Using Markers

Markers are visual reference points that you can add to your timeline or to specific clips. They do not affect the output of your video, but they are essential for organization, making notes, and collaborating with a team.

Timeline Markers vs. Clip Markers

• Timeline Markers: Placed on the time ruler at the very top of the timeline. These mark specific points in time (e.g., "Act 2 starts here" or "Add a gunshot sound effect here"). If you move clips around, the timeline marker stays in the same chronological spot.
• Clip Markers: Placed directly onto a specific video or audio clip. If you move the clip down the timeline, the marker moves with it. These are useful for noting specific actions (e.g., "Actor blinks here" or "Beat drop").

How to Add Markers

Adding a Timeline Marker

1. Park the playhead where you want the marker.
2. Ensure no clips are selected.
3. Press M on your keyboard. A blue marker will appear on the time ruler.

Adding a Clip Marker

1. Select the specific clip you want to mark.
2. Park the playhead over the desired frame.
3. Press M on your keyboard. A blue marker will appear on the clip itself.

Editing Markers

Once a marker is placed, you can customize it to convey more information.

1. Double-click any marker to open the Marker Dialog window (or press M a second time while your playhead is parked directly on top of an existing marker).
2. Name: Give the marker a title (e.g., "VFX Needed").
3. Notes: Write a detailed description (e.g., "Remove the boom mic from the top left corner").
4. Color: Change the marker's color to create a system (e.g., Red = To-Do, Green = Approved, Yellow = Audio Note).
5. Duration: By default, a marker is 1 frame long. You can increase the duration to turn the marker into a colored span that covers a range of time.

Navigating by Markers

You can quickly jump between markers to speed up your review process.

• Press Shift + Down Arrow to jump to the next marker on the timeline.
• Press Shift + Up Arrow to jump to the previous marker.

If you export your project to an index or use MCP automation, markers can be read programmatically to automatically generate chapters or chapter titles for YouTube.

Use Markers in a production project

1. Open Edit workspace and select the intended clip, edit point, track, or timeline range.
2. Establish the correct input state first—timing, media link, layer/node enable state, project settings, or source selection as relevant.
3. Apply or adjust Markers with one clear goal. Change the smallest set of controls needed to reach that goal so the result remains understandable and reversible.
4. Review the complete affected range in context. Scrub difficult frames and also play at normal speed when motion or audio is involved.
5. Save a named milestone before moving into another major operation, especially after graph changes, tracking, AI processing, relinking, simulation, or delivery setup.

Practical guidance

Markers are editorial notes tied to time. Use consistent names or colors for review notes, beats, VFX handoffs, and delivery checks so they remain useful in larger projects.

A useful test is a short 5–10 second section containing both an easy case and a difficult case for this feature. Tune against the difficult moment without breaking the easy one. If two approaches are plausible, duplicate/version the project state and compare them rather than stacking both together blindly.

Verify the result

• Play through the edit at normal speed and check upstream/downstream timing.
• Toggle/bypass the operation where possible and make sure the change you intended is actually responsible for the result.
• Check selection, visibility/mute/solo state, node connections, track locks, range, and source identity when the result appears missing.
• Save and reopen before treating a complex setup as reusable.
• If this feature changes final pixels or audio, render a short review and inspect the file outside Oraphim.

Related guides

• Clips
• Editing Overview
• Multicam
• Nested Sequences