Introduction to Velvet Goldmine
Even though it is possible to edit 2D videos in Blender without changing anything on the program, you’ll soon realize that the task will prove unpractical. Although the controls are there, the software feels rigid, and that’s the point where the Blender Velvets addons come in.
Velvet Goldmine aims to improve the fluidity of video editing by redistributing some keyboard shortcuts for functions that already exist, by making some of the processes that ask for unnecessary confirmation (such as deleting strips on the timeline or saving the project) more direct and by creating new functions for navigation, strips manipulation and manipulation of the timeline itself.
Velvet Goldmine comes with a new set of hotkeys, Velvet Shortcuts, and has been conceived to be used with Blender’s modified interface. As it is hard to remember all the changes provided by the addon, this page shows a detailed description of all the new shortcuts and othose that have been modified, as well as videos showing the new functions at work.
How to install Velvet Goldmine
To install Velvet Goldmine with the new set of hotkeys, Velvet Shortcuts, click on the link below to go to the Download Area of the website.
Addons last update | Go to the Download Area |
Once downloaded, the files with Velvet Goldmine (velvet_goldmine.py) and Velvet Shortcuts (velvet_shortcuts.py) are inside a zipped folder, together with the other Blender Velvets addons. Open it as you would with any regular .zip file and extract them to some place of your choice (for example, at the Desktop).
Follow the detailed instructions for the installation of both at the How to install the addons section from the page How to configure Blender for video.
Velvet Shortcuts – New set of shortcuts
Changes in native shortcuts
Velvet Shortcuts, the new set of hotkeys that must be used with Velvet Goldmine, changes some of Blender’s native shortcuts. The objective is to bring Blender closer to the other advanced non linear video editors.
Standard shortcut | New function for standard shortcut |
---|---|
A | “A” now selects all strips |
Alt + A | “Alt + A” now deselects all strips |
Spacebar | “Spacebar” now plays the video (animation) |
Shift + Alt + Spacebar | “Shift + Alt + Spacebar” now plays the video (animation) in reverse |
B | “B” – Border select selects what you want (the box) and discards the rest |
Alt + B | “Alt + B” – Border select adds what you want (the box) to current selected strips |
Del | “Del” – Deletes without prompting for confirmation. In MacOS, shortcut is Fn + Del |
Ctrl + G | “Ctrl + G” – Makes meta-strip without prompting for confirmation |
Ctrl + S | “Ctrl + S” – Saves the file without prompting for confirmation |
Shift + R | “Shift + R” – Refresh Sequencer (cleans cache in RAM) |
Left Mouse Click | “Left Mouse Click” – now selects strips with linked time by default (audio + video) |
Left Mouse Click (Timeline) | “Left Mouse Click” on the timeline – now selects all strips on the left/right of the cursor |
Ctrl + Left Mouse Click | “Ctrl + Left Mouse Click” – selects strips disregarding linked time |
Ctrl + Right Mouse Click | “Ctrl + Right Mouse Click” – view all (equivalent to “Home”, without having to abandon the mouse) |
Shift + Home | “Shift + Home” – Zooms to selected strips. Added for MacOS support, MacOS shortcut is Fn+Shift+LeftArrow. |
New functions
The new shortcuts added by the Velvet Goldmine addon go beyond the existing functions in Blender.
