project or added objects of each scene. If you don’t use this area while editing, you  
can close or hide it.  
Template window contains a library that allows for easy navigation among existing effects  
and saving new custom templates.  
Scene Area allows you to preview your video while editing and to change the objects’ size  
and position.  
Timeline Area helps you manage your video, image and audio data, as well as added  
effects and objects. You can change the timeline scale to achieve the necessary precision  
using the “Increase/Decrease” buttons or moving the corresponding slider.  
Color Grading is a panel located in the timeline area. It contains all the basic color grading  
controls, allowing you to perform a full cycle of color grading in one place.  
Objects Tools situated at the left side of the Scene area contains useful buttons helping  
you add media files and objects. You can locate this toolbar at the top of the Scene area  
or any other place of the main window as an independent bar.  
Editing Tools, Paper Tools, Layout Tools and Zoom Tools at the top of the Scene  
area comprise various buttons intended to make various editing operations. You can close  
them or change the location of each toolbar.  
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Properties/Resources window situated at the right of the Scene area shows all the  
available properties of the selected media file or added object, as well as all resources  
structured by their type. If you don’t use this area while editing, you can close or hide it.  
Scopes window displays the analysis of the RGB channel components for the currently  
viewed image or video. There are 3 analysis modes to choose from: RGB, Parade and  
Wave. We talk about them in detail in “Scopes window”.  
Key Editor window enables to configure effect and object parameters based on  
keyframes.  
Status Bar is an information area located at the bottom of the main window. It shows you  
the cursor position value, the beginning and the end of the selected area and it repeats the  
commands of the Zoom tools toolbar.  
You can customize the size of such areas as Projects/Objects explorer, Template  
window, Scene area, Timeline area, Color Grading panel, Properties/Resources/  
Scopes window, Key Editor window so that they are more comfortable for using. To do  
that, place the mouse cursor at a gray boundary of the area, it turns to a double arrow with  
vertical strokes, hold the left mouse button and move the boundary to increase/decrease  
the area’s size.  
Ribbon Command Bar  
Ribbon command bar of VSDC Video Editor comprises the following tabs and buttons:  
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Projects Tab  
Button group Button  
Icon Description  
Project’s  
New project  
Use it to start a new project, set main parameters  
managing  
and add new media content.  
Open project  
Use it to open a previously saved project and edit  
it.  
Open from cloud  
Use it to open your project in the editor directly  
from the VSDC Cloud Service.  
Edit templates  
Close project  
Close all projects  
Save project  
Use it to open user’s template and edit it.  
Use it to close the currently opened project and  
go back to the overview page.  
Use it to close all opened projects and go back to  
the overview page.  
Use it to save the currently edited project.  
Save to cloud  
Use it to save your current project to the VSDC  
Cloud Service.  
Save as  
project…  
Use it to save the currently edited project under a  
different name.  
Save as to  
cloud...  
Use it to save your project to the VSDC Cloud  
Service with a new name.  
Pack project  
Use it to save the currently edited project with  
input resources for work on another computer.  
Preview project  
Export project  
Use it to open the preview window and see the  
result of your editing operations.  
Use it to open the Export project tab and select  
an appropriate video format to save your project.  
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Scenes Tab  
Button  
Button  
Icon Description  
group  
Scene’s  
managing  
New scene  
Use it to add a new scene to your current project.  
Load scene  
Use it to open a previously saved scene from your  
computer.  
Save as  
scene…  
Use it to save the current scene in the computer's  
hard disc or in other storage devices.  
Remove  
scene  
Use it to delete the currently edited scene.  
Remove all  
scenes  
Use it to delete all the scenes you are working at in  
the project.  
Move up  
Use them to change the scene order in the current  
project.  
Move down  
Preview  
scene  
Use it to open the preview window and see the result  
of your editing operations on the selected scene.  
Pack scene  
Use it to save the current scene with input resources  
for work on multiple devices.  
Edit Tab  
Button group Button  
Icon Description  
Editing tools  
Cut  
Use it to remove the selected object from the scene  
with a view to paste it to another scene.  
Copy  
Paste  
Use it to copy the selected object with a view to paste  
it to another place of the scene.  
Use to paste the object you have previously cut or  
copied.  
Delete  
Use it to remove the selected object from the scene.  
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Select all  
Undo  
Use it to select all the available objects on the scene.  
Use it to reverse the last command, such as cutting,  
pasting or deletion, etc. If this button is not available, it  
means there is no action to undo.  
Redo  
Use it to repeat your latest undone command.  
Layout tools  
Alignment  
mode  
Use it to align selected objects according to each  
other or by the parent object’s position.  
Left align  
Right align  
Top align  
Use it to locate the selected object on the left side of  
the screen.  
Use it to locate the selected object on the right side of  
the screen.  
Use it to locate the selected object on the top of the  
screen.  
Bottom  
align  
Use it to locate the selected object on the bottom of  
the screen.  
Horizontal  
align  
Use it to locate the selected object at the horizontal  
center of the screen.  
center  
Vertical  
align  
Use it to locate the selected object at the vertical  
center of the screen.  
center  
Same  
width  
Use it to increase the width of the selected object by  
the scene screen  
Same  
height  
Use it to increase the height of the selected object by  
the scene screen  
Make  
same size  
Use it to increase/decrease the selected object so  
that it occupies the same size as the scene screen.  
Make  
same  
size and  
position  
Up  
Use it to increase/decrease the selected object so  
that it occupies the same size and the same position  
as the scene screen  
Use it to move the selected object up.  
Use it to move the selected object down.  
Down  
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To front  
Use it to move the seated object to font.  
Use it to move the seated object to bottom.  
To bottom  
Group  
objects  
Use it to group several objects selected on the  
screen.  
Ungroup  
objects  
Use it to ungroup several objects selected on the  
screen.  
View Tab  
Button group Button  
Icon Description  
Windows  
forms  
Projects  
explorer  
Use it to show/hide the Project explorer area on the  
left of the main window.  
Objects  
explorer  
Use it to show/hide the Objects explorer area on the  
left of the main window.  
Properties  
window  
Use it to show/hide the Properties window on the  
right of the main window.  
Resources  
window  
Use it to show/hide the Resources window on the  
right of the main window.  
Timeline  
window  
Basic  
Use it to show/hide the Timeline window at the  
bottom of the main window.  
Use it to show/hide the Basic effects window on the  
right of the main window.  
effects  
Color  
Grading  
Use it to show/hide the Color Grading panel at the  
bottom of the main window.  
Scopes  
window  
Use it to show/hide the Scopes window at the  
bottom right corner.  
Template  
window  
Use it to show/hide the Template window on the left  
of the main window.  
Template  
preview  
Use it to show/hide the Template preview window  
hext to the Template window.  
Source  
window  
Use it to show/hide the Source window on the left  
side of the scene area.  
Scene toolbars Objects  
tools  
Use it to show/hide the Objects tools toolbar in the  
left of the scene area.  
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Editing  
tools  
Use it to show/hide the Editing tools toolbar at the  
top of the scene area.  
Paper tools  
Use it to show/hide the Paper tools toolbar at the  
top of the scene area.  
Layout  
tools  
Use it to show/hide the Layout tools toolbar at the  
top of the scene area.  
Zoom tools  
Use it to show/hide the Zoom tools toolbar at the  
top of the scene area.  
Timeline  
toolbars  
Zoom tools  
Use it to show/hide the Zoom settings toolbar above  
the timeline  
Playback  
tools  
Use it to show/hide the Zoom settings toolbar above  
the timeline.  
Cursor  
tools  
Use it to show/hide the Cursor tools toolbar above  
the timeline  
Blocks  
tools  
Use it to show/hide the Blocks tools toolbar above  
the timeline  
Editor Tab  
Button  
group  
Editing  
Button  
Icon Description  
Run  
Use it to open the File’s sequence wizard window that  
Wizard…  
helps load images and create slideshows.  
Add  
object  
Use it to add a new object to the scene, such as a text, a  
rectangle, an audio file, etc.  
Video  
effects  
Use it to select and apply a video effect to your video or  
image file.  
Audio  
Use it to select and apply an audio effect to your audio file.  
effects  
Text  
Use it to select and apply a text effect to your text file.  
effects  
Tools  
Cutting  
and  
splitting  
Cut out  
fragment  
Use it to open an additional Video editor window that  
helps delete unnecessary scenes from your video or split it  
into parts.  
Use it to cut out the selected fragment of your video  
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Split into  
parts  
Use it to split the video file into two fragments by the  
current cursor position.  
Crop  
borders  
Use it to crop border of your video file. You can use the  
Auto cropping option or specify custom parameters.  
Rotate 90  
degrees  
Use it to rotate your video file to 90 degrees clockwise.  
Rotate  
-90  
Use it to rotate your video file to 90 degrees  
counterclockwise.  
degrees  
More  
tools  
Use it to change the Opacity setting of your video, to  
Convert to sprite or to Take a snapshot.  
Choosing  
style  
This group button changes according to the selected  
object on the scene. It helps apply various styles to the  
selected object.  
Free shape Tab  
Button  
group  
Button  
Icon Description  
Free shape Insert point  
settings  
Use it to add more points to the existing  
shape.  
Show rect  
Use this to show or hide the boundaries of a  
free shape.  
Show paths  
Use it to show the path between points.  
Clip the borders  
Use it to clip the shape in accordance with the  
original rectangle borders.  
Number of points (for  
curve approximation)  
Use it to make the shape smoother.  
Shape point Path’s start point  
settings  
Use it to indicate the selected point as the  
start point.  
Shape’s start point  
Shape orientation  
Closed free shape  
Use it to start a new shape from the current  
point.  
Use it to cut out the inverted area of multiple  
shapes.  
Use it to connect the first and last points and  
close the shape.  
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Path type  
Use it to change shape’s path type.  
Number of points  
(from previous path)  
Use it to make shape’s curve in accordance  
with the previous points.  
Number of points  
(from next path)  
Use it to make shape’s curve in accordance  
with the next points.  
Multicam Tab  
Button  
Button  
Icon Description  
group  
Multicam  
manager  
Split audio and video  
Split video  
Use it to split video and audio content when  
switching between camera angles.  
Use it to split only the video content when  
switching between camera angles.  
Use it to split only the audio content when  
switching between camera angles.  
Use it to switch between camera angles to set  
its content accordingly on the timeline.  
Use it to show/hide the audio waveform  
and adjust its visible duration in the Source  
window.  
Split audio  
Set angle …  
Settings  
Export project Tab  
Button  
group  
Select  
media  
device  
Button  
PC  
Icon  
Description  
Use it to create a video file for playing on your  
personal computer.  
Web  
Use it to create a video file for uploading and  
playing on various Internet resources.  
iPhone/  
iPod  
Use it to create a video file for playing on your  
Apple devices such as iPhone, iPod, iPad, and  
iTunes.  
Android  
Use it to create a video file for playing on Android  
devices.  
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DVD  
Use it to create a video file for playing on your DVD  
player.  
Mobile  
PS  
Use it to create a video file for playing on your  
mobile devices.  
Use it to create a video file for playing on your Play  
Station.  
Xbox  
To AVI  
Use it to create a video file for playing on your Xbox  
360.  
Select  
output video  
format  
Use it to convert your video file to AVI format  
supported by PC, DVD, Xbox, BlackBerry, Archos,  
iRiver, Creative Zen, Windows Mobile PPC and  
Portable Media players.  
To MPG  
Use it to convert your video file to MPG format  
supported by PC, DVD players, Windows Mobile  
PPC and Portable Media players.  
To MOV  
To WMV  
Use it to convert your video file to MOV format  
supported by PC and Portable Media players.  
Use it to convert your video file to WMV format  
supported by PC, Xbox, Zune, Archos, iRiver,  
Creative Zen, Windows Mobile PPC and Portable  
Media players.  
To MKV  
To MXF  
To RM  
Use it to convert your video file to MKV format.  
Use it to convert your video file to MXF format.  
Use it to convert your video file to RM format  
supported by PC, Mobile devices.  
To SWF  
To FLV  
Use it to convert your video file to SWF format  
supported by PC, on Web resources.  
Use it to convert your video file to FLV format  
supported by PC, on Web resources.  
To DVD  
To VCD  
Use it to convert your video file to DVD format  
supported by DVD players, Play Station, Xbox.  
Use it to convert your video file to VCD format  
supported by DVD players.  
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To M4V  
To MP4  
Use it to convert your video file to M4V format  
supported by Apple devices.  
Use it to convert your video file to MP4 format  
supported on Web resources, by Mobile devices,  
Xbox, BlackBerry, Zune, MP4 players.  
To WebM  
To GIF  
Use it to convert your video file to WebM format  
supported on Web resources.  
Use it to convert your video file to GIF format  
supported on Web resources.  
To APNG  
To 3GP  
To 3G2  
Use it to convert your video file to APNG format  
supported on Web resources.  
Use it to convert your video file to 3GP format  
supported by Mobile devices and BlackBerry.  
Use it to convert your video file to 3G2 format  
supported by Mobile devices.  
To PSP  
Use it to convert your video file to the PSP format  
supported by Sony PSP handheld and Play Station  
For  
YouTube  
Use it to convert your video file to the format  
acceptable by this video-sharing website.  
For  
Instagram  
Use it to convert your video file to the format  
suitable for uploading to the popular network.  
For  
Facebook  
Use it to convert your video file to the format  
acceptable by this social networking service.  
For Twitter  
For Vimeo  
Set  
Use it to convert your video file to the format  
acceptable by this social networking service.  
Use it to convert your video file to the format  
acceptable by this video sharing platform.  
Video  
Use it to open an additional Video editor window  
that helps delete unnecessary scenes from your  
video or split it into parts.  
conversion markers  
Export  
project  
Use it to start the conversion process so that  
your project will be exported to the selected video  
format.  
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Conversion Tab  
This tab allows you to control the conversion process. You can check the Shut down  
PC when done box if you don’t want to wait till the end or even stop the conversion if  
necessary.  
Page 19  
Tools Tab  
Button group  
Applications  
Button  
Video  
Icon Description  
Use it to launch an additional application that  
stabilization  
helps turn shaky or jittery footage into a more  
stable video.  
Video  
converter  
Use it to launch an additional application that  
helps convert video files to various formats.  
Video  
capture  
Use it to launch an additional application that  
helps capture video from a camera connected to  
your PC.  
Screen  
capture  
Use it to launch an additional application that  
helps capture video directly from a screen of your  
computer.  
Voice  
recorder  
Use it to launch an additional application that  
helps capture audio directly from external  
devices.  
Disc burner  
Use it to launch an additional application that  
helps burn DVD and CD discs.  
YouTube  
uploader  
Use it to launch an additional application that  
helps upload your videos directly to this video-  
sharing website.  
Activation Tab  
This is the last tab on the Ribbon command bar, it allows you to get the license key,  
activate the program to use additional features of the Pro version. It provides you the link  
to the official site of the program’s developers, it helps you get a technical support and  
check for updates.  
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Button group  
Information  
Button  
Receive  
License  
Icon Description  
Use it to go to 2checkout.com and buy the Pro  
version of the program.  
Activate  
Use it to activate the program by entering the License  
Key.  
About  
Use it to read a License Agreement for this program.  
Please note that if you already use a Pro version of VSDC Video Editor, these buttons are  
disabled.  
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Projects/Objects explorer  
The Projects/Objects explorer area is located on the left side of the main window. It  
contains two tabs: Projects explorer and Objects explorer. You can switch between tabs by  
a simple click on one of them.  
The Projects explorer shows all currently opened projects and scenes they contain.  
To go to a scene you need to edit, click its name with a left mouse button. Use the right  
mouse button to see the context menu with all the available options.  
The Objects explorer shows the objects used within a selected scene. To select an  
object, click it with a left mouse button. Use the right mouse button to see the context  
menu with all the available options. To find an object or its location, enter the object name  
in the search bar at the top.  
You can hide this area so that it occupies less space of the main window clicking the Auto  
Hide icon or you can even close it if you don’t use it while working on your project. To  
enable this area, go to the View tab and click the corresponding buttons.  
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Template window  
The Template window is located in the project/object explorer area. Before the first  
use, it is required to synchronize the templates with the server using the same titled  
option in the bottom left corner. After synchronization, you will see a list of all templates  
stored on the VSDC cloud. Whenever an effect requires an update, it will be marked with  
a small blue dot in the template window, and you will be able to update it separately.  
To apply one of the available templates, double click the media file you want to change  
and drag an effect from the Template window to the scene or the timeline. By default,  
the editor uses standard effects from the video effects menu or modified templates with  
default settings.  
The structure of the templates list shown can be sorted manually, and each effect can  
be customized in the properties window and then saved in the library as a custom  
template. To change one of the available templates, right-click it and select one of the  
13 additional features:  
• Add a template  
• Add a child template  
• Add folder  
• Add child folder  
• Move inside  
• Move outside  
• Remove items  
• Expand all child templates  
• Collapse all child templates  
• Synchronize templates  
• Preview template  
• Template settings…  
• About the template…  
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Note that in the Templates window, you can save a template along with the video you  
used, or save a sprite with a group of effects.  
For more convenient navigation among the templates, there is a search field at the top  
of the window. As soon as you type in the name of the template, you’ll instantly have the  
effect you’re looking for pop up in the search.  
When searching for a template, you can utilize the ‘Filter effects by name and type’ option  
located in the lower-left corner. This allows you to display either objects with the same name  
or objects with the same name along with their corresponding presets.  
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Properties/Resources window  
The Properties/Resources window area is located on the right side of the main window.  
It contains two tabs: Properties window and Resources window. You can switch between  
tabs by a simple click on one of them.  
The Properties window displays the parameters of the selected object (video/audio  
file, image, text, graphical object, video/audio effect, etc.) and allows for adjusting them.  
To adjust a parameter, click with a left mouse button and enter an appropriate value or  
select the necessary option from the drop down menu.  
Notice: you can edit multiple files or effects simultaneously. Just select the files on the  
timeline and go to the Properties window to identify and adjust common parameters,  
such as file duration, audio settings, or cropping. Common parameters are highlighted  
in white; parameters that are individual for each object are highlighted in green and  
can’t be edited.  
Page 25  
 
The properties window also allows for adjusting the parameters of multiple files or  
effects at the same time. Just select necessary objects on the timeline. Parameters  
that can be changed will be highlighted in green. Please note: the options for  
modification are limited and vary depending on the selected files.  
The Resources window displays media resources used in the currently opened  
project. They are divided in four main categories: Animation, Images, Sounds, and  
Videos. You can add more media files or delete unnecessary ones clicking the right  
mouse button and selecting the corresponding option from the context menu. You  
can also easily find a file by using the search bar at the top or find sources in Timeline  
window, Object explorer, Preview in sources or Show in folder with a right-click.  
In the Video category, the Resources window plays a distinct role by allowing you to  
create proxy copies of video files. These proxy copies can greatly reduce or eliminate lag  
during preview playback. To generate a proxy copy, simply right-click on the desired file  
and select Generate Proxy Media from the options.  
If the corresponding button below the preview window (located in the Timeline  
area) is enabled, the proxy file will be immediately displayed in the preview.  
Additionally, you’ll also find the Relink Proxy Media option, which allows you to specify  
the path to the required file on your computer. This is particularly useful if you have already  
generated a proxy copy of the file in another project and need to link it to the current  
project.  
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At the bottom of the Resource window, there are file management tools:  
• Add media  
• Export media  
• Show resource settings  
• Delete selected resources  
• View/hide thumbnails  
Keep in mind: the Resources window is essentially a customizable table. You can change  
the type of displayed information, its order, include or exclude particular columns, and so  
on.  
You can hide this area so that it occupies less space of the main window clicking the Auto  
Hide icon above or you can even close it if you don’t use it while working on your project.  
To enable this area, go to the View tab and click the corresponding buttons.  
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Source window  
The Source window is a useful tool located to the right of the Projects/Objects  
Explorer and Templates window. It serves multiple purposes, including working  
with multicam files, viewing project objects from the Resources window, and  
previewing effects from the Templates window.  
For detailed instructions on using the Source window with the “Multicam” on  
page 200.  
This section will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to use the Source  
window for viewing project resources and previewing effect templates.  
To open the Source window, follow these steps:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
Go to the View tab on the application toolbar.  
Locate the Sources icon.  
Click on the dropdown menu below this icon.  
Select View/Hide Window from the available options.  
Once the Source window is open, you will find the Source or Multicam menu in  
the lower-left corner. Here we will focus on the Source menu.  
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Viewing Project Resources:  
1.  
2.  
Navigate to the Resources window to view all the files added to your  
project.  
Browse through the files in the Resources window looking for the  
desired file to add onto the timeline.  
3.  
4.  
Select a file, and it will appear in the Source window for preview.  
Use the Play button in the Source window to play the selected media  
file.  
5.  
Once you have found the desired file, you can drag and drop it from the  
Resources window onto the timeline for further editing.  
This feature is particularly useful when dealing with projects that contain a large  
number of files, allowing you to easily locate and preview specific media files before  
adding them to the timeline.  
Previewing Effect Templates:  
If you are working with the Templates window and want to preview how different  
effects would look on the file before applying them, follow these steps:  
1.  
Click on any of the effect templates shown in the Templates window.  
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2.  
3.  
The selected effect template will start playing in the Source window,  
giving you a visual representation of its impact.  
Once you have found the desired effect, click on the object to which  
you want to apply it on the timeline, and drag this effect onto the  
Scene. This will apply the effect to the selected object, and you can  
locate it by double-clicking on the object. If you want to apply it to  
multiple objects, select all the objects and drag the effect onto the  
scene.  
This functionality enables you to assess and compare different effect options  
without directly applying them to the final file.  
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Basic effects window  
The Basic Effects Window, located on the right side of the interface, allows you to  
control the settings for transition effects and color correction tools.  
Here, you can adjust various parameters, such as the type of transition, its duration,  
perform color correction, including brightness, contrast, gamma, temperature,  
saturation, and more to achieve the desired visual effect.  
The adjustment of these parameters is intuitively managed through a slider  
mechanism. Should you wish to revert any parameter to its initial state (0), a convenient  
reset function is readily available.  
In the middle part of the window, you can set the rotate angle or apply Flip to the  
object. Rotation can be performed right on the scene.  
Note that in the Basic Effects window, you can change parameters for multiple media files  
simultaneously. Just highlight the required images or videos on the timeline to adjust the  
settings.  
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Key Editor Window  
The Key Editor is a panel located in the bottom right corner of the program, beneath  
the Properties Window and Basic Effects. It enables precise adjustment of any  
effect or transition applied to a media file using keyframes.  
By default, the Key Editor window is not  
displayed in the interface. To access it, you  
need to select the option marked with a “…”  
sign when adjusting parameters of any effect  
in the Properties Window.  
The primary function of the Key Editor is to facilitate fine-tuning of effects through  
keyframes. This means you can control how an effect changes over time by adding  
and adjusting keyframes for various effect parameters. As a result, each effect  
parameter can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of a scene or project.  
Page 32  
Scopes window  
The Scopes window in VSDC Video Editor is a powerful tool that allows you to  
analyze the pixel values of a frame using histograms. Histograms are visual graphs  
that display the pixel values of a frame, enabling the analysis of brightness, contrast  
levels, and color balance of an image. They provide objective information about the  
characteristics and deficiencies of the image, helping to determine if color correction is  
required.  
In VSDC Video Editor, you can access histograms in the Scopes window,  
typically located in the bottom right corner of the software. If you don’t see the  
window, navigate to the View tab in the upper part of the program and activate the  
corresponding option.  
At the upper left corner of the Scopes window, you’ll find a dropdown menu that  
allows you to select the object to be analyzed: the selected media file or the overall  
scene. To fix your selection, click on the selection field with the left mouse button, then  
with the right mouse button to confirm.  
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In the upper right corner, there’s another dropdown menu offering four Scopes  
modes: Wave, Parade, RGB, and Vectorscope. Each mode provides information  
on the brightness and saturation of the pixels in the frame, with slight differences in  
representation and details.  
Let’s explore each mode in more detail.  
Wave  
By default, the Scopes window displays the Wave mode, which allows you to analyze the  
brightness and color values of the scene or selected object. When you place the cursor on  
a frame in the timeline, you can observe the characteristics of that frame represented as  
pixels in a wave form on the graph. It’s important to note that each column on the graph  
corresponds to a column of pixels in the object.  
The horizontal axis (X-axis) on the graph represents the distribution of color tones of  
the object from left to right. This means that the left side of the object corresponds to the  
left side of the graph, and the right side of the object corresponds to the right side of the  
graph.  
