Ripple Tool
Using the Ripple Tool to Trim an Edit Without Leaving a Gap
A ripple edit adjusts a clips In or Out point, making the clip longer or shorter,
without leaving a gap in the Timeline. The change in the clips duration ripples
outward, moving all subsequent clips earlier or later in the Timeline. If you
dont use a ripple edit when you change the duration of a clip, you will either
leave a gap when you make a clip shorter, or overwrite part of an existing clip if
you make a clip longer. Using the Ripple tool is the main way that you perform
ripple edits, but you can also select one or more clips in the Timeline and
perform a ripple cut or ripple delete. This is when a clip is deleted and all
subsequent clips move earlier in the Timeline to fill the gap.
A ripple edit is a one-sided edit, meaning that only an In or Out point of a
single clip item is affected. All clips following the shortened or extended clip
are moved accordingly in the Timeline, so ripple edits affect both the trimmed
clip and the position of all subsequent clips in the Timeline. This is a much
more major operation than simply trimming an individual clips length.
Important: Ripple edits can be dangerous if you are trying to maintain sync
between clip items on different tracks, since all of the clip items on one track
may move forward or backward while the clip items on other tracks dont.
To perform a ripple edit, you use the Ripple tool.
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Ripple Tool
Note: You can select an edit point in the Timeline when you are using the
Ripple tool. You can also open a sequence clip in the Viewer when the Ripple
tool is selected by double-clicking the clip in the Timeline.
Which Clip Items Move in the Timeline After a Ripple Edit?
Clip items with In points later in the Timeline than the edit point (or edit points)
you are adjusting will move, or ripple, after you perform a ripple edit. All other
clip items remain in the same position in the Timeline.
Take special care when performing ripple edits with complex edit point
selections on multiple tracks. To make sure you understand how an edit affects
the clip items in your sequence, you can undo (Command-Z) and redo
(Command-Shift-Z) your edit several times to compare the sequence before
and after the ripple edit was performed.
Tips for Edits Made with the Ripple Tool
Keep the following in mind when using the Ripple tool:
If you lengthen a clip item, clip items on the same track move forward in
time. Clip items on other unlocked tracks that begin after the original
location of the edit point you are adjusting also move forward in time.
If you shorten a clip item, clip items on the same track move backward in
time, as do clip items after the initial location of the edit you are
adjusting on other unlocked tracks.
If you cant ripple because of a Collision message, it is because clip
items on other tracks cant move back in time without bumping into
other clip items.
All tracks are affected when you use the Ripple tool. If you dont want
other tracks in the sequence to be affected by the Ripple tool, lock those
tracks (see Locking Tracks to Prevent Edits or Changes).
You can temporarily turn the Ripple tool into the Roll tool by pressing the
Shift key. Release the Shift key to return to the Ripple tool.
While dragging, press the Command key to gear down and make a more
precise edit.
