Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work in Sprocket. This page lists every shortcut, grouped by what you’re trying to do.

Tip: The shortcuts below are written for Windows and Linux, where the main modifier key is Ctrl. On macOS, use ⌘ (Command) wherever you see Ctrl — for example, Ctrl+S becomes ⌘S. A few shortcuts differ between platforms; those differences are called out as you go and summarized in macOS differences at the end.

Playback and transport

Shortcut	What it does
`Space`	Play / pause the active monitor
`Ctrl+Shift+Space`	Play only the marked range (from the In point to the Out point)
`←` / `→`	Step back / forward one frame (pauses playback)
`Shift+←` / `Shift+→`	Step back / forward five frames
`Home` / `End`	Jump to the start / end
`Up` / `Down`	Jump the Program playhead to the previous / next edit point on the targeted tracks
`Shift+Up` / `Shift+Down`	Jump to the previous / next edit point on every track

Tip: Playback shortcuts act on whichever monitor is active — the Program monitor (your timeline) or the Source monitor (a clip you’re previewing).

Files and projects

Shortcut	What it does
`Ctrl+N`	New project
`Ctrl+O`	Open a project
`Ctrl+S`	Save
`Ctrl+Shift+S`	Save As
`Ctrl+I`	Import media
`Ctrl+E`	Export
`Ctrl+Shift+E`	Open the export queue
`Ctrl+,`	Open Preferences

On macOS you can also press ⌘Q to quit Sprocket. On Windows and Linux, quit with the usual Alt+F4 or by closing the window.

Editing

These shortcuts act on the clips selected on the timeline.

Shortcut	What it does
`Ctrl+Z`	Undo
`Ctrl+Shift+Z`	Redo
`Ctrl+Y`	Redo (Windows and Linux only)
`Ctrl+K`	Split the clip at the playhead
`Ctrl+L`	Link or unlink the selection (links an eligible multi-selection, otherwise unlinks the selected clip’s group)
`Shift+E`	Enable or disable the selected clip
`Delete` or `Backspace`	Delete the selection, leaving a gap
`Shift+Delete` or `Shift+Backspace`	Ripple delete — delete the selection and close the gap
`Alt+←`	Nudge the selected clip one frame left
`Alt+→`	Nudge the selected clip one frame right

Selection and clipboard

Shortcut	What it does
`Ctrl+A`	Select all clips
`Ctrl+X`	Cut
`Ctrl+C`	Copy
`Ctrl+V`	Paste at the playhead

Tip: When you’re typing in a text field — the media search box or a numeric box in the Inspector — these keys keep their normal behavior (for example, Ctrl+A selects the text). The timeline shortcuts take over again as soon as you click away from the field.

Timeline zoom

Shortcut	What it does
`=`	Zoom in
`-`	Zoom out
`Ctrl+=`	Zoom in
`Ctrl+-`	Zoom out
`Shift+Z`	Zoom to fit the whole timeline

The plain - and = keys are the quickest way to zoom — they work no matter which panel you are in, except while you are typing in a text field, where they type the character instead. The Ctrl versions keep working even then, so you can zoom without leaving a field.

Both the main number-row keys (= / -, and + if you prefer to hold Shift) and the numeric keypad + / - keys work for zooming.

Zooming keeps the frame at the playhead in place. If the playhead has scrolled out of view, it holds the middle of the visible timeline steady instead, so the view doesn’t jump.

In and out points

Mark a range on the timeline to export just that section, or to play only that part.

Shortcut	What it does
`I`	Set the In point at the playhead
`O`	Set the Out point at the playhead
`Alt+I`	Clear the In point
`Alt+O`	Clear the Out point
`Ctrl+Shift+Space`	Play the marked range (In to Out)
`Shift+I` / `Shift+O`	Go to the In / Out point
`Ctrl+Shift+X`	Clear the In and Out points
`X`	Mark the clip under the playhead
`/`	Mark the selected clips
`;`	Lift — remove the marked range, leaving a gap
`'`	Extract — remove the marked range and close the gap

Tip: With the Source monitor active, the In / Out keys (I, O, Shift+I, Shift+O, Alt+I, Alt+O, Ctrl+Shift+X, Ctrl+Shift+Space) act on the Source file’s marks instead of the sequence’s — see Marks in the Source monitor.

Three-point editing

Cut the Source monitor’s marked range into the sequence — see Three-point editing.

Shortcut	What it does
`,`	Insert — cut the source range in and push the rest right
`.`	Overwrite — cut the source range in over what’s there
`Shift+F11`	Fit to Fill — retime the source range to fill the sequence In–Out

Markers

Markers are notes you leave along the timeline.

Shortcut	What it does
`M`	Add a marker at the playhead
`Shift+M`	Jump to the next marker
`Ctrl+Shift+M`	Jump to the previous marker

Keyframes

When a clip with keyframed effect settings is selected, jump between its keyframes.

Shortcut	What it does
`[`	Jump to the previous keyframe
`]`	Jump to the next keyframe

Multicam

When a multicam clip is selected, the number keys cut to a camera angle at the playhead.

Shortcut	What it does
`1`–`9`	Switch to that camera angle

The number keys only switch angles while a multicam clip is selected; otherwise they do nothing.

Full screen

Shortcut	What it does
`Ctrl+F`	Show the current monitor full screen (a distraction-free preview)
`F11`	Make the whole Sprocket window full screen
`Esc`	Exit full-screen preview, then exit window full screen

Press Esc once to leave the full-screen preview; press it again to leave window full screen. Playback and transport shortcuts keep working while a preview is full screen.

macOS differences

Sprocket follows the platform’s conventions, so a few shortcuts differ on macOS:

On Windows / Linux	On macOS
`Ctrl` + a key	`⌘` (Command) + the same key
`Ctrl+Y` (redo)	Use `⌘⇧Z` — there is no `Ctrl+Y`
`Alt+F4` (quit)	`⌘Q`
`F11` (window full screen)	`F11` or `⌃⌘F` (some Mac keyboards treat `F11` as a media key)

On macOS, Ctrl is not an alias for ⌘ — the two are separate modifiers, matching how other professional editors behave.

Getting started with Sprocket — a tour of the main screen and the most common editing tasks.
Editing on the timeline — the trim tools, snapping, linked clips, and nudging in depth.