So, I've been wondering about this for quite some time. Seems like virtually every open source app for video editing has this design approach for creating transitions by overlapping two clips which have to be on two different tracks (layers); contrary to, again, virtually every (if not all) commercial app that does it by overlapping two clips, being on the same track.
Kdenlive follows the same approach for transitions as every other open source video editor, but tries to copy from commercial apps some other usability designs. (which is IMO a good thing). Frankly, I like the approach when you can do transitions between clips on the same track. In my opinion it creates less clutter, helps you organize your whole project better and do the work faster, makes it easier to adjust transition points. Sadly, kdenlive can't do that.
So my question is why kdenlive, and i would think this applies to every other open source VE app out there, uses this approach of two tracks. Is it because it's easier to implement or there's some sort of non-verbal agreement between all open source developers that the transition interface should be done only this way?

Though I don't posotivly know, I believe this interface design is the traditional method based off of optical printing. Where a light source shines into projector gate A which then shines into projector gate B which then shines into the recording camera. This allows gate A and B to be manipulated far more extensivly.... especially when doing multiframe work adding projector C though ZZZ9

Technical argument: MLT (underlying framework for OpenShot & Kdenlive) apllies transitions between 2 tracks, so we didn"t change the logic, displaying this mecanism.
However, ShotCut, written by MLT author, offers on-track transitions by creating a virtual track only during the transition. Porting this idea is on our todo list...

Just checking, this feature didn't make it in 15.12, correct? Was kind'a hoping for it, it is quite a PITA to have to re-arrange all clips in a video after removing one... How's the chance of getting it in the next version in April?

Hello Jos,
Yes sorry, I don't find enough time to work on the code these months, and JB was focused on other parts.
This is not the #1 on my list (not far), maybe I could switch rapidly to it and get in time for 16.04, but not sure (we were considering refactoring/rewriting the huge timeline module, maybe before adding any big thing, in this case this could be a bit long).
There are so many great ideas we would like to have quickly

vpinon wrote:Hello Jos,
Yes sorry, I don't find enough time to work on the code these months, and JB was focused on other parts.
This is not the #1 on my list (not far), maybe I could switch rapidly to it and get in time for 16.04, but not sure (we were considering refactoring/rewriting the huge timeline module, maybe before adding any big thing, in this case this could be a bit long).
There are so many great ideas we would like to have quickly

Yeah, I get that, working with Kdenlive right now and remembering there was work on the feature of smooth curves for keyframed effects (I'm creating a pan over a panorama image and the sudden speed is jarring). And other stuff... Yeah, there's a lot to do.

But you guys already did a lot and made a great app, too! I made the intro to this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DzsM-h2M5U
and made this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbHcJ_isvk0

And all other videos on https://www.youtube.com/user/ownclouders/videos are made with Kdenlive. So, ownCloud is grateful for your awesome work

Personally, my biggest wishes are first of all the curved keyframe stuff, which makes much more professional looking videos possible, and the transition thing which simplifies the work flow as a second. Though that one, honestly, can be worked around... And I don't want to be telling you what to do, I bet you have plenty plans

So, thanks a lot for the work you do! Next fundraiser, I'll contribute again.

I found using three tracks a quite decent workaround for in-track transitions. This way, when I need to insert or remove a clip from one of the main two tracks so that now two clips with a joining transition would end-up on the same track, I simply move one of those clips to the third track.

While this surely kills any beautiful timeline symmetry , this works fine without causing too much work. But then, people don't judge my final footage by its Kdenlive timeline beauty.

TheDiveO wrote:I found using three tracks a quite decent workaround for in-track transitions. This way, when I need to insert or remove a clip from one of the main two tracks so that now two clips with a joining transition would end-up on the same track, I simply move one of those clips to the third track.

While this surely kills any beautiful timeline symmetry , this works fine without causing too much work. But then, people don't judge my final footage by its Kdenlive timeline beauty.

You know what, I discovered that work-around today

Yeah, it does the trick, so I'm less worried about the same-track-transitions. Now the smooth effect curves I worked around it by adding some extra steps but it isn't smooth at all, of course.

Additional keyframe interpolation modes is something I would also like to see! I'm glad someone else brought it up as I thought I'm the only one needing it. The additional manually added keyframes are really a hassle; more so when I later need to adjust the clip length, so everything starts falling apart...

TheDiveO wrote:Additional keyframe interpolation modes is something I would also like to see! I'm glad someone else brought it up as I thought I'm the only one needing it. The additional manually added keyframes are really a hassle; more so when I later need to adjust the clip length, so everything starts falling apart...

My inspiration has always been the HTC Zoe movies - a really great feature I learned to love on my HTC One. I hope, some day, to get some tool for/in Kdenlive which can create these videos with an easy UI optimized for just creating nice videos out of some basic material (pics and video).
Here's my collection of travel and other videos. The older ones are done with Zoe, the newer with Kdenlive.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 8tqvTq1OXK

This is a nice Zoe example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS8EXVXT2_w
from all the pics and video you took on a day (and HTC encourages you to take short, 3-sec videos rather than 'just' pictures, as it can extract pics from that, anyway), it takes a random 20 or so, and makes a video. You can then choose different pics and videos, a theme and it creates something. Sometimes the limitations are a little annoying but generally speaking, the results are very nice!

I bet that it wouldn't be crazy hard to have a script create an 'initial cut' from a selection of pics and video, and then allowing you to move things around, edit a bit... I guess it'd be a totally different UI for Kdenlive, much less 'pro'. But useful for a wider audience

I now make videos myself with Kdenlive from the pics and videos I take, like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9bvG1tJcgk

It is a LOT of work, hours, but the result is nice. I'm happy with every improvement which simplifies my workflow