Actions & animations

Instead of just cutting, give each section an action with --when-active (-w:1, loud) and --when-inactive (-w:0, silent). Defaults: -w:1 nil (keep), -w:0 cut. Chain actions with commas; they apply in order.

auto-editor video.mp4 -w:0 speed:8            # fast-forward through silence (pitch preserved)
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:0 speed:3,volume:0.5 # speed up AND halve volume of silent parts

-w:0/-w:1 are the silent (label 0) and active (label 1) classes. You can define more classes with --edit:N/-e:N and act on them with --when:N/-w:N (N = 2–255) — see the auto-editor skill's "Labels" section. Every action below works as the value of any -w:N.

Actions

auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 deesser:0.8:0.7:0.4
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 rotate:90 --resolution 1080,1920   # landscape → portrait
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 drawbox:0:0:1920:200:#000000       # redact a strip

Overlays — add

add is virtual: it adds an overlay layer rather than a per-frame effect. Still images hold for the whole section; PNG alpha is preserved. Omit placement to scale-to-fit and center. Actions chained after an add apply to that new overlay, not the base. add brings every stream the file holds: a video with sound gets a video layer plus its audio layers (mixed in, not a second stream), an audio-only file adds sound with no picture, an image adds picture with no sound. In place of a file it takes a generator action: confetti/drawbox paint a video layer, tone synthesizes an audio one (so add:tone layers stack into a chord).

auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:./logo.png             # centered, fit to canvas
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:./pip.mp4:900:60:0.25  # PiP in the corner, audio included
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:./pip.mp4:900:60:0.25,volume:0.3  # ...tucked under the base
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:./music.mp3,volume:0.4 # background music, no picture added
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:./logo.png,spin:0/-30  # the logo spins, not the base video
auto-editor song.mp3 -bg white -w:1 add:./cover.png   # audio + image → video
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:tone:69                # 440 Hz tone over the audio
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:0 nil,add:tone:81            # beep the silence, don't cut it
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:tone:60,volume:1..0:ease=out  # a plucked, decaying note
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:tone:36:saw            # buzzy bass (sine|saw|square|triangle)

Overlays appear only where their section is kept, so for silent sections use -w:0 nil,add:... (keep + overlay). With --set-action the range is kept automatically.

Animations — ramps from..to

zoom, opacity, blur, brightness, volume, and each pos field accept a ramp. The value interpolates across the section, reaching to on its last frame. More than two points = keyframes, spread evenly.

auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 zoom:1..1.5          # Ken Burns
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 opacity:0..1         # fade in
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 volume:0..1          # audio fade in
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 zoom:1..1.5..1       # zoom in then out (keyframes)
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 add:./logo.png,pos:0..1200:40:1..0.5  # slide + shrink overlay

Easing — :ease=curve[:duration], curve ∈ linear|in|out|inout. A standalone ease: token sets the curve for every animated action after it. rotate/spin are not affected by easing.

auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 zoom:1..1.5:ease=inout
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 opacity:0..1:ease=in:2sec        # ease over 2s, then hold
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 ease:out,zoom:1..1.3,brightness:0..0.3

Target a time range — --set-action

--set-action ACTION,START,END overrides defaults for a range (range syntax; sec, start/end, negatives all work). The range is force-kept.

auto-editor video.mp4 --set-action nil,0,5sec
auto-editor video.mp4 --set-action speed:1.5,varispeed:1.5,30sec,end
auto-editor video.mp4 --set-action add:./logo.png:600:300:1.0,1sec,2sec

Recipes

auto-editor :mic -w:1 deesser:0.8:0.7:0.4         # record, then clean up speech
auto-editor podcast.mp3 -w:0 cut -w:1 speed:1.15      # cut silence, tighten speech
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:0 volume:0.3                 # duck (not cut) the silence
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:1 varispeed:1.25             # nightcore (speed + pitch up)
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:0 pitch:12                   # chipmunk the silence, same length
auto-editor video.mp4 -w:0 speed:6,volume:0.4         # fast, quiet silent sections

With :mic, press Ctrl-C to finish capture; actions are applied afterward.

Full reference: <https://auto-editor.com/ref/actions.md>;. For plain cutting / pace / edit methods, see the auto-editor skill.