OpenShot: Could sum1 advise me how to cut on the left (can do on the right)

[videomutt]

I know this sounds insane, and maybe it is, but that seems to be the situation.

Thus I have a short clip in the timeline (I hope I use these terms correctly), and then I want to cut a few seconds on the left, and also on the right. While right-cutting is no problem, on the left I always run into the same situation: If I just cut and then export, then the first seconds (where the cut-away part was) is black. Trying to avoid that and dragging the remaining clip to the zero mark before exporting, the cut is being undone.

Why is this so counter-intuitively complicated? And how should I do it right?

[[ss]vegeta]

Trying to avoid that and dragging the remaining clip to the zero mark before exporting, the cut is being undone.

When exactly does the cut become undone and how do you notice that?
I just installed this software, imported a 36s video, used the razor tool to cut the first 8 seconds, moved the remaining clip to the beginning, exported, and I received a 28s clip without the first 8 seconds that I cut.

[jagabo]

Some programs differentiate between "cut" and "delete" (one will remove the selected section and move the rest of the track up, the other just removes the selected section) . Or have a "ripple" option when cutting.

[videomutt]

Thank you both. Answering your question would probably require to repeat this exercise on OpenShot and record the session with the screengrabber, then upload it. That would be a lot of work.

I have therefore started to talk to the maker, who may be able to recognise the problem and give the info desired, which I could share here. In case this doesn't lead to the result aimed at, I would probably reconsider and get back to our conversation.

[videomutt]

Ok, they sent me this official link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQS2tmgD_Rk It didn't help me, because I didn't really see how what he shows there is what I need to sort my problem. I will probably have to get private lessons, ie where I ask the tutor my questions and insist that he answers them, and nothing else .)

[jagabo]

At 6:50 he shows how to move a clip earlier or later in the timeline (set the Position of the clip). You have to go back to 6:00 to see how he got to that control (right click on clip, select Properties)

[videomutt]

Thanks. I see I should have mentioned earlier that I often cannot make my application behave as it does in that clip. This is hard to explain, even more so for a non-native speaker plus IT/video layman, but maybe you can see some of it from the screenshot attached. Fx, it is extremely difficult for me to reach the 5 'lines' (where the clips can be stored). Not to mention what he has got to the left of them.


[Attachment 65016 - Click to enlarge]

[jagabo]

There are scroll bars at the bottom and right of the timeline.

You can also trim the videos in the asset area and drag only the part(s) you want to keep to the timeline (the youtube video showed how to do that).

[videomutt]

They can be actuated with much effort only. Same problem with detaching parts of the software and reattaching them.

Think it's time to get to some conclusion. I had hoped Openshot would be more basic and thus easier than many/most other video editors, and in the beginning this seemed to be the case. But the more I try to use it, the less reliable it gets. The thing that disturbs me most is that it apparently is not really consistent: There were times when I could do things (like cutting), and now it just can't be done properly anymore. Probably time to bite the bullet and start all over with another one.