When I import a clip into the timeline it first appears as a small box on the left, which is too small to work with. But then if I move the slider just one notch it expands the clip to WAY off the right side of the window which then requires multiple scrolling to get to it.
What I want to do is expand the clip just enough to fit in the window. Anyone know how to do that?
Thanks.
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 14.1
Press the Shift and Z keys simultaneously and any clip or clips in the timeline will expand to fill it.
It sounds as though your clip may be exceptionally long (over 4 minutes) in which case the timeline adjuster slider will not be able to make it fit unless you put it to zero and get the small thumbnail that you don't want.
Press the Shift and Z keys simultaneously and any clip or clips in the timeline will expand to fill it.
It sounds as though your clip may be exceptionally long (over 4 minutes) in which case the timeline adjuster slider will not be able to make it fit unless you put it to zero and get the small thumbnail that you don't want.
O.K. I got Command + and Command - to work to expand and contract the timeline. Thanks. Never knew about that feature. I don't think that it is any faster than the slider, however.
-- Rich
Not sure I quite understand. However, try clicking on the Settings button located just above and to the right hand side of the timeline. In the box that appears your will see a slider that lets you adjust the clip size.
-- Rich
I experienced it without touching any alcohol. 🤔
Incidentally, Command + or - enlarges or shrinks the timeline much quicker than the slider and that does work in iMovie . . . I think.
You can scroll the timeline extremely quickly by dragging sideways the grey bar (arrowed) beneath the timeline.
It does in my version and for the past few years.
Each push of the + or - jumps the slider one segment . . . I think each one is double the previous.
I moved the slider to its current position by holding down Command and pressing + three times.
You want to be able to lengthen the clip by a certain percentage?
Unfortunately that is not possible as it can only be lengthened or shortened in fixed increments.
I believe your problem may be the result of having clips that are many minutes in length . . . even the smallest increment is going to expand them tremendously as you have discovered.
This problem occurs with most editing software if you are using very long clips . . . most pro film makers use clips measured in seconds rather than minutes and therefore there is no need to scroll excessively.
Thanks all, but let me re-explain the issue.
I understand how the Option-"+" and Option-"-" grow or shrink the clip, which is the same functionality as moving the Settings slider.
But my issue is that when I do either one, it expands the clip way off the right edge of the screen, so then I have to move the slider that Ian R. Brown mentioned. But all I want to do is expand the clip to fit the window. It would seem to me there's some keyboard shortcut to do that, or that you'd be able to drag the right edge of the clip to wherever you want, but neither works, for me at least.
Hi, Ian,
When I press the Shift and Z keys simultaneously, nothing happens. What version of iMovie are you using?
-- Rich
Sorry about that Rich.
It's an FCP action but I tested it in iMovie and it worked . . . now it doesn't!
I've also experienced the "now you see it, now you don't" phenomenon. :)
-- Rich
Command + or didn't cause anything to happen when I pressed those keys.
-- Rich
Ho to adjust a clip in the timeline to fit window in iMovie?