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The vertical axis (Y-axis) of the graph represents the brightness of color, ranging from 0%  
for black tones (shadows) to 100% for white tones (highlights).  
Let’s review several specific examples of using this mode:  
•
Uneven brightness: If the graph shows a significant imbalance in the heights  
between the left and right sides, it may indicate an uneven distribution of  
brightness. In such cases, you can use the corresponding tools in the  
Basic Effects window above the Scopes to adjust the brightness or contrast  
levels and achieve a more balanced distribution.  
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•
High or low contrast: If the graph shows a narrow and high waveform, it  
may indicate a high contrast in the object, where bright and dark  
areas strongly contrast each other. In this situation, you may need to decrease  
the contrast or adjust it to achieve the desired level.  
•
Lack of details in shadows or highlights: If the graph shows clipped  
peaks, it may indicate a loss of details in the shadows or highlights of the  
image. In this case, you can adjust the brightness and contrast to restore the  
details and create a more balanced image.  
Page 36  
By default, the waveform displays RGB values (Red, Green, Blue) for each pixel. If you  
need to not only evaluate the brightness and contrast levels but also determine which color  
components predominate in each area, you can activate the RGB mode:  
However, if you want to solely focus on the levels of brightness without being distracted  
by the color components of the object, you can switch to the Luma mode. This mode  
will display the histogram in black-and-white, showing only the relevant brightness  
characteristics.  
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Parade  
The Parade mode is useful when you want to determine the predominant color (red,  
green, or blue) in the scene or object. In this mode, the color channels are displayed closely  
together without crossing. The horizontal axis (X-axis) represents the selected frame in  
pixels, with three miniature graphs for red, green, and blue colors respectively, maintaining  
their orientation. The vertical axis (Y-axis) represents the brightness of the color from dark  
to light.  
By analyzing the graphs of each color channel, you can determine their respective  
predominance. If one color channel’s graph has a higher peak or if the waveform is  
positioned higher on the graph, it indicates that there are more pixels of that color in the  
scene or object.  
The Parade mode provides a detailed examination of color distribution. If you need to  
correct a specific color channel, we recommend using the RGB curves tool available in  
the Color Grading panel. Additionally, you can focus on a specific color by disabling the  
display of other channels using the corresponding buttons above the graph. This allows  
you to isolate and make adjustments to individual color channels as needed.  
Page 38  
RGB  
In RGB mode, the graph displays curves for the three color channels: Red, Green, and  
Blue. Unlike other modes that are linked to pixel columns of the frame, RGB mode provides  
tonal information about the object as a whole.  
Each color curve is represented by a separate line, showing the distribution of brightness  
values in a color channel. The horizontal axis represents different levels of brightness, while  
the vertical axis displays the quantity of pixels at each level.  
Analyzing the RGB curves, you can evaluate the overall brightness and tone of the object.  
The height and shape of the curves provide information about the predominant color  
channels and the distribution of brightness among them. Here are a few examples to  
consider:  
• If the curve of one color channel is higher than the others, it indicates that the  
object contains more brightness in that particular color.  
• If the values on the graph in one or several color channels extend beyond the limits of  
the graph from the right or left side, it suggests a loss of color hues. This means that  
the corresponding color components are missing or insufficient.  
• If the graph is shifted to the left, it indicates an underexposed image, where  
the brightness and details in the dark areas are not prominent enough.  
Page 39  
• If the graph is shifted to the right, it indicates an overexposed image, where  
the brightness and details in the light areas are lost.  
By analyzing the RGB curves, you can gain valuable insights into the overall  
tonal distribution and make adjustments to achieve the desired color balance  
and exposure in your video.  
Vectorscope  
Vectorscope is a powerful tool for visualizing and analyzing the color components of  
an object. It presents the hues and saturation levels of colors in a selected frame using a  
circular diagram divided into segments. Each segment represents a specific color, such as  
yellow, red, magenta, blue, and others, indicated by corresponding square brackets.  
Page 40  
Each color segment on the vectorscope has a radius, representing the distance from  
the center of the diagram to the edge. The length of the radius indicates the saturation  
or intensity of the color value. A longer radius indicates higher saturation, while a shorter  
radius indicates lower saturation. For example, if the color value extends beyond the radius  
of the diagram, it means that the frame is oversaturated.  
Above the vectorscope, you will find four options with additional functions:  
•
Vectorscope modes: The first icon from the left allows you to select from  
three available display modes. The classic mode displays a vectorscope  
graph as a traditional circle diagram with indicators, providing a general  
idea of color distribution in a frame. The vector mode splits the  
diagram into sectors of different colors, allowing for a more  
Page 41  
detailed examination of color distribution and specific hues. The Hide  
graticule/vectors mode shows only the color values of the object on the  
vectorscope, hiding the sectors, circle, and indicators. This mode is useful  
when you want to focus solely on the color of the object.  
•
Color borders: The second icon controls the display of color borders  
represented as square boxes. There are six of these boxes, and they indicate  
excessive saturation of the object.  
•
Color mode: The third icon allows you to toggle the display of color in  
the graph. When activated, the diagram displays the color palette, illustrating  
the distribution of hues. When deactivated, the graph displays black, gray, and  
white hues.  
Page 42  
•
Skin tone radius line: The last icon activates a line indicating optimal color  
values for more precise skin tone adjustment. When analyzing a frame with  
a person in it, you can observe how the pixels on the graph align with this line.  
If the pixels match the line, it indicates that the color values in the frame  
correspond to the optimal skin tone color. If the pixels deviate significantly from  
the line, color correction may be needed to align them.  
Once you have selected the mode, you can analyze how the colors and saturation levels  
are distributed on the vectorscope. If you notice any unevenness or issues on the graph,  
you can use the corresponding color correction effects or tools from the Lift, Gamma &  
Gain tools in VSDC. These tools allow you to adjust color values, saturation, and other  
parameters to achieve the desired result.  
Page 43  
Scene Area  
The Scene area is located in the center of the main window. It allows you to visually  
control all the editing operations you perform. It displays one particular moment of your  
video, the moment where the cursor is located at the Timeline.  
Dashed lines and several black squares surround a selected object on the Scene area.  
That means that you can move this object, change its size or adjust other parameters.  
Click the right mouse button to use the available options in the context menu of the  
selected object.  
You can also select multiple objects at once. To do it, hold down the Ctrl button on your  
keyboard and click necessary objects on the Scene area.  
Page 44  
Timeline Area  
The Timeline area located under the Scene area is the main editing tool of the program.  
It represents a time scale with several lines designed for the media files you load to your  
project, graphical objects you add and various effects you apply. It also has many useful  
buttons and options helping you achieve the best result.  
At the top of the Timeline area, you can see the following toolbar:  
Button group  
Button  
Icon  
Description  
Timeline Zoom Increase  
Use it to increase the timeline scale.  
Tools  
scale  
Decrease  
scale  
100%  
Use it to decrease the timeline scale.  
Use it to set 100% timeline scale.  
scale  
Timeline  
scale  
Use it to find the appropriate scale using a  
slider.  
Scale by  
work area  
Use it to zoom in a particular moment of the  
video. First, select a work area moving grey  
rectangles under the time scale, and then  
click this button.  
Playback tools Show  
proxy files  
Use it to show proxy or montage files.  
Preview  
video with  
chosen  
quality  
Use it to play the video and preview the result  
of your work in a separate window.  
Play/  
pause  
Use it to preview the adjustments directly on  
the scene.  
scene  
Play work  
area only  
Use it to preview only the selected area on  
the timeline.  
Return  
cursor to  
begin  
Use it to move the cursor to the very  
beginning automatically after the preview  
pauses.  
Loop  
Use it to loop the video playback.  
playing  
Page 45  
Mute/  
Use it to mute the video playback.  
unmute  
sound  
Volume  
Use it to adjust the volume of the preview.  
Timeline  
Management  
Tools  
Show  
time/  
frame  
Use it to switch between time scale and  
frame scale views.  
Move to  
begin  
Use it to move the cursor to the very  
beginning.  
Move to  
previous  
second  
Move to  
previous  
frame  
Use it to move the cursor to the previous  
second of the video.  
Use it to move the cursor to the previous  
frame of the video.  
Create  
marker  
Use it to add a comment marker and indicate  
important points on the timeline, or select the  
segmentation marker type if you want split  
your video into parts before export.  
Use it to move the cursor to the next frame of  
the video.  
Move  
to next  
frame  
Move  
Use it to move the cursor to the next second  
of the video.  
to next  
second  
Move to  
end  
Use it to move the cursor to the end of the  
video.  
Set work  
area  
Use it to set the work area so that it fits the  
selected object.  
Start work  
area  
Use it to set the beginning of the work area  
by the cursor position.  
Move  
work area  
Use it to move the work area so that it starts  
at the cursor position.  
Align  
work area  
Use it to move the work area so that it ends  
at the cursor position.  
Timeline Blocks Cut out  
Use it to cut out the selected fragment of your  
video.  
Management  
fragment  
Page 46  
Split into  
parts  
Move  
Use it to split the video file into two fragments  
by the current cursor position.  
Use it to move blocks (several selected  
objects) so that they start at the cursor  
position.  
blocks  
Align  
blocks  
Use it to move blocks (several selected  
objects) so that they end at the cursor  
position.  
Set  
blocks  
order  
Use it to put blocks (several selected objects)  
so that the second starts at the end of the  
first one.  
Set order  
with offset  
End work  
area  
Use it to put blocks (several selected objects)  
so that they follow one by one with offset.  
Use it to set the end of the work area by the  
cursor position.  
To disable any of these buttons click a small arrow next to each section, select the  
appropriate button group and uncheck unnecessary buttons. You can enable them or  
Reset Toolbar any time later.  
Under the toolbar described above, you can see the main working space of the Timeline  
area.  
There are several tabs allowing you easily navigation between added objects. The tab has  
the same name as the selected object. Open the tab to apply additional effects to this  
particular element only. The Timeline area offers some useful instruments:  
Page 47  
Name  
Cursor  
position  
Icon Description  
This bar is an information area, that shows you the cursor position  
value. You can also use it to move the cursor to a particular  
position. Just double click there and enter a new value.  
Use it to show/hide the object on the Scene area. Then the icon is  
enabled, the object is visually presented on the screen. If there is no  
icon next to the object, you cannot see it on the screen.  
Use it to make the object unmovable and unelectable on the  
Scene area. Then the icon is enabled, it is impossible to move or  
select the object on the screen. You can select in on the Timeline  
area or via the Objects explorer. If there is no icon next to the  
object, the object is unlocked.  
Show/hide  
object  
Lock/Unlock  
object  
Composition  
mode  
Use it to select one of the available modes of blending layers to  
achieve an extraordinary effect.  
Show/hide  
waveform  
Show menu  
Use it to show/hide the audio waveform of the video file added to  
the Timeline.  
Use it to show the context menu of the object and use one of the  
available options.  
Layers  
Cursor  
This column is designed to show you the type of the object added  
to the Timeline.  
This red vertical line indicates the moment shown on the Scene  
area. You can move the cursor with the mouse or using the  
appropriate buttons on the toolbar.  
Work area  
This area helps you work with more accuracy on a particular  
part of the video. To select this area, place the mouse cursor on  
grey rectangles under the time scale and move them to achieve  
necessary positions at the beginning and at the end of the desired  
fragment. After that, you will be able to zoom in this fragment  
clicking the Scale by work area button or apply video effects to  
the selected part only.  
Page 48  
Each object you add while editing occupies its individual line on the Timeline area and  
represents a colored block. You can easily change the duration and the position of the  
block with a mouse.  
To change the duration, place the mouse cursor on the block’s boundary, it becomes a  
bidirectional arrow, and move it to the left or to the right.  
To change the position, place the mouse cursor in the center of the block, it becomes a  
hand shape, and move the block to the left or to the right.  
Multiple objects can be placed in different layers and in one layer as well.  
Page 49  
Playback volume window  
On the right side of the timeline window, you will find an intuitive visual representation of the  
audio volume during preview, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of your audio.  
The volume control tool displays the current volume level in decibels for each individual  
audio channel, presented in columns. The number of columns corresponds to the  
channels defined in your project, ensuring a comprehensive overview.  
Using a gradient color scheme ranging from green to red, the window visually represents  
the averaged volume levels (RMS - Root Mean Square). The closer the color leans towards  
red, the louder the audio. Additionally, each column features a line indicating the peak  
volume value for the corresponding channel. The line changes from yellow to red the  
higher the volume is. This allows for simultaneous monitoring of both the average and peak  
volume levels.  
It is important to note that the peak volume should not exceed the maximum 0 dB mark to  
prevent volume distortion, which can lead to audio artifacts such as sound clipping.  
This feature empowers you to easily identify volume changes, enabling you to determine  
whether adjustments, such as reducing the volume or adding additional effects, are  
necessary to achieve optimal audio quality in your projects.  
Hint: RMS (Root Mean Square) is a value used to measure the signal level in audio signals.  
The RMS value represents the root mean square of the signal’s amplitude and is employed  
to determine the sound volume level.  
Unlike a simple average value, RMS takes into account both positive and negative signal  
values, as well as its peak values, making it a more accurate indicator of the signal level.  
Page 50  
The RMS value is commonly utilized in audio engineering to ascertain the sound volume  
level and establish a signal level that does not exceed a specific threshold to avoid sound  
distortion.  
Additionally, on the left side of this window, there is an arrow that is used to show or hide  
this panel.  
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Color grading panel  
The Color grading panel houses all the essential color correction tools and helps you  
perform a full cycle of color grading in one place, without having to switch between different  
effect layers and tabs.  
The Color grading panel consists of 2 vertical menus with the following controls:  
1. Basic color effects: Temp, Tint, Contrast, Brightness, Gamma, Saturation, Hue  
2. Lift, Gamma, Gain & Offset color wheels  
3. RGB curves and sliders  
4. HSL curves and sliders  
5. YUV curves and sliders  
6. Color twist settings (RGB color channel components)  
7. Optimized version of the LUT editor  
Keep in mind: when you’re working in the Color grading panel, the adjustments you make  
are applied to entire scene, for its entire duration. If you need to perform color correction for  
a selected object or make a temporary color changing effect, use the corresponding effect  
from the Adjustments group of the Video effects menu.  
In the following section, we’ll review Lift, Gamma & Gain color wheels designed for primary  
color correction. If you’d like to learn more about color correction effects available in VSDC,  
explore the instructions on our site:  
https://www.videosoftdev.com/how-to-use-free-video-editor  
Page 52  
Lift, Gamma, Gain & Offset color wheels  
Lift, Gama, Gain is a set of color wheels for primary color correction. Unlike secondary  
color correction tools, such as LUT editor, which allows for working with isolated colors,  
primary color correction helps you change the entire color tone composition of the video.  
To access the Lift, Gamma & Gain color wheels, open the Color grading panel in the  
bottom left corner:  
Each wheel controls a range of tones. Lift primarily adjusts dark tones; Gamma primarily  
adjusts midtones; Gain primarily adjusts bright tones, and Offset adjusts the entire image.  
Changing color values for dark tones, bright tones &  
midtones  
To correct colors for a selected range of tones, use the control point in the center of the  
wheel and drag it to the desired color range to change the temperature or aesthetics of the  
video.  
Notice: when you make changes in the Lift color wheel, the lightest areas remain almost  
unchanged, while the dark areas change depending on where on the color spectrum  
you’re moving the control.  
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As you’re moving the control point of the selected wheel, the RGB color values under that  
wheel are automatically changing, too. If you want, you can type the values manually or use  
the Up and Down arrow keys on your keyboard.  
Below, there is a comparison of the blue color component increase for dark tones (Lift),  
midtones (Gamma), bright tones (gain), and the entire range of tones (Offset):  
Page 54  
Although it’s the same color component, the results vary significantly because the changes  
apply to different ranges of tones. The bright tones are barely affected when you’re working  
with Lift; dark tones are barely affected when you’re working with Gain, and both bright  
and dark tones are barely affected when you’re working with Gamma.  
The little red tumbler in the bottom left corner of the panel is called Maintain luma level. It  
keeps the overall level of brightness, regardless of the changes you make. We recommend  
keeping this mode on because it makes color adjustments more gradual.  
Dark tone and bright tone pivot sliders, and B/W  
threshold  
In addition to color values, you can change the brightness and contrast values in the video  
using the following sliders:  
• Dark tone pivot at the Lift wheel  
• Bright tone pivot at the Gain wheel  
• Black & white (B/W) threshold pivot sliders around the Offset wheel  
When you toggle the dark tone slider, all the dark tones below the selected value become  
darker. When you toggle the bright tone slider, it dims all the color tones and reduces the  
number of bright tones in the video, until the image becomes black.  
The black & white threshold sliders decrease the level of contrast and saturation in the  
video. The slider on the left dims dark tones until the image becomes white, while the slider  
on the right decreases the contrast until the image becomes black.  
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Black point & White point  
The next important part of the primary color correction toolset is the Black point and  
White point. These controls help you quickly fix overexposed or underexposed videos.  
For example, if you have an overexposed video that looks too bright, select Black point  
from the panel and click on the area that’s supposed to be black. The program will apply  
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black color to the selected area and recalculate the rest of the tones accordingly. Similarly,  
if your video is too dark, select White point and click on the area that’s supposed to be  
white to rearrange all values.  
Correcting isolated areas  
If you need to perform color correction on an isolated area in the video or image, you can  
use the eyedropper tool in the bottom right corner of the Color ranges menu.  
Click on the eyedropper icon and select the area you’d like to work on. Then tick the Show  
corrected area box at the bottom to only display the area you’ve selected.  
If the original selection was incorrect, use the additional eyedropper tools to expand or  
contract tone selection.  
Notice that by default, the eyedropper selects a range of tones, not an exact color (the long  
white extensions on the Hue graph visualize the range around the main color). If you want  
to do the opposite and select a specific color with no range, press and hold the Ctrl key  
while using the eyedropper. In that case, the Hue graph will have no white extensions.  
You can increase, decrease, or shift the selected range of colors by manually typing the  
desired values or using the handles.  
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Various Toolbars  
There are several toolbars allowing you quick use of all the available options. By default,  
they are located at the top or at the left side of the Scene area. To change their location,  
place the mouse cursor over the dotted line at the beginning of a toolbar, it turns to a four-  
side arrow, and move the toolbar to another place of the main window.  
Objects Tools  
The buttons on this toolbar repeat the options of the Add object dropdown list on the  
Editor tab.  
Button  
Selection  
Icon Description  
This option is enabled by default allowing you to select and replace  
objects on the Scene area.  
Sprite  
Use it to add a Sprite object to your project.  
Duplicate  
Use it to create a duplicate of an object.  
Line  
Curve line  
Rectangle  
Use it to draw a line or a curve line on your video or image.  
Use it to draw a rectangle on your video or image.  
Ellipse  
Text  
Use it to draw an ellipse on your video or image.  
Use it to write a text message or add a counter to your video or  
image.  
Counter  
Subtitles  
Use it to add counter to your video or image.  
Use it to add subtitles to your video or image.  
Tooltip  
Use it to add a tooltip to your video or image.  
Chart  
Use it to add a chart to your project.  
Animation  
Use it to create an animation within your project.  
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Image  
Use it to add an image file to your project.  
Audio  
Use it to add an audio file to your project.  
Use it to add a video file to your project.  
Use it to add a free shape to your project.  
Use it to add audio abstraction to your project.  
Use it to create a movement effect of an object.  
Video  
Free shape  
Audio  
visualization  
Movement  
Editing Tools  
This toolbar repeats the Editing tools button group on the Edit tab.  
To get further information about the toolbar, please refer to the appropriate section.  
Paper Tools  
This toolbar has the options allowing you to perform your editing operations with more  
precision.  
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Button  
Show grid  
Icon Description  
Use it to draw a grid over the Scene area.  
Snap to grid  
Use it to snap the selected object to the grid.  
Use it to draw a margin around the Scene area.  
Use it to snap the selected object to the margin.  
Show margin  
Snap to margin  
Show object’s alignment  
Snap to objects  
Settings  
Use it to show the alignment with respect to other  
objects.  
Use it to move the selected object to another  
object.  
Use it to change additional settings of this tool  
such as grid and margin size, grid position and  
appearance.  
Layout Tools  
This toolbar repeats the Layout tools button group on the Edit tab. To get further  
information about the toolbar, please refer to the appropriate section.  
Zoom Tools  
This toolbar helps you set the appropriate size of the Scene area. You can zoom  
it to screen, select a necessary value in percent from the drop down list or using a  
corresponding slider.  
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Additional windows  
To simplify the work with VSDC Video Editor some editing operations are realized through  
additional pop-up windows.  
Object position settings  
This window appears each time you try to add a new object to the scene. Here you can  
select the position of the object on the Timeline area checking the appropriate box and  
clicking the Ok button.  
It pops up immediately when you add a sprite, a duplicate, a graphical or a text object.  
When you add video, image or audio data, you should first find the media file on your  
computer HDD or your storage device and then set its position in time.  
Once the object is added, you will be able to change its duration and position manually on  
the Timeline or adjusting its parameters in the Properties window.  
Video editor  
An additional Video editor window appears every time you click Cutting and Splitting  
button or select this option from the drop down menu. It is designed to help you cut out  
unnecessary parts of your video or split it into several separate segments.  
The window can be divided into three main areas:  
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• Timeline Area – an area where you can select parts to delete or set markers to split  
the video by them.  
• Preview Area – a video player that displays a video file while editing.  
• Markers and Cut Areas tabs – an area where you manage the markers set on the  
video and the segments you want to delete.  
To perform the main editing operations within this window, use the buttons above the  
Timeline area.  
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Button  
Add  
Icon Description  
Use it to set a marker on the Timeline. First, move the cursor (dark-  
marker  
blue dashed line) to find an appropriate moment in your video, and  
then click this button. The moment will be marked by a red flag and its  
position will appear at the Markers tab. You can change the marker  
position moving the red flag on the Timeline.  
Delete  
marker  
Use it to delete a selected marker. First, select an unnecessary marker  
at the Markers tab and then click this button.  
Cut region  
Use it to cut a segment from your video. First, select an area to cut  
out moving the cursor on the Timeline (red dashed lines will mark the  
boundaries of the selected area) and then click this button. You will see  
a red triangle at the place of the deleted area on the Timeline and its  
position will appear at the Cut Areas tab.  
Restore  
region  
Use it to restore the segment you have cut. First, select it at the Cut  
Areas tab and then click this button.  
Start  
selection  
Use it to mark the beginning of the area you plan to delete. First, place  
the cursor at the moment when this area starts and then click this  
button.  
End  
selection  
Use it to mark the end of the area you plan to delete. First, place the  
cursor at the moment when this area ends and then click this button.  
Export  
Image…  
Use it to take a snapshot from your video. Click it to define the path to  
the output image file and its format.  
Please note that once the parameters are set you can use the Create  
the screenshot button under the Preview area.  
Export  
Audio…  
Use it to export audio data from your video file. Click it to define the  
path to the output audio file, its format and other parameters.  
Once the work within this window is finished, click the Apply changes… button at the  
bottom right corner to save changes you made and close the window. If you don’t need to  
save changes, simply close the window clicking the Close button at the upper right corner.  
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File’s sequence wizard  
To open this window click the Run wizard button on the Editor tab or select the Run  
sprite wizard option from the Add object drop down list on the same Editor tab. It helps  
easily load a series of pictures at once, create a slideshow, change sequence of files and  
insert transitions between them.  
The window can be divided into four main areas:  
List of Transitions - a full list of available transitions classed by categories.  
Transitions Examples – various transition effects of the selected type.  
Preview Area - a video player that displays the selected effect or video.  
Storyboard Area – an area that shows the sequence of files and transitions between  
them.  
In the middle of the window, there is a toolbar with basic commands.  
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Button  
Add files  
Icon Description  
Use it to add new files to the Storyboard area.  
Add effect  
Use it to add a random transition effect. Click a small arrow next to the  
button and select either insert only one transition between two files or  
many transitions between all the files at the Storyboard.  
Please note if this button is disabled, click a small rectangle between  
two files where you plan to insert a transition effect.  
Remove  
Select all  
Use it to remove a selected object (a file or a transition) from a  
Storyboard area. Click a small arrow next to the button and select to  
delete either all the files or all the transitions.  
Use it to select multiple objects at the Storyboard area. Click a small  
arrow next to the button and choose to select either all the files or all  
the transitions.  
To begin  
Use it to move a selected file to the beginning of the sequence.  
To forward  
Use it to move a selected file forward.  
