This script is designed to make Blender's VSE easier to use by implementing features often found in other video editors, or features that I find useful as a video editor.

Watch the demo video:

Development for this script is supported by my multimedia and video production business, Creative Life Productions
But, time spent working on this addon is time I cannot spend earning a living, so if you find this addon useful, consider donating:

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Or support me by hiring Creative Life Productions if you have a need for the services provided.

• Download 'VSEQuickFunctions.py', or download the release zip and extract this file.
• Open Blender, and from the 'File' menu, select 'User Preferences'.
• In this new window, click on the "Add-ons" tab at the top.
• Click the 'Install Add-on from File...' button at the bottom of this window.
• Browse to and select the 'VSEQuickFunctions.py' file, click the 'Install Add-on from File' button.
• You should now see the addon displayed in the preferences window, click the checkbox next to the name to enable it.
• Now, below the addon information, disable or enable features by clicking the checkbox next to the name of the feature.
• Click the 'Save User Settings' button to ensure this addon is loaded next time Blender starts.

The built-in 'grab', 'select', 'cut', 'delete', 'make meta strip' and 'import' operators have been added to, this enables:

• Sequencer 'Strip' Menu Changes

  Snap options added to menu.
  'Simplify' option added, this removes some less-used features from this menu. Enable this option in the Quick Functions Settings menu.

• 'Compact' Edit Panel

  A new Edit Strip panel for the sequence editor properties area, providing more information in a smaller space than the default panel.
  This can be enabled or disabled in the addon preferences when the addon is enabled.

• Sequence Parenting

  Child sequences will follow parents. Child edges that match the parent's edge will move along with the parent.

• Ripple Editing

  While in grab mode, press the alt key to toggle between ripple, ripple-pop, and normal mode.
  Ripple mode will move all sequences after the grabbed sequence the same amount. Ripple-Pop will allow you to move a sequence above and out of a line, automatically closing the gap left behind. This will only operate when one sequence is grabbed.

• Grab Multiple With Right-Click Drag

  Option to change the behavior of the right click drag to grab, the previous selected sequences will be added to the grab before it is activated.
  This can be enabled in the Quick Functions Settings menu.

• Edge Grab Improvements

  When an edge is moved into another sequence, the selected sequence will be moved up a channel to allow the edge to be moved.

• Marker Moving Improvements

  Markers can be grabbed by right-click dragging the marker line as well as the bottom marker indicator.

• Right-Click Context Menus

  Right-click and hold to open a popup menu allowing different operations to be performed depending on what is clicked on.
  See the QuickContext section for more information.

• Making Meta Strip Additions

  If Cut/Move Children is on, child sequences will be added to a meta strip when a parent is added.
  Effect sequences with a single input will be automatically added to meta strips when their input sequence is added.

• Cut Sequence Additions

  Child sequences of a parent will be automatically cut as well as the parent.
  Ripple cuts enabled, press Alt-K to trim and slide one side of the selected sequences.
  Effect strips are now duplicated to both sides of a cut strip, this includes an entire effect stack.
  Crossfades and other two-input effect strips are handled properly now. If the effect is applied to the right side of a cut, it will be applied correctly. (See https://developer.blender.org/T50877 )
  The active strip after a cut is correctly handled now, if the mouse is on the right side of a cut, the right sequence will be active as well as selected.

• Delete Sequence Additions

  Deleting a sequence can also delete child sequences if enabled.
  Ripple delete enabled, press Alt-X or Alt-Delete to delete the sequence, and move all following sequences back to fill the gap.

• Import Additions

  Allows the cursor to automatically move to the end of the imported sequence, allowing multiple files to be added in sequence very easily. This must be enabled in the Quick Functions Settings menu.
  Allows automatic proxy settings to be applied to Movie and Image types while being imported.
  Allows proxies to be automatically generated when importing a Movie or Image.
  Allows setting the length of a single imported image in frames.
  When a movie sequence with sound is imported, the sound may be automatically parented to the video.
  Provides additional options for placing an imported sequence on the timeline:

  • Import At Frame

    Standard import behavior, places new sequences at the current frame.

