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Editor Overview

Cap Desktop includes a powerful video editor for Studio Mode recordings. The editor provides timeline-based editing, visual effects, and export options.
The editor only opens for Studio Mode recordings. Instant Mode recordings are automatically processed and uploaded.

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Opening the Editor

The editor opens automatically after stopping a Studio Mode recording. You can also:
  • Open existing recordings from the recordings list
  • Import external videos via Import button

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Editor Interface

The editor is divided into key areas:
  1. Header: Resolution, playback controls, and export button
  2. Preview: Video preview with visual overlays
  3. Timeline: Track-based editing interface
  4. Sidebar: Configuration and effects panel

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Timeline Editing

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Timeline Structure

The timeline shows multiple tracks:
  • Video Track: Main recording content
  • Camera Track: Picture-in-picture camera overlay
  • Text Tracks: Text overlays and annotations
  • Scene Markers: Section markers for organization

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Playback Controls

  • Play/Pause: Spacebar or play button
  • Scrub: Click or drag the playhead in timeline
  • Frame Step: Arrow keys to move frame-by-frame
  • Zoom: Adjust timeline zoom level for precise editing
Use the zoom track at the bottom to focus on specific sections of your recording.

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Trimming Video

  1. Click and drag the start or end handles on the video track
  2. Or select a range and use the trim tool
  3. Preview your changes in real-time
Trimming is non-destructive. Your original recording remains unchanged.

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Visual Effects

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Cropping

  1. Click the Crop button in the header
  2. Drag the crop handles in the preview
  3. Choose from preset aspect ratios:
    • Original
    • 16:9
    • 9:16 (Vertical)
    • 1:1 (Square)
    • 4:3
  4. Or drag freely for custom dimensions
  5. Click Apply to confirm

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Background Customization

Add backgrounds to cropped videos:
  • Solid Color: Choose any color
  • Gradient: Select from gradient presets
  • Blur: Automatically blur the original video as background
Perfect for clean, professional looks:
  1. Open the Background settings
  2. Choose Solid
  3. Pick a color from the picker
  4. Adjust opacity if needed

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Rounding and Borders

  • Corner Radius: Round the corners of your video
  • Border: Add a border with customizable:
    • Color
    • Width
    • Style

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Shadow Effects

Add depth with drop shadows:
  • Adjust shadow offset (X and Y)
  • Configure blur radius
  • Set shadow color and opacity

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Text Overlays

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Adding Text

  1. Click Add Text in the sidebar
  2. Type your text content
  3. Position the text in the preview
  4. Adjust timing in the timeline

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Text Customization

1

Font

Choose from available system fonts
2

Size

Adjust text size with slider
3

Color

Pick text color and add stroke/outline
4

Position

Drag text in preview or set coordinates
5

Duration

Set when text appears and disappears

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Captions and Subtitles

If your recording has AI-generated transcription:
  1. Open the Captions tab in sidebar
  2. Choose caption style preset or customize:
    • Font family
    • Font size
    • Background
    • Position
  3. Enable/disable captions for export
Captions are generated automatically for recordings with audio. Edit transcript accuracy in the web app before exporting.

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Export Settings

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Resolution

Choose export resolution:
  • 1080p (1920×1080) - Recommended
  • 1440p (2560×1440) - Higher quality
  • 4K (3840×2160) - Maximum quality
  • Original - Match source resolution
Higher resolutions increase export time and file size. Choose based on your sharing needs.

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Format

Cap exports to MP4 format with:
  • H.264 video codec
  • AAC audio codec
  • Optimized for web streaming

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Frame Rate

Set export frame rate:
  • 30 FPS: Standard web video
  • 60 FPS: Smooth motion (recommended for recordings at 60fps+)

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Compression

  • Balanced quality and file size
  • Best for online sharing
  • Faster encoding

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Exporting Your Video

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Export and Save Locally

  1. Click Export in the header
  2. Choose export settings
  3. Click Export
  4. Choose save location
  5. Wait for rendering to complete
Export progress is shown with rendered frame count and total frames.

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Export and Upload

Share directly to Cap Web:
  1. Click Share button
  2. Video is rendered with your settings
  3. Upload progress is displayed
  4. Shareable link is automatically copied
  5. Link opens in browser (optional)
You must be signed in to upload videos. Videos longer than 5 minutes require Cap Pro.

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Performance

During editing:
  • Preview resolution is optimized for smooth playback
  • Enable the Performance Overlay to see frame timing
  • Large projects may require rendering time
If preview playback is laggy, try:
  • Lowering preview resolution
  • Closing other applications
  • Disabling effects temporarily

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Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Space: Play/Pause
  • Left/Right Arrow: Previous/Next frame
  • Home: Jump to start
  • End: Jump to end
  • Delete: Delete selected element

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Saving Your Project

Projects are saved automatically:
  • All edits are preserved
  • Reopen recordings from the recordings list
  • Your work is never lost

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Troubleshooting

  • Ensure you recorded in Studio Mode
  • Check that the recording file exists
  • Try restarting Cap
  • Check available disk space
  • Ensure export location is writable
  • Try a lower resolution
  • Check error logs in Settings → Feedback
  • Wait for project to fully load
  • Try scrubbing the timeline
  • Restart the editor
  • Higher resolutions take longer
  • Close other applications
  • Consider using Web compression
  • Disable unused effects

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Next Steps

Uploading Videos

Share your edited videos on Cap Web

Settings

Configure editor preferences

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