Several timelines and presets in one Video by Zaweba project
Keep several timelines in one Video by Zaweba project, each with its own markers and captions, and set frame size, rate and tracks with timeline presets.
One film is rarely one timeline. There is the full edit, a short version, a trailer, a vertical cut for phones, an alternative ending for the client to see. Video by Zaweba keeps all of them in a single project, with tabs above the timeline, and timeline presets set each one up correctly from the start.
Timeline tabs
The tabs above the timeline each hold a timeline. Press the plus to make a new one. Right-click a tab to rename it, give it a colour, duplicate it or delete it.
Each timeline keeps its own markers, captions, export range and playhead. Switch between tabs and you pick up exactly where you left off on each one. Markers on the long version do not clutter the trailer, and the vertical cut has its own captions sized for its frame.
All the timelines share the project's media bin, so footage imported once is available in every timeline.
Duplicating to experiment
Duplicating a timeline is the safest way to try something bold. Before rebuilding a whole section, duplicate the tab, rename it, and make the changes on the copy. The original stays exactly as it was. You can flick between them to compare, show both to someone, and delete the loser.
It also suits versions. A full edit, duplicated and trimmed down, becomes the short version, sharing every grade, title and effect you already did. Colour the tabs to tell versions apart at a glance.
Timeline presets
A timeline preset sets frame size, frame rate, sample rate, stereo or 5.1 sound, and the tracks a new timeline starts with. Presets can be used for new timelines or for the project itself.
Choosing the right preset at the start matters. Frame size decides the shape of the film, whether wide, square or tall. Frame rate decides how motion looks and needs to suit your footage. Sample rate and the choice of stereo or 5.1 decide how the sound is mixed.
You can save your own presets. If you regularly make the same kind of video, say a channel with a fixed format, saving a preset with your usual size, rate and named tracks means every new timeline starts ready.
Working on several formats
A common job now is one film in two shapes: wide for a big screen and tall for phones. Make a wide timeline for the main edit and a second timeline from a tall preset. Bring the edit across and reframe each shot for the tall frame, using position and scale to keep the subject centred. Captions are per timeline, so the tall version can have captions placed and sized for its shape.
The same idea works for different lengths. A timeline per length, from the full film down to a short teaser, all in one project, all sharing the same media.
Avoiding version mix-ups
Starting with the wrong preset is the usual one. A tall video edited on a wide timeline means reframing everything later. Decide the shape and rate before you start cutting.
Mixing up tabs is the other. With several similar timelines open, it is easy to make a change on the wrong one. Name them plainly and give each a colour, so you always know which you are looking at before you edit or export.
Why it helps
Keeping every version in one project means one place for the media, one set of bins and one file to back up. With Video by Zaweba running offline on your own computer, that single project holds the whole job, from the first rough cut to every version you hand over.