  • Insert At Frame

    Following sequence will be moved forward by the length of the imported sequence.

  • Cut And Insert At Frame

    All sequences at the current frame will be cut and all following sequences will be moved forward by the length of the imported sequence.

  • Import At End

    Places the imported sequences at the end of the timeline.

Enables right-click and hold in the sequencer to pop up a context menu allowing for different operations depending on what is clicked on.

'Enable Context Menu' must be checked in the Quick Functions Settings menu.

None of the menu options are unique, some are built-in in blender, some are provided by other parts of this script.

Note that all menus start with the undo operator.

The different menu types are:

• Sequences

  Click on the center of a sequence to show a menu providing some settings for the active sequence, and selected sequences.

• Sequence Left/Right Handles

  Click on or near the edge of a sequence to pop up a menu allowing for the changing and clearing of the fade in or out.

• Cursor

  Click on or near the cursor to show a menu providing some snapping options.

• Markers

  Click on or near a marker to show a menu providing some marker operations.

• Empty Area

  Click in an empty area of the sequencer to show a menu providing options to add sequences, and to zoom the sequencer.

Warning: This is very much alpha, it will likely change quite a bit in future versions, and may even be removed and put into another addon.
To use this properly, your screen layout should have a file browser area, a movies clip editor area, and at least one sequencer area. This function may not work correctly if all these areas are not present.

If sequence that shares the same source as a loaded clip is active, that clip will be displayed in the clip editor.

When a video file is selected in the file browser, a new panel is added to the tools panel, '3 Point Edit'. The 'Import To Clip Editor' button will load the selected video file into the clip editor area.

The clip editor now has a new panel in the properties panel, '3 Point Edit'.
To use the following options, the clip does not need to have been loaded via the filebrowser button, any movie clip will work.

• Set In/Out

  A graphic overlay will be created in the clip editor allowing for easy setting of the in and out points of the current clip. Drag the top arrow to set the left ('in') point, and the lower arrow to set the right ('out') point.
  While in this mode, press the spacebar to play/pause the video.
  Left click anywhere else, or press enter to confirm the changes.
  Right click or press escape to cancel the changes.

• In frame, Out frame, Length

  The set in frame, or frames to be cut from the beginning (and timecode)
  The set out frame, or frames to be cut from the end (and timecode)
  The length the imported clip will be

• Import At Cursor

  Basic import into the sequencer timeline at the current cursor location.
  No other sequences will be moved.

• Replace Active Sequence

  If an active sequence is in the VSE, it will be deleted and replaced by the imported sequence.
  Sequences after the replaced one will be moved forward or back to accommodate the length of the new sequence.
  If the active sequence is a movie with a child sound sequence that is the same length and origin file, it will be replaced as well.
  All parent data will be changed to reflect the new sequence.

• Insert At Cursor

  The new sequence will be placed at the cursor location, and all trailing sequences will be moved forward by the length of the new sequence.

• Cut Insert At Cursor

  Similar to Insert At Cursor, but all sequences will be cut before inserting, ensuring that nothing overlaps the new sequence.

• Import At End

  Places the new sequence at the end of the timeline.

Enables one-click adding or changing a fade-in or fade-out.
Also enables one-click crossfading between multiple strips.

Can be found in the sequence editor properties panel, or by pressing the 'f' key over the sequencer.
Detected fades will also be shown on the active strip in the timeline, or in the edit strip properties panel. Fades will be automatically moved if the edges of the strip are changed. If context menus are enabled, fades can be set by right clicking on the edges of a strip.

The 'QuickFades' panel provides buttons for setting and removing fades.

• Fade Length

  The target length for fade editing or creating.
  This can be set to 0 to remove a fade.

• Set Fadein/Set Fadeout

  Allows easy adding and changing of fade in/out. The script will check the curve for any fades already applied to the sequence (either manually or by the script), and edit them if found.
  These buttons can apply the same fade to multiple selected sequences at once.