To  
Use it to move a selected file backward.  
backward  
To end  
Use it to move a selected file to the end of the sequence.  
Apply  
duration  
Use it to apply the duration value that can be changed in the  
Duration field. You can change the duration of any selected object (a  
file or a transition).  
Crop  
Use it to crop borders of selected video or image file.  
borders  
Cutting and  
splitting  
Quick  
Use it to open an additional Video editor window that helps delete  
unnecessary scenes from your video or split it into parts.  
Use it to apply various styles to the selected file.  
styles  
Properties  
Use it to open an additional window where you can see and change  
properties of the selected file.  
Rotate 90  
degrees  
Use it to rotate your video file to 90 degrees clockwise.  
Rotate -90  
degrees  
Use it to rotate your video file to 90 degrees counterclockwise.  
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To disable any of these buttons click a small arrow next to each section, select the  
appropriate button group and uncheck unnecessary buttons. You can enable them or  
Reset Toolbar any time later.  
Once the work within this window is finished, click the Apply settings button at the  
bottom right corner to save changes you made and close the window. If you don’t need  
to save changes, use the Cancel button or simply close the window clicking the Close  
button at the upper right corner.  
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Overview  
VSDC Video Editor is a fully featured video editing program for creating professional  
looking videos. Using this program, you will be able to:  
• Load a wide variety of video file formats and codecs, including DVD, HD and GoPro  
videos.  
• Capture video from a digital video camera, webcam or directly from a computer  
screen.  
• Create videos for various multimedia and mobile devices.  
• Export resulting files to popular social media resources such as Facebook,  
YouTube, Instagram etc.  
• Overlay text, audio or pictures on your video.  
• Apply various video effects, color correction and object transformation.  
• Use the video stabilization tool for shaky footage.  
• Add a customizable chart for a business presentation.  
• Change the look of your video with Blending modes and Mask tool and many other  
operations.  
• Add audio visualization.  
• Create your own templates.  
• Process 360°/3D footage and many other operations.  
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Working with projects  
Starting a new project  
The work with VSDC Video Editor starts from creating a new project. Launch the  
program and click the New project button on the Project tab. The Project’s settings  
window will appear.  
Here you can write your own Title of the project, add its Author, Publisher, Copyright  
and Description. You can also define the Resolution of the video and set such  
parameters as Framerate, Width and Height, Frequency and Channels for audio,  
select an appropriate Background color and Opacity level for your project.  
Choose templates… – use it to load ready-made background templates available from  
VSDC Store.  
Please note that you can change these parameters even after the project’s creation. They  
are all available in the Properties window of the program.  
After that, select one of the option below:  
• Blank project – use it to open an empty project, so that you will be able to load  
media data any time later.  
• Create slideshow – use it to load a series of image or video files, insert various  
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transitions between them and create your own slideshow easily.  
• Import content – use it to load some video or audio data from your computer  
hard disk drive or any storage device.  
• Video capture – use it to launch an additional application that helps capture video  
from a camera connected to your PC.  
• Screen capture – use it to launch an additional application that helps capture  
video directly from a screen of your computer.  
Once all the parameters are set, click the Finish button.  
Saving a project  
Projects are very useful in case you don’t have a possibility to create, edit and save your  
movie at once. If this is your case, you will need to save the project and continue your  
editing next time.  
To save your project, use the Save project or Save as project buttons on the Projects  
tab. By default, the project files are stored following User/My Documents/FlashIntegro/  
VideoEditor, you can change this path if necessary.  
The project file represents a data file with a .vproj extension containing the information on  
the editing operations you performed loaded video and audio clips, effects and transitions  
added to your movie.  
When you launch the program for the next time, you will see a list of previously saved  
projects and you will be able to open any of them to continue working on it.  
If you intend to work on your project on different machines, use the Pack project  
button. It will save a project file with input resources. The scene can be packed as well for  
transferring and working on another device.  
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Working with scenes  
The scene is a part of the project. There can be as many scenes as needed within one  
project. Open the Scenes tab of the Ribbon command bar to add a new scene, delete  
an unnecessary one or change the scenes’ order. You can edit each scene individually  
switching between them in the Projects explorer.  
Let’s see how it works. Here is a project (Project 3) with three separate scenes. The first  
scene (Scene 0) contains a video file modified by various effects.  
The second scene (Scene 1) consists of a series of pictures.  
The third one (Scene 2) represents a loaded video file without any changes yet.  
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You can change the title of the scene, add its description, enable/disable it and change  
some other setting within the Properties window. To see the available settings, click the  
scene title in the Projects explorer with a left mouse button or use the right mouse button  
and select the Properties option from the menu.  
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When the work on all the scenes is over, you can save them as a whole movie. Open the  
Export projects tab, select an appropriate video format, change its settings if necessary  
and click the Export project button. The enabled scenes will be saved in one video file  
according to the order they had in the project.  
There is a following sequence of scenes in our project:  
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Adding video, image and sound  
When you need to add some media content to the scene, you can do the following:  
1. Use the Add image, Add sound and Add video buttons on the Editing Tools  
toolbar.  
2. Click the Add object button on the Editor tab and select an appropriate option  
(Image, Sound or Video) from the drop down list.  
After that, find a necessary file on your computer or other storage device and click the  
Open button.  
Please note that if you load some content from a removable storage device, do not  
disconnect it until the end of the Export project process.  
Define the position of the loaded file on the scene in the Object position settings  
window, click Ok and this file will appear on the Scene area. Objects can be inserted to  
a layer, added to a new layer above other objects and add to a layer above the selected  
object.  
Each file has a few common and several individual settings that you can change within a  
Properties window of the program.  
The Common settings are the following:  
• Type – indicates the type of the object. It is impossible to change this parameter.  
• Object name – indicates the name of the loaded file. You can change it clicking the  
Object name line and entering your own title.  
• Composition mode – indicates the default composition mode. You can change it  
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clicking the Composition mode line and selecting an appropriate mode from the drop  
down list.  
• Coordinates – indicate the position of the object on the Scene area. You can  
change the Left, Top, Width and Height parameters to set an appropriate object  
position.  
• Object creation time – indicates the time (in milliseconds and in frames) before the  
appearance of the object on the Scene area. By default, the Creation time has a  
zero value it means that the object appears immediately without any delay. You can also  
lock the creation time to the beginning of the parent object (the Scene area is a parent  
object by default).  
• Object drawing time – indicates the time (in milliseconds and in frames) during which  
the object appears on the Scene area. You can also lock the drawing time to the end  
of the parent object (the Scene area is a parent object by default).  
Please note that when you decrease a video object duration, it becomes shorter and lasts  
only a specified period. When you increase the duration, the video becomes longer, the  
program show the last frame at the end of the video.  
The individual settings depend on the type of the selected object. Below you can see the  
examples of the Properties window for different file type:  
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Sprites  
A sprite is a powerful tool that allows you to merge several media objects into one and  
apply effects to the entire group. By adding text, images, shapes, or videos to a sprite,  
you can create complex animations and effects that can enhance the visual impact of your  
video.  
Sprite creation  
There are two ways to create a sprite. The first method is to use the Add Object menu  
located above the scene area or the vertical toolbar menu on the left side of the scene.  
Click on the Sprite button to add it to the timeline, where you can then drag and drop  
media files into it.  
Alternatively, you can use the second method by selecting the media files you want to  
include in the sprite on the timeline using the mouse. Then, right-click on those files and  
select Convert to sprite. This will merge the selected files into a single object, allowing  
you to make adjustments to the entire group. Sprites can be converted Within objects  
resolution or Within the scene resolution.  
After successfully creating a sprite, it will appear on the timeline, indicating that it is now a  
part of your project. Regardless of the method used to create the sprite - whether it was  
done through the first or second method - the next step is to double-click on the sprite.  
This action will enable you to add new objects to it, adjust existing ones, or make any  
necessary modifications.  
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When you add or remove files from a sprite, the duration of the sprite remains the same.  
As a result, it’s crucial to pay attention to the marker on the timeline to ensure that you are  
aware of the current duration of the sprite. Failure to do so may result in unwanted issues  
such as black frames appearing in your project or the files you added to the sprite not  
being displayed correctly.  
Sprite properties  
To access the settings menu, double-click on the sprite layer and head over to the  
Properties window. There are two groups of settings available: Common settings and  
Sprite object settings.  
The Common settings allow you to rename the object on the timeline, set the precise  
time when the sprite will appear on the screen, and determine the duration that it will  
remain in the video. Additionally, you can use this group of settings to adjust the positioning  
coordinates of the sprite on the screen for ensuring that it is in the right place at the right  
time.  
The sprite object settings offer options to adjust the appearance and behavior of your  
sprite. These include applying effects to all files contained within the sprite, and using the  
echo filter to add motion trails to your videos.  
A sprite is essentially a container that facilitates the movement of objects along the timeline.  
However, any video effects or motions added to a sprite will not be visible in the project by  
default. To apply an effect to all objects within a sprite, you need to modify its parameters  
by changing Use as container to No and Show effect to Yes.  
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Use as container determines how the sprite is used: Yes signifies simple object grouping,  
while No groups objects and applies effects simultaneously.  
The Show effects option is only available during edit mode and allows you to toggle  
effects on and off while editing a sprite. It is only active when Use as container is active as  
well.  
You can adjust the background color using the Brush option. By default it is Solid, so you  
can fill the background area of the Sprite with a particular color. If you don’t need a solid  
color, select Transparent.  
Unless transparency is needed within the sprite, it is recommended to select the Solid  
option as it significantly improves video processing speed.The Color parameter specifies  
the background color.  
Another setting available is the Apply echo filter option, which essentially simulates the  
long exposure effect or creates an artificial impression of fast-moving objects.  
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Cutting and Splitting  
The program offers several convenient ways to cut and split the video.  
Cutting unnecessary parts  
Method 1. It allows you to delete a part of the file directly on the Timeline area. First, set  
the Work area that corresponds to the unwanted fragment moving grey rectangles. Put  
the mouse cursor on the right rectangle and, once the cursor becomes a bidirectional  
arrow, move it to the right holding the left mouse button down. When the end of the  
fragment is achieved, release the mouse button. Do the same with the left rectangle to  
mark the beginning of the fragment to be deleted. For this purpose, you can also use the  
corresponding buttons on the Timeline toolbar.  
Once the Work area is set, open the Editor tab and click the Cut out fragment button  
on the Tools section or above the timeline.  
Please make sure that the video file from which you plan to delete a fragment is highlighted  
on the Timeline. It’s also possible to cut out parts of several videos at once. Just click  
them with a left mouse button to select one video or multiple on the timeline.  
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If you expand the cutting menu, you will see 4 options available:  
• Cut out fragment - this option cuts out the selected area and splits the file into  
parts. If you need to recover the deleted frames, press the Shift key, grab the edge  
of the footage layer on the timeline, and drag it outwards.  
• Cut out content - this option cuts out the selected area without splitting the file. To  
recover the removed part, simply double-click on the marker that will appear after  
the cut-out.  
• Trim start/end – these options cut the beginning or end of the video without  
changing the file placement on the timeline or removing blank space. To restore the  
deleted frames, press the Shift key and drag the edge of the footage outwards.  
Method 2. It offers you more possibilities because it is done within an additional Video  
editor window. To open this window:  
• Right click the video file on the Timeline and select the Cutting and splitting  
option of the menu.  
• Click the video on the Timeline and select the Cutting and splitting option within a  
Properties window.  
• Open the Editor tab and click the Cutting and splitting button on the Tools  
section.  
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To select a fragment in the opened window, put the dark-blue cursor to the beginning of  
the fragment you want to delete. When the mouse cursor becomes a bidirectional arrow,  
hold the left mouse button down to stretch the area of deleting. Once the end of the  
unnecessary fragment is achieved, release the mouse button. You can always adjust the  
boundaries of this fragment moving the red lines to the left or to the right.  
Click the Cut region button to delete the selected fragment. The same way you can  
delete all unnecessary segments of the video.  
You have a possibility to restore the deleted fragment clicking the Restore region button  
or using the Remove Area of Deleting button on the Cut Areas tab next to the preview  
window. All the editing operations will take effect only after hitting the Apply changes  
button.  
Splitting video into parts  
Method 1. It allows you to split your video in the simplest way. Select the file you want to  
split by a single mouse click on the Timeline. Place the cursor to the point where the first  
fragment should end and the second should begin. Then click the Split into parts razor-  
like looking button on the Tools section of the Editor tab or above the timeline.  
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After that, you will get two video fragments placed in one layer on the Timeline. You can  
also split multiple files at once. To do this, select all required video and audio files on the  
timeline. If you need to recover the deleted frames, press the Shift key and drag the edge  
of the footage outwards.  
Method 2. If you need to get several parts of your video at once, open the additional Video  
editor window:  
• Right click the video file on the Timeline and select the Cutting and splitting  
option in the menu.  
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• Click the video on the Timeline and select the Cutting and splitting option within a  
Properties window.  
• Open the Editor tab and click the Cutting and splitting button on the Tools  
section.  
In the opened window, you can set markers to divide the file into the required number of  
parts. Put the dark-blue cursor at the moment where your file should be split and click the  
Add marker button. A red flag will mark this moment and its position in time will appear on  
the Markers tab next to the preview window. You can change the marker position moving  
the red flag on the Timeline.  
The same way put as many markers as necessary. To delete a marker, use the Delete  
button on the Markers tab. After hitting the Apply changes button, you will see a pop-up  
window allowing you set some more settings.  
Split file using the set of markers – use this option to split your file according to the  
markers you have just put.  
• Place separate parts of the file into a sprite – use this option to place each part  
into a sprite and be able to apply effects and changes to this particular part only.  
• Remove the source object – use this option to delete the source file from the  
Timeline and continue working with separate parts.  
• Set the duration of the source object in the scene equal to the content  
duration – use this option if you don’t want to delete the source object.  
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Check the necessary boxes and click the OK button. After that you will return to the Main  
window of the program and will see separate parts of your file placed on the Timeline  
according to the selected parameters. For example, if you leave the default parameters,  
you will see the following.  
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Cropping video borders  
VSDC will help you crop video borders precisely, get rid of the black bars surrounding your  
video or accidentally recorded objects.  
1. Select the Crop borders option from Tools section.  
2. You will be offered to crop Custom region of a video or use the Auto-  
cropping feature. The latter means the video size will be automatically adjusted  
to the size of the scene.  
3. Highlight a chosen region for cropping and click OK.  
You can crop each video border precisely by manually changing their positions in  
Properties window.  
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Working with slideshow wizard  
If you plan to create a slideshow, open the File’s sequence wizard selecting the Create  
slideshow option when you start a new project or clicking the Run Wizard button on the  
Editor tab when you work on a current project.  
In order to add a file you can simply drag and drop files to this area or use the Add files  
button on the Storyboard toolbar to select necessary files for your slideshow.  
Once the files are loaded, you can change their order, increase their duration or delete  
unnecessary ones using the appropriate buttons on the Storyboard toolbar.  
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If you use some video files in your slideshow, you can remove borders, cut out fragments  
or split the video into parts (for example, to make a transition effect between separate  
scenes of the video). To do it, select the file to edit on the Storyboard and use the  
corresponding buttons on the toolbar to perform the necessary operations.  
In order to add a transition effect, drag the selected effect from the Transitions examples  
area and drop it between the files to which it will be applied. The square with a green arrow  
between two pictures means that you’ve successfully added a transition.  
Use the Preview area to see the result of your editing operations and inserted transitions.  
If you don’t like the result, you can replace the transition by another one or delete it. Click  
the square between two pictures and use the Remove button on the toolbar or the  
Delete button on your keyboard.  
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After you have set the sequence of files and added the transition effects, click the Apply  
settings button. This window will close and a new sprite, which consists of all the files and  
inserted transitions, will be added to the scene.  
If you want to apply some changes to an existing sprite, click Edit sprite/slideshow.  
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Applying video effects  
It is quite simple to apply one or multiple video effects to a video or image file loaded to the  
program.  
1. Open the scene with the file you want to correct or modify and click it on the  
Timeline.  
2. Open the Editor tab and click the Video effects button to select a necessary effect  
within the appropriate category from the drop down list. As an example, we select  
Gaussian blur effect in the Filters category.  
After that, you will be able to set the effect position respectively to the media file in the  
Object position settings window. You can leave the default settings clicking the Ok  
button and change them any time later.  
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The selected effect will appear on the Timeline area as an object. It represents a colored  
block that occupies a single line and is located on a separate tab on the Timeline.  
3. Each effect has a few common and several individual settings that you can change  
within a Properties window.  
The Gaussian blur effect has the following individual settings: Transparency, Extend the  
boundaries, Blur level.  
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4. Change the effect position and duration if you need that it affects only a particular  
moment in your movie. To change the duration, place the mouse cursor on the  
block’s boundary, it becomes a bidirectional arrow, and move it to the left or to the  
right.  
To change the position, place the mouse cursor in the center of the block, it becomes a  
hand shape, and move the block to the left or to the right.  
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Applying Video Transitions  
Applying video transitions in VSDC can be done in two ways. The first method involves  
applying transitions directly within the file, similar to working with video effects, and is  
performed on a separate tab on the timeline. The second method entails working on the  
main timeline tab and creating overlay zones between files.  
Let’s delve into each method in more detail.  
Adding a Video Transition Within a File  
1. Start by adding all the necessary video files to the timeline and select the first  
one. Go to the Video effects section above the scene, choose Transitions or  
Transparency, and click on the desired transition, for example, Fade out. These  
options are also available via the context menu that appears when you right-click on  
the file.  
2. A dialog box will appear with parameter settings where you can specify the start time  
of the transition effect and its duration. You can either adjust these to your preference  
or accept the default values before clicking OK to confirm.  
3. Subsequently, the program automatically opens a new tab on the timeline displaying  
the transition object. Here, you can edit its position and duration by moving and  
stretching the object’s borders. The Properties Window located on the right-hand  
side offers additional settings, including the timing of appearance, duration, and  
transparency parameters of the transition.  
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4. Next, place the cursor at the beginning of the transition and return to the main  
timeline tab Scene 0, which houses your media files. Position the second file on  
a lower layer so that its beginning aligns with the cursor’s position. This will create  
a smooth transition, where the first clip gradually disappears as the second one  
appears.  
5. This principle can be applied to all other files by manually adding transitions.  
Moreover, you can use the File’s sequence wizard function to automate the  
process (see page 63).  
Adding a Video Transition Through an Overlay Zone  
1. Add two video files to the timeline, positioning them sequentially on the same layer.  
2. Then you need to create a transition area by overlaying the files. Navigate to the  
timeline where you can use one of the three methods:  
Method 1: Create a transition by moving files  
• Move files: Press and hold the Alt key. Then, click and drag one file over another  
file on the timeline. You’ll see a white line showing where the transition will be.  
• Watch out for timing changes: Moving the file changes when it appears and  
disappears on the scene, which might mess up its timing with other files. If timing  
is important, try Method 2 instead.  
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Method 2: Keep files in place and extend edges  
• Adjust file edges: If you want to maintain the arrangement of files when applying  
transitions on the timeline without altering the timing of their appearance and  
disappearance sequence, hold down the Alt key and drag the edge at the end of  
the left file to the right or the edge at the beginning of the right file to the left, thus  
stretching its duration and overlaying it onto the adjacent file, defining the transition  
area.  
• Avoid frozen frames: When extending the duration of the file, a freeze frame may  
occur at the end. To fix this, use the Loop mode options in the Properties Window.  
Method 3: Handling Trimmed Files  
• For left files with end trims: If you’re working with a left file that’s trimmed at the  
end and you want to avoid a frozen frame, you can restore some of the previously  
trimmed frames to create a transition area. Press the Alt and Shift buttons together,  
grab the end edge of the left file, and pull it to the right.  
• For right files with beginning trims: Similarly, if you’re working with a right file  
that’s trimmed at the beginning, you can restore the trimmed frames at this spot to  
create a transition zone and prevent a frozen frame. Press the Alt and Shift buttons  
together, grab the beginning edge of the right file, and pull it to the left.  
• Be careful with untrimmed files: This method is specifically useful if the files  
have trims at the beginning or end. If there are no trims to restore, you’ll need  
to resort to extending the file’s end as described in Method 2 to achieve your  
transition without issue.  
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3. By overlaying files using one of the methods described above, you automatically  
create a Fade transition (its duration matches the transition area). Then you can  
change the transition effect. For this, access the Templates window and select one of  
the two available transition sections:  
• Transition collection: These are double effects that are applied to the end of File  
1 (Fade out) and the beginning of File 2 (Fade in);  
• Transitions: These are single effects (Fade in or Fade out respectively).  
4. To apply a transition effect, click on it in the Templates window, hold the mouse  
button and drag it to the appropriate place on the timeline. The place available for a  
transition effect will be highlighted. To use the same transition on multiple files, select  
them all on the timeline after creating transitions areas and simply drag and drop the  
transition onto the scene from the Templates window.  
Transition Effects Settings  
You can adjust transitions either in the Basic effects window (the effects’ preview) or on  
the timeline (advanced settings).  
• Basic effects window  
This window is generally located on the right from the scene and is easily  
accessible from the View tab on the Ribbon by selecting View/hide window  
under the Basic effects icon (however, make sure you have selected your file on  
the timeline to display the applied effects).  
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Here there are the following options:  
• Transition properties: There are two square sections displaying the effect  
previews for the applied transitions. The left one is responsible for Fade in, the  
right one is for Fade out. To see the effects added to a certain part of the overall  
file, click on it on the timeline, so it appears in the preview. You can add or change  
a transition effect by dropping it to the corresponding preview section and remove  
it by clicking the “X” button right there.  
Another way to remove transition effects is to right-click on the Fade in/out previews to  
access removing options:  
• Remove fade in/out: This option removes the effect in the corresponding  
window (for single effects from the Transitions section);  
• Remove transition: This option removes both Fade in and Fade out.  
Please, keep in mind: with these removing options you are only resetting the  
previously applied transition to the default fade transition. To remove the transition  
completely, you need to remove the transition area on the timeline.  
• Duration settings: This feature lets you define a maximum length for your  
transitions. Once activated and entered desired values, proceed to the timeline,  
and begin creating a transition zone. The editor will restrict you from setting a  
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transition duration longer than what you’ve specified. This ensures that the file  
won’t extend beyond the set limit onto the adjacent content.  
• Timeline  
Right-click on a transition area on the timeline to access these options:  
• Transition: Here you can set the last transition effect used, remove it or find it in  
the Templates or Preview window (for double effects).  
• Fade out: Here you can set the last Fade out transition effect used, remove it or  
find it in the Templates or Preview window.  
• Fade in: Here you can set the last Fade in transition effect used, remove it or find it  
in the Templates or Preview window.  
• View window…: This is an additional option to access the Templates and Basic  
effects windows.  
Please, note: using Cutting and splitting tools is unavailable within the area where a  
transition has been applied. Keep it in mind when editing and use these tools beforehands!  
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List of Available Effects  
In the table below, you will find all the video effects available in the program and their brief  
description.  
Group  
Effect  
Description  
Adjustments Color grading  
Use it to apply the tools from the Color Correction  
panel to selected parts of a video.  
Use it to automatically correct colors in your video  
or image file.  
Auto level  
Auto contrast  
Use it to automatically correct contrast in your  
video or image file.  
Auto gamma  
Use it to automatically correct gamma in your  
video or image file.  
Recover after auto  
gamma  
Brightness/Contrast/ Use it to perform some color adjustments.  
Use it to cancel the gamma correction effect.  
Gamma  
For brightness: negative values give a darker  
image and positive values give a brighter image.  
For contrast: negative values give lower contrast  
and positive values give higher contrast.  
For gamma: negative values give a darker image  
and positive values give a brighter image.  
Use it to adjust red, green and blue levels in your  
original video or image file.  
Red/Green/Blue  
Hue/Saturation/Value Use it to perform some color adjustments.  
Hue: shifts the hue of every color, giving unnatural  
colors.  
Saturation: makes colors to be desaturated or  
over saturated. The minimum value gives a black  
and white image.  
Value: makes the picture lighter or darker. The  
minimum value gives a black screen.  
Hue/Saturation/  
Lightness  
Use it to perform some color adjustments.  
Hue: shifts the hue of every color, giving unnatural  
colors.  
Saturation: makes colors to be desaturated or  
over saturated. The minimum value gives a black  
and white image.  
Lightness: makes the picture lighter or darker.  
The minimum value gives a black screen.  
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Luminance/  
Chrominance (YUV)  
Use it to reduced bandwidth for chrominance  
components and transform colors in your video or  
image file.  
