Timeline

The Timeline provides a visual assembly interface for organizing selected assets into your final edit. It displays assets across multiple lanes, each dedicated to a specific asset type, allowing you to visualize the complete production.

Overview

Access the Timeline from the Timeline tab in project detail view. The Timeline shows selected winners from all scenes organized in a horizontal, time-based layout.

Timeline Structure

Lanes

The Timeline is organized into horizontal lanes, one for each asset type:

• Video Lane - Selected video clips
• Image Lane - Selected still images
• Audio Lane - Selected sound effects and ambience
• Music Lane - Selected music and score
• Voice Lane - Selected dialogue and voiceover

Each lane displays assets sequentially from left to right, representing the temporal order of your final edit.

Time Ruler

The top of the Timeline displays a time ruler showing:

• Timecode - Hours:minutes:seconds:frames
• Scene Markers - Vertical lines indicating scene boundaries
• Current Playhead - Red line showing current position
• Duration Labels - Total length of each section

The time ruler helps you understand pacing and duration at a glance.

Adding Assets to Timeline

Automatic Population

When you select a winner for a shot, it automatically appears in the Timeline:

1. Select winner in Assets tab or Compare view
2. Asset is placed in the appropriate lane
3. Position is determined by shot order in the scene
4. Duration is calculated from asset metadata

Manual Addition

Add assets to the Timeline manually:

1. Drag an asset from the Assets tab
2. Drop it onto the desired lane at the desired position
3. Asset is inserted at that point
4. Surrounding assets shift to accommodate

Timeline Filtering

Filter which assets appear in the Timeline:

• Selected Winners Only (default) - Show only selected assets
• All Approved - Show all approved assets, not just winners
• By Scene - Show only assets from specific scenes
• By Type - Show only specific asset types

Organizing Assets

Drag-and-Drop Reordering

Rearrange assets directly in the Timeline:

1. Click and hold an asset in a lane
2. Drag horizontally to a new position
3. Release to place the asset
4. Timecodes and durations update automatically

Trimming Assets

Adjust in and out points for video and audio:

1. Hover over the edge of an asset in the Timeline
2. Cursor changes to a trim handle
3. Drag left or right to adjust start or end point
4. Asset duration updates in real-time

Trimming in the Timeline is non-destructive. Original asset files remain unchanged.

Splitting Assets

Split a single asset into multiple segments:

1. Position the playhead where you want to split
2. Select the asset to split
3. Click "Split" or press S
4. Asset is divided into two separate segments
5. Trim each segment independently

Deleting from Timeline

Remove an asset from the Timeline:

1. Select the asset
2. Press Delete or click "Remove from Timeline"
3. Asset is removed but remains in the Assets tab
4. Gap is automatically closed unless you hold Shift

Timeline Views

Zoom Levels

Adjust Timeline zoom to focus on different scopes:

• Zoom In - See individual frames, precise trimming
• Zoom Out - Overview of entire project duration
• Fit to Window - Display entire Timeline in view
• Zoom to Selection - Focus on selected assets

Use the zoom slider or keyboard shortcuts:

• + or Cmd+= - Zoom in
• - or Cmd+- - Zoom out
• Shift+Z - Fit to window

Compact View

Toggle compact view to see more lanes at once:

1. Click "Compact View" in toolbar
2. Lane heights reduce
3. Thumbnails shrink
4. More lanes visible without scrolling

Useful for high-level overview of complex timelines.

Expanded View

Expand individual lanes for detailed work:

1. Click the expand icon on a lane header
2. Lane height increases
3. Larger thumbnails and waveforms
4. Easier to see details and trim precisely

Playback

Timeline Playback Controls

Play your Timeline to preview the edit:

• Play/Pause - Start or stop playback
• Stop - Stop and return to beginning
• Loop - Repeat playback continuously
• Play Selected - Play only selected assets

Keyboard shortcuts:

• Space - Play/pause
• Return - Play from beginning
• L - Loop toggle

Playhead Navigation

Move the playhead to specific positions:

• Click on the time ruler to jump to a position
• Drag the playhead to scrub through the Timeline
• Arrow Keys - Move frame-by-frame
• Shift+Arrow Keys - Jump to next/previous asset

Scene Navigation

Jump between scenes quickly:

1. Scene markers appear on the time ruler
2. Click a scene marker to jump to that scene
3. Use [ and ] keys to jump to previous/next scene

Lane Management

Showing and Hiding Lanes

Toggle lane visibility:

1. Click the eye icon on lane headers
2. Lane is hidden from view
3. Assets remain in Timeline but are not displayed
4. Unhide at any time

Useful for focusing on specific asset types.