• Clear Fades

  Remove fades on all selected strips.

• Transition Type

  Selects the type of transition for adding with the following buttons.

• Crossfade Prev/Next Sequence

  Allows easy adding of transitions between sequences. This will simply find the closest sequence to the active sequence, and add a transition between them.

• Smart Cross to Prev/Next

  Adjust the length of the active sequence and the next sequence to create a transition of the target fade length.
  This will also attempt to avoid extending the sequences past their end points if possible.

A menu for extra cursor and strip snapping functions.

Can be found in the sequence editor 'Strip' menu, or by pressing the 's' key over the sequencer.
If context menu is enabled, some snaps will be found on right clicking the cursor, and some while right clicking strips.

• Cursor To Nearest Second

  Will round the cursor position to the nearest second, based on framerate.

• Jump To Previous/Next Sequence

  Snap the cursor to the previous or next sequence in the timeline.

• Cursor To Beginning/End Of Active

  Will move the cursor to the beginning or end of the active sequence.

• Selected To Cursor

  Snaps the beginning of selected strips to the cursor. This is the same as the 'shift-s' shortcut in the VSE.

• Selected Beginning/End To Cursor

  Moves all selected sequences so their beginning/end is at the cursor.

• Selected To Previous/Next Sequence

  Detects the previous or next sequence in the timeline from the active sequence, and moves the active sequence so it's beginning or end matches the other sequence's end or beginning.

A menu with zoom shortcuts.

Can be found in the sequence editor 'View' menu, or by pressing the 'z' key over the sequencer.
If context menus are enabled, can be found by right clicking in an open area.

• Zoom All Strips

  Zooms the sequencer out to show all sequences.

• Zoom To Timeline

  Zooms the sequencer to the timeline start and end.

• Zoom Selected

  Zooms the sequencer to show the currently selected sequence(s).

• Zoom Cursor

  Zooms the sequencer to an amount of frames around the cursor.

• Size

  How many frames should be shown by using Zoom Cursor. Changing this value will automatically activate Zoom Cursor.

• Save Current Zoom

  Saves the current zoom level and view position in the presets menu.

• Zoom Presets

  Submenu containing saved presets. Click the 'X' next to each preset to remove it, or click 'Clear All' to erase all presets.

• Zoom (Time Lengths)

  Several preset zoom values for convenience.

This implements a parenting system for sequences, any children of a moved or cut sequence will have the same operations performed on them.
If the sequence is cut, any children under the cursor will be cut as well, and the script will duplicate parent/child relationships to the cut sequences.
If the parent sequence is resized and a child sequences have the same endpoints, they will be resized as well.

Can be found in the sequence editor properties panel under "Edit Strip", or by pressing the 'Ctrl-p' key over the sequencer.
If context menus are enabled, the QuickParents popup menu will be shown when right clicking a sequence as well.
Children or Parents of selected sequence will be shown in these places.

Parenting relationships are show in the timeline view for the active sequence, a light line indicates children of the active sequence, a dark line indicates a parent of the active sequence.

• Select Children or Parent (Small Selection Button)

  Selects any related sequences to the current sequence.
  Also can be accomplished with the shortcut 'Shift-p'.

• Clear Children or Parent (Small X Button)

  Removes relationships from selected sequence.

• Set Active As Parent

  If multiple sequences are selected, this will set selected sequences as children of the active (last selected) sequence.

• Cut/Move Sequence Children

  Enables parenting operations on child sequences.

• Auto-Select Children

  When a parent sequence is selected, child sequences will be selected as well.

• Auto-Delete Children

  When a parent sequence is deleted, all children will be deleted as well.

These settings can also be found in the Quick Functions Settings menu.

Displays a list of loaded sequences and allows you to change various settings.

Can be found in the sequence editor properties panel on the QuickList tab.

• Display

  Changes the details that are displayed for each sequence:

  • Settings

    Adds an extra area for editing the length, position, and proxy settings of each sequence.

