The Pitivi video editor is getting some (arguably overdue) love and attention as part of this year’s Google Summer of Code (GSoC).
New features, interface adjustments, and improved clip editing are among the changes the open-source non-linear video editing app is in line to pick up.
Two recent updates from GSoC 2019 students reveal a bit more about the enhancements that are underway.
Millan Castro reports on his ‘first month working in Pitivi‘. His goal: ‘implement an interval time system”.
“An interval time system is a common tool in many video editors. It will introduce new features in Pitivi,” he explains.
“The user will be able to set up a range of time in the timeline editor, playback specific parts of the timeline, export the selected parts of the timeline, cut or copy clips inside the interval and zoom in/out the interval.”
As part of his interval work Castro is also implementing a marker system in the Pitivi timeline. This will let editors quickly insert markers, move and delete them, edit their content, and save/recover their positions.
Improved Pitivi Effects Panel
A second, separate update from computer science and engineer student Yatin Maan recaps his efforts to make Pitivi’s well-stocked effects library easier to navigate.
Audio and video effects are now listed together in one overall “Effects” grouping. They are also navigable through effect type (e.g, compositing, blur, time, etc). Effects now display a small thumbnail showing a rough ‘preview’ of what it does.
Additionally, Maan’s work will allow any effect to be marked as a ‘favourite’ for easy access through a ‘favourites’ grouping.
With several more weeks remaining in the Google Summer of Code challenge it’s likely we’ll hear further updates on these particular features, as well as on the ‘nested clips’ support (think Compound Clips in Final Cut Pro X) also being worked on this summer, shortly.