Five Timeline habits that save you a full re-render

Trim instead of regenerating, split at the playhead instead of eyeballing it, and trust Timeline's real undo history — these five habits are the difference between a cheap edit session and an expensive one. Generating shots is the fun part. Assembling them into something watchable is where most of the real editing time goes. Here's what's worth knowing before you start cutting.

1. Trim before you extend

If a clip runs long, trim it from the edge handles rather than deleting and regenerating a shorter version — trimming is instant and free, a new generation costs credits.

2. Split at the playhead, not by eye

Move the playhead to the exact frame you want to cut at, then use Split — it cuts precisely where the playhead sits, which is far more reliable than eyeballing a drag handle.

3. Undo is real undo

Every trim, split, and reorder is a real history entry — Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z walks backward and forward through actual edit states, not just the last action. Don't be afraid to experiment with a cut.

4. Selecting a clip doesn't touch it

Clicking a clip to select it — to see its prompt, swap its take, or check its details — never modifies or re-saves the clip. Only an actual drag, trim, or split commits a change.

5. Swap takes instead of starting over

If a clip's take isn't quite right but the timing is, swap in a different take for that same shot from the selected-clip panel rather than rebuilding the cut around a new clip — the timeline position, in and out points stay put.

None of this replaces a good rough cut. But a Timeline session that respects these five habits burns a lot fewer credits than one that doesn't.