ForgeCut User Guide

Everything you need to edit faster and smarter.

1. Basic Editing & Shortcuts

  • Importing: Drag and drop media files directly into the Media Bin or Timeline, or press Ctrl + I.
  • Zooming: Scroll your mouse wheel to pan horizontally. Hold Ctrl + Scroll to zoom in and out of the timeline.
  • Cutting: Press S to instantly split the clip under the playhead.
  • Ripple Delete: Press Shift + Del to delete a clip and instantly snap all downstream clips to the left, closing the gap.
  • Rate Stretch (Slow/Fast Mo): Hold Ctrl while dragging the edge of a clip to speed it up or slow it down to fit a specific gap.

2. AI Object Tracking & Masking

ForgeCut features a powerful bidirectional object tracker powered by OpenCV.

  1. Select a video clip and go to the Effect Controls panel.
  2. Click Start Object Tracking.
  3. On the Preview Monitor, click and drag a line across the object you want to track (e.g., a car or a face).
  4. ForgeCut will analyze the video forward and backward, calculating position, scale, and rotation automatically.
  5. Change the Tracker Action to Center Object to automatically stabilize shaky footage around your tracked subject.

3. Smart Audio Tools

Automate tedious editing tasks using the Audio Tools panel:

  • ✨ Auto-Animate to BeatsSelect a Video clip, pick a property (like Scale or Rotation), and ForgeCut will analyze the kick-drums of the overlapping Audio track, automatically generating keyframes so the video "bounces" to the music.
  • ✂️ Auto-Silence Remover (Jump Cuts)Perfect for podcasts and gaming videos. Select an audio clip, set your volume threshold, and click Analyze. ForgeCut will detect dead air, slice the timeline, and Ripple Delete the silences in seconds.
  • 🏃 Action Beat SyncMove the playhead to where the action starts and click Set IN. Move to where it ends and click Set OUT. Click Slice & Sync to automatically variable-speed-stretch your clip so the action lands perfectly on the beat drops.

4. VST3 Audio Plugins

ForgeCut is a full VST3 host. Simply drag a .vst3 file from your Effects Library onto any audio clip. Go to the Effect Controls tab and click ⚙️ Edit UI to open the manufacturer's custom window. You can tweak knobs during live playback for zero-latency feedback.

5. Exporting

When your masterpiece is ready, click the orange Export Video button in the top toolbar (or press Ctrl + E). ForgeCut utilizes hardware acceleration (NVENC, AMF, QSV) to render your final MP4, MKV, or GIF blazingly fast.