LUT  
Use it to make footage look professional with one-  
click presets  
Color twist  
Use it to adjust colors in the footage by working  
directly with the GRB color channels and changing  
tone values.  
Grayscale  
Use it to transform colors of the picture to the gray  
part of the spectrum.  
Equalize  
Equalize histogram  
Use it to make colors more saturated.  
Use it to apply a quick filter for increasing an image  
contrast.  
Colorize  
Sepia  
Use it to adjust red, green and blue levels in the  
black and white version of your file.  
Use it to transform color spectrum to brownish  
and yellowish photo paper.  
Reducing bit  
resolution  
Use it to give your image a fancywork look  
choosing an appropriate Dither type and  
changing the Noise and Levels values.  
Use it to reduce the apparent number of colors in  
a clip, changing gradients into flat areas of color.  
Use them to make video image reverse in tone.  
Dark areas will appear lighter and vice versa.  
Posterize  
Solarize  
Parabolize  
Temperature  
Use it to correct colors in video or images taken  
with incorrect white balance. Negative values  
make the image cooler and positive values make  
the image warmer.  
Inverse  
Negative  
Use it to invert the colors of an image.  
Use it to replace every color with its negative color,  
like a film negative.  
Black and white  
Threshold  
Use it to turn videos into classic retro movies.  
Use it to determine how much contrast there is  
between neighboring pixels for the sharpening to  
affect them.  
Filters  
Box blur  
Use it to create a kind of square distortion effect in  
the image.  
Stack blur  
Gaussian blur  
Use it to imitate a moving pile of colors.  
Use it to reduce contrast between adjacent pixels  
according to a mathematical equation.  
Use it to apply the dim effect in a specific direction  
useful for extreme sports footing.  
Motion blur  
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Sharpen  
Use it to increase contrast and bring the images  
into better focus.  
Pixelize  
Wiener/DeNoise  
Noise  
Use it to fade an image into pixels.  
Use it to apply a soft blur with a slight offset.  
Use it to add some texture to an image by way of  
tiny pixel dustings.  
Diffuse  
Use it to make the selection look less focused.  
Use it to give an image a 3D look.  
Emboss  
Minimal  
Maximal  
Median  
Use it to emphasize the dark pixels in an image.  
Use it to emphasize the light pixels in an image.  
Use it to replace each pixel with a pixel that has  
the median color value of neighboring pixels.  
Use it to attach an oil painting look similar to that  
of the Prisma application.  
Oil paint  
DeLogo  
Flip  
Perspective  
Use it to remove an unwanted object in a video.  
Use it to flip an image horizontally or vertically.  
Use it to transform the perspective in an image  
horizontally or vertically.  
Transforms  
Skew  
Use it to skew the entire image horizontally or  
vertically.  
Shift  
Use it to move your image along X and Y axes.  
Use it to rotate the entire image.  
Rotate  
Resample  
Zoom  
Mirror  
Crop  
Use it to multiply the entire image.  
Use it to magnify or reduce the image.  
Use it to duplicate a part of the image.  
Use this tool to remove unwanted video borders  
preserving the original aspect ratio.  
Use this effect to apply one of the distortion  
presets to the video: Faceted glass, Fish eye,  
Swirl, Whirlpool, Twirl, Polar, Explode, Wave, and  
others.  
Distort  
Lens distortion  
Use this tool to fix images or videos shot with wide  
angle camera lenses.  
Transparency Fade in  
Fade out  
Use it to make the video smoothly appear on the  
screen.  
Use it to make the video smoothly disappear from  
the screen.  
Custom transparency Use them to adjust the transparency of the video  
or image file.  
Make opaque  
Make transparent  
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Clipping  
Borders  
Use it to create a picture in picture effect adding a  
part or a whole image to your video.  
Use it to create a frame around a photo or video.  
Background remover Use it to remove background of the video and  
apply a chroma key effect.  
Special FX  
TV  
Use it to imitate bad quality of the broadcast video  
signal. There are four types of TV effect available.  
Use it to make the effect of falling code from the  
Matrix movie.  
Matrix  
Glitch  
Face landmarks  
Use it to create distortions like old VHS tapes.  
Use it to quickly add a motion tracked face mask  
to a video.  
Al art generator  
Segmentation  
Use it to turn your media into unique stylish  
masterpieces by using over 20 presets.  
Use this feature to define boundaries of an object  
using AI. This facilitates further editing such as  
cutting out the segmented object from the scene,  
recoloring it, applying masks, or making other  
modifications.  
VirtualDub filter  
Use it to import VirtualDub plugins.  
360 and 3D 360 to 2D  
3D to 2D  
Use it to flatten 360° footage to a panorama angle.  
Use it to convert 3D footage from stereoscopic  
view  
Nature  
Lens flare  
Bokeh glare  
Raindrops  
God rays  
Use it to imitate a strong source of light, such as  
sunlight both in the frame or outside of it.  
Use it to add a soft blurry background to your  
footage with lights shining through it.  
Use it to add the effect of falling raindrops to your  
video or achieve the foggy glass look.  
Use it to create the illusion of three-dimensional  
rays of light passing through the gaps in the  
atmosphere or added object.  
Fire  
Use it to make a realistic fake fire on the video.  
Water  
Smoke  
Plasma  
Use it to add raindrops falling into the water on  
your video.  
Use it to create a smoky look of various intensity.  
Use it to apply the effect of liquid plasma to the  
entire image or a part of it.  
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Particles  
Use it to add floating particles to the footage:  
leaves, snowflakes, or anything else.  
Use it to create drop shadow effect for text and  
objects in video.  
Shadow  
Transitions  
Paper burn  
Use it to create a transition that imitates a burning  
piece of paper opening the following scene or  
media object.  
Flow transformation Use it to create a fractal-driven image distortion.  
Shattered mirror  
Paint brush  
Use it to make shattered glass effect transition.  
Use it to gradually cover the video with brush  
strokes, or reveal the next image from under a  
coat of paint.  
Chess  
Use it to lay a semitransparent checkerboard on  
your video or image.  
Wipe  
Push  
Use them to apply a transition where one shot  
replaces another by travelling from one side of the  
frame to another or with a special shape.  
Use it to look through a grid of lines on your video  
or image.  
Mosaic  
Page turn  
Use it to turn a video image like a page of the  
book in various directions.  
Diffuse FX  
Fade FX  
Use it to gradually fill the screen with black pixels.  
Use it to gradually fill the screen with various  
textures.  
For step-by-step instructions on applying effects, please, consult the How-to section of the  
official website: http://www.videosoftdev.com/how-to-use-free-video-editor  
To see video tutorials on these effects and other functionality, visit  
https://www.youtube.com/c/VSDCFreeVideoEditor/about  
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Echo filter (visual echo effect)  
The Echo filter can help you visualize a trail of object movement in a video where it wasn’t  
originally present. You can think of it as an imitation of the long exposure effect or an  
unnaturally fast object movement.  
Unlike most effects, Echo filter is available at the Sprite properties level, so you won’t find it  
in the Video effects menu.  
Here is how to apply the Echo filter to a video:  
1. Convert the video into a sprite by using the Ctrl + K hotkey combination or clicking on  
the video with the right mouse-click and selecting Convert to sprite  
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2. Go to the Properties window on the right and select the following options:  
• Use as container – No  
• Show effects – Yes  
• Fill background – No  
• Use echo filter – True  
By using these settings, you’ve applied the default version of the Echo filter. Feel free to use  
the preview option to see what it looks like.  
Echo filter settings  
To produce the echo effect, the software stacks frames from different times into one layer  
and gradually fades the trail as new frames appear.  
Using the Properties window, you can change the number of visible frames and the way  
they blend together. Here are the settings you’ll need to use:  
Echo strength - affects the speed of trail fading. The higher this value is, the stronger the  
echo effect appears: for example, at 100, there’s no fading and each frame is visible until  
the moving object reaches the end of the screen.  
Blending mode defines the way the frames are blended, and therefore –- the way the effect  
looks. There are 3 blending modes available in the menu:  
• Overlay – the mildest visual echo effect  
• Streak – the strongest visual echo effect  
• Blur – a strong smearing effect  
The first two modes are optimal for video effects and videos with transparent backgrounds.  
The third mode is optimal for non-transparent videos featuring moving objects.  
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Applying audio effects  
It is quite simple to apply one or multiple audio effects to a video or audio file loaded to  
the program. When you work on audio content, you can see it as a waveform on the  
Timeline. To do it, click the Show/hide waveform area next to the video or audio file and  
select Show waveform option from the menu.  
1. Open the scene with the file which audio content you want to correct or modify and  
click it on the Timeline.  
2. Open the Editor tab and click the Audio effects button to select a necessary effect  
within the appropriate category from the drop down list. As an example, we select  
Low Shelf effect in the Filters category.  
After that, you will be able to set the effect position respectively to the media file in the  
Object position settings window. You can leave the default settings clicking the Ok  
button and change them any time later.  
The selected effect will appear on the Timeline area as an object. It represents a colored  
block that occupies a single line and is located on a separate tab on the Timeline. The  
effect process audio in real time.  
3. Each effect has a few common and several individual settings that you can change  
within a Properties window. The Low Shelf filter has the following individual settings:  
Frequency, Steepness and Gain.  
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You can also select one of the available Presets or create a custom one.  
4. Change the effect position and duration if you need that it affects only a particular  
moment in your movie. Please refer to the Applying video effects section to learn  
how to do it.  
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List of available effects  
In the table below, you will find all the video effects available in the program and their brief  
description.  
Group  
Effect  
Description  
Amplitude Amplify  
Use it to increase or decrease the sound volume by means  
of increasing or decreasing its amplitude.  
Use it to increase the sound volume gradually.  
Use it to decrease the sound volume gradually.  
Use it to mute the sound of an audio track.  
Use it to invert the sound around the horizontal axis.  
Use it to increase or decrease the sound to the selected  
volume level.  
Fade In  
Fade Out  
Silence  
Invert wave  
Normalize  
audio  
Delay  
Flanger  
Use it to add an echo to the audio by means of changing  
the frequency of the repeated sound.  
Chorus  
Delay  
Phaser  
Use it to make the audio sound fuller.  
Use it to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.  
Use it to add an echo to the audio by means of changing  
the phase of the repeated sound.  
Vibrato  
Reverb  
Use it to create an effect of pulsating sound  
Use it to simulate the acoustical effect of rooms and  
enclosed buildings.  
Filters  
Low Pass  
High Shelf  
Peaking EQ  
Use it to correct various imperfections in the original audio.  
It attenuates frequencies above the cutoff frequency.  
Use it for boosting or suppressing high frequencies of  
sound.  
Use it to provide a boost or cut in the vicinity of some  
center frequency.  
Equalize  
Median  
Use it to adjust sound settings more accurately.  
Use it to eliminate impulse noise such as unwanted  
frequent sharp sounds.  
Gate  
Use it to recognize steady noise sources and remove them  
from the audio track.  
Wah Wah  
Use it to extend expressiveness, sounding much like a  
human voice saying the syllable wah. It modifies the vowel  
quality of a tone.  
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Time  
stretch/  
Pitch shift  
Tempo change Use it to change the tempo keeping the pitch the same  
throughout the audio file.  
Rate change  
Pitch shift  
Use it to changes the speed and tone of the sound.  
Use it to change the sound pitch (tone) without changing  
its tempo.  
Special  
Reverse  
Use it to produce an effect similar to backward playback.  
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Applying text effects  
VSDC includes several animated text effects that can help you get full control of how text  
symbols appear in the scene.  
1. Start a new project, select the “T” icon from the left-side menu and choose Text.  
2. In the pop-up window click OK to proceed.  
3. Place the crosshair rectangle where you want the text object to be located. You’ll be  
able to relocate it any time.  
4. Double-click inside the rectangle-shaped frame and you’ll see a cursor.  
5. Type your text.  
6. Then click on the text file on the timeline, go to the “Text effects” menu  
The selected effect will appear on the Timeline area as an object. It represents a colored  
block that occupies a single line and is located on a separate tab on the Timeline. In  
the table below, you will find all the video effects available in the program and their brief  
description.  
In the table below, you will find all the video effects available in the program and their brief  
description.  
List of available effects  
Effect  
Description  
Recoloring  
Use it to change the color or the level of opacity of text symbols.  
Shift position Use it to make text symbols move from one location to another on the  
screen.  
GlyphFX  
Use it to change the appearance attributes of text symbols, such as their  
size, skew angle, or rotation.  
Scrolling text Use it to add a scroll effect to the text, set the movement direction, adjust  
the angle and speed.  
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Adding objects  
While creating your movie, you may need to add an object such as text, image, chat,  
geometric shape, etc.  
1. Open the scene where you want to insert an object.  
2. Open the Editor tab and click the Add object button to select an appropriate  
object from the drop down list. You can also use the Objects tools toolbar at  
the left of the Scene area. As an example, we select a Rectangle object. After  
that, you will be able to set the object position respectively to the media file in the  
Object position settings window. You can leave the default settings clicking the  
Ok button and change them any time later.  
3. Place the cursor to the Scene area, it becomes a crosshair, click and stretch to  
determine the object size.  
4. The selected object will also appear on the Timeline area. It represents a colored  
block that occupies a single line and is located on a separate tab on the Timeline.  
5. Each object has a few common and several individual settings that you can  
change within a Properties window. To change its position on the screen, adjust  
the Left and Top values in the Coordinates field or click the object on the  
Scene area and move it to the right location. To correct its size, adjust the Width  
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and Height values in the Coordinates field or move its boundaries directly on  
the screen. You can also select the object style, contour thickness and color,  
background type and color.  
6. Finally, change the object position and duration on the Timeline if you need that  
it affects only a particular moment in your movie. Please refer to the fourth point of  
the Applying video effects section to learn how to do it.  
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Adding curve line  
You can use curve lines in your videos to outline objects, underline text, and even create  
beautiful animations. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the following:  
• How to create a curve line in a video  
• How to fill a curve line with a gradient  
• How to use a curve line as a movement trajectory  
• How to wrap text around a curve line  
• How to make a curve line move in a video  
How to add a curve line to the scene  
To get started, create a new project and select Curve line from the toolbar (at the top or  
on the left). Then click OK in the pop-up window to confirm the default settings.  
Like free shapes, curve lines consist of control points and splines. To start drawing the line,  
place two or more control points on the scene with mouse clicks.  
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To turn straight lines into smooth splines, select any control point, press and hold the  
Ctrl key and start dragging the point to the side. Two vectors will appear from the control  
point: red and green. Use them to continue fine-tuning the shape of the curve line until you  
achieve the desired look.  
In the following sections, we’ll talk about curve line settings, and show you how to turn a  
curve line into a beautiful graphic object or animation.  
To access the settings menu, double-click on the curve line layer and head over to the  
Properties window. There are two groups of settings available: Common settings and  
Curve line settings.  
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Common settings allow you to rename the object on the timeline, set up the exact  
time when the curve line will appear on the screen, and define how long it will remain in  
the video. You can also use this group of settings to adjust the position coordinates of  
the curve line on the screen.  
Curve line settings allow you to set the thickness and the color of the line, choose fill  
type, create animation, and customize the object.  
Let’s review the parameters from this group one by one.  
Curve line settings  
The first group of parameters allows you to adjust the basic characteristics of the curve  
line: its color, thickness, and fill type.  
Pen  
There are 5 fill types available under the Pen menu:  
•
•
•
•
•
Solid  
Gradient  
Point gradient  
Image pattern  
Path mode  
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Depending on the selected mode, you’ll be able to set up additional parameters. Let’s  
walk you through the settings of each mode.  
Solid  
Solid means solid color fill of the curve line. In this mode, you can select the fill color  
and the thickness of the line. Note that you can set the difference between the Initial  
and Final values, which means that the line will be getting thicker or thinner during the  
playback.  
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Gradient  
Gradient mode creates a simple gradient fill between the first and the last points. For  
this mode, you can either select two colors or use one of the patterns from the  
Gradient settings menu.  
Point gradient  
The next mode is called Point gradient, and it creates a multicolor gradient fill by as-  
signing individual colors to each control point.  
In this mode, you need to select the desired control point, then click Add parameters,  
and proceed to Pen gradient settings.  
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From there, you can pick a color for the control point, adjust its weight (the spread of  
the color assigned to the point) and the opacity of the adjacent area.  
Image pattern  
The Image pattern mode allows you to import an image to the program and use it as  
a pattern to fill the curve line. We recommend using small PNG images with transpar-  
ent backgrounds, however, it’s not a requirement. This is what the result looks like:  
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In this mode, you can also adjust the starting position and the visible length of the  
pattern. If you start changing these parameters, the image pattern will be disappearing  
from the start of the curve line or its end accordingly.  
Path mode  
Finally, the Path mode is designed to turn curve lines into movement paths. If you se-  
lect this mode, the curve line will be invisible on the scene and serve as a trajectory for  
a moving object.  
Here is how to use this mode.  
Go back to the main timeline tab and make a right mouse-click on the curve line, then  
select Convert to movement path. In the conversion pop-up window click OK to  
confirm the default settings.  
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Once you convert the curve line into a movement path, select the Movement layer on  
the timeline and copy it:  
Then go back to the main timeline tab and import or create the object you want to  
animate. For our example, we’ll be using a small image. Make a double-click on that  
object and paste the movement layer to the timeline.  
Note that if you go back to the curve line settings, you can adjust the parameters  
named Starting position and Visible length. They define the point from the start of  
the line where the object starts moving and the point before the end of the line where  
the object stops. For example, if you set Starting point at 25%, the object will start  
moving 25% down the line; if you set Visible length at 25%, the object will stop moving  
25% before the end of the line.  
How to wrap text around a curve line  
The Path mode also allows for wrapping text around the curve line while maintaining  
the line invisible. Here is how it works.  
Make sure you’ve selected Path mode in the dropdown menu first, then go back to  
the main timeline tab and add a text object.  
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Make a double-click on the text object and go to the Properties window; open Bind-  
ing to path options and select the curve line you created earlier. Your text will adjust  
accordingly:  
Note that the original text object is only visible in the editing mode. As soon as you  
activate the playback, it will disappear.  
There are a couple more parameters you can use to adjust the appearance of the  
wrapped text:  
• Mode enables you to position the text above, in the center, or below the curve  
line, or attach it to an additional curve line. Please note that if you choose the last  
option, you must add a second line to the scene beforehand for the editor to dis-  
play it in the additional Stretch to path menu. Depending on the chosen mode  
for the first line, “From first curve path” or “From second curve path,” the  
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second line will serve as either the bottom or top of the text.  
• Stretch to length allows you to stretch the text to the length of the line or keep  
the original length.  
• Clipping allows you to create a clipping mask using the original text object frame.  
• Approximation allows you to smooth text curves.  
How to animate curve lines  
In the last section of this tutorial, we’ll show you how to animate curve lines. To do that,  
you’ll be using three parameters:  
•
•
•
Direction (clockwise or counterclockwise)  
Starting position  
Visible length  
Let’s start with the basic concepts.  
Starting position defines the point on the line where the fill starts being visible. Vis-  
ible length defines the percentage of the line that is visible. For example, if you set  
20% for the former and 70% for the latter, the gradient fill will not cover the first 20%  
and the last 30% of the line:  
If you leave these settings as is, the curve line will remain still. However, if you expand  
the menus and set the Initial and Final values, you can create animation. For exam-  
ple, if you set the Initial value for Starting position at 0% and the Final value for Starting  
position at 50%, the fill will be slowly disappearing during the playback.  
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You’ll get a similar result if you set the following parameters for Visible length:  
•
•
Initial value: 100%  
Final value: 0%  
The only difference is that the fill will be disappearing from the end of the curve line.  
Finally, you can play around with the settings and select the desired values for both pa-  
rameters. For example, you can create an effect of a moving line by setting the Visible  
length at 10% and the Starting point at 0;100%.  
Note that if your curve line is closed, the movement will continue for as long as the  
curve line object is visible on the screen.  
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Adding free shape  
You can draw simple customized images for greeting cards or home movies, such as  
stars, snowflakes, hearts and many others.  
1. Select the Add free shape option from the Add object drop down menu on the.  
Editor tab or use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. You will see five options available. Free shape lets you create a group of control  
points and draw a shape from the start point. Insert point helps you add a point  
to the group. Start new path allows you to start a shape from a starting point in a  
group. Start new shape allows you to cut a shape from a starting point in a group.  
And the From gallery option contains pre-made shape templates.  
3. Click on Free shape, drag the cursor to the scene and click there to create the first  
control point. By default, the editor uses a Bezier curve, so if you keep pressing the  
mouse button, you’ll get two symmetrical vectors that will be the foundation of the  
curve. To make them asymmetrical, press the Ctrl key, then drag one vector in the  
desired direction and release the mouse button.  
4. If you create a new control point while keeping the mouse button pressed, you’ll see  
a new vector generated based on the positions of the previous two control points.  
Meanwhile the first and the last control points will be connected with a straight line  
and the space between them will be painted white.  
5. To finish the shape. Click on the second control point, press the Ctrl key and drag  
the vector so that it’s placed parallel to the previous one. To close the shape, you  
need to either hold the Ctrl key and click on the first control point, or click on the first  
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control point first and then hit Closed free shape in the Shape points settings.  
6. If you need to change a vector of any control point, just click on it and drag  
the vector in the desired direction. If you need to create a vector with different,  
asymmetric directions, remember to press Ctrl key while dragging the vector.  
7. To adjust the shape, click the point you want to change, then you can easily delete it  
or drag to modify the size of the shape.  
8. Using the settings available in the Properties window under Free Shape  
Settings, you can fill the shape with color or change the outline color using the Pen  
and Brush tools respectively.  
9. If you want to set a gradient for your free shape, you need to double-click on its  
block on the timeline, select the desired point and click the Add parameter option  
in the Properties Window. Then proceed to Pen gradient settings or Brush  
gradient settings. These parameters have the same settings, to learn more about  
them, see "Point Gradient of a curve line".  
10. You can use free shape outlines as a designated trajectory for tracking points. Just  
go back to the main timeline tab, right click on the free shape and select Convert  
to Movement Path. As a result, a new Tracking Point block will appear on the  
timeline, containing all the key points of the shape you created. You can assign a  
color value for this tracking point to pass along as it’s moving along its trajectory.  
These settings will also be available in the properties window under Tracking point  
settings >> Add parameters.  
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Adding text  
When you need to insert some text information: a couple of words to title your film or  
several sentences to comment a scene, you can use one of the following options:  
Method 1  
1. Select the Text option from the Add object drop down menu on the Editor tab or  
use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Place the cursor to the Scene area, it becomes a crosshair, click and start typing  
your text. The text area will automatically change its size according to the entered  
text.  
Method 2  
1. Select the Text option from the Add object drop down menu on the Editor tab or  
use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Place the cursor to the Scene area, it becomes a crosshair, click and stretch to  
determine the text area. Now you can enter your text.  
Once the necessary text is typed, you can adjust its parameters according to your needs.  
All the standard editing features are at your disposal on the Editor tab or within the  
Properties window.  
Select your text or just a part of it with a mouse and change its color, font, font size, font  
style. You can underline or cross out your text, use caps and scripts, change horizontal and  
vertical scale, select an appropriate alignment variant, specify other paragraph settings.  
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You can outline your text and adjust its thickness, style and dash style if necessary. You  
can make any word or letter transparent. To do that select the necessary symbols with the  
mouse, open the Text color drop-down list and move the Opacity slider.  
You can change the orientation of the text to from right to left what’s more important for  
those who use the Arabic, Aramaic, Azeri, Dhivehi/Maldivian, Hebrew, Kurdish (Sorani),  
Persian/Farsi and Urdu languages.  
For text objects containing long-form copy make use of vertical and horizontal scrolling, so  
it’s more convenient to make text edits right on the scene.  
If you want to bend the text or make it match the shape of a specific object in the scene,  
use the Binding to Path option (see How to wrap text around a curve line).  
To apply changes to the whole text, activate the text area, so that it is surrounded by black  
squares. You can also change the location of the text area on the scene, just activate it and  
move to the necessary direction.  
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Adding subtitles  
If you need to add subtitles to your film, please follow these easy steps.  
1. Select the Subtitles option from the Add object drop down menu on the Editor  
tab or use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Brows for the appropriate .srt file on your computer disc drive or other storage  
device and click the Open button.  
3. Define the location within the Object position settings window or leave the default  
settings clicking the Ok button. You can change them any time later directly on the  
Timeline area.  
4. Place the cursor to the Scene area, it becomes a crosshair, click and stretch to  
determine an appropriate area.  
