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183Final Cut Pro User Guide
Make slide edits in Final Cut Pro
Performing a slide edit allows you to move a clip’s position in the timeline between two
other clips without creating a gap. The clip’s content and duration remain the same; only
its position in the timeline changes. When you slide a clip, the adjacent clips get longer and
shorter to accommodate the change in the clip’s position. The combined duration of these
three clips stays the same, and the project’s total duration remains unchanged as well.
Note: To slide a clip between two others, the preceding clip and the following clip must
have media handles (additional media available beyond the edit point). You can double-
click any edit point to view or adjust its media handles in the precision editor.
If there are no media handles available, consider using the Position tool instead. See
Overwrite clips using the Position tool.
For more accurate visual feedback on edits involving contiguous clips, you can see a
“two-up” display in the viewer. For a slide edit, the two-up display shows the two edit
points you’re adjusting: the end point of the preceding clip and the start point of the
subsequent clip. See
Show trimming details in the Final Cut Pro viewer.
1. In Final Cut Pro, click the Tools pop-up menu in the top-left corner of the timeline and
choose Trim (or press T).
The pointer changes to the Trim tool
.
Tip: To switch to the Trim tool temporarily, hold down the T key. When you release
the T key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool.