> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# A tour of the editor

> What each part of the editor is for, in one picture.

The **editor** is where you watch and change your video. It looks busy at first, but there are only six parts.

![The editor with six numbered areas: top bar, preview, add tools, play controls, timeline and sidebar](https://mintcdn.com/cutaway-docs/XxDikROkCqqX_dyv/images/annotated/editor-tour.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XxDikROkCqqX_dyv\&q=85\&s=09c4501ff9e3190cba33acf650d37238)

**1. Top bar**

Switch between pages: **Sources** (your files), **Edit**, **Package** (thumbnail and title) and **Shorts**.

On the left, the **folder** button takes you back to your other projects. The **trash** button is **Move project to Trash**. Cutaway asks first, and you can still get the project back from the Trash.

On the right are **Settings** (the gear), the **Command menu** (or press **Command + K**), **Undo** and **Redo**, **Presets** (save and reuse a look), **First cut** and **Export**.

**2. Preview**

The big picture. It shows exactly what your finished video will look like at this moment.

**3. Add tools**

Buttons to add things at the playhead: a [zoom](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/zoom.md), a [camera layout](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/camera-layouts.md), a [blur over private info](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/hide-private-info.md), a [callout](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/callouts.md) or [text](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/text-and-titles.md). The **shield** button looks for private info for you, like emails and passwords. See [Let Cutaway find private info](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/hide-private-info.md#let-cutaway-find-private-info).

**4. Play controls**

**Play** and **pause** (or press the **Space** bar). The arrows jump to the previous or next cut. The scissors [cut out a part](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/timeline-and-clips.md#cut-out-a-part).

**5. Timeline**

Your whole video from start (left) to end (right). The purple line is the **playhead**: the moment you're looking at. Click anywhere to move it. [Animations](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/animations.md) show as purple blocks on the text & effects row. Read more in [Timeline and clips](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/timeline-and-clips.md).

**6. Sidebar**

The icons down the right side open panels to change how things look and sound. Click an icon to open its panel.

## The sidebar panels

| Icon | Panel | What it changes |
| - | - | - |
| Frame | **Background** | The color or picture behind your video, and its corners. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/background-and-shape.md) |
| Arrow | **Cursor** | How the mouse pointer looks. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/cursor-and-animation.md) |
| Camera | **Camera** | The shape, size and look of your camera. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/camera-layouts.md) |
| Captions | **Captions** | Words on screen. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/captions.md) |
| Lines | **Transcript** | Edit by text. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/edit-by-transcript.md) |
| Speaker | **Audio** | Voice, volume and music. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/music-and-sound.md) |
| T | **Text and titles** | Titles and name labels. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/text-and-titles.md) |
| ⌘ | **Keyboard shortcuts** | Show the keys you pressed. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/cursor-and-animation.md#keyboard-shortcuts-on-screen) |
| Path | **Animations** | How fast zooms move. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/cursor-and-animation.md#animation-speed) |
| Speech bubble | **Ask AI** | Ask for changes in plain words. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/ai/ask-ai.md) |
| Sparkle | **AI review** | What the first cut changed. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/ai/ai-review.md) |
| Clock | **History** | Earlier versions of your video. [More](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/undo-and-versions.md) |

> [!TIP]
>
> Hover over any button to see what it does.

## Simple and Advanced timeline

Next to the play controls is an **Advanced** switch. Leave it off while you're learning. The simple timeline shows your text and effects, your video, and your music.

Turn **Advanced** on to see every layer separately, such as layouts, zooms, blurs and speed changes. See [Simple and Advanced timeline](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/timeline-and-clips.md#simple-and-advanced-timeline).

![The advanced timeline with separate rows for clips, zooms, layouts, text, blurs and music](https://mintcdn.com/cutaway-docs/XxDikROkCqqX_dyv/images/screens/timeline-advanced.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XxDikROkCqqX_dyv\&q=85\&s=ca8908ff830811833e61f68f24a3372a)


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