5. Adjust the available parameters in the Properties window, such as font size, color,  
outline, and text positioning on the specified frame.  
If you don’t have the .srt file ready, you can create subtitles right in the program. Just hit the  
CC button on the left, select Cancel when the program suggests uploading a file, and hit  
OK in the Object position settings window. Then manually select the place for subtitles  
on the scene and hit Edit subtitles.  
From there, you’ll need to manually add subtitles, phrase by phrase, using the following  
format:  
1
00:00:06,107 --> 00:00:08,534  
Subtitle text  
2
00:00:10,234 --> 00:00:18,530  
Subtitle text  
The first line indicates the subtitle order number. The second line contains the exact  
moments when the subtitle appears on the screen and disappears from it. The third  
line contains the actual text of the subtitle. Keep in mind that if you decide to prepare a  
transcript file in advance, you’ll have to follow the same format.  
Please note that it is not possible to apply video or text effects directly to subtitles  
within the program, including transition effects between subtitle lines. If you need such  
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enhancements, you must convert the subtitle file into separate text blocks on the  
timeline using the Convert to text option, which is available when you right-click on  
the subtitle file in the timeline.  
Adding tooltips  
While creating an educational or training video you can add some tooltips.  
1. Select the Tooltips option from the Add object drop down menu on the Editor tab  
or use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Define the location within the Object position settings window or leave the default  
settings clicking the Ok button. You can change them any time later directly on the  
Timeline area.  
3. Place the cursor to the Scene area, it becomes a crosshair, click and stretch to  
determine the tooltip area.  
4. Find the Text line of the Text object setting section of the Properties window and  
click the button with three dots. Enter your text within the opened window.  
5. Change the tooltip style selecting its direction and color on the Editor tab. All the  
available settings are at your disposal in the Properties window.  
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Adding a counter  
The Counter is an object that inserts a timer to your video. You can set any time period  
from days to seconds or even frames.  
1. Open the Add object drop down menu on the Editor tab and select Counter  
option from the Text section. You can also select this option clicking the Text button  
on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Define the location within the Object position settings window or leave the default  
settings clicking the Ok button. You can change them any time later directly on the  
Timeline area.  
3. Place the cursor to the Scene area, it becomes a crosshair, click and stretch to  
determine the object position on the screen.  
4. Change the available Counter object settings within the Properties window. To  
make the timer reverse, switch ‘False’ to ‘True’ in the Playing backwards field,  
increase or decrease the Speed value, set the Counter offset to indicate the  
timer start different from that of the video, select an appropriate Pattern in the  
corresponding field. If needed, set a delayed timer start or change the finish time  
using the Delay start (ms) and Early finish (ms) options.  
5. Customize the look of your timer using the text editing settings on the Editor tab  
above.  
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Adding a chart  
While creating a video presentation or a business slideshow you may need to compare or  
analyze some information. Use the Chat feature of the program to provide the data.  
1. Select the Chart option from the Add object drop down menu on the Editor tab or  
use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Define the location within the Object position settings window or leave the default  
settings clicking the Ok button. You can change them any time later directly on the  
Timeline area.  
3. Double click the Chart object on the Timeline to open the Diagram properties and  
change them in the Properties window. One chart can contain several diagrams.  
To add one more diagram, click the Chart button on the Objects tools toolbar and  
select the Diagram option from the drop down menu.  
4. Enter your own data. Double click the Diagram object on the Timeline. The Series  
object will appear. In the Properties window specify Argument, Value and Color,  
add a text legend for each Point.  
5. Customize the graph according to your needs. Click the Style line and select the  
graph style from the drop down menu. The available styles are Bar, Point, Bubble,  
Line, Pie, Gantt, Pyramid, Area and others.  
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Creating an animation  
To create an Animation object, please follow these easy steps.  
1. Select the Animation object option from the Add object drop-down menu on the  
Editor tab or use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Define the location within the Object position settings window or leave the default  
settings clicking the Ok button. You can change them any time later directly on the  
Timeline area.  
3. Open an additional Animation resource window click the Edit animation object  
button in the bottom of the Properties window.  
4. Click the Add images or Insert images button to load necessary files. Use the  
corresponding buttons to delete unnecessary pictures, move them up/down or top/  
bottom. Select the Frame type, increase the Duration of each frame and set the  
Resize mode within the Properties window.  
5. Click Ok and preview the result.  
6. Change the position of the Animation object on the Timeline moving the violet  
block to the left or to the right.  
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Adding Audio Visualization  
Spectrum  
1. Click the Audio Visualization object option from the Add object drop-down menu  
on the Editor tab or use the corresponding button on the Objects tools toolbar and  
select Spectrum.  
2. If you use an external soundtrack located on your PC, browse the needed file in the  
explorer. In case you want to visualize a track you have added to the scene, close the  
pop-up explorer. Place the spectrum on the scene using a mouse.  
3. In the second case, scroll down Properties Window and select Objects on scene  
in the Audio source field. Choose a required file.  
4. To modify the spectrum, adjust the spectrum type by choosing between gradiented  
peaks, dashes, lines, and lines with blur. The color theme can be changed by clicking  
on the … icon (Advanced settings) or the eyedropper tool in front of each color.  
Abstraction  
1. Follow the same steps as listed before but select the Audio Abstraction option in  
the Audio Visualization object.  
2. Hundreds of presets are available in the Audio abstraction object settings field  
of Properties Window. They are divided into several groups: Aderrasi, Flexi, Geiss,  
Goody, Hexcollie, Martin, Orb, Stahlregen, Eo.S, Fishbrain, Phat, Rovastar, Shifter,  
Unchained, Zylot and Other.  
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Creating moving objects  
If you need to add a moving object — a piece of text, an image, a shape or even a video  
— to the scene, you can use the Movement feature.  
1. First, add an object to the scene using the Add object menu at the top or the  
corresponding button from the Object tools toolbar.  
2. Make a double click on the object. Go to the left-side menu and select the button  
named “Add movement” or use the Shift + M hotkey combination.  
3. Confirm the movement effect position within the pop-up Object position settings  
window or adjust it to your goals. Keep in mind that you can change the effect  
position later, directly on the Timeline.  
A control point in the center of the object is called “ control point” and it marks the  
starting position in the movement trajectory.  
4. Decide where on the scene the object should move and make a mouse click there  
to create a second point. This one and all the subsequent points are called “passing  
points”. The path between these control point and the first passing point is your first  
movement vector. If you need to move any of these points, hover over it until the  
cursor starts looking like a white cross. Then grab the point and drag it wherever you  
need. To add another movement vector, go back to the left-side menu and select the  
Movement button again. Then click anywhere on the scene to draw a new path.  
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Repeat as many times as needed to finish the trajectory.  
5. If you want to adjust the movement speed through any particular vector, you’ll need  
to select that vector by making points on both ends of it “control points”. To do so,  
select the first point of the vector and go to the Properties window on the right-side.  
Find Point settings and switch to “Yes” in front of Path’s start point. Do the same  
for the second control point on the other end of the vector.  
Once you’ve selected the desired vector, go to the Properties window and adjust the  
Start speed % value to your needs.  
If you want to make the moving object rotate while moving through the selected vector,  
select that vector, go to the Properties window -> Rotate object and switch to  
“True”. This will activate the rotation settings menu.  
6. To set rotation, find the Rotate angles field and switch “Constant parameter  
value” to “Linear parameter change”. Then set desired rotation angle values for the  
beginning and the end of the movement.  
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Time remapping  
Time remapping allows you to slow down, speed up, or reverse object movement for a  
selected part of its movement path. You can apply it to an image, shape, title, icon, or any  
other 3rd-party moving object added to the scene.  
If you don’t know how to make an object move in a video, please read the chapter named  
“Creating moving objects” above.  
Once you’ve created a movement path, right mouse-click the movement layer on the  
timeline and select Properties. In the Properties window, find Time remapping, and hit the  
3-dot icon to access the remapping graph.  
This graph illustrates object movement over time, and the two axes define two different  
aspects of it.  
The X axis reflects the duration of the movement effect: the left part of the timeline is the  
beginning of it, and the right part is the end. The Y axis reflects the object’s movement  
path: the bottom part of the timeline is the beginning of the path, and the top part is the  
end.  
By modifying the graph, you can modify the object movement progress. For example, you  
can make the object go slower or faster through certain parts of the path, or even send it in  
the opposite direction. All it takes is a couple of keyframes placed in the right spots.  
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Understanding keyframes  
and the Y axis  
Keyframes are control points that allow you to break the graph – and therefore, the  
movement path – into sections so that you can work with each section independently. You  
either create keyframes manually by double-clicking the graph or use the graph templates  
from the menu. For this tutorial, we’ll use the former option.  
Notice that the first keyframe (Y:0) indicates the initial object position on the path. The last  
keyframe (Y:100) is the end of the path.  
As long as the graph is continuously ascending from 0 to 100, the object will be moving  
from point A to point B along the movement vector you created.  
The Y axis indicates the time flow for the object. And if you want the object to go halfway  
through the movement vector and then go back to the initial point, at the same speed, all  
you need to do is create a keyframe in the middle of the graph and drag the last keyframe  
from 100 to 0. This way, according to the Y axis, the start and the end of the movement  
path will be the same.  
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Here is another way to look at it. If the angle between two subsequent keyframes is greater  
than zero degrees, the object’s time flow in this section goes in the original direction.  
However, if the angle between two subsequent frames is less than 0 degrees, the object’s  
time flow goes in the reversed direction.  
Understanding the X axis  
The X axis allows you to tweak movement speed at any given point in time.  
For example, if you want the object to slow down for a second somewhere in the middle of  
the way, create a segment using keyframes and make it flatter than the rest of the graph.  
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Similarly, if you want the object to briefly speed up, create a 2-keyframe segment and make  
its angle greater than the rest of the graph.  
Time remapping for  
a multi-vector movement path  
If you’ve created a movement path consisting of multiple vectors, on the time remapping  
graph, each vector will be represented by a light-gray rectangle. The purpose of these  
rectangles is to help you visualize the position of each vector in time and create keyframes  
accordingly.  
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The general approach to multi-vector movement paths is no different from what we’ve  
described above. However, if you decide to change any vector position in the scene,  
the gray rectangles will shift accordingly. The tricky part is that if you’ve already created  
keyframes on the graph based on those movement vectors, you’ll have to manually shift  
them too.  
Keyframes aren’t attached to movement vectors. So, if you want the object to move  
through a certain vector with a certain speed, and you’re moving that vector around, make  
sure to double-check the keyframes.  
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Tracking point animation  
When working with coordinate-based effects, such as Lens flare or God rays, you can  
use the point movement tracking feature for animation. This means that you’ll be able  
to manually create a movement trajectory for the effect to follow and create custom  
animations.  
Here’s how it works:  
1. Add a tracking point to the scene using the corresponding button on the left-side  
toolbar.  
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2. Double-click on its block on the timeline and create a movement vector using the  
“Movement” button on the left-side toolbar or attach a movement map created with  
the Motion tracking feature.  
3. Once the movement path is ready, go to the main timeline tab and apply any of the  
coordinate-based effects to your main video or image. For this tutorial, we’ll use the  
Lens flare effect.  
4. To apply the effect, select an image or a video on the timeline, go to Video effects -  
Nature - Lens Flare.  
5. Make a right mouse-click on the effect layer and select Properties from the context  
menu. The Properties window will slide-in from the right-hand side.  
6. Find Center coordinate type among properties and select Tracking point. Then  
open the Binding with point dropdown menu below and select your tracking point.  
Below is a list of effects that support tracking point animation – along with the names of  
their properties that allow for binding with the tracking point.  
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Name of effect  
Parameter in the properties window  
Text shift position  
Initial glyph position  
Perspective  
Mode  
• Bind to service points  
Center coordinate type  
Motion blur  
Lens Flare  
Bokeh glare  
God rays  
Shattered glass  
Shadow  
Shadow coordinate type  
Segmentation  
Add region/Region  
• Add point/Point  
• Coordinate type  
• Tracking point  
Distort:  
Center coordinate type, Inner/Outer  
coordinates.  
• Polar  
• Fish eye  
• Lens  
• Z-drop  
• Polar Coordinates  
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Rotating objects  
VSDC offers two options for video and object rotation:  
• 90-degree clockwise and counterclockwise rotation  
• Custom-angle rotation  
Depending on your editing workflow, there are three ways you can access the rotation  
settings.  
Method 1  
Select the video or object you want to rotate and head over to the Cutting & splitting  
menu at the top or the Basic effects window on the right. Use the corresponding  
Rotate button to quickly rotate the object 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.  
Method 2  
You can rotate objects manually right on the scene using a mouse. To adjust the angle, you  
can use the Basic effects window as well.  
Method 3  
Finally, you can apply the rotation effect and use advanced settings to customize it. To do  
that, go to Video Effects -> Transforms -> Rotate. Using the Properties window, you’ll  
be able to set the rotation angle and the way it will be changing over time, define the effect  
duration, and shift the center of rotation.  
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Using blending modes  
Blending Modes help you achieve unique visual effects through overlaying multiple  
objects in the scene and mixing them in a creative way. For example, you can use various  
color tone inclusion and exclusion modes, adjust the level of transparency, create a double  
exposure effect, or a ghost effect.  
To help you get started with this tool, we’ll explain how to recreate the artistic multi-layer  
effect consisting of several copies of the same video (see the example below)  
1. Click your video with a right mouse button and select Duplicate. Make sure the  
copy is of the same size as the original file by selecting the copy and using the  
following option in the Properties window: Set the same size as the parent has.  
2. Double click the duplicated object and add a Rectangle shape to the scene using  
the menu on the left side.  
3. Hover over the scene, and when the cursor becomes a crosshair, use it to stretch  
the rectangle to the size of the video. In the menu at the top, select the third type of  
a rectangle: filled without frame.  
4. Change the color of the rectangle using the Brush menu in the Properties  
window. Click the three-dot button to open the color selection and choose  
anything to your taste.  
5. Go back to the timeline, open the Blending modes menu, and select Overlay.  
6. To make the effect look more impressive, create more color layers by duplicating  
the one you’ve just created. Go to the main timeline tab and duplicate the blended  
layer. Double-click the new copy and change the color of the rectangle. For best  
results, use contrasting colors for different layers and increase the Opacity value.  
Feel free to experiment with modes, shapes, and colors.  
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7. Finally, shift the layers you’ve created right on the scene by dragging and dropping  
them with a mouse. Remember to use the Preview feature to see the result before  
exporting the video.  
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Using motion tracking  
Motion tracking enables you to attach any objects – for example, masks, titles, or images –  
to any moving element in a video.  
To get started with motion tracking in VSDC, decide which object’s movements in the  
video you want to track. Then, based on its trajectory, you need to create a movement  
map. Here is how to do it:  
1. Launch the program and import a video file with a moving object using the Add  
object dropdown menu on the Editor tab or using the corresponding button on the  
Objects tools toolbar.  
2. Make a right click on the video and select “Create movement map” from the  
context menu.  
3. Select (or confirm) the folder on your PC to store the map. Hit “Save”.  
4. In the preview window, you’ll see a frame defining the tracked object. Resize and  
move it to ensure that the tracked object fits the frame and takes most of its space.  
5. Use the “Start analysis” button in the Motion tracker menu at the top to launch  
the tracking process.  
6. As the playback progresses, the movement map will be gradually appearing in the  
preview window, drawn in green. At the end of the video, check the trajectory and  
if it’s accurate, click the «Apply editing» button. This way, the movement map will  
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be saved to your PC and VSDC will automatically switch to the regular video editing  
mode.  
How to correct the movement map  
if the tracking object has been lost  
The software may “lose” the tracked object in the process if it gets overlapped by the  
surroundings and stops being visible in the scene or changes its size, color, shape, or  
appearance completely.  
Button  
Icon Description  
Trajectory adjustment in the previous frame  
Step  
backward  
Analyze  
backward  
Analyze  
forward  
Step  
Backward trajectory adjustment, from the cursor to the beginning of  
the video  
Forward trajectory adjustment, from the cursor to the end of the video  
Trajectory adjustment in the following frame  
forward  
Add  
Use it to add keyframe for changing region and modes  
keyframe  
Invalidate  
area  
Use it to define a part of the trajectory as an incorrectly tracked  
region.  
To edit the movement map or to find a tracking loss region, you’ll need to manually add  
keyframes to the required areas using the buttons bellow:  
Here is how it’s done:  
1. Place the cursor at the moment when the program loses the object or when you  
want to change the trajectory. Adjust and relocate the tracking frame according to  
the new object’s position.  
2. Select the way you want to relaunch tracking for the loss region. You have 4 options  
to choose from: Step backward, Analyze backward, Analyze forward, Step  
forward.  
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3. By clicking the “Continue analysis” button, you will launch the tracking process  
according to the option selected in the previous step. If the object gets “lost” more  
than once during the playback, repeat these steps for each time.  
4. To select a piece of the trajectory on the movement map to delete it, place  
keyframes at the beginning and at the end of the piece you want to cut out, then  
select it and hit “Delete”.  
5. To modify the tracking loss region with more precision, place additional keyframes to  
specify the tracking loss region on the timeline.  
6. Make a double-click on the resulting piece of the map.  
7. Use the icon named “Invalidate area” to define the piece as a region where the  
object’s movement was tracked incorrectly.  
8. Finally, make manual adjustments using keyframes. To switch between keyframes,  
use the “right” and “left” arrow keys on your keyboard.  
Try various motion tracking algorithms for better results.  
Tracking object movements can be tricky, especially when the object disappears from  
sight or moves chaotically. This is why VSDC includes multiple motion tracking algorithms  
designed for different scenarios. If the default settings fail to deliver, feel free to try other  
options available in the dropdown menu:  
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Multi-surf – the default motion tracking algorithm created by the VSDC developers.  
It is considered one of the best motion tracking algorithms. However, it may struggle  
with tracking an object that changes its scale while moving.  
DCF-CSR (Discriminative Correlation Filter with Channel and Spatial Reliability) – the  
second best option for tracking object movements in a video. Use it when Multi-surf  
doesn’t do a good job.  
Median – this algorithm provides high-quality tracking when the movements are  
slow and predictable. However, it may fail if the tracked object moves rapidly and  
chaotically.  
KCF (Kernelized Correlation Filters) – this is the best mode if the tracked object  
constantly disappears from the scene. However, it won’t be able to track an object  
that changes its size during the video.  
TLD (Tracking, Learning and Detection) – this algorithm will work well for videos  
where the tracked object’s scale is changing. It is also the best choice for  
continuous motion tracking even if the object briefly disappears out of sight.  
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should be randomly switching between motion tracking  
algorithms for any minor issue. If the motion tracking results don’t meet your expectations,  
try adjusting the tracking frame first. Often, a poorly placed tracking frame is the main  
reason for the object being “lost” by the software. If frame adjustments don’t help, try  
switching to DCF-CSR. If the result is dissatisfactory, and the tracked object is changing its  
scale in the video, select Median or TLD.  
Apart from the tracking algorithm, you can also specify which area of the tracking frame  
contains the key part of the tracked object. By doing that, you help the algorithm build a  
more precise path. For example, if you select “Center” in the “Tracking frame area” field, the  
motion path will be drawn based on the movements of the center of the frame.  
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The “Lost frames” option will help you to determine the number of lost frames while  
tracking is working. Once the movement map is ready, you need to assign it to any object:  
an image, an icon, a title, or a mask. For this example, we’ll use a text title.  
1. First, use the left-hand side menu to add a text object to the scene.  
2. Make a double-click on the text layer.  
3. Open the “Add object” menu at the top and select “Movement” -> “Movement  
map”.  
4. In the Object’s position settings window, select the movement map you  
previously saved on your PC and hit OK.  
5. Notice that the settings window also allows you to change the starting point for  
the map. This means you can start applying the trajectory to the object from the  
beginning of the scene, from the cursor position, or manually.  
6. Once the map looks as expected, hit the “Apply editing” button.  
After you’ve assigned the movement map to the text object, go to the Properties window  
and use the available settings for higher movement precision:  
Coordinates (X/Y) – initial coordinates of the object in the preview window.  
Object creation time (ms/frame) – the moment you want to assign the  
movement map to the added object.  
Object duration time (ms/frame) – this parameter defines for how long you want  
to apply the movement map to that object. Just like the previous parameter, this  
one can be defined either by milliseconds or by frames.  
The Movement map setup menu includes the following parameters:  
• Movement map – the map used in the project.  
• Mapped video – the video used for drawing the movement map. If you specify the  
video file here, its parameters and the parameters of the map will be automatically  
adjusted to each other. If you leave this field blank, the movement map will not  
adjust to the parameters of the video.  
• Lost process – the object’s movement mode in the tracking loss area. Using this  
parameter, you can decide how the object should be moving while in the tracking  
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loss area. There are three options to choose from:  
1. Approximate trajectory – the object remains visible while the program draws its  
estimated movement trajectory.  
2. Hide object – when the object reaches the tracking loss area, it disappears.  
3. Do not process map – the object moves according to the trajectory you’ve drawn.  
To draw the missing piece of trajectory, you’ll need to use the “Movement” tool.  
Please note that if you don’t draw the trajectory for the tracking loss area, the object will be  
moving according to the «Approximate trajectory».  
Motion tracking map conversion  
The map conversion tool allows for converting the movement map into a curve (broken line  
or Bezier curve), access the tracking points that form object movement trajectory, and fine-  
tune tracking precision.  
To start map conversion, make a right mouse-click on the tracking map and select  
Convert to curve. The following window will pop up featuring conversion settings.  
When you select this option, VSDC will convert the motion map to a Broken Curve by  
connecting all the tracking points on the scene. From there, you’ll be able to fine-tune  
tracking accuracy and adjust the movement map based on your needs. Here is what each  
parameter in the settings window means.  
1. Tracking inaccuracy allows you to ignore some of the tracking points to make  
the movement path a little smoother. The best way to see what the value should  
be here is by changing the default number and checking the result in the preview  
window.  
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2. Once you’ve established the level of inaccuracy that works for you, go ahead and  
switch to Bezier curve. This means that instead of having a plane line connecting  
tracking points, you will get a smooth, adjustable spline.  
3. We recommend continuing with the Curve control which makes the path a bit  
smoother. It’s actually very similar to the tracking inaccuracy parameter: some of the  
tracking points around the curve just get removed to make it look more natural.  
4. The next parameter you should work with is Curve delta. It allows you to  
straighten the curves of the path, up to the state of the original tracking path, and  
it’s especially helpful if there’s too much space between tracking points, and the  
object movement doesn’t meet your expectations.  
5. Similarly, Area delta also straightens the curves of the path. However, this  
parameter uses the area around the curves for calculations.  
6. Finally, you can apply the Max section length, and the number of tracking points  
will get optimized based on the maximum possible distance between them.  
Notice that at the bottom of the settings window, you can see the actual number of  
points in your motion tracking map. Another handy feature is the Hide object when  
tracking is lost checkbox. If you select it, you can remove the object from the scene for a  
while.  
7. When ready, hit OK. You’ll notice that the tracking map will be converted back into  
the movement map. The number of tracking points will decrease, and the timeline  
will include the keyframes you can work with using your mouse or the Properties  
window settings.  
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Applying a mask tool  
If for privacy reasons, you need to hide the identity of a person in a video, you can blur or  
pixelate the face of this person. Let’s see how to do it.  
1. Activate the video object on the Timeline clicking it with a mouse. Place the cursor  
at the moment from which you plan to hide an object on your video.  
2. Apply an appropriate video effect. Click the Video effects button on the Editor tab,  
select one of the Blur effects or the Pixelize effect in the Filters category.  
3. Check the From cursor position box within the Object position settings  
window and click Ok. You will be able to correct the position of the effect any time  
later directly on the Timeline area.  
4. Adjust the Blur or Pixelize level within the Properties window to achieve the  
necessary result.  
5. Double click the effect line on the Timeline and select Ellipse on the Objects  
tools toolbar.  
6. Place the cursor to the Scene area, it becomes a crosshair, click and stretch the  
ellipse to around the object you want to hide. Make sure that the third type of the  
Ellipse style is selected on the Editor tab.  
7. Open the Composition mode section of the Timeline area and select the  
Inverted mask option. This option allows you to leave the pixelated or blurred area  
within the Ellipse object only.  
8. In case the object (you have just hidden) moves on the video, it will lose its mask.  
To improve it, you can use the Movement feature of the program. Double click the  
ellipse line on the Timeline and create a moving object following the instructions in  
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the section of the same name above.  
