Timeline exports

Overview

A timeline export turns a recording session's cut list into an EDL or Multicam XML file your editor can import. Each cut is stamped with the session's timecode and labeled with the clip names you mapped. Pixelrush reads the drop-frame flag from the timecode signal and writes it into the export, so the editor interprets the file correctly without configuration.

To export, open the session from the Sessions list and select Export in the top-right corner. A menu lets you choose between EDL and Multicam XML; the file downloads immediately.

Choose a format

Both formats carry the same cut list. The difference is what your editor does with it.

• EDL — universal. Creates a flat timeline with one cut per event. Use this when multicam is not your goal or when your editor doesn't support Multicam XML well.
• Multicam XML — imports into a supported editor as a multicam clip. All camera angles are preserved alongside the program-cut edit, so you can change angles in the timeline without going back to Pixelrush. Use this when you want a full multicam editing experience.

EDL is the most widely supported export format and, because it is plain text, the easiest to inspect when something looks wrong. Choose it when in doubt.

Map clip names

When an editor imports an EDL or Multicam XML, it looks for media files whose names match the clip names in the file. If the names don't match, the editor marks the clips offline and you have to relink them manually. The Clip Mappings section on the session detail page is where you set those names before you export.

Each row in the Clip Mappings section represents one source that appeared during the session. To map a source:

1. Find the row for the source you want to map. The label on the left is the input name as Pixelrush read it from the device.
2. Type the clip name into the text field, or select Browse and pick the file from the Finder. You can also drag a file directly onto the row.
3. When you type a name, select Save to commit the row. Rows auto-save when you use Browse or drag-and-drop.

File names and full paths

Use full file paths when exporting Multicam XML. Full paths give the editor the most complete media reference and are the most reliable choice to import the XML without an additional relinking step.

File-name-only mappings are more portable, but editor support is less consistent for Multicam XML. Some editors can import the timeline and let you relink missing clips afterward. Others may fail the import when the XML does not point directly to the media file.

Browse and drag-and-drop currently fill clip mappings with file names only. To enter a full path on macOS, right-click the media file in Finder, hold Option, choose Copy as Pathname, then paste that path into the clip mapping. Be sure to remove any quotes around the path before saving.

RED camera footage (.RDC)

For RED cameras, enter the .RDC folder name (for example A001_C001.RDC), not the name of an individual .R3D segment file inside it. For EDL exports, Pixelrush strips a trailing .RDC at export time so the editor matches the clip folder. Multicam XML keeps the name as you typed it.

Unmapped sources

If a source has no clip mapping, Pixelrush writes a placeholder name into the export (Source_1.mp4, Source_2.mp4, and so on, numbered by the order the sources appeared). The placeholder is safe in an EDL or XML file, but it does not match your media unless your camera files happen to carry the same name. Map every source before you export if you want automatic relinking.

Correct synchronization

The Frame Offset field on the session detail page shifts every cut in the export by the number of frames you specify. It does not change the stored cut list. Only the exported file is affected.

Enter a positive number to shift cuts later (toward the end of the timeline) or a negative number to shift cuts earlier. A value of +2 moves every cut two frames forward; -2 moves every cut two frames back.

To determine the right value, find a reference frame: a moment in the session where you know exactly when the bus cut to a particular camera. Compare where that cut lands in the export against where it lands in your camera media. The difference in frames is your frame offset.

Frame offset only helps when the error is constant across the session. If some cuts are off by two frames and others are off by five, the cause is something other than a fixed delay. Typically the timecode source drifted, or a camera's timecode was not synced before recording started. See the Troubleshooting guide for steps to diagnose variable synchronization errors.

Enter the offset and select Save. The new value applies to subsequent exports.

Supported editors