The Timeline is one of the editor panels in Descript. While the majority of your editing will be done from the Script editor and Canvas, the Timeline is useful for:
- Fine-tuning script-based audio edits (i.e. adjusting the boundary trim, adding crossfades).
- Expanding / contracting the space between words with the wordbar.
- Adding clip transitions.
- Working with music and sound effects in your composition.
There are five main sections of the Timeline:
- Transport — Allows you to access the playback features of your composition.
- Time ruler — Shows the time position of media in your composition. If you are working with video, you will also see scene boundaries on the ruler.
- Layer lane — Displays all the additional layers you've added to your composition, such as B-roll visuals, music, and effects.
- Wordbar — Shows you exactly where words in your script are aligned to the script media.
- Script track — A unique track that contains all your script media. You may need to expand your Timeline to see the script track.
Show and hide the Timeline
You can show or hide the Timeline while working on a project. When the Timeline is visible, you will see all the layers in your project.
Adjusting the height of the Timeline
If you're not getting enough visual real estate for the layers you've added to your Timeline, you can adjust the size of the Timeline to suit your editing needs. This is really useful if you need to grab handles for adjusting audio fades or visual transitions.
To adjust the Timeline height, hover your mouse over the horizonal bar that separates the Timeline and the Script editor. A vertical double-arrow will appear which you can click to adjust the size up and down. If you need even more height, try increasing the size of your Descript window.
If you're working with video, you can also move the video from the top of the editor to the right side by pressing Command + Option + Shift + V (macOS) or Control + Alt + Shift + V (Windows).
Zooming in and out on the Timeline
You can easily zoom in and out on the Timeline using keyboard shortcuts. This helps you focus on specific sections of your project or get an overview of your timeline.
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Zoom in:
- macOS: Command + Scroll down or Command + =
- Windows: Control + Scroll down or Control + =
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Zoom out:
- macOS: Command + Scroll up or Command + -
- Windows: Control + Scroll up or Control + -