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LUT editor  
LUT, or a Look Up Table, is a set of values defining how color tones should be modified in  
a video or an image. Each LUT contains a table with information on what hue, saturation,  
and lightness values should be for each color tone. When you apply a LUT to an image, it  
compares the original values with the table values and changes the original accordingly.  
In addition to the 10 built-in LUTs available directly in the Basic effects window and Video  
effects menu, VSDC has a built-in LUT editor. The LUT editor allows you to create your  
own LUTs and save them as templates, edit existing LUTs, including LUTs imported from  
3rd-party resources, and export custom LUTs to further use them in other photo or video  
editors.  
How to create a new LUT in VSDC  
To get started, import your image or video to the scene. Open the Resources window (if  
you can’t find it, click View in the menu at the top and select Resources window). Then  
click with the right mouse button anywhere in the Resources window and proceed to Add  
resources -> Create LUT.  
Your new LUT will be added to the list of resources and named “Empty lut 1.cube.”  
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Double-click the image or video to open it and drag the LUT from the Resources window  
to the scene. Keep in mind that by default, the LUT will be added from the playhead  
position on the timeline, but you’ll be able to adjust it manually.  
Finally, double-click the LUT icon in the Resources window to open a LUT editor. You will  
see a pop-up window featuring an HSL histogram and a compact menu on the right side.  
Understanding the histogram and the grid - Web tab  
The white spots on the histogram help you identify which color tones are used in the video.  
Predominant color tones produce more saturated white spot areas.  
If you switch between two types of histograms – Perspective and Orthographic – you’ll  
notice that the white spot pattern changes as well.  
The reason why the color tones are reflected differently is that the perspective histogram  
includes lightness values, meanwhile, the orthographic histogram excludes them. If you’re  
trying to correct overexposed or underexposed footage, you should use the perspective  
histogram  
Once you’ve selected the histogram type, you can also adjust the number of rays (using  
Sizes). Typically, the default setup works for most, but if you’re having a trouble selecting  
the right color tone on the grid, additional rays may be helpful.  
Control points on the grid are interactive. If you select any point, you’ll see its Hue,  
Saturation and Lightness values on the right. Toggle the HSL sliders or just drag the  
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point around to get an idea of how things work.  
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Saturation control settings  
On the histogram, less saturated colors are located in the center, so the closer to the  
edges we get, the higher saturation is. For example, if you’re working with raw footage, its  
color tones are typically unsaturated. That’s why the white spots on the histogram will be  
located primarily in the center.  
To increase saturation for all color tones in the video at once, select the circle of control  
points that includes all the white spots (which means all the color tones in the video) and  
expand it by toggling the saturation slider on the right side.  
Similarly, if you want to increase or decrease saturation for a particular color tone, you can  
select control points in that color tone section and drag them closer to the center or closer  
to the edge.  
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Hue control settings  
Hue values change when we move points around the histogram. Essentially, you can  
replace any color with another one by changing its hue. To do that, select the ray of control  
points in one color section, grab it by the edge point, and drag it to another color section.  
When you change hue for any color tone, the white spots will be rearranged on the  
gradient as well. This happens because the color scheme of the video gets rewritten.  
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Quick tip. If you need to select a particular color tone in the video, but you’re unsure how  
to identify it on the histogram, use the eyedropper tool from the right-side menu. Click the  
eyedropper icon and head to the preview window to find the color tone you want to work  
with. As you move the eyedropper around, you’ll notice two little squares on the histogram:  
purple and green.  
The purple square shows which part of the histogram contains the color the eyedropper  
is currently pointing at. The green square shows the nearest control point on the grid; to  
select it, click the color in the preview window.  
Lightness control settings  
This option allows you to make the color tones in the video darker or brighter. Note that  
you can adjust brightness for all color tones or selected color tones only. For example, if  
you want to adjust lightness for a certain color, select a corresponding ray of control points  
If you need to brighten or darken all color tones in the video, select the corresponding  
circles on the grid.  
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Quick control point selection  
You can select individual control points by clicking them directly, one by one, or by  
selecting the area on the grid where they’re located. However, you can also use the point  
selection tools right under the HSL sliders:  
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This is what each option means:  
• Select central point – use this option to select the central point only  
• Select outer circle – use this option to select all the control points in the outer  
circle  
• Select ray – use this option to select a ray of points (indicate the desired ray by  
selecting at least one control point in it)  
• Select circle – use this option to select a circle of points (similarly, you’ll need to  
indicate the desired circle first by selecting at least one point in it)  
• Increase/Decrease selection – use this option to increase or decrease the  
number of selected points based on the initial selection. For instance, if you’ve  
selected a single point, this option will select or unselect neighboring points. If  
you’ve selected a circle of points, this option will select or unselect neighboring  
circles.  
• Select all – use this option to select all the control points on the grid.  
If you need to prevent a specific control point, a ray, or a circle of points from moving, use  
the Pin button. Similarly, you can use the Pin nearest button to lock the neighboring points.  
The Coefficient tab represents the limiters for the HSL graphs, similar to the ones you can  
find in the Web tab. Using the controls available under each graph, you can change and  
limit the color values or create gradual fading effects.  
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The Adjustments tab allows you to set the brightness, contrast, gamma, temperature,  
and saturation values.  
Note, the LUT editor allow you to perform color correction of the same object in stages.  
At each stage, you’ll be able to define a scope of color tones you’re working with and set  
the desired Hue, Saturation, and Lightness values for them. In other words, if you need  
to perform correction of several different color tones, there’s no need to use the same  
histogram – you can create a separate stage for each tone, which is way more convenient.  
The left part of the LUT editor displays Scopes from the “Scopes window” on page 33.  
The last option available in the LUT Editor is named Reset Panel Layout. It allows you to  
revert to the original workspace and cancel any modifications you’ve made.  
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How to export your LUT from VSDC  
Once you’ve finished working on the LUT, go up to the Title field and give it a name. To  
export the LUT from VSDC and use it in 3rd-party editors, simply click Export in the bottom  
left corner and select the output folder on your PC.  
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Video Segmantation  
VSDC provides video segmentation as a tool based on AI models. AI enables accurate  
identification of the boundaries of one or multiple objects, allowing users to isolate or  
highlight both stationary and moving elements. This capability facilitates tasks such as  
cutting out objects for insertion into other videos, performing color correction, outlining  
characters, creating masks, and applying various editing options to achieve unique visual  
effects.  
Adding Segmentation  
1.  
To start working with segmentation, add your mediafile to the scene. Select this file  
by clicking on it on the timeline and add segmentation by one of the following methods:  
• Right-click the selected object and choose Video effects >> Special FX >>  
Segmentation;  
• Go to the Editor tab, navigate to Video effects >> Special FX >>  
Segmentation.  
2.  
Then you’ll see the Object’s position setting window. Adjust the parameters (if  
necessary) and press OK.  
3.  
Then navigate to the Properties window where you can adjust parameters,  
described below.  
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Parameters of Segmentation  
There are three main groups of parameters, available in the Properties window:  
I.  
Common settings: allow you to specify the name of the added object, object  
creation time, object drawing duration and whether it is bound (or not) to the parent object.  
These are basic settings that can be applied to any object or effect.  
II.  
Adjustment settings: do not work for the Segmentation tool.  
III.  
Segmentation parameters: this section allows you to configure unique parameters  
of segmentation. Below in this article we are going to work with them. Let’s consider them  
in detail in the next part.  
Starting With Segmentation  
1.  
If you are new to working with the segmentation tool, in the Segmentation  
parameters section you will initially see only two options: Download data model and  
Import data model. Click on the Download data model option to get to a web page  
where you can choose from 4 models to download:  
• FB-SAM: This is a basic model with high accuracy in recognizing static objects in  
pictures. Note that it might be demanding on PC memory compared to other AI options  
and operate rather slowly.  
• SAM-HQ: This is an advanced model, offering precise recognition of small elements.  
better performance with moving objects, though it is slower and demands more  
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memory.  
• EdgeSAM: This is an enhanced mode with lower RAM requirements and faster  
performance, perfect for processing long video files on less powerful PCs. It provides  
good segmentation accuracy in most projects.  
• MobileSAM: This is another enhanced model featuring fast performance and low PC  
memory usage and a good alternative to EdgeSAM.  
2.  
After downloading the desired AI model, import it into the program by using the  
Import data model button. This action will update the Segmentation parameters  
menu, where the first option in the list will now include a Model field. This field allows you  
to select, download or import new AI models by clicking the icons on the right.  
3.  
The next step is to select the Processing mode. It determines whether to utilize  
your graphics card (Hardware) or your PC’s resources (Software) while working with the  
Segmentation tool. For optimal performance, we recommend setting Hardware to reduce  
the load on your PC.  
To continue working with the parameters of segmentation, you need to set the  
segmentation region. Here’s how to do it:  
Adding Segmentation Regions  
1.  
Select the Add region button in the Properties window and choose the Include  
region option to mark the area on the scene containing the object for segmentation.  
2.  
Next, you’ll see an area defining the segmentation region in the preview window. If  
necessary, change the size of this area by stretching the markers or move it by dragging  
it with the mouse. Repeat these two steps as needed to create multiple segmentation  
regions.  
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3.  
If the added region shows an area that should be excluded, click the Add region  
button again in the Properties window and choose Exclude region. Position this new area  
over the unwanted object to remove it. NOTE: this exclusion zone must always be within  
the Include region and smaller than it.  
Fine-Tuning the Results of Segmentation  
• Output: defines how the segmentation results are displayed:  
- Composite: conceals everything behind the segmented object without  
modifying the object itself. Additionally, it enables an Invert Mask option, which  
reveals the background while turning the segmented object invisible.  
- Alpha channel: highlights the segmented object in white, with all areas outside  
the object appearing black. It also features an Invert Mask option, which reverses  
this effect by coloring the object black and the surrounding area white. Colors for  
the mask can be customized using the Mask Color and Background Color  
fields.  
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• Aspect correction: can be found in the Model parameter. Refines the contour of  
segmented objects for more accurate results.  
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As you can see from the above example, when the Aspect correction parameter is set  
to True, the program more accurately determines the contour of the object itself in the  
segmentation area. If the result has not changed or has become worse, set it to False and  
use the tools described below to refine the contour of the segmented object.  
• Contour style: customizes the contour of the segmentation. The following options  
are available here:  
-
None: no contour displayed  
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-
Contour and object (available for Output = Composite): shows both  
segmentation result and its contour .  
-
Contour only: displays only the contour.  
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-
Contour overlay (available for Output = Composite): shows the contour of the  
segmentation on the original object in the preview window .  
• Composition mode (available for Contour Style = Contour overlay, Contour  
and object): offers various styles for contour display including Destination over  
which builds contours at the segmentation edge without extending into the object  
boundaries, Source atop where contours directly overlay the segmentation, Darken  
which constructs the contour along the edge and creates a subtler duplicate inside it,  
and more. Experiment with these styles to find your preferred look!  
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• Color (available for Contour Style = Contour overlay, Contour and object):  
sets the contour color for all segmentation regions on the scene and includes two  
additional parameters:  
-
RGB Color: helps to identify the exact color code or modify it to a new one.  
Opacity: adjusts transparency of the contour: if set to 255, it means fully  
-
opaque contours, if set to 0—fully transparent. Here you can also set the Initial/  
Final value for the contour transparency at the beginning/end of the display.  
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• Thickness (available for Contour Style = Contour overlay, Contour and object,  
Contour only): sets the thickness of the contour (calculated in % of the length of the  
edited object, the range is from 0% to 10%). Here you can also set the Initial/Final  
value for the contour thickness at the beginning/end of the display. ).  
• Fill background (available for Contour style = Contour only, Contour overlay):  
fills the area inside the contour with the contour color .  
• Contours for regions: adjusts contour thickness separately for each region  
individually. When set to True, an additional Contour thickness option appears in  
the individual region settings.  
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NOTE: if you previously adjusted the contour thickness using the Thickness option  
described earlier, it will double your values when modifying individual region settings.  
Therefore, it’s recommended to set it to zero.  
• Display all contours: enables drawing contours for all areas found, otherwise only  
for the largest area. To use this parameter, it is recommended to switch to Alpha  
channel for more accurate segmentation.  
This tool ensures accurate segmentation: when Display all contours = True, the program  
highlights/overlays all the smallest points of the original edited object in the segmentation  
region not removed during the segmentation process. Upon identifying these details, you  
can refine the segmentation by excluding them with special points. For more details on  
these points, refer to the section Setting Up Points to Refine Segmentation Regions.  
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• Post filtering: fine-tunes the segmentation contour across all regions. When set to  
True, the following tools become available:  
-
Median filter: smooths the contour by removing noise. Here you can also set  
the Initial/Final value for the contour filter at the beginning/end of the display. The  
higher the value of this parameter, the smoother the contour.  
-
MinMax filter: adjusts the size of the segmentation area in pixels. Positive  
values increase the area around the segmented region, while negative values  
decrease it. The Initial/Final value for the contour can be adjusted at the start and  
end of the display.  
-
Blur filter (available for Contour Style = None/Contour and object): blurs  
the edges of the segmented region . Here you can also set the Initial/Final value  
for the contour filter at the beginning/end of the display. The higher the value of this  
parameter, the wider the blur contour.  
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-
Contour blur level (available for Contour style = Contour and object):  
blures only the outline of the segmented area without affecting the edges. The  
Initial/Final value can be adjusted at the start and end of the display to control  
the level of blur.  
Adjusting Segmentation Regions  
This section allows precise management of segmentation regions using the following icons  
under the Add region button. The primary option is Region, which allows you to modify  
several segmentation settings at once:  
• Color: a square, colored icon that sets the color value for a particular segmentation  
region, displayed in the center of an area.  
• Region level: two arrows (up and down) that adjust the sequence of segmentations  
to move a region higher or lower in the list.  
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• Changing region modes: an icon with two squares that switches between the  
Exclude region and Include region modes for each segmentation region.  
• Delete region: an icon with cross that removes an unnecessary segmentation  
region.  
Expanding the Region menu reveals additional options, each detailed below:  
• Enabled: activates or deactivates a specific segmentation region.  
• Contour thickness (available for Contours for Regions = True): adjusts the  
thickness of the contour in a selected region. It also features a hidden menu that  
allows for modifying the Initial and Final values separately.  
• Post filtering: refines the contour of the segmentation result of a particular region.  
Options include Median filter, MinMax filter and Blur filter, as well as two  
additional options:  
-
Contour blur level: applies a blur effect to the contour with options to set  
Initial and Final values.  
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-
Threshold: sets a threshold value for pixels in a particular segmentation  
region. If a pixel has a value lower than this threshold in the selected mode, the  
program “excludes” this pixel from the segmentation result of a particular region.  
The modes are:  
◊ None: the Threshold parameter is disabled.  
◊ Value: sets a precise Threshold value and adjusts the Initial/Final  
Threshold values as needed.  
◊ Range: A more refined mode that uses the Starting value option to limit  
each pixel in the segmented object, thereby affecting the effectiveness  
of object detection. The lower the Starting value, the better the object  
detection, as it essentially indicates the colors in which the object is found.  
The Delta parameter smooths transitions between pixels if there is a stark  
limit set by the Starting value.  
• Coordinate type:  
-
Relative coordinates: defines how coordinates are set for a particular  
segmentation region:  
◊ Left / Right: sets vertical sides as percentages of the object’s length.  
◊ Top / Bottom: sets horizontal sides as percentages of the object’s  
width.  
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Here you can also set the Initial/Final value for the vertical/horizontal value  
at the beginning/end of the display.  
-
Whole Image: applies segmentation to the entire object without adjusting  
coordinates, using points added through the Add point button to find objects for  
segmentation. The process of working with points in this mode is identical to the  
one described below, while the search for objects will be performed around the  
Include point, and with the help of Exclude point you can “cut off” unnecessary/  
faulty areas.  
Setting Up Points to Refine Segmentation Regions  
Another tool for refining a particular segmentation region is the refinement points. To start  
working with them, go to the segmentation region in the Properties window in which you  
want to implement the refinement and click on the Add point button. In the drop-down  
menu, select one of the positions:  
-
Include point: the area around the added point will be included in the  
segmentation result of this region.  
-
Exclude point: the program will cut out the area around the added point  
(including it) from the segmentation results of the region.  
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In the menu that appears, you will see the Point field where you can also adjust settings  
such as changing the point’s color, modifying its mode, or deleting it. If you expand  
the Point menu, you can access additional settings such as:  
• Enabled: allows to enable (=True) or disable (=False) a specific refinement point.  
• Coordinate type:  
-
Relative coordinates: allows to manually adjust the coordinates for a specific  
refinement point on the X and Y axes, where with the Initial/Final value X / Y is  
the coordinate value at the beginning/end of the display.  
-
Tracking point: segments an object during some video clip. Below we  
consider this option in details:  
How to Use Tracking Points for Segmentation  
1.  
To begin, locate the segmentation object on the timeline and hide it using the eye  
icon located to the left of to display the object without any modifications.  
2. Select the Add tracking point (detailed guide on page 139) option from the vertical  
toolbar menu on the left side of the scene and set this point on the object you want to  
track.  
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3.  
Right-click on the preview screen to open the drop-down menu and select Create  
movement map (detailed guide on page 145). In the window that appears, give a name  
to the future motion map and save it.  
4.  
In the new Tracking window select the region where the object you want to track  
is located. Then click on the Start analysis button, and the program will create a motion  
map of the selected object. If you are satisfied with the result, click Apply editing.  
5.  
Double click the Tracking Point object on the timeline, go to the Editor tab and  
click Add object >> Movement >> Movement map. This will apply the movement map  
you created to the point.  
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6.  
Reveal the Segmentation object on the timeline by returning the eye icon on the left  
side of the layer. Then go to the segmentation Properties, find the point to which you want  
to apply Tracking point and set Tracking point in Coordinate type.  
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Keyframes  
Keyframes are control points that enable video editing programs to determine the  
start and end of animations or effects. In the VSDC video editor, keyframes have a  
specific purpose and are utilized for tasks such as color correction, setting video effects,  
animations, and audio effects, including Amplify for volume adjustments and Fade in/  
Fade out transitions.  
In this section we explore how to work with keyframes in VSDC and how to apply them to  
video effects or change colors. Additionally, keyframe operation is discussed in the Time  
Remapping section on page 134, and a separate algorithm for Motion Tracking is  
presented on page 145.  
Using keyframes for video effects  
Regardless of the video effect chosen, the editing window for keyframes remains  
consistent across all options, always indicated by ‘...’ next to the option that supports  
adjustment by keyframes in the Properties window. In this guide, we’ll use the popular  
Zoom effect as an example to demonstrate how to start working with keyframes:  
1. Create a New Project:  
To begin, create a new project by selecting the Blank Project option from the startup  
window. Once created, you can easily drag and drop your files onto the timeline.  
Alternatively, if you have a pre-existing video file, use the Import Content feature.  
2. Adjust the Object’s Parameters:  
Left-click the necessary file on the timeline, navigate to the Properties window and select  
Set the same size as the parent has. This step is crucial for creating the Zoom effect  
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since it prevents possible pixelation when zooming a small object and allows to adjust  
other parameters correctly.  
3. Apply Video Effects:  
Right-click the necessary file on the timeline and in the context menu that appears,  
navigate to Video effects >> Transforms >> Zoom.  
4. Open Effect Options  
The applied effect will appear on the timeline. Ensure that the effect is highlighted, then  
move to the Properties Window located to the right of the scene. If the Properties  
window is not visible, right-click on the effect and select Properties....  
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5. Configure Keyframing for Effects:  
In the Properties window, look for the parameter that allows keyframing, indicated by “…”.  
In our example we select the Levels parameter and click on the three dots icon next to it.  
Note: If there is a straight line next to the “…” parameter, you can right-click on it to  
set specific parameter changes:  
• Constant parameter value: The parameter value you set remains unchanged  
throughout the duration of your media. For example, setting the zoom of a clip  
to 50% will maintain that level until the end, with only one keyframe.  
• Linear parameter change: The parameter changes at a constant rate over  
time. For instance, gradually increasing the size of a clip from 0% to 100% over  
10 seconds involves setting two keyframes at the beginning and end.  
• Linear parameter change along a trajectory: The parameter change follows  
a specified path or trajectory, with three or more keyframes applied so that the  
object changes its parameters several times during its visibility on the scene.  
• Parameter change along a curve: This involves altering a parameter along a  
curved path, allowing for more nuanced changes between keyframes, such as  
smoothly zooming in or out.  
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• Parameter change along a Bezier curve: A Bezier curve is a specific type  
of curve defined by keyframes, allowing for even more precise control over the  
trajectory of changes.  
• Templates: This option allows you to choose from pre-made templates for  
time-changing effects. Notably, there is a template for the Edit the beat effect,  
which allows you to create a curve based on the rhythm of the audio file you’ve  
added.  
6. Go to the Key Editor Window  
As soon as you click the three dots icon next to a parameter or select the necessary  
template, the Key Editor window will open beneath the Properties window. You can  
adjust the location of this window as per your preference simply by dragging the caption of  
the window and moving it to a new location.  
Working with Keyframes  
In the Key Editor window, you’ll see a timeline representing the duration of your object  
where you’ll need to create key points to mark when the object should change. Above  
the timeline, there’s a tab area, allowing you to open the Key editor for multiple objects  
simultaneously and switch between them using these tabs. Further above, there’s a toolbar  
for adding, editing, and deleting key points on the timeline. Finally, there’s a vertical panel  
on the right for scaling the area where the effect’s change curve is located.  
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Let’s create a simple Zoom in and out effect with a center offset, so the object transitions  
to the center of the scene from a corner upon zooming in and returns to another corner at  
the end, similar to video reactions often seen on YouTube.  
1. Set the object size to 40% for the initial point. Select it on the curve and enter the  
value in the Point field on the toolbar.  
2. Move the cursor to the position where the object should maintain the same Zoom  
value before changing. Double-click on the curve at this position to create a point  
and set the value for this point to 40%.  
3. Move the cursor again, double-click on the curve, and assign a value of 100% to  
mark that at this position, the frame should grow from 40% to 100%.  
4. Add another point with a value of 100%, indicating when the object should remain  
at this size.  
5. Add one more point marking when the object will decrease again to 40%.  
6. Set the value to 40% for the final point as well.  
We now have a curve with a total of 6 points. You can enable project preview using the  
red button on the toolbar to see how the object changes over time. Next, let’s change the  
center values so the object moves out from and back into the corner:  
1. Select the Zoom effect on the timeline and navigate back to the Properties  
window. Find the Center X/Y parameter and click on the three-dot icon next to  
either of them; the editor will adjust the parameters automatically.  
2. In the Key Editor window, click on the third icon Parameters in the tools section  
above the timeline and choose Levels from the dropdown menu. This will display  
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the curve of that parameter with its key points, making it easier to adjust the  
center curve.  
3. Create the key points on this new horizontal curve placing them just below the  
previous ones.  
4. Place the red playhead cursor on the first point at the beginning of the curve  
and select the point, then move the object’s center to the top-right corner of  
the scene, adjusting its position. Repeat this for the second and third points on  
the curve. Don’t forget to move the red playhead cursor each time to check the  
position of the object at each point.  
A quick tip: You can copy the Point value represented on the upper toolbar to keep the  
position of the object precisely as at the previous point.  
5. Position the cursor on the fourth point when the object’s size is still 100%  
and should begin to change to 40%, and move the object’s center to the  
top-left corner. Set the same position for the object for the fifth and sixth  
points. The effect is ready!  
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Tools Available for Editing Keyframes  
Now that we have created a simple effect using keyframes, let's explore all the tools  
available in the Key Editor window so you can enhance your effect or control it as needed:  
• Copy points: Allows you to copy all points set on a curve.  
• Paste points: Allows you to paste previously copied key points onto a new curve.  
• Parameters: Displays the curve of another effect parameter in the background,  
which is useful for comparison.  
• Preview: Launches a preview of the project in a separate window with selected  
quality.  
• Play: Starts the project preview on the scene.  
• Path properties: Allows you to change point properties for Parameter change  
along a curve and Parameter change along a Bezier curve options. For  
example, you can make a selected point an intermediate point on the curve  
or the last point of the trajectory. Additional options become available only  
when selecting Parameter change along a curve, enabling you to calculate  
parameters for your selected point based on past or upcoming points to smooth  
the transition.  
• Lock point transition to the left edge: This option keeps the distance between  
key points on the curve when changing the duration of the effect on the timeline,  
altering only values between the last and the penultimate points on the curve.  
• Scale point positions: Allows you to evenly change the distance between key  
points on the curve when adjusting the duration of the effect on the timeline to  
maintain the original composition.  