New shortcut | New function description |
---|---|
Ctrl + P | Toggles audio pan between 0.0, 1.0 and -1.0 for selected strips |
W | Shows the audio waveform in selected strips |
Alt + W | Hides the audio waveform in selected strips |
Ctrl + K | Cuts selected strips, deletes to the left |
Ctrl + Shift + K | Cuts selected strips, deletes to the left, selects remaining |
Alt + K | Cuts selected strips, deletes to the right |
Ctrl + Alt + K | Cuts selected strips, deletes to the right, selects remaining |
Ctrl + F | Creates a one second fade in (for audio and/or video) at strip start |
Alt + F | Creates a one second fade out (for audio and/or video) at strip end |
Alt + M | Deletes the closest marker to the cursor |
Ctrl + LeftArrow | Moves cursor to left marker position |
Ctrl + RightArrow | Moves cursor to right marker position |
Ctrl + Alt + R | Toggle between 30, 60 and 100 values in Resolution Percentage (Pre Blender 2.75: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R) |
Shift + TAB | Toggles between existing Scenes. May not work on MacOS |
Ctrl + Shift + F2 | Changes view to Animation layout. Does not work on MacOS |
Ctrl + Shift + F3 | Changes view to Compositing layout. Does not work on MacOS |
Ctrl + Shift + F4 | Changes view to Motion Tracking layout. Does not work on MacOS |
Ctrl + Shift + F1 | Changes view to Video Editing layout. Does not work on MacOS |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C | Adjusts selected strips to where the cursor is in the timeline |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S | Adjusts selected strips to the beginning of the timeline |
Alt + UpArrow | Moves selected strip one channel up |
Alt + DownArrow | Moves selected strip one channel down |
Ctrl + PgUp | Jumps cursor to next beginning/end of strip (Vintage: pre Blender 2.73). Shortcut for MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + UpArrow |
Ctrl + PgDown | Jumps cursor to previous beginning/end of strip (Vintage: pre Blender 2.73). Shortcut for MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + DownArrow |
Shift + C | Concatenates selected strips in channel (only works for 1 channel) |
Alt + E | Adjusts VSE Timeline according to last video |
Shift + E | Sets Timeline end to current frame |
Shift + Alt + S | Sets Timeline start to current frame |
Alt + 1 | Sets Timeline start to frame one (Vintage Blender pre 2.77: Alt+S) |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L | Sets Timeline start and end to selected strips |
Ctrl + Shift + A | Selects only the strips inside Timeline preview |
End | Alternative to View Selected (context view). Shortcut for MacOS: Fn + RightArrow |
Ctrl + Home | Zooms in aproximatelly 10s of Timeline. Shortcut for MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + LeftArrow |
Ctrl + End; Ctrl + Shift + Right Mouse Click | Zooms out aproximatelly 10s of Timeline. Shortcut for MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + RightArrow; Ctrl + Shift + Right Mouse Click |
Ctrl + Shift + End | Zooms out aproximatelly 10s of Timeline + Y Axis. Shortcut for MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + Shift + RightArrow |
Shift + Right Mouse Click | Zooms timeline to green ibeam (cursor) if it is over any strips |
Velvet Goldmine in action
To better understand what the new Velvet Goldmine functions do, it’s better to see them in action. Notice that all videos shown here use Blender’s modified interface.
Shortcut: Ctrl + P
Audio – Show Waveform
Shortcut: W
Audio – Hide Waveform
Shortcut: Alt + W
Shortcut: Ctrl + K
Cut and delete – Left, Select
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + K
Cut and delete – Right
Shortcut: Alt + K
Cut and delete – Right, Select
Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + K
Delete Direct
Shortcut: Delete (MacOS: Fn + Delete)
Shortcut: Ctrl + F
Fade Out – Strip End
Shortcut: Alt + F
Shortcut: Ctrl + LeftArrow
Markers – Go to Right Marker
Shortcut: Ctrl + RightArrow
Markers – Delete Closest
Shortcut: Alt + M
Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R
Shortcut: Shift + TAB
May not work on MacOS
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + F2
Does not work on MacOS
Screens – Change to Compositing
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + F3
Does not work on MacOS
Screens – Change to Motion Tracking
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + F4
Does not work on MacOS
Screens – Change to Video Editing
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + F1
Does not work on MacOS
Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C
Strips – Adjust to Start
Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S
Strips – Channel Up
Shortcut: Alt + UpArrow
Strips – Channel Down
Shortcut: Alt + DownArrow
Shortcut: Ctrl + PgUp
MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + UpArrow
(Vintage: pre Blender 2.73)
Strips – Jump to Previous
Shortcut: Ctrl + PgDown
MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + DownArrow
(Vintage: pre Blender 2.73)
Strips – Concatenate Selected
(Same channel)
Shortcut: Shift + C
Shortcut: Alt + E
Timeline End to Current
Shortcut: Shift + E
Timeline Start to Current
Shortcut: Shift + Alt + S
Timeline Start to One
Shortcut: Alt + 1
(Vintage Blender pre 2.77: Alt + S)
Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L
Timeline – Select Inside Preview
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + A
Shortcut: Ctrl + Home
MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + LeftArrow
Timeline – Zoom Out 10s
Shortcut: Ctrl + End;
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Right Mouse Click
MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + RightArrow
Timeline – Zoom Out XY Axis
Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + End
MacOS: Fn + Ctrl + Shift + RightArrow
Timeline – Zoom to Cursor
Shortcut: Shift + Right Mouse Click