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The Clip object wraps an Asset and controls how it appears on screen. Think of the Asset as your raw content (the video file, image, or text), and the Clip as all the presentation decisions - where it appears, how big it is, what color effects it has, how it fades in and out. This guide documents all available Clip parameters and their interactions.

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Editor Architecture

Asset → Clip → Track → Timeline
  • Asset: Raw content (what to show)
  • Clip: Presentation control (how to show it)
  • Track: Layering container (for stacking multiple clips)
  • Timeline: Final composition (the output video)
This separation lets you reuse the same asset in multiple clips with different visual treatments - same video, but one clip shows it full-screen while another shows it as a small picture-in-picture overlay.

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Clip Parameters

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Core Parameters

ParameterTypeDescription
assetAssetThe content to display (VideoAsset, ImageAsset, AudioAsset, TextAsset, CaptionAsset)
durationfloatClip length in seconds

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Geometry Parameters

ParameterTypeDescription
fitFitScaling behavior: Fit.crop, Fit.contain, Fit.cover, Fit.none
positionPositionAnchor point (9 zones: top_left, center, bottom_right, etc.)
offsetOffsetFine-tune position with x/y coordinates
scalefloatSize multiplier (0.0 to 10.0, default: 1.0)

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Visual Effect Parameters

ParameterTypeDescription
filterFilterColor treatment (greyscale, blur, contrast, etc.)
opacityfloatTransparency (0.0 = invisible, 1.0 = opaque)
transitionTransitionFade in_/out effects

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Scale Parameter

The scale parameter is a size multiplier applied after fit mode. First, the fit mode handles the aspect ratio and scales your content to match the timeline, then scale multiplies that result. This is useful for creating picture-in-picture effects (scale=0.3 for a tiny corner video) or zoom effects (scale=1.5 to enlarge). 
from videodb.editor import Clip, VideoAsset, Position

clip = Clip(
    asset=VideoAsset(id=video.id),
    duration=10,
    scale=0.5,  # 50% of original size
    position=Position.top_left
)
Range: 0.0 to 10.0 (default: 1.0) Example with scale=0.5 and Position.top_left

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Opacity Parameter

The opacity parameter controls transparency, letting you create semi-transparent overlays, subtle watermarks, or fade effects. At 1.0 your clip is fully solid, at 0.5 it’s half-transparent, and at 0.0 it’s completely invisible. 
from videodb.editor import Clip, VideoAsset

clip = Clip(
    asset=VideoAsset(id=video.id),
    duration=10,
    opacity=0.5  # 50% transparent
)
Range: 0.0 (invisible) to 1.0 (opaque) Example with opacity=0.3

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Filter Parameter

The filter parameter applies color and visual treatments to your clip. These are global effects that change the entire clip’s appearance - you can make it black and white, blur it for backgrounds, adjust contrast, or create stylistic looks. Each clip can have one filter applied. 
Filter.greyscale   # Remove color (black and white)
Filter.blur        # Blur the video
Filter.contrast    # Increase contrast
Filter.boost       # Boost contrast and saturation
Filter.muted       # Reduce saturation and contrast
Filter.darken      # Darken the scene
Filter.lighten     # Lighten the scene
Filter.negative    # Invert colors

from videodb.editor import Clip, VideoAsset, Filter

clip = Clip(
    asset=VideoAsset(id=video.id),
    duration=10,
    filter=Filter.greyscale
)
Example with Filter.greyscale

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Transition Parameter

The transition parameter controls fade in/out effects, making your clips appear and disappear smoothly instead of cutting abruptly. The fade happens over the first and last N seconds of your clip - so a 2-second fade means the first 2 seconds gradually appear, and the last 2 seconds gradually disappear. 
from videodb.editor import Clip, VideoAsset, Transition

clip = Clip(
    asset=VideoAsset(id=video.id),
    duration=10,
    transition=Transition(
        in_="fade",   # Fade in effect (note the underscore)
        out="fade",   # Fade out effect
        duration=2    # Transition duration in seconds
    )
)
Example: Parameters:
  • in_: Transition type for entry (use in_ with underscore because in is a Python keyword)
  • out: Transition type for exit
  • duration: Length of transition in seconds

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Complete Example

Here’s a clip using multiple parameters: 
from videodb.editor import Clip, VideoAsset, Position, Filter, Transition

clip = Clip(
    asset=VideoAsset(id=video.id),
    duration=10,
    position=Position.bottom_left,
    scale=0.7,
    opacity=0.3,
    filter=Filter.greyscale,
    transition=Transition(in_="fade", out="fade", duration=3),
    fit=None
)

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Parameter Reference

ParameterTypeDefaultDescription
assetAssetRequiredContent to display
durationfloatRequiredClip length in seconds
fitFitFit.cropScaling mode
positionPositionNoneAnchor point (9 zones)
offsetOffsetNoneFine position adjustment
scalefloat1.0Size multiplier (0.0-10.0)
opacityfloat1.0Transparency (0.0-1.0)
filterFilterNoneColor treatment
transitionTransitionNoneFade effects

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What You Can Build

Intro & Outro Automation

Use clip positioning and transitions for seamless brand intros

Brand Elements

Overlay logos and watermarks with opacity and positioning

TikTok Lyric Videos

Combine clips with text overlays and visual effects

Faceless Video Creator

Layer multiple clips with filters and transitions

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Next Steps

Clip Control Layer

Hands-on experimentation with all Clip parameters, effects, and transitions.