  • Parenting

    Adds an extra area that displays children of each sequence.

  • Tags

    Adds an extra area that displays tags for each sequence.

• Select/Deselect All Sequences

  Like pressing the 'a' key in the sequencer, this will toggle the selection of all sequences.

• Sort by

  Reorders the list based on timeline position, title, or length.
  Click the small arrow to change the sorting order.

Settings For Each Sequence:

• Eye Icon

  Mutes/unmutes sequence.

• Padlock Icon

  Locks/unlocks sequence.

• Sequence Type Button

  Allows selecting and deselecting the sequence.

• Sequence Title

  Allows editing of sequence name.

• Len

  See the sequence length in HH:MM:SS:FF format, and adjust the length.

• Pos

  See the sequence position in HH:MM:SS:FF, and adjust the position.

• Proxy settings (Only visible when 'Settings' display is enabled)

  Enable/disable proxy and sizes.

• Sub-Sequences (Only visible on meta sequences)

  Displays sequences inside the meta sequence.

• Tags (Only visible if 'Tags' display is enabled)

  A list of tags for this sequence is shown.
  Click the tag to select all sequences with this tag. Click the 'X' next to the tag to remove it from this sequence.

• Children (Only visible if 'Parenting' display is enabled)

  The child sequences will be displayed here.
  Click the 'X' next to a child sequence to remove it from this sequence's children.

If a sequence is an effect, and it is applied to another sequence, it will be indented and placed below it's parent.

If QuickList is in Position sorting mode, up and down arrows will be displayed next to each strip, these can be used to swap position of a strip with the previous or next strip in the timeline. If parenting is enabled, this will ignore child strips. This may cause unpredictable behavior if strips are highly layered, it is best used on a very linear timeline.

Automatically sets proxies for imported strips, and optionally can generate them automatically as well.

All settings for QuickProxy are found in the Quick Functions Settings menu.

• Enable Proxy On Import

  Enables the given proxy settings on any compatible sequence type when it is imported.

• Auto-Build Proxy On Import

  Starts the proxy building process on imported sequences.
  Will only function if Enable Proxy On Import is active.
  This will cause a performance hit on Blender as it is generating the proxies in the background.

The other settings are standard proxy settings, see the Blender help documentation for information on them.

Add markers to the timeline using name presets, or quickly jump to and remove any marker.

Can be found in the sequence editor properties panel under 'QuickMarkers', also Alt-M in the sequencer.

• New Preset

  Enter a marker title into the text field, and click the + button to add a preset.

• Place A Marker

  Click on a marker button once a preset has been added to add a marker with this name at the current cursor location.
  Adding a marker in the location of a previously existing marker will rename the marker to the marker preset name.

• Remove A Preset

  Click the X button next to a preset to remove it.

• Deselect New Markers

  With this enabled, newly created markers will be unselected to prevent accidental moving.

• Marker List

  Click a marker title to jump the cursor to this marker.
  Click the X button next to a marker to delete it.

Create tags, text snippets that can describe sequences, and apply them to any sequences in the timeline. All sequences with a specific tag can be easily selected with one click.

• All Tags

  This list shows all tags on all sequences in the timeline.
  Click a tag to select all sequences with that tag.
  Click the '+' button to add that tag to all selected sequences.

• New Tag

  Type a tag into the field, and press the '+' button to add to all selected strips. This tag will now show up in the list above as well.

• Show All Selected

  This button toggles the lower list between showing the tags for the active sequence (Active Tags) or showing tags for all selected sequences (Selected Tags).

• Active Tags

  Shows a list of tags for the active sequence. Click a tag to select all sequences with this tag. Click the 'X' button to remove the tag from the active sequence.

• Selected Tags

  Shows a list of tags for all selected sequence. Click a tag to select all sequences with this tag. Click the 'X' button to remove the tag from all selected sequences.

• Clear Selected Tags

  Removes all tags from all selected sequences.

Provides a quick interface for basic and advanced cutting and trimming functions.