Locking Lanes

Lock lanes to prevent accidental edits:

1. Click the lock icon on lane headers
2. Lane cannot be edited (no drag, trim, delete)
3. Assets remain visible and play during preview
4. Unlock when edits are needed

Reordering Lanes

Change the vertical order of lanes:

1. Click and drag a lane header
2. Move up or down to desired position
3. Release to reorder
4. Lane order preference is saved

Duration and Timing

Asset Duration Display

Each asset in the Timeline shows its duration:

• Duration Badge - Shows length in seconds
• Visual Length - Horizontal width represents duration
• Waveform - Audio lanes display waveform preview
• Frame Count - Video lanes show frame count

Timeline Duration

The total Timeline duration updates automatically:

• Total Length - Displayed in toolbar
• Per-Lane Length - Longest asset in each lane
• Scene Duration - Length of each scene section

Timing Adjustments

Fine-tune timing with precision:

1. Select an asset
2. Enter exact duration in inspector
3. Set precise in/out timecodes
4. Adjust frame-accurate positioning

Markers and Annotations

Adding Markers

Place markers on the Timeline for reference:

1. Position the playhead at desired location
2. Click "Add Marker" or press M
3. Enter marker name and color
4. Marker appears on time ruler

Use markers for:

• Scene boundaries
• Edit points
• Notes or reminders
• Sync points

Marker Comments

Add detailed comments to markers:

1. Click a marker on the Timeline
2. Click "Add Comment"
3. Type your note or instruction
4. Tag team members for attention

Synchronization

Sync Assets Across Lanes

Align assets from different lanes:

1. Select assets to synchronize
2. Click "Align" in toolbar
3. Choose alignment method:
   • Align start points
   • Align end points
   • Align centers
   • Align to playhead
4. Assets snap to aligned positions

Audio-Visual Sync

Lock audio and video together:

1. Select a video asset and corresponding audio asset
2. Click "Link" or press Cmd+L
3. Assets move together as a unit
4. Unlink at any time with "Unlink" or Cmd+Shift+L

Export and Delivery

Timeline Export

Export Timeline data for use in editing software:

• EDL (Edit Decision List) - Industry-standard format
• XML - Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve
• JSON - Custom integrations and workflows
• CSV - Spreadsheet with asset list and timings

Export Settings

Configure export parameters:

1. Click "Export Timeline" in toolbar
2. Select format (EDL, XML, JSON, CSV)
3. Choose options:
   • Include locked lanes
   • Include hidden lanes
   • Include markers
   • Include comments
4. Specify file location
5. Confirm export

Exported Timeline files can be opened in professional editing software to continue the edit with full-quality source files.

Delivery Package

Create a complete delivery package:

1. Click "Create Delivery Package"
2. Lazer gathers all selected assets
3. Includes Timeline export, metadata, and notes
4. Creates a ZIP archive
5. Download for distribution or archival

Timeline Best Practices

Use Scene Markers

Place markers at scene boundaries to maintain organization and enable quick navigation.

Lock Completed Sections

Lock lanes or sections of the Timeline that are finalized to prevent accidental changes.

Review at Multiple Zoom Levels

Zoom in for precision work, zoom out to verify pacing and overall flow.

Regularly Save Versions

The Timeline updates automatically, but create named versions at key milestones for easy rollback.

Sync Early

Link audio and video assets as soon as they're added to avoid sync drift during editing.

The Timeline is a visualization and organization tool. Final rendering and delivery happen in professional editing software using exported Timeline data.

Timeline Collaboration

Real-Time Updates

When working with a team, Timeline updates in real-time:

• New assets selected by team members appear immediately
• Reordering and trimming syncs across all users
• Playhead position shows where others are working

Timeline Comments

Add comments to discuss specific edit decisions:

1. Select an asset or position in the Timeline
2. Click "Add Comment"
3. Type your feedback or question
4. Tag team members for response
5. Comments appear as badges on the Timeline

Version History

View Timeline version history:

1. Click "History" in toolbar
2. See list of all changes with timestamps
3. Click any version to preview it
4. Restore a previous version if needed

Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigate and edit the Timeline efficiently:

• Space - Play/pause
• J/K/L - Rewind, stop, fast-forward
• I - Set in point
• O - Set out point
• S - Split asset at playhead
• M - Add marker
• [ / ] - Previous/next scene
• Delete - Remove selected asset
• Cmd+Z - Undo
• Cmd+Shift+Z - Redo

Next Steps

After assembling your Timeline, use the export features to create delivery packages or import into professional editing software. Return to Asset Management to refine versions, or continue to Characters to manage character profiles.