Command palette, scripts and plug-ins in Video by Zaweba

Menus are fine for finding things, but slow for doing them. Video by Zaweba has three ways to get past the menus, from the simple to the technical: a command palette for anyone, scripts for repeating a set of steps, and plug-ins for people who write their own programs.

The command palette

Press Ctrl+Shift+P and a search box appears. Type a few letters of what you want to do and the palette lists matching commands. Pick one and it runs. There are about 100 commands to choose from.

The palette is best for things you do now and then. You do not need to remember which menu something lives in or whether it has a shortcut. Type the word that describes it and it is there. For everyday actions, assign shortcuts in the keyboard shortcuts editor; for the rest, the palette saves a lot of hunting.

It is also a good way to learn the app. Typing a general word shows you commands you may not have known about.

Scripts

Scripts are .jsonl files, plain text with one instruction per line, that you run from the Scripts menu. Each line asks the app to do something, and the script works through them in order. That suits repeating the same set of steps on many projects, such as setting up tracks and markers the same way at the start of every episode.

Because scripts are plain text, they are easy to keep, copy and share. A folder of small scripts for routine jobs saves the same clicks over and over.

Plug-ins

Plug-ins are separate programs that come with a plugin.json file describing them. They talk to the app in JSON lines, sending requests and reading answers. This is for people comfortable writing programs: it lets you build tools the app does not have, in the language of your choice, without changing the app itself.

Treat plug-ins like any other program you run. Use ones you have written or that come from someone you trust.

Choosing the right one

If you just want to do something without finding it in a menu, use the palette. If you find yourself doing the same handful of steps again and again, write a script. If you need something the app cannot do on its own, or you want it to work with another tool you use, consider a plug-in.

Start small. A three-line script that saves a minute every day pays for itself quickly, and it teaches you how scripting works before you attempt anything larger.

Keeping automation tidy

Name scripts for what they do, keep them in one folder, and add a short note at the top of anything you share so others know what to expect. Test a new script on a copy of a project before running it on real work. Undo covers edits, but it is better not to need it.

These tools sit with the command line options among Video by Zaweba's automation features. Most people will only use the palette. For anyone producing a lot of similar videos, scripts in particular can take a noticeable amount of drudgery out of the week.