• Cut All Sequences

  If enabled, all sequences under the cursor (besides locked sequences) will be affected by any button in this panel.
  If disabled, only selected sequences will be affected.

• Frames To Insert

  When the 'Cut Insert' function is used, the number of frames here will be inserted.

• Cut

  Basic soft cut function, equivalent to the 'K' shortcut in the VSE.

• Cut Insert

  Performs a soft cut, then slides all sequences following the cut down the timeline by the amount of frames defined in the 'Frames To Insert' variable.

• UnCut Left/UnCut Right

  Merges a selected sequence with the one to the left or right if they are from the same source file, and have not been slid on the timeline.
  Useful for 'undoing' an accidental cut.

• Delete

  Removes selected sequences from the timeline.

• Ripple Delete

  Removes selected sequences from the timeline, and attempts to remove any empty space left behind.

• Trim Left/Right

  Removes any part of the selected sequences to the left or right of the cursor.

• Slide Trim Left/Right

  Removes any part of the selected sequences to the left of the cursor, then slides the remaining sequence back or forward to where the original edge was.

• Ripple Trim Left/Right

  Trims one side of the selected sequences, then slides the sequence, and all following sequences back to attempt to fill the empty space

• Timeline To All

  Sets the start and end points of the VSE timeline to fit all sequences loaded in.

• Timeline To Selected

  Sets the start and end points of the VSE timeline to fit the currently selected sequences.

• Start To All/End To All

  Sets only the start or end of the VSE timeline to fit all sequences.

• Start To Selected/End To Selected

  Sets only the start or end of the VSE timeline to fit the selected sequences.

• Full Timeline Setup

  Moves all sequences back so they start on frame 1, then sets the start and endpoints of the timeline so they encompass all sequences.

I welcome any help with these problems, if you have an idea on how to fix them, please contact me.

• Sometimes undo pushing breaks, it may add extra undo steps. Not sure whats going on here...

• Uncut does not work on movieclip type sequences, this seems to be a limitation in Blender - there appears to be no way to get the sequence's source file.

• Canceling a grab while playing back will cause the cursor to jump back to where it was when the grab started. Unfortunately, a bug in Blender prevents me from fixing this.

• Right now the script cannot apply a vertical zoom level, as far as I can tell this is missing functionality in Blenders python api.

These are things I want to add, but I don't yet know how to do so.

• Ripple insert (opposite of ripple pop). Not entirely sure how to code this yet, but I want it!

• Copy/paste wrapper that will copy sequence animation data.

• Export to EDL format that Reaper can read.

• Fixed transparency in title scenes
• Fixed no sequences in a scene throwing an error
• Added auto-parenting of movie sequences with sound
• Cleaned up quicklist, meta strips now list sub-sequences, effects are indented under the parent sequence

• Continuous functions should work inside meta strips now
• Fixed a couple small bugs

• Added drop shadows to titler
• Added color picker and material duplicate button to titler
• Hopefully fixed continuous functions from throwing errors when no strips are loaded
• Improved adding/changing fades, added a clear fades button

• Fixed zoom to cursor not working inside meta strips
• Fixed zoom to cursor not working in Blender 2.74
• Fixed child sequences being moved twice if they were manually moved along with the parent
• Recoded continuous function - parenting is more reliable, all cut sequences are detected and parented properly, fades are now moved when a sequence is resized
• Removed continuous snapping, snapping is now built-in in blender as of 2.73
• Added quick zoom presets
• Added settings to hide different Quick panels
• Added QuickParenting option to auto-select child sequences, also child sequences' endpoints will be moved when a parent is resized if they match up.
• Added font loading button to QuickTitler
• Added templates to QuickTitler
• Added display modes for QuickList
• Cleaned and commented code

• Removed an extra check in the modal function that wasn't doing anything but slowing down the script

