# INDUSTRY STANDARD KEYMAP FOR THE VSE

NOTE: The main thing for a key map is to allow the user to be able to edit with as little mouse interaction as possible. However, the essential things to go mouse-free are not implemented in the Blender VSE, like In & Out and ex. locked channels should block main functions like split, extend, overwrite, select, gab delete/insert etc. Without the I/O to define the horizontal area to work in and channels not defining the vertical, it is hard to replicate a workflow without manual mouse selection. This document covers both industry standard keys and functions.

Shortcuts to working sequencer operators can be tested here: https://gist.github.com/tin2tin/efd996ee01140592c3769150f5be4a78

### PLAYBACK

Play reverse: **J** (Missing: for multispeed press more times J, for 50% slow motion press Shift+J)

Stop: **K** (screen.animation_cancel)

Play: **L** (Missing: for multispeed press more times L, for 50% slow motion press Shift+L)

(Could be extended with Blender style: + shift for slow and + ctrl for fast)

Step -1 frame: **Shift + J**

Step 1 frame: **Shift + K**

Step -5 frames: **Ctrl + J** (Premiere: Normally assigned to Ctrl + left/right arrow)

Step 5 frames: **Ctrl + K**

(The pick link operator assigned to L + needs to be removed)

(These playback functions should potentially also work during Move/Transform mode(G))

### SPLIT

(Premiere Key (works with JKL))

Split: **Ctrl + K**

Hold Split: **Ctrl + Alt + K**

(Split seems unstable in 3.5 and depending on number of strips selected?)

(Alt. Davinci/Final Cut Key)

Split: **Ctrl + B**
(but Ctrl + B is currently handle selection)

Hold Split: **Ctrl + Alt + B**

Zoom to Selected: **\** (Premiere)

### SELECT

Current Frame: **D**
(Premiere Key) (Needs to limit selection to unlocked channels)

Before Current Frame: **Ctrl + Alt + Y** (Davinci)

After Current Frame: **Alt + Y** (Davinci)

(Add + shift to all for extend selection)

ADD TRANSITION

Add video transition: **Ctrl + D**

Add audio transition: **Ctrl + Shift + D**

Clear audio transition: **Ctrl + Shift + Alt + D**
Patch for improved transitions: https://archive.blender.org/developer/D10207

### ZOOM

In: **=/+** (view2d.zoom_in)

Out: **-** (view2d.zoom_out)

SWAP

Swap Left: **Shift + Ctrl + ,**

Swap Right: **Shift + Ctrl + .**

(Davinci)

NB. this operator is working on active strip and not on selected strips.

Patch to fix that: https://archive.blender.org/developer/D12441

## UNEXPOSED BUT IMPLEMENTED OPERATORS

Go to first frame in range: **Shift + Left Arrow** (Operator unexposed in menu)

Go to last frame in range: **Shift + Right Arrow** (Operator unexposed in menu)

Remove All Gaps: **Ctrl + Backspace** (Unexposed in the menu)

Set range to Strips: **Ctrl + Alt + R**

Set Range to Preview: **Ctrl + Alt + P**

More here: https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/issues/112598#issuecomment-1034371

## OPERATORS NEEDING TO BE ADJUSTED

(or added as simple macros/python)

### SELECT NEXT/PREV

Go to next strip and select it: **Shift + arrow up**

Go to previous strip and select it: **Shift + down**
Macro/python: sequencer.strip_jump(next on/off) + select current frame.

(Crucial for going more mouse-free)

### RIPPLE DELETE

Ripple Delete Strip: **Shift + Delete** (Premiere)

(Macro/python: Save Current Frame value, move playhead to strip center, delete strip, remove gap, restore Current Frame position )

Ripple delete patch: https://archive.blender.org/developer/differential/0007/0007767/index.html

### SLIP Y (Premiere)

Slip Clip Selection Left Five Frames: **Alt + Shift +** , (Premiere keys)

Slip Clip Selection Left One Frame: **Alt +** ,

Slip Clip Selection Right Five Frames: **Alt + Shift +** .

Slip Clip Selection Right One Frame: **Alt +** .

(Slip operator is just missing exposed option for keyboard input)

### MOVE STRIP

Nudge Strip up by one channel: **Ctrl + Up** (Premiere)

Nudge Strip down by one channel: **Ctrl + Down**

Nudge Strip right by one frame: **Ctrl + Right**

Nudge Strip left by one frame: **Ctrl + Left**

(Important: Moving strips up and down, is also changing their layer position in Preview, which makes this function extra needed)

(Auto-grab(G) selected strips and...) (Ctrl in Blender is fast, Shift is slow, so maybe applied reversed?(but Shift left/right is applied to start/end of range))

(Maybe not necessary)

Nudge Strip up by two channels: **Shift + Ctrl + Up**

Nudge Strip down by two channels: **Shift + Ctrl + Down**

Nudge Strip right by five frames: **Shift + Ctrl + Right**

Nudge Strip left by five frames: **Shift + Ctrl + Left**

### AUDIO GAIN -> G
(A popup for adjusting volume for selected strips - as G is substantial to Blender editing, V could properly be used instead. Could be added to the start-up python script like this:https://github.com/tin2tin/volume_menu )

TURN VOLUME UP/DOWN

Up 1 dB: **Ctrl + =/+**

Down 1 dB: **Ctrl + -**

https://github.com/tin2tin/volume_menu

### SLIDE U (Premiere)

Slide Left: **,**

Slide Right: **.**

Uncommitted patch: https://archive.blender.org/developer/D9829

### ROLL -> N + Arrow keys

### LOCKING

Locking a channel should mean that nothing except unlocking should affect that channel, which means that any other operator will leave those strips in those channels untouched.

Without operators respecting locked state, most of the keyboard based editing becomes impossible if the user is editing more than two channels.

### TRIM TO PLAYHEAD

Ripple Trim Next Edit To Playhead: **W** (Could be select left handle + Snap to Current Frame)

Ripple Trim Previous Edit To Playhead: **Q** (Could be select left handle + Snap to Current Frame)

Trim Next Edit to Playhead: **Ctrl + Alt + W**

Trim Previous Edit to Playhead: **Ctrl + Alt + Q**

Ripple Trim Macro patch: https://archive.blender.org/developer/differential/0009/0009979/index.html#365182

## INDUSTRY STANDARD OPERATORS NOT IMPLEMENTED

Uncommitted patch: https://archive.blender.org/developer/D9829

### MATCH FRAME F

(As Blender has no player, this function could select and scroll to the source clip in the file browser, based on the active strip - alternatively it could go to the same frame of the same strip in another scene(used for raw material))

## OPERATORS NOT WORKING GOOD

GRAB

**G + shift + left/right arrow keys**: moving too slow
**G + ctrl + left/right arrow keys**: moving too slow

MOVE/EXTEND **E** Breaking all editing and selection paradigms.

## REFERENCES

Web references for the keys here:

https://kdenlive.org/en/video-editing-applications-handbook/#trim

https://www.derek-lieu.com/blog/2014/07/08/26-simple-tricks-for-faster-editing-premiere-pro-cc