• Lock point transition to the right edge: This option keeps the distance  
between key points on the curve when changing the duration of the effect on the  
timeline, altering only values between the first and second points on the curve.  
• Insert point: Adds a key point at the cursor's position on the curve.  
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• Remove: Removes a selected key point or all points on the curve.  
• Show time/frame: Displays time or frame values on the timeline.  
• Point: Shows the current temporal location of a key point and allows its values to  
be set in percentages.  
• Templates: Offers a selection of pre-set templates for changing object values.  
Using keyframes for color correction  
In the VSDC program, colors of objects can also be adjusted using keyframes. Below,  
we will discuss how to work with color keyframes and provide you with a complete list of  
objects that are available for color adjustments, as well as effects that change colors using  
keyframes.  
As an example, let’s consider applying the Lens Flare effect to a video:  
1. On the timeline, select the file to which you want to apply the effect. Then open the  
Video Effects menu located above the preview window. In the Nature section, find  
Lens Flare and click on it. A window with effect position settings will open. You can  
modify these settings or leave them at their default values by clicking OK.  
2. On the timeline, find the applied effect and click on it. Then go to the Properties  
window located on the right. If the Properties window is not open, right-click on the  
effect and select Properties.  
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3. In this window, find the Color Tone parameter and click on the tree dots icon next to  
it. The Scopes window will change and display a graph where you can create and  
modify keyframes.  
4. By default, all effects with color adjustment parameters contain two keyframes: the  
first and the last. They are represented by squares of the same light brown color on  
the timeline.  
5. To create a new keyframe, move the cursor to the desired position on the timeline.  
Then return to the Properties window and find the diamond-shaped icon next to the  
Color Tone parameter. Click on it to create a new keyframe.  
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6. If the diamond icon is filled, it means that a keyframe has already been created,  
and clicking on the icon again will remove it. If you see only the outline of the icon, it  
means that a keyframe has not been added yet, and you can create one.  
7. Use the left and right arrow keys located next to the diamond to navigate between  
keyframes.  
Changing the Color of Keyframes  
After creating keyframes, you can assign different colors to them. To select a desired color,  
simply double-click on the corresponding keyframe on the timeline or go to the Properties  
window and click on the small colored rectangle that represents the current color of the  
keyframe. In this example, we have applied the Lens Flare effect, so this option is located  
in the Color Tone section. In the opened panel, you can choose a color or specify its value  
in RGB or HEX code format.  
You can also change the color of a keyframe by moving it up or down the timeline. To do  
this, hold down the Shift key and drag the keyframe to the desired position.  
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If you want to select a color directly from the scene, use the Eyedropper tool located in  
the Properties window. However, keep in mind that the timeline cursor must align with the  
edited keyframe for the Eyedropper icon to appear.  
You can assign different shades to each keyframe, and the algorithm will provide smooth  
transitions between them. After assigning colors, the gradient bar displayed below the  
keyframes on the timeline will automatically update, showing how the effect’s color will  
change during playback. If you want to adjust when a keyframe appears or disappears in  
the video, simply move it to the right or left while holding the Shift key.  
Controlling Color Transition between Keyframes  
If you want to maintain the color during the transition between keyframes and set different  
durations for fading out the old color and fading in the new color, follow these steps:  
1. On the timeline, place the cursor on the keyframe whose color you want to preserve.  
2. Locate the option Parameter change along a Bezier curve, which is positioned  
on the same line as the red preview start button, and click on it.  
3. While holding down the Ctrl key, click on the keyframe and move the mouse to the  
right or left. This action will display two vectors of different colors emanating from the  
selected keyframe.  
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The vectors represent the extension of the keyframe’s color. The longer the vectors, the  
longer the color will remain constant without transitioning to the next one. If the vectors are  
not visible, the transition between colors will occur smoothly with equal weighting of both  
colors. Each vector can be individually adjusted using the mouse.  
Adding Additional Effects  
and Synchronizing Parameters  
When working with the editor, you can synchronize keyframes between identical effects  
with color adjustment parameters. To synchronize the colors, follow these steps:  
1. Select two or more identical effects on the timeline. In our case, let’s choose the Lens  
Flare effect.  
2. Locate the synchronization button in the Color Tone parameter of properties window  
and click on it. This button is positioned next to the left-pointing arrow. Note that if the  
keyframes are already synchronized, the button will not appear.  
3. By default, the keyframes will be synchronized from the first Effect selected. However,  
if you want to copy keyframes from another Effect, right-click on the synchronization  
button.  
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4. From the menu that appears, select the desired Effect that you want to use as the  
source of keyframes.  
Below, you can find a table describing the parameters in various objects/effects that you  
can use to create keyframes and assign colors to them:  
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Object  
Properties  
Text  
Brush – Transparent/Solid  
• Color  
Subtitles  
Text Color  
Contour width  
•
Contour color  
Curve line  
Pen - Solid  
•
Color  
Pen – Gradient  
•
Start/End color  
Pen – Point gradient  
*By selecting this mode, double click the Curve line on the  
timeline, select any of its control points and go back to the  
Properties window:  
•
Add parameters  
Brush gradient settings  
Color  
o
o
o
Pen gradient settings  
Color  
o
Audio spectrum  
Type – Peaks  
Start color  
Type – Gradient peaks  
•
•
Start/Middle/End color  
Type – Customizable peaks  
•
•
Start/Middle/End color  
Contour color  
Type – Gradient lines  
•
Start/Middle/End color  
Type – Gradient lines with blur  
•
•
Start/Middle/End color  
Border line color  
Peak caps – Simple line/Dots  
Peak cap color  
•
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Free shape  
Brush – Point gradient  
*By selecting this mode, double click the Free shape on the  
timeline, select any of its control points and go back to the  
Properties window:  
•
Add parameters  
Brush gradient settings  
Color  
o
o
o
Pen gradient settings  
Color  
o
Recoloring text effect  
Apply to glyph – Color transformation/ Color and alpha  
transformation  
•
Color  
Apply to contour – Color transformation/ Color and alpha  
transformation  
•
Color  
Apply to background – Color transformation/ Color and alpha  
transformation  
•
Color  
Tracking point  
Bokeh glare  
Add parameters  
•
•
Brush gradient settings  
o
o
Color  
Pen gradient settings  
Color  
Flare settings  
•
Use random color – False  
Color  
o
Lens flare  
Shadow  
Glitch  
Color tone  
Shadow color  
Use stage №  
•
Effect Type – Fill with color  
Flares color  
o
Shadow  
Glitch  
Shadow color  
Use stage №  
•
Effect Type – Fill with color  
Color  
o
Matrix  
Mix mode – Overlay/Color burn  
•
Use layer №  
Color  
o
Paper burn  
Outer zone color  
Inner zone color  
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Shattered glass  
Fracturing – Centered/Disbanded  
•
•
Backside color  
Border color  
Background remover  
Borders  
Mode – By HSL Chromakey color/By YUV Chromakey color  
Chromakey color  
Mode – Solid/Light gradient/Dark gradient  
Color  
•
•
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Multicam  
The Multicam editing mode is designed for video creators who shoot with multiple  
cameras. It allows switching between different camera angles and makes it easy to  
synchronize audio and video from all resources on the timeline.  
How to create a multicam clip  
To get started open the Resources window located on the right side of the main win-  
dow and add your files just by dragging them from your desktop. Next, select the files,  
make a right mouse button click, and select Create a multicam clip.  
Next, you will see a pop-up window showing the options available for multicam set-  
tings.  
1. Sync mode - defines the synchronization algorithm. If you select In, the files  
will be synchronized through the beginnings; if you select Out, the files will be  
synchronized through the endings. Timecode will be a good choice if you used  
timecode synchronization while shooting, and finally, the last synchronization  
algorithm Sound is based on the audio tracks. In this case, the program analyzes  
audio files and places the video files accordingly.  
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2. Camera name - defines file names shown on the Source window. Explore op-  
tions in the dropdown menu, and you’ll see the resulting names.  
3. Default track - helps you choose the default audio track for the selected video  
file in the clip order section.  
4. Clip order – determines the order the video is displayed in the Source window.  
Once you’ve finished adjusting the multicam clip, click OK to apply the settings, go  
back to the Resources window, and drag the multicam clip onto the timeline.  
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Working with the multicam clip  
On the timeline, your multicam will look like a normal video with just a couple of differ-  
ences. For example, you have green lines indicating the beginnings and the endings of  
all files.  
Also, the multicam contains all the camera angles and audio tracks you’ve added,  
however, you can’t open a multicam with a double-click as you would with a regular  
file, so you can’t manually edit the tracks within it.  
To start working with a multicam file, go to the View tab and open Sources. This panel  
contains all the camera angles and audio files you’ve added to the multicam-file.  
To switch between angles, simply click on the desired file, and the audio or video file  
will adjust accordingly on the timeline.  
You can do that during the playback as well as when the playback is paused.  
If you would like to select a video or audio and edit them separately, you can do it by  
choosing a different option in the Sources window. Notice, the first option is called  
Split audio and video – this tool works with both video and audio tracks; the second  
option, Split video, works with video tracks only; and the third option, Split audio –  
works with audio tracks only.  
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The same set of tools is available in the Multicam toolbar (see Multicam tab), so feel  
free to use it wherever is more convenient for you.  
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Saving videos  
After you finish working on you project, save it as a video file in a suitable video format.  
1. Go to the Export project tab and select one of the available video formats.  
First, choose a media device on which you plan to play the video then a format  
supported by the chosen device. To see the whole list of supported devices, click a  
small arrow button in the Select media device field.  
You can find a detailed description of all the available devices and formats in the Program  
Interface part of the manual.  
2. Indicate the path to store the resulting video in the Output file(s) field.  
3. Select the necessary profile in the corresponding field and change its quality if  
necessary. You can also configure your own profile clicking the Edit profile button.  
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4. Click the Export project button to start the conversion process. If you used some  
premium options, you will see the following message showing the list of features  
used in your project.  
5. After the conversion process is completed, you will get a video file of the selected  
format. Open the Tools tab and use the YouTube uploader application to upload  
the resulting video directly to your YouTube account or use the Disc burner  
application to burn video to a compact disc or create a DVD video  
You will be able to upgrade your version of the program and save your project with all the  
applied options. You can also click the Continue button and export your project without  
premium features.  
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Program settings  
To access the program settings click the Options button at the right top corner of the  
Main window. An additional window will open allowing you to change settings of fifteen  
sections: General Options, Acceleration Options, Application Directories, View and Paper  
Settings.  
General Options  
Here you can change the following parameters:  
• Used language – the language of the program interface. The available languages  
are English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese,  
Chinese Simplified, Hindi, Turkish, Urdu, and Farsi. To activate the selected  
language, you need to close and restart the program.  
• Used skin – the skin of the program interface. The available skins are Blue, Black,  
Black v2, Aqua and Silver  
.
• Used style – the style of the program interface similar to the Office software. The  
available styles are Office 2007 (black, blue, silver, aqua) and Office 2010 (black,  
blue, silver) and Office 2016 (Black, White, Gray).  
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• Used icons – the icons used in the Main window of the program. They can be  
colored or black.  
• Minimize application to tray – check this box if you prefer to minimize the  
application to the System tray while working.  
• Minimize the Ribbon – check this box to collapse the Ribbon Command Bar to  
save space on the Main Window. When the ribbon is minimized, the command  
buttons are hidden but the tabs are visible.  
• Show template properties – enable this option to open the template properties  
in the Properties window on the Editor tab.  
• Show properties help – enable this Option to see tooltips for the selected options  
in the properties window.  
• Preload templates – uncheck this box to disable preloading wizard templates.  
This will reduce the amount of memory that the application uses. If necessary, you  
can load the templates manually by clicking the Wizard tool.  
• Enable Ribbon’s animation & Enable toolbar’s animation - check these  
boxes if you prefer buttons to highlight and fade gradually.  
• Show window’s shadow – untick this option to disable window shadows.  
• Default background color in wizard – use it to change the project background  
color, created by Wizard. Here you can uncheck the “Opaque color” option to  
create a transparent background.  
To change the duration of the main project parameters, use the following options: default  
scene duration, default object duration, default transition duration, default audio  
transition duration.  
Storyboard memory cache size and Storyboard file cache size are used to limit how  
much memory can be used by the software to save the intermediate result.  
Use the “Clear сache” button to go back to default settings.  
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Acceleration Options  
In general, the acceleration options help you effectively process video content while editing.  
It’s possible to create a scene, read/write and decode/encode the video using the multi-  
core processor capability. All these options are enabled by default.  
The hardware acceleration options will be especially useful for those who work with HD  
video. When this feature is enabled, the program treats HD or 4K files using the capacity of  
your video card.  
Please note that hardware acceleration for video decoding is disabled by default, but you  
can enable it manually. The program automatically selects the type of HW decoder suitable  
for your PC. However, you can manually select another hardware decoder and change its  
resolution if you want to.  
Acceleration may be required for the entire file / project with all its elements or separate  
parts of the project / video / image, so you can choose what type of hardware acceleration  
suits you.  
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Nvidia HW and Intel HW are the fastest hardware codecs that work with the entire file /  
project. They are supplied by manufacturers. The newer your PC’s processor (Intel) and the  
video card (Nvidia) are, the faster these hardware codecs will work.  
In addition to hardware codecs, you will find the following hardware accelerators available:  
DirectX, Direct3D, Cuda HW. They use a software decoder that decodes only those  
parts of the project / video / image that need to be accelerated. This affects their speed  
compared to Intel and Nvidia.  
Users with the AMD APU and AMD graphics cards should select DirectX, Direct3D.  
DirectX is almost always faster than Direct3D, so consider choosing it whenever  
possible.  
CUDA is an NVIDIA technology that makes programming on a graphics card easier. It  
allows your GPU to facilitate parallelization and resource usage decisions to maximize the  
performance.  
Use video pre-reading – this option allows for performing video reading and decoding  
simultaneously with other tasks.  
There are three video pre-reading options available:  
• Don’t use multi-core processing  
• Always use multi-core processing  
• Use multi-core processing only for HW decoding  
If you are running a low-end PC, it’s always better to switch to “Don’t use multi-core  
processing”. The other two options may improve playback and rendering, depending on  
the processor load.  
• Optimize project before preview/export – enable these options to allow the  
program to open media content used in your project before preview or export.  
• Close video decoder as object is inactive/Close HW video decoder as  
object is inactive – enable it to reduce PC memory usage.  
• Video’s deinterlacing mode – select between 9 deinterlacing methods: Middle  
and Blending or Don’t use deinterlacing at all.  
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Proxy Options  
Proxy files are lower-resolution versions of your original video files. They are created  
to improve the editing process and eliminate preview lag, especially when working with  
high-resolution footage. In the section of options as illustrated below, you can control the  
settings related to proxy files. The proxy files themselves can be generated within the  
Resources window (refer to the Resources window section for more details).  
Proxy for preview: By default, the program generates proxy files at a resolution of 720p.  
However, you have the flexibility to choose from six additional options to generate a proxy  
copy that reduces or eliminates lag during preview on your specific computer. Opting for a  
lower quality proxy helps minimize potential performance issues.  
Proxy for export: When exporting your project, you can use proxies to quickly share files  
for review when the highest resolution of the original file is not necessary. There are five  
quality options available for you to choose from, ensuring the appropriate level of quality  
based on your requirements.  
Proxy resize mode: If you notice any angular or pixelated visuals during the preview,  
you can select from five available interpolation methods in this section. Experimenting with  
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different methods can enhance the visual quality of the proxy footage.  
Hardware decoder type: In this section, you can choose the type of hardware decoder  
to be used. By default, the software employs your graphics card for proxy creation. To  
determine which card is being utilized, navigate to the Acceleration options, where the  
“Use video card for HW processing” checkbox indicates the card in use. Regardless of the  
checkbox status, the software still utilizes the graphics card for proxy processing. Select  
the appropriate hardware decoder based on your system configuration: NVidia Hardware  
for Nvidia graphics cards, Intel HW for Intel graphics cards, and DirectX or Direct3D for  
AMD APUs and AMD graphics cards. DirectX is generally faster than Direct3D, so it is  
recommended whenever possible. CUDA, an NVIDIA technology, facilitates programming  
on a graphics card, enabling parallelization and optimizing PC resources for optimal  
performance.  
Proxy media format: Here, you can choose the codec for creating proxy video files. The  
available options include H264, H265, and DNxHR. DNxHR codecs offer different quality  
profiles, while the selection of H264 and H265 codecs depends on the graphics card  
chosen in the Acceleration options. Although H264 and H265 codecs may result in slightly  
larger file sizes, they provide faster processing on modern hardware.  
The available DNxHR codec profiles are as follows:  
DNxHR LB (Low Bandwidth): 8-bit 4:2:2 Offline Quality.  
DNxHR SQ (Standard Quality): 8-bit 4:2:2 suitable for delivery formats.  
DNxHR HQ (High Quality): 8-bit 4:2:2.  
DNxHR HQX (High Quality): 10-bit 4:2:2 suitable for UHD/4K broadcast-quality delivery.  
DNxHR 444: 10-bit 4:4:4 suitable for cinema-quality delivery.  
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Timeline options  
This section allows you to adjust settings for the timeline.  
• Timeline style – helps you change the outlook of the timeline area, with  
two options available: Office 2007 (light) or Office 2016 (dark).  
• Layer order – allows you to determine how the layers are displayed: in the  
rendering order or in the order presented on the scene.  
• Timeline scale control – contains several available modes. By default, the  
program doesn’t save the timeline scale. To avoid manual change s every  
time you switch between objects, select “Always save timeline scale” (with  
constant value) or “Save timeline scale for every object”.  
• Scrolling mode during playback – is mainly used when the timeline is  
zoomed in and you want it to follow the cursor during playback.  
• Block dragging mode – allows you to select one of two appropriate  
modes from the drop-down list. Using the default mode may distort the files  
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sequence when dragging. The second mode allows you to group the order  
of the files.  
• Object snapping – this value allows you to adjust the distance between  
objects when moving them on the timeline.  
• Add temporary layer while dragging an object – allows for the creation  
of a temporary layer at the lowest level of the timeline when an object is  
moved. This is useful for positioning the object beneath others on the timeline.  
• Delete layer if all objects have been deleted –automatically removes  
a layer from the timeline if all objects there are deleted, preventing empty  
space if there are other layers with objects above and below it.  
• Add videos and images to the end of selected layer by default –  
activates automatic addition of new videos or images to the end of the  
currently selected layer, rather than creating a new layer.  
• Add audios to the end of selected layer by default –ensures new audio  
files are added to the end of the selected layer by default, avoiding the  
creation of a new layer.  
• Add other objects to the end of selected layer by default – ensures  
new texts, shapes, and animations are added to the end of the selected  
layer by default.  
• Set cursor position to object’s visible area when switching to editing  
object mode – sets the cursor to the start of an object when it is opened  
for editing via double-click; maintains the cursor position if it is already within  
the object's bounds.  
• Actions that trigger object’s visibility on the timeline – specifies the  
actions required to make an object visible on the timeline.  
• Show time on timeline by default – ensures that time is displayed by  
default on the timeline in new projects. If you have switched to displaying  
frames, you can toggle back to showing time using the "Show time or  
frame" option above the timeline.  
• Rename layer when click is held – allows you to rename a layer by  
holding a click; otherwise, a double-click is required.  
• Open several objects on layer – disable this option if you prefer opening  
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multiple media files in a Wizard for slideshow creation, otherwise they will  
simply be added to the timeline.  
• Use storyboard for videos – disable this option if you do not want to see  
video frames displayed on the timeline, which can reduce computer load.  
• Show waveform on adding audio – turn off this option if you do not want  
to display audio waveforms for audio files added to the timeline, reducing  
computer load.  
• Use Shift to trim file from start while dragging the left edge – allows  
you to trim the beginning of a file by dragging its left edge with the Shift key  
held down; otherwise, the program will preserve the start of the file and trim  
frames from the end.  
• Use Shift to set work area – prevents the boundaries of the work area,  
marked by two grey rectangles under the timeline's time markings, from  
being moved when dragging the cursor along the timeline. However, holding  
down the Shift key will allow you to adjust the work area to follow the  
cursor's movement on the timeline.  
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Editor options  
This option can be particularly useful for those working with large projects. When the  
standard mode is enabled, the program stores a complete history of all the changes  
applied to objects in the clipboard. Check the “Use smart Undo/Redo buffer” box to  
specify the media file whose changes will be transferred to the buffer for saving and further  
recovery, if necessary. This action will reduce the amount of computer memory used by the  
software.  
Video and audio files close mode determines the decoding process on the timeline.  
When switching between these options, the editor only reads the file that is displayed in  
the main scene window. The rest of the files are either closed completely, or the editor  
disables their streams reading. Please note that to enable this option, you need to activate  
the options “Close video decoder as object is inactive” and “Close HW video decoder as  
object is inactive”. They are located in the acceleration section.  
The parameters named “Undo/Redo buffer size” and “Text Undo/Redo buffer size”  
will help you determine how many changes should be stored on the buffer. By default,  
the program saves 100 consecutive changes made in media files and text objects,  
respectively.  
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Timeline time format provides two available formats to display time in the top left corner  
of the timeline.  
Delay in scene duration calculation allows you to delay the recalculation of the scene  
duration when dragging blocks on the timeline.  
The option “Apply default properties from last modified object to new created  
object” is enabled by default. The editor automatically saves  
changes applied to all of the shape tools, text and some effects. If you uncheck this box,  
the editor will use the default settings for each new object added to the scene.  
If you enable the “Set object position parameters when adding video or image to  
the scene” parameter, you can manually determine the position of the added object on  
the scene. When you add a video or an image to the scene, you will need to click the  
Scene area and stretch the cursor to place the object. By default, a video or an image file  
immediately appears on the Scene area and automatically fits its size.  
The parameter Allow free rotation of Bezier curve control points allows you to create a  
90-degree angle on the Bezier curve.  
The default option Allow for moving selected object overlapped by the top object  
in the scene editor allows you to select any object on the timeline and move it around on  
the scene, even if it’s overlapped by another file. (Alt key must be pressed)  
If the font used is not displayed correctly you can reset font buffer while drawing.  
In case the text line is longer than the frame of the text box on the scene, enable the option  
“Start scrolling text automatically if it exceeds the frame width” to display the end  
of the line or keep it disabled to display the beginning of the line.  
Paste object to cursor position on timeline - this option is enabled by default, allowing  
you to place objects from the cursor position on the timeline when using the drag and drop  
option to add them to the scene.  
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Saving options  
In this field you can select when it’s necessary to save input resources.  
• Automatically save the project every – select an appropriate period from the  
drop down list to enable the Auto Save option.  
• Number of files for autosaving projects – this option helps you specify the  
number of automatically saved project copies. Note, the option only works if you  
have the auto save option enabled. By default the project copies are saved in the  
same folder as the main project file.  
• Create a backup file before saving – this box is checked by default and it  
automatically creates a backup copy of your project file.  
• Save only used resources when Project saving/packing and Save only  
used resources when Scene saving/packing – these options indicate whether  
to save the media files used in the project or scene, or simply create links to their  
locations on the computer to reduce the size of the project or scene file.  
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Application Directories  
Here you can see and change the paths to save files (Projects, Videos, Snapshots, Data)  
on your computer. The default directories are located in the Users folder of the hard disk  
drive.  
To change the folder to store temporary files, uncheck Detect the temporary folder  
automatically box.  
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View  
This section repeats the View tab of the Ribbon command bar. It allows you to enable or  
disable some parts of the program interface. You can customize the Main window of the  
program activating or hiding the following areas: Projects explorer, Objects explorer,  
Properties window and Resources window.  
You can also show or hide the following panels: Objects tools, Editing tools, Paper  
tools, Layout tools, Zoom tools.  
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Paper Settings  
This section repeats the Paper tools toolbar, which helps perform your editing operations  
with more precision by drawing a grid over the Scene area.  
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Message options  
This section allows you to disable/enable warning messages which provide explanations of  
the program functions.  
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Player options  
• Audio devices – use this dropdown menu to change an audio device.  
• Audio balance – move the slider to change the audio balance value.  
• Default payback quality — set video file quality for the preview window.  
• Playback buffer size — manually indicate the minimum and maximum number of  
frames stored in the buffer.  
• Video’s resize mode – select one of the available resize modes. By default, the  
program uses the Linear interpolation mode to resize images. To prevent the loss  
of image quality you can select one of the advanced resizing methods, such as  
Nearest neighbor interpolation, Cubic Interpolation, Supersampling interpolation  
and Lanczos interpolation.  
