# Timeline and export

> Assemble picture and sound on tracks, trim and inspect clips, configure the output, then render a deliverable or export an interchange document.

Source: https://kaitoi.io/docs/studio/timeline/
Section: Kaitoi Studio / Media tools
Written for: Anyone editing a sequence in Studio.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-24

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Open **Timeline** from the view dock to arrange images, video, text, and sound
over time. A clip refers to source media; its timeline position and trim decide
when and which part appears.

## Choose the artifact to export


One sequence can produce three different artifacts. Rendering produces a finished video or audio file. OpenTimelineIO exports editable sequence structure and references that still need source media. Export as Node creates a Load Object node with timeline data. Inspect the rendered picture and sound, keep interchange sources, and inspect the destination node before using it.

The same authored wide, detail and title shots appear as clips 01–03. Rendered media combines picture and sound, the OTIO document points back to those source clips, and the Load Object node retains timeline data rather than a flattened movie.

*Figure: Compare a finished media file, an editable interchange document, and timeline data.*

## Prepare the sequence

Choose the scene, frame rate, and output dimensions. Add media through the
available send or import actions, including **Send to Timeline** from a graph
result or storyboard. Inspect its placement at the playhead and the track it
lands on.

Use separate tracks for layers and sound. Check visibility, mute, and volume
controls before diagnosing missing picture or audio. Clips on different tracks
can overlap and play together.

## Edit and preview

Drag clips to move them and drag their edges to trim. Use split and clip
properties for more precise changes. The property controls include supported
transform, appearance, and audio settings.

Scrub across edits, then play the sequence with sound. Check overlaps, incoming
and outgoing frames, and the complete end of the scene. Filmstrips and waveforms
help navigate, but the player is where you assess the result.

## Render a deliverable

Open the render/export controls and choose a supported format and range. Match
the resolution and frame rate to the destination. Use audio-only rendering when
you need a soundtrack without a video file. Where offered, **Add to graph**
brings a completed render back into the project as a result you can process.

The available codec and container combinations determine whether features such
as transparency or HDR can be preserved. Check the export options for that
combination and inspect the rendered file, including its sound, before sharing.

## Continue in another editor

Timeline interchange export describes an editable sequence for other tools.
It is different from rendering a single finished movie. Use the offered OpenTimelineIO export and keep referenced source media
available.
Interchange formats do not express every effect identically across editors.

## When a render fails

Read the error, confirm source files still load, and check the requested range
and output settings. Try a short representative range before a long render.
Save the project before changing many clip or export settings at once.

## Choose the export that matches the job

**Render:** create a finished video or audio file and inspect actual output
settings, range, picture and sound. **OpenTimelineIO:** export editable sequence
structure with media references. **Export as Node:** create a Load Object node
containing timeline data, not a finished movie. Closing progress can leave a
render active.

## Checks and next steps

Open **Export timeline** and choose **Render Video**, **OpenTimelineIO**, or
**Export as Node**. Render Video offers supported MP4, WebM, and MOV choices;
**Audio only** offers MP3, WAV, or M4A. Choose **Full project** or **Clips only**.
Clips only trims empty time before the first clip and after the last clip; it
keeps gaps inside that range. Inspect conditional HDR settings and actual codec
support rather than assuming a container guarantees HDR or transparency.

**Export as Node** creates a Load Object node containing timeline data. It is
not a rendered movie. **OpenTimelineIO** describes an editable sequence and
its media references; it is not the final picture-and-sound file either.

A render is real work. Closing its progress panel does not necessarily stop
the active job. Reopen the render state rather than starting a duplicate when
you only hid the panel. After completion, **Add to graph** can create a Load
Video or Load Audio node. Play the exported file with sound and inspect its
full range before delivering it.