• Split QuickTitling off into its own addon
• Cleaned up variables
• Improved child sequence auto-select: handle selections are now duplicated as well
• Parenting is now stored in a sequence variable of .parent
• Rewrote continuous modal operator to hopefully fix incorrect detections of add/cut/resize/move
• Now uses addon preferences to enable or disable features (list, fades and parenting)
• Edit panel displays fade in/out
• Parenting panel is simplified and merged into the edit panel
• Improved crossfade adding
• Added Quickproxy to automatically enable proxies on imported sequences
• Added Quickmarkers to add markers to the timeline with a preset name
• Rewrote the continuous function AGAIN, to now be a handler - this means movement/resizing of child clips is now in real-time, and fades are continuously updated. Also, switching scenes shouldn't have any adverse affect on the script.
• New variables added to sequence strips to help track changes: .last_frame_final_start, .last_frame_start, .last_frame_final_duration, .last_select, and .new
• Child sequences can now be automatically deleted when deleting a parent
• Renaming a clip should now fix the relationships
• QuickRipple implemented to enable timeline ripple-style editing, still new and buggy
• Improved performance by only checking sequences in current editing scope (not checking sequences inside meta strips if not in that meta strip)

• Added QuickBatchRender to automatically separately render out sequences. Still in beta, needs testing.
• Fixed custom zooms freaking out ripple mode
• Added option to correct the active strip when cutting (if you cut with mouse on the right, active strip remains on left even tho right is selected)
• Updated panel layouts a bit
• Fixed ripple thinking meta-ed strips are deleted
• Ripple delete now moves the cursor with moved strips
• Ripple delete should now preserve strip channels when possible
• Child strips now try to follow vertical movement of parent strips, but still get pushed out of the way by other strips
• Fixed zoom presets being wrong sometimes
• Moved some settings around to streamline panels a bit
• Fixed QuickList time index display

• Added QuickTags for adding metadata text tags to strips
• Reworked QuickList interface
• Added reverse sorting in QuickList
• Added ability to switch strip with previous/next in QuickList
• Revamped QuickMarkers UI, also adding a marker over a current marker will now rename the current marker
• Added QuickCuts, a panel and menu for specialized cutting operations and easy timeline adjustments
• More code cleanup and documentation of functions and classes
• Reworked frame skipping, can now play in reverse when active, and should work better with slow playback

• Added seconds offset and seconds position display to edit panel
• Added 'compact' edit strip panel, displays more information in a smaller space than the original
• Added categories to panels
• Implemented new function wrappers, many features should now be more reliable, and new small features are added
  • New 'Grab' operator - parenting and ripple features are reliable now, press 'Alt' to toggle ripple mode
  • New 'Select' operator - can now right-click-drag multiple files
  • New 'Cut' operator - parenting and ripple is now properly handled
  • New 'Delete' operator - can ripple delete, and can remove children, New ripple delete shortcut - Alt-Delete and Alt-X
  • New 'Meta Make' operator - automatically adds child strips to new metastrip
  • New strip importer operator - has some new features and will auto-parent and auto-generate proxies
• Replaced the sequencer Strip and Add menus so they can use the custom operators, also new option to simplify strip menu by removing some items
• New ripple cut shortcuts - Alt-K will ripple trim the strip based on which side the mouse is on
• Minimized continuous function handler, only needs to detect new strips and renames now
• Implemented graphic display of fades and parent/child relationships of the active strip
• Cursor following is back, works properly at all zoom levels now!
• Implemented Quick3Point - a basic 3point editing workflow, import from the file browser to the clip editor, then to the sequencer.
• Auto-Set Timeline Operator - move strips up to frame 1, set timeline start to frame 1, set timeline end to last frame of last strip
• The new cut operator now fixes effect sequence chains - it will duplicate single input effects (such as speed control) to the newly cut sequence, and it will fix crossfades that should be applied to the right cut sequence. See https://developer.blender.org/T50877 for more info on the bug.
• Now can save and recall zoom levels in the vse. No way to do vertical (channel) zooms yet tho...
• Right-click context menu option added, hold right click to activate it. Options will differ depending on what is clicked on - cursor, sequence, sequence handles, markers, empty area