In case your PC is not coping with the amount of information that needs to be processed  
simultaneously and the preview window lags use the Skip frames option and disable  
subpixel accuracy in player during preview.  
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• Use double buffering during playback – this option enhances smoothness and  
reduces flickering by utilizing two buffers for alternating rendering and displaying  
frames in the preview window.  
• Crop the frame to the scene size during playback – check this box to make all  
files fit the scene during preview.  
• Set priority while playback – switch between the three available modes to  
change the priority of your CPU. It will allow the program to use more power of your  
processor for smoother playback.  
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Audio recording option  
In this section you can set appropriate settings for audio recording such as output format,  
audio device, audio volume and etc.  
• Format – select one of the available audio format for recording.  
• Profiles – use the most appropriate profile settings such as bitrate, frequency and  
channels. To change settings, click Edit profiles.  
• Output folder – set the path where the program saves your recording.  
• Audio devices – choose a required device that captures sound. To detect a new  
device, click Refresh.  
• Input – select an input audio source.  
• Audio volume – adjust the volume of recording.  
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Keyboard shortcuts  
In this section, you’ll find the keyboard shortcuts available in the editor, learn how to  
reassign them or create your own combinations.  
The first field is called Keyboard Scheme. It’s designed for those switching from a  
different video editing program. You’ll find 4 keyboard shortcut schemes there: Default,  
Adobe Premier, Filmora, HitFilm.  
A complete list of available hotkeys is available in a table in the middle of this window. To  
navigate through the table, use the Shortcuts filter option, which will help you quickly find  
the desired keyboard shortcut.  
When you select any of the commands from the table, the assigned hotkeys will appear  
in the Shortcut for selected commands field. If necessary, you can remove them using  
the option of the same name or reassigned in the field under the Press shortcut keys  
option.  
If the new combination is already being used by another action, you will see a warning in  
the field named Shortcut currently used by.  
If you want to reset the keyboard shortcuts to their default settings, click the Reset button  
next to the Keyboard scheme.  
Projects  
New project  
Ctrl + N  
Ctrl + O  
Ctrl + F4  
Ctrl + S  
Ctrl + F7  
F7  
Open project  
Close project  
Save project  
Preview project  
Export project  
Scenes  
Edit  
Preview scene in separate window  
Play scene  
Ctrl + F5  
F5, SPACE  
Cut  
Ctrl + X  
Copy  
Ctrl + C  
Paste  
Ctrl + V  
Delete  
Ctrl + `  
Undo  
Ctrl + Z  
Move selected object up  
Alt + Up Arrow  
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Move selected object down  
Move object to top  
Alt + Down Arrow  
Alt + Home  
Move object to bottom  
Alt + End  
View  
Show/hide Project explorer  
Show/hide Objects explorer  
Show/hide Properties window  
Show/hide Resources window  
Show/hide Timeline  
Ctrl + 1  
Ctrl + 2  
Ctrl + 3  
Ctrl + 4  
Ctrl + 5  
Show/hide Basic effects window  
Show/hide Templates window  
Show/hide Scopes window  
Scopes properties  
Show/hide Objects tools toolbar  
Show/hide Editing tools toolbar  
Show/hide Paper tools toolbar  
Show/hide Layout tools toolbar  
Show/hide Zoom tools toolbar  
Ctrl + 6  
Ctrl + 7  
Ctrl + 8  
Alt + Enter  
Ctrl + Shift + 1  
Ctrl + Shift + 2  
Ctrl + Shift + 3  
Ctrl + Shift + 4  
Ctrl + Shift + 5  
Panes manager  
Load configuration 1  
Load configuration 2  
Load configuration 3  
Load configuration 4  
Load configuration 5  
Load configuration 6  
Load configuration 7  
Load configuration 8  
Load configuration 9  
Configuration…  
Ctrl + Alt + 1  
Ctrl + Alt + 2  
Ctrl + Alt + 3  
Ctrl + Alt + 4  
Ctrl + Alt + 5  
Ctrl + Alt + 6  
Ctrl + Alt + 7  
Ctrl + Alt + 8  
Ctrl + Alt + 9  
Ctrl + Alt + 0  
Editor  
Run Wizard… Create sprite/slideshow  
Add sprite  
Duplicate  
Add line  
Add rectangle  
Add ellipse  
Add free shape  
Add text  
Add counter  
Ctrl + W  
Shift + P  
Shift + D  
Shift + L  
Shift + R  
Shift + E  
Shift + H  
Shift + T  
Shift + O  
Shift + S  
Add subtitles  
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Add tooltip  
Shift + U  
Add chart  
Shift + C  
Add animation  
Add image  
Shift + N  
Shift + I  
Add audio  
Shift + A  
Add video  
Shift + V  
Add spectrum  
Add audio abstraction  
Add movement  
Add movement map  
Cut out fragment  
Trim start  
Shift + W  
Shift + Alt + W  
Shift + M  
Shift + Alt + M  
Ctrl + Del  
Ctrl + Shift + [  
Ctrl + Shift + ]  
Ctrl + K  
Trim end  
Split into parts  
Rotate 90 degrees  
Convert to sprite  
Create snapshot  
Ctrl + R  
Ctrl + P  
Ctrl + F12  
Timeline  
Zoom in/Zoom out  
Ctrl + Shift +  
Mouse wheel  
Num +; =  
Increase scale  
Decrease scale  
Num -; -  
100 percent scale  
Mute  
Num /; /; \  
Ctrl + M  
Move to previous keyframe  
Move to previous second  
Move to previous frame  
Create marker  
Ctrl + Home  
Ctrl + Left Arrow  
Left Arrow  
M, M  
Move to next frame  
Move to next second  
Right Arrow  
Ctrl + Right  
Arrow  
Move to next keyframe  
Set previous timeline scale  
Ctrl + End  
Num/, Num/; /, /;  
\, \  
Increase layer height  
Decrease layer height  
Set minimum layer height  
Shift + Num+;  
Shift + =  
Shift + Num-;  
Shift + -  
Shift + Num/;  
Shift + /; Shift + \  
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Create default marker  
M
Extend work area to next frame  
Shift + Right  
Arrow  
Extend work area to previous frame  
Extend work area to next second  
Shift + Left Arrow  
Ctrl + Shift +  
Right Arrow  
Ctrl + Shift + Left  
Arrow  
Extend work area to previous second  
Extend work area to the beginning of the scene  
Extend work area to the beginning of the object  
Shift + Home  
Ctrl + Shift +  
Home  
Extend work area to the end of the object  
Set playhead position  
Move playhead to the beginning of the scene  
Move playhead to the end of the scene  
Move playhead to the beginning of the object  
Move playhead to the end of the object  
Select all objects on timeline  
Delete selected objects  
Curve editor  
Ctrl + Shift + End  
Ctrl + G  
Home  
End  
Alt + [  
Alt + ]  
Ctrl + A  
Del  
Increase timeline scale  
Num +; =  
Num -; -  
Num /; /; \  
M, M  
Decrease timeline scale  
Set timeline scale to 100%  
Create marker  
Create default marker  
M
Insert point  
Ins  
Remove point  
Del  
Move to previous keyframe  
Move to previous second  
Move to previous frame  
Move to next frame  
Move to next second  
Move to next keyframe  
Content Editor  
Ctrl + Home  
Ctrl + Left Arrow  
Left Arrow  
Right Arrow  
Ctrl + Right Arrow  
Сtrl +End  
Increase timeline scale  
Num +; =  
Num -; -  
Num /; /; \  
Ctrl + F12  
F5; Space; Ctrl +  
P
Decrease timeline scale  
Set timeline scale to 100%  
Create the snapshot  
Play the video  
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Cut the area from the video  
Delete the cut area  
Del; Ctrl + G  
Ctrl + E  
Delete all the cut areas  
Ctrl + S  
Move to previous frame  
Move to previous second  
Left Arrow  
Ctrl + Left Arrow  
Right Arrow  
Ctrl + Right Arrow  
Home  
Move to the following frame  
Move to the following second  
Move to the beginning of the video  
Move to the end of the video  
Extend work area to previous frame  
Extend work area to previous second  
End  
Shift + Left Arrow  
Ctrl + Shift + Left  
Arrow  
Extend work area to next frame  
Extend work area to next second  
Shift + Right  
Arrow  
Ctrl + Shift + Right  
Arrow  
Extend work area to the beginning of the scene  
Extend work area to the end of the scene  
Player  
Shift + Home  
Shift + End  
Play the video  
Space; Play; Ctrl  
+ Pause; Ctrl + P  
Ctrl + S  
Stop the playing of the video  
Rewind the video  
Backspace  
Increase audio volume  
Decrease audio volume  
Mute audio  
Move to the previous frame  
Move back half a second  
Move to the previous second  
Move to the following frame  
Move forward half a second  
Move to the following second  
Play next file  
Up Arrow; B  
Down Arrow; C  
Ctrl + M; Ctrl + D  
Ctrl + Left Arrow  
Left Arrow  
Alt + Left Arrow  
Ctrl + Right Arrow  
Right Arrow  
Alt + Right Arrow  
Ctrl + А; Ctrl +  
Ctrl + B; Ctrl +  
Ctrl + I  
Play previous file  
Show file information  
Show playlist  
P
Show player always on top  
Minimize player  
Ctrl + T  
Shift + Esc  
Maximize player  
Alt + Enter  
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Start / stop audio recording  
Ctrl + R  
DVD Burner  
Select all files  
Ctrl + A  
Del  
Enter  
Delete selected files  
Enter the selected folder  
Exit current folder  
Backspace  
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Timeline colors  
In this section, you can customize the colors of the blocks displayed on the timeline,  
depending on the category those blocks belong to.  
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Internet Options  
In this section, you can configure the editor’s Internet access settings and select how often  
you want the program to check for updates: Every time an update is out, Every day, Twice  
a week, Every month, Twice a month, Every month, Never.  
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VSDC Cloud Service  
VSDC Cloud Service is an online platform for managing media files and VSDC Video  
Editor projects. It offers functionalities for storing, uploading, downloading, editing, and  
sharing files. It allows for project and media access and management from any computer  
with an internet connection and VSDC Video Editor installed.  
Purchasing and Account Creation  
This section covers the steps necessary for purchasing a subscription and setting up your  
user account on VSDC Cloud Service.  
1. To subscribe to the VSDC Cloud Service, follow these steps:  
• Navigate to the official VSDC Cloud Service page at https://www.videosoftdev.com/  
cloud.  
• Select the appropriate tariff plan from the six available options, based on your needs.  
2. After selecting a plan:  
• Fill out the purchase form with your personal information and the email address you  
intend to use for platform registration.  
• Complete the purchase following the website’s instructions.  
3. Once the purchase is complete:  
• Visit https://cloud.videosoftdev.com/ to create your user account.  
• Use the email address provided during purchase for registration.  
• Enter a username and password.  
• Read and agree to the Terms of Use and User Agreement.  
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• Submit the registration form by clicking the registration button.  
4. After registering:  
• Check your email for a message from VSDC Cloud Service containing an activation  
code.  
• Enter this activation code in the specified field on the VSDC Cloud Service to  
complete the activation process and start using the service.  
Note: Each time you access the VSDC Cloud Service, you must log in by entering your  
username or email address used during registration in the ID field, and your previously  
created password in the Password field. Ensure your credentials are entered correctly to  
access your account.  
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Restoring Access to Your VSDC  
Cloud Account  
If you encounter difficulties logging into VSDC Cloud, please ensure that the identification  
details you have entered are correct to avoid any potential errors.  
If you have forgotten your password, follow these steps to recover it:  
• Click on the “Forgot password?” link.  
• In the pop-up window, enter the email address you used when registering and click  
“Submit”.  
You will receive an email with a recovery code. Enter this code in the appropriate field and  
click “Submit”.  
If you do not receive the recovery code promptly, verify that your email address is correct.  
If the email is entered correctly, click the “Resend code” button and repeat the steps  
above.  
After successfully entering the recovery code, you will be automatically redirected to your  
VSDC Cloud Profile to set a new password. Click the Pencil icon next to the Password  
field, enter your new password, and click “Save”.  
User Account Management  
Account Editing  
To modify your account settings in VSDC Cloud Service, click on the three-dot icon located  
in the upper right corner of the webpage. Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.  
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In the “Profile” section, you can update the following details:  
• Password  
• Avatar  
• Username  
• Full Name  
• Email  
• Phone Number  
In the “Sessions” section below the profile settings, you can view all devices currently  
logged into your account. Terminate any unauthorized session by clicking the “X” next to  
it. For enhanced security, use the “Disable other sessions” button to close all sessions  
except the one you are currently using.  
Language settings for the VSDC Cloud Service can be changed from any page on the  
platform, located at the bottom of the screen.  
User License Information  
To view information about all licenses associated with your current email address, navigate  
to the account settings. From the menu on the left side of the screen, select “Licenses”  
next to the “Profile” tab. The displayed window will provide details about VSDC products  
purchased and the validity periods of the corresponding license keys.  
To exit and return to the main window of the cloud service, click the VSDC logo in the  
upper left corner of the screen.  
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VSDC Cloud Main Window  
1. Apps Tab  
In the “Apps” tab, you will find a list of all VSDC products available for installation. To view  
detailed information about a specific VSDC product, click the “More” button. This will  
open a page containing a description of the product and its system requirements.  
To begin installing an application, click the “Install” button. The installation file will be  
downloaded to the folder where your browser typically saves downloaded files.  
2. Support Tab  
If you have any questions or issues related to the VSDC Cloud service, go to the  
“Support” tab and fill out the feedback form. Please provide your name, email address,  
and a description of your question or issue.  
You will receive a response to the provided email address within 72 hours.  
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3. Files Tab  
The Files tab in VSDC Cloud organizes and stores all your media files, including images,  
audio, video, and project files uploaded from VSDC Video Editor. For better navigation, files  
are categorized into the following groups:  
• My Files: Shows all files stored in the cloud service.  
• Shared: Displays only the files that have been shared via generated links.  
• Favorite: Contains files marked with a “star” for quick access.  
• Recent: Lists the most recently accessed files.  
• Trash: Contains files that have been deleted.  
For all categories except My Files, you can see the following details next to each file: file  
name, size, and the date and time of creation. In the My Files category, only the file name  
and size are displayed.  
To view more detailed information about a file:  
1. Click on the file you are interested in.  
2. Click the information icon “i” next to the selected file.  
This will display details such as the file type, owner, upload date, last modification date, and  
last access date.  
3.1. Adding Files  
To add files to the VSDC Cloud:  
• Click the “Upload” button in the top left corner of the screen. This will open the  
upload window.  
• Either click inside the upload window to select files from your computer or drag and  
drop files directly into the window. Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously.  
• Once uploaded, the files will be marked with a checkmark and will appear in the “My  
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Files” section.  
3.2. Creating a Folder  
To create a new folder for organizing files:  
• Click the “New folder” button in the top left corner of the screen.  
• Enter a name for the new folder in the pop-up window and click “Create”. If a folder  
with that name already exists, you will be prompted to choose a different name.  
• The new folder will appear in the “My Files” section.  
3.3. Managing Files  
You can manage each file on the platform by clicking the three-dot icon next to it or by  
right-clicking on the file. A menu will appear with various options, including:  
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• Preview: Opens the file in a full-screen preview window, providing options to:  
○ Flip the file horizontally  
○ Flip the file vertically  
○ Rotate the file clockwise  
○ Rotate the file counterclockwise  
○ Reset any changes made  
○ Toggle fullscreen mode  
○ Zoom in or out  
○ Download the file  
○ Close the preview window  
Additionally, you can preview a file by double-clicking on it.  
Share: This option allows you to share the file with others, including both users of the  
platform and non-registered individuals, for previewing or downloading. When you  
select this option, a window will appear with a “Get link” button. Clicking this button  
generates a shareable link, which you can then copy and distribute.  
Once the link is created, the file will not only appear in “My Files” but also  
automatically show up in “Shared”.  
If you need to revoke access to the file via the link, follow these steps:  
○ Click the three-dot icon next to the desired file.  
○ In the dropdown menu, select the “Share” option.  
○ In the window that appears, click “Revoke”.  
The selected file will then be removed from “Shared” and will only be visible in the  
“My Files” section.  
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When you share a file with another VSDC Cloud service user, they will have the  
following options upon opening the link:  
○ Download  
○ Save  
If you send the link to someone not registered on the platform, they will only have the  
Download option.  
• Segmentation: This feature is used for partitioning an image into multiple regions  
based on object boundaries. Please note that this option is not available for .vproj  
project files. Clicking on this option will start the process of dividing the selected file  
into distinct areas The result of segmentation is a region map, where each identified  
area is assigned a unique color:  
The Segmentation feature includes two additional options in the dropdown menu:  
○ Show Tasks - displays the status of the segmentation process:  
• If no segmentation task is assigned, clicking “Show tasks” will display  
a message indicating the absence of tasks for the file.  
• If the segmentation process is still in progress, a progress bar will  
appear on the screen when “Show tasks” is selected. Clicking the “X”  
icon will cancel the task.  
• Once the segmentation process is completed, the progress bar will  
turn blue with the label “Completed”.  
• If this option is clicked for a .vproj project file, nothing will be displayed.  
○ Show Attachments - displays all segmentation maps created for the selected  
file. If this option is clicked for a .vproj project file, it will display the resources  
added to the project, divided into three categories: Images, Sounds, and Videos.  
Please note that for this option to work correctly, the project file must be added to  
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the platform through the VSDC Video Editor, as described in section 4.1 Adding  
Projects to VSDC Cloud Service.  
• Download: Selecting this option will start the process of downloading the selected  
file to your PC. The file will be saved to the folder specified in your browser’s settings,  
which you used to access the VSDC Cloud service.  
• Add to Favorite / Remove from Favorite: This feature is designed for quick  
access to frequently used or important files. By activating this option, a “star” icon will  
appear next to the selected file, marking it as a favorite.  
Once a file is added to Favorites, it not only remains in “My Files” but also appears in the  
“Favorite” section for easy access.  
To remove a file from Favorites, click the three-dot icon next to the file and select “Remove  
from favorite” from the dropdown menu. The “star” icon will be removed, and the file will  
no longer appear in the “Favorite” section, though it will still be accessible in “My Files.”  
• Rename: Selecting this option from the dropdown menu opens a window where  
you can enter a new name for the file. After entering the new name, click “Change”  
to apply the changes.  
If a file with the new name already exists in your VSDC Cloud file list, the service will prompt  
you to choose a different name to avoid duplication.  
• Copy: This option allows you to create a duplicate of the selected file in one of your  
existing folders. When you select this option, a window will appear, prompting you to  
choose the destination folder for the copied file. You also have the option to rename  
the copy during this process.  
You can also copy a file by selecting it with a left-click and then pressing “Ctrl+C” A  
window will open, allowing you to select the destination folder for the copied file.  
Key points to note:  
○ Deleting the original file does not affect the copied files; they will remain in the  
designated folder.  
○ If the original file was marked as a favorite, the copied file will not automatically  
have the same favorite status.  
○ Any sharing links generated for the original file will not work for the copied file.  
You will need to generate a new sharing link for the copy if you wish to share it.  
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• Move: The “Move” option allows you to transfer the selected file to a different folder  
within the platform. This process is similar to copying, but instead of duplicating the  
file, it relocates the original to the chosen folder.  
To move a file, you can also select it with a left-click, then use the “Ctrl+X” keyboard  
shortcut. A window will open, prompting you to select the destination folder for the file. You  
also have the option to rename the file during the move process.  
Trash: This option is used to move the selected file to the Trash bin, removing it from the  
“My Files” list. Alternatively, click on the file and press the “Delete” key. Files moved to  
the Trash can be restored if needed or permanently deleted from the Trash bin.  
3.4. Managing Deleted Files  
In the Trash section, accessible from the right menu, you can view all deleted files. If these  
files are no longer needed, you can permanently delete them by clicking the “Empty”  
option at the top right corner, which will clear the Trash completely. If you need to manage  
individual files, click the three-dot icon next to the file to access the following options:  
• Preview  
○ Displays a visual preview of the selected file on the screen.  
• Download  
○ Starts the download of the file to your PC, saving it to the folder specified in  
your browser settings.  
• Restore  
○ Restores the file to the folder from which it was deleted.  
○ If the file’s original folder is also in the Trash, a message will appear stating  
“Unable to restore the file because it has an ancestor in trash.” In this case, you  
can select a new destination folder for the file’s restoration.  
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○ To restore multiple files at once, select them using the “Ctrl” or “Shift” keys.  
• Permanently Delete  
○ Permanently removes the file from the platform without the possibility of  
recovery.  
4. Projects Tab  
The Projects tab is located in the top horizontal menu and is designed for managing  
VSDC project files. For convenience, projects in this tab are divided into the following  
categories:  
• My Projects: Displays all projects uploaded to the cloud service.  
• Shared: Shows projects that have been made publicly accessible through sharing  
links.  
• Favorite: Contains projects marked as favorites (indicated by a “star”).  
• Recent: Displays the projects that were recently accessed.  
• Trash: Contains projects that have been deleted.  
Selecting one of these categories opens a list of all projects stored there. For each project,  
the following information is displayed: date and time added, file name, and file size. In the  
“My Projects” group, only the file name and size are displayed.  
To view detailed information about a project:  
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• Click on the desired project.  
• Click the information icon “i” on the right.  
This will display details such as project type, owner, upload date, last modification date,  
and last access date.  
4.1 Adding Projects to VSDC Cloud Service  
Adding projects to the VSDC Cloud service is directly connected to working in VSDC Video  
Editor PRO or FREE and requires an active internet connection. To add a project follow  
these steps:  
• Open VSDC Video Editor on your PC. If it’s not installed, download it from https://  
www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor/download.  
• Create a new project (see page 68) or open a previously created project in the video  
editor.  
• After making all necessary changes, go to the Projects tab (see page 10) and save  
the project to the Cloud using the “Save to cloud” or “Save as to cloud” option if  
you need to rename the project. Alternatively, you can save the project to the Cloud  
by clicking on the VSDC icon in the top left corner and selecting the “Cloud” option  
from the dropdown menu.  
• Enter your login and password for your VSDC Cloud account and click “OK”.  
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• In the “Save as” window that opens, select the folder for saving the project from the  
left-hand menu and, if necessary, change its name in the “File name” field. Then  
click Save.  
• The project will be saved in the cloud with all resources used to create it (videos,  
images, audio). Instructions on how to view the resources used in the project are  
described in section 3.3. “Show Attachements”.  
Note: If a project is added to the cloud service similarly to adding a media file (see section  
3.1), and not through the VSDC Video Editor, all resources used to create the project will  
be lost (they will not be displayed in VSDC Cloud).  
4.2 Working with Multiple Accounts  
If you have multiple VSDC Cloud accounts and need to save a project to more than one,  
VSDC Video Editor provides a tool for switching accounts. To change accounts:  
1. Click the VSDC icon in the top left corner of the editor.  
2. Select “Cloud – Logout” from the menu.  
3. The next time you select “Save to cloud” or “Save as to cloud”, you will be  
prompted to enter the login and password for the desired VSDC Cloud account.  
Note: You can link the editor to the desired VSDC Cloud account in advance via the  
“Internet connection” option in the Options menu, located in the top right corner.  
4.3 Managing Projects  
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To edit a project file located on the Cloud Service, click the three dots next to the desired  
file. This will display a menu with all the actions that can be performed on the project. All  
operations are similar to those presented for media files in section 3.3 Managing Files.  
4.4 Loading a Project from the Cloud to the Video Editor  
To start working in VSDC Video Editor with a project saved in VSDC Cloud, follow these  
steps:  
1. Go to the Projects tab in the top horizontal menu of the editor and select the  
“Open from Cloud” option. Alternatively, click the program icon in the top left  
corner, then select Cloud >> Open Project.  
2. Enter your login and password for your VSDC Cloud account.  
3. In the “Open” window, select the desired project from the available folders. Once  
you’ve selected the project and clicked “Open”, the project and all its resources  
will be loaded into the editor.  
4.5 Importing Media Files from the Cloud to the Editor  
To import a media file from VSDC Cloud Service into an open project in VSDC Video Editor:  
1. Navigate to the Resources window (see page 25).  
2. Right-click on an empty space in the window or click the plus icon at the bottom  
of the window and select the “Add from the cloud” option.  
3. Choose the type of file you want to import: Videos, Images, Sounds, or LUTs.  
4. Enter your login and password for your VSDC Cloud account.  
5. In the “Open” window, select the file you wish to import.  
6. Drag and drop the file from the Resources window onto the Timeline to use it  
in your project.  
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