Playhead won't stay with timeline

Question

Playhead won't stay with timeline

Hello,

Whew... been editing for years, and starting to feel like I'm looking for years for a simple question: when playing back in the timeline, how do I get the playhead to stay with the sequence rather than scroll off the page of the Timeline (so that I have to manually scroll the page to stay with the clips)? It was doing it before, but I must have turned it off... but do you think I can find how to turn it on again in the gazillion pages of the manual?

Thanks for your help.

Posted on May 7, 2009 11:23 AM

Reply

Answer 1

David S.

Level 7

20,630 points

May 7, 2009 11:25 AM in response to marysplacestudio

I don't believe that this capability ever existed.

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Answer 2

May 7, 2009 11:33 AM in response to David S.

You're kidding.... I mean, how the heck does one follow the edits, etc.? This is standard in GarageBand, Nuendo, etc. etc.

I'm shocked.

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Answer 3

May 7, 2009 11:43 AM in response to marysplacestudio

Hit stop and the timeline updates, scroll with the timeline manually, zoom out on the timeline to see more of it, jump to the next edit. Many people would really like to see this as a feature but IMO it's not a big miss in a video editing program.

I use it with Nuendo, but only when I'm recording a voice and need to monitor the waveform. Once I start editing the timeline I can take it or leave it.

rh

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Answer 4

David S.

Level 7

20,630 points

May 7, 2009 11:53 AM in response to marysplacestudio

No I'm not.

It isn't an issue for me at all, because if I need to get to an edit, I hit the space bar, and the playhead updates.

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Answer 5

May 10, 2009 1:51 PM in response to marysplacestudio

Had this problem today...just figure it out. There's a little control immediately to the right of the horizontal scroll bar. Looks like 2 diamonds. Click to toggle, but if they're lined up right on top of one another, it will follow the play head. If they're lined up apart from one another, it won't.

Here's where I found the answer...older GB UI, but same idea:
http://garageband-tips-and-tricks.blogspot.com/2009/01/timeline.html

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Answer 6

Nick Holmes

Level 7

30,018 points

May 10, 2009 5:15 PM in response to kylec2000

Yes, but this forum is for Final Cut Pro -not GarageBand. There is no such control in FCP.

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Answer 7

May 10, 2009 5:36 PM in response to Nick Holmes

Picky, picky.

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Answer 8

Tall Jim

Level 1

95 points

May 11, 2009 3:56 AM in response to marysplacestudio

'ello

You can zoom the timeline in and out during playback without stopping by using the keyboard shortcuts <Cmd> + and <Cmd> - and the timeline centers on the playhead as you go.

I have the feeling you're talking more about during a viewing that while you're cutting, and it can be handy to see where you're at for note taking and stuff. Used to be a tick box in Media Composer I think...

Happy zooming

Tall Jim

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Answer 9

Rienk

Level 4

3,155 points

May 11, 2009 10:39 AM in response to Tall Jim

For me Tall Jim's workflow also works, but I use OPTION + and OPTION - instead.
That will zoom the timeline regardless of timeline is the active or not.

Rienk

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Answer 10

May 11, 2009 10:51 AM in response to Tall Jim

Yes, I'm speaking about playback. If you're listening back, and you want to watch the timeline, it can't be done without stopping. If this feature is in Garageband, as some say, then it can certainly in FCP, at least as an option. iMovie also lets you watch the timeline go by...... again, I'm shocked that in a pro-app like this, such a basic function is missing.

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Answer 11

May 11, 2009 2:36 PM in response to marysplacestudio

*If you're listening back, and you want to watch the timeline, it can't be done without stopping.*

For listening and/or watching, all the mentioned methods work without stopping.

Appalled that you're shocked 🙂

rh

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Answer 12

May 11, 2009 2:39 PM in response to Randy Holder

Heh heh. Well, it all has to do with workflow and what you're used to. If it were an option, then no one would be appalled or shocked.

🙂

Thanks!

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