Software update: Shotcut 18.05 – Computer

Shotcut is a comprehensive free, open source and cross-platform video editing program for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It uses FFmpeg and therefore supports the most common audio and video formats. The files are not imported but are edited in their original format. Hert can handle multiple tracks and within a project, a mix of formats and resolutions can be used. Release 18.05 of Shotcut has just been released and the release notes for this release can be found below.

Keyframes
Perhaps the most requested feature is the ability to move or digital images. We chose to address this in a general way by allowing filter parameters to be key-framed and animated rather than build something specific. Well, after long wait and a lot of work, this has been done with a new Keyframes panel. It has an icon on the main toolbar to open the panel. There is a lot to say about this new feature. Keep in mind that this is new, incomplete, and a little unstable. Here are more caveats:

• No support for undo / redo (pending filter support for this)
• No keyboard shortcuts yet
• Not yet available for transitions or generators
• Only the following filters support keyframes at this time:
  • Gain / Volume
  • Brightness *
  • Circular Frame (HTML proof-of-concept)
  • Color Grading * (no simple)
  • Opacity *
  • Size and Position * (simple only, no curve UI)
    * = including the (still experimental) GPU filter
• Nearly every filter supports filter trimming
• Some filters only support simple key frames (in / out controls on the clip strip).
• Some filters only support advanced keyframes
• Simple and advanced keyframes
• The keyframes can not be dragged to new positions
• You can not add a keyframe by double-clicking space on its curve.
• Not all parameters have a UI curve
• You can right-click an advanced keyframe to show a menu with:
  • Remove
  • Keyframe Type (interpolation):
    • Discrete (hold)
    • Linear
    • Smooth (Catmull-Rom spline)

5.1 Surround Sound
Perhaps the least requested feature – but something that interests AV geeks (including the developers) – is support for different audio channel formats: mono (1) and 5.1 surround (6) in addition to the stereo that was always there. This is accessed via the Settings> Audio Channels menu and Export> Audio> Channels. Most users only need stereo; so, if you suddenly start to experience problems, make sure that you do not leave this menu to something other than stereo, which is the most stable. Also, this setting is saved in your project file (MLT XML), and the menu reflects the saved setting. However, it should be back to the last setting that you explicitly chose after starting a new project. This new feature also has notes and caveats:

• View> Scopes> Audio Peak Meter and Audio Waveform shows each channel and their layout / order.
• The Timeline audio waveforms does not show a waveform or each channel. (Really this is just a graph of the audio power level across multiple channels.)
• No support in the Balance, Copy Channel, and Pan audio filters. yet).
• Some audio filters may crash with 6 channels!
• Not all export formats and audio codecs support surround. AAC and AC-3 are two that come to mind that.
• Not every possible channel count and layout are supported (eg not 7.1)
• Alternative 6 channel layouts require a FFmpeg “channel_layout” to specified in Export> Other and is not reflected in the audio scopes.

Other

• Added Finnish translation.
• Restored GIF Animation for Export.
• Reduced memory footprint.
• Changed default Export settings to reduce output size by increasing GOP and number or B frames.