Developers of the open-source video editor Kdenlive recently revealed exciting developments discussed during a sprint in Berlin, Germany. A significant highlight is the introduction of a "dopesheet" feature, funded by a grant from the NGI Zero Commons Fund. This feature, familiar to Blender users, will enhance keyframe management by providing a dedicated UI for editing. This advancement promises to allow for more precise control over animations and effects, streamlining the editing process.
Although the dopesheet feature will not make it to Kdenlive’s next release scheduled for December, there will be plenty of other enhancements. This upcoming release is set to include various UI and workflow improvements, such as renaming the “Project Bin” and “Render” sections to “Media” and “Export,” which aligns better with standard terminology used in other non-linear editors (NLEs). This renaming aims to make the transition smoother for users migrating to Kdenlive.
Additionally, improvements to the timeline toolbar and monitor interface are planned to create a cleaner user workspace. For instance, an audio vu-meter in the monitor UI will be transformed into a collapsible vertical widget to optimize space in the toolbar.
Looking further ahead, Kdenlive’s development team is exploring features such as saving user interface layouts tailored for specific tasks like color grading, audio mixing, or standard editing. They are also considering the inclusion of animation presets for the titler, which could utilize either Lottie animations or a QML producer for MLT, offering a way to create more dynamic titles and lower thirds.
Kdenlive is already a favorite among open-source users, and with these new features targeting pro and prosumer editing workflows, it is poised to attract those who may currently rely on costly commercial editing software.
For more information, visit the Kdenlive blog.