Source: 爱上MAC | Download link: Cutter – Cut & Crop Video for Mac
Cutter is a lightweight, efficient video editing and cropping tool designed specifically for macOS. It focuses on core functions such as quick video cutting, cropping, rotating, and format conversion, with a clean and intuitive interface and smooth operation, making it ideal for everyday video processing needs that don’t require complex timeline editing. This article provides a detailed introduction to its interface, complete workflow, advanced tips, and frequently asked questions.
I. Detailed Overview of the Software’s Core Interface and Workspace
Cutter’s main interface follows a minimalist design philosophy and is primarily divided into four functional areas:
- Top Toolbar: Contains the most essential action buttons, from left to right:
- “Open File”: Open a video file.
- “Cut”: Enter video cutting mode.
- “Crop”: Enter video frame cropping and rotation mode.
- “Export”: Export the final video.
- Left Preview and Source File Area: The upper section is the video preview window, and the lower section displays the list of imported source video files.
- Central Editing Workspace: The content in this area changes dynamically based on the current mode.
- Cut Mode: Displays the video timeline (or keyframe list), allowing users to set an In Point and an Out Point.
- Trim Mode: Displays the video frame with an adjustable crop box and rotation controls overlaid.
- Bottom Output Settings Area: Select the output video format (e.g., MP4, MOV, GIF), resolution, quality, frame rate, and save path here.
II. Complete Workflow: From Opening to Exporting
Step 1: Create/Open a Project (Import Video)
Method 1: After launching Cutter, directly click the “Open File” button in the top toolbar.
Method 2: Use the shortcut Command (⌘) + O.
Method 3: Drag and drop the video file directly from Finder to the source file area on the left side of Cutter or the central preview area.
After successful import, the video will appear in the file list on the left and automatically play in the preview window.
Step 2: Video Cutting (Remove Unwanted Segments)
- Select the video you need to edit in the file list on the left.
- Click the “Cut” button in the top toolbar, or use the shortcut
Command (⌘) + T, to enter cutting mode. - On the timeline in the central workspace, drag the playhead (or directly enter a timecode) to the start position of the segment you want to keep, and click the “Set In Point” button or press the shortcut
I. - Drag the playhead to the end position of the segment, then click the “Set Out Point” button or press the shortcut
O. The selected range will be highlighted on the timeline. - (Optional) If you need to cut multiple segments, repeat steps 3-4, and the software will automatically add the selected ranges to the processing queue.
- Click “Apply Cut” to confirm the cut operation. At this point, the preview window will only play the segments you selected.
Tip: In the zoomed-in timeline view, you can position frames more precisely. Use the mouse scroll wheel or a two-finger swipe on the trackpad to zoom the timeline.
Step 3: Video Cropping and Rotation
- Click the “Crop” button in the top toolbar, or use the shortcut
Command (⌘) + R, to enter crop mode. - The central workspace will display the video frame, and a dashed crop box with control points will appear around the frame.
- Adjust the crop area: Drag the edges of the crop box or the control points at the four corners directly.
- Move the crop area: Place the mouse inside the crop box and drag.
- Fixed aspect ratio cropping: Click the lock icon next to the crop box to select a preset ratio (such as 16:9, 1:1, 4:3, etc.).
- Rotate Video: Use the rotation slider next to the crop box, or click the 90-degree rotate button to rotate the frame clockwise/counterclockwise.
- Once you’re satisfied, click “Apply Crop” to apply the changes.
Step 4: Configure Export Settings and Export
- Click the “Export” button in the top toolbar, or use the shortcut
Command (⌘) + E, to open the export settings. - Configure the settings in the export settings area at the bottom:
- Format: Select the output format, such as MP4, MOV, M4V, or GIF.
- Quality: Drag the slider to select the output quality (from low to high).
- Resolution: Select the output resolution (usually automatically matches the cropped dimensions, or choose options like 1080p, 720p, etc.).
- Frame Rate: Select the frame rate (usually keeping “Same as source” is sufficient).
- Save To: Click “Browse” to select the output directory.
- After confirming all settings, click the blue “Export” button in the bottom right corner to start rendering and exporting the video.
- A progress bar will be displayed during the export process, and a sound and notification will appear when it’s complete.
III. Advanced Tips for Common Features
- Quick and Precise Cutting: In cut mode, in addition to using in/out points, you can hold the
Shiftkey while using the left and right arrow keys to move frame by frame, achieving frame-level precision positioning. - Batch Processing: Cutter supports simple batch operations. You can import multiple videos one after another, set up cutting and trimming for each video individually, and then upon export, the software will export all processed videos in sequence with the same settings.
- Preserve Original Audio Track: In the output settings, if no special audio processing has been applied, the audio track will typically remain unchanged. If you encounter no sound, please check the source file’s audio track and the compatibility of the output format.
- Create GIF Animations: Select “GIF” in the output format, and you can appropriately lower the resolution and frame rate to obtain GIF images with moderate file sizes and smooth playback.
- Undo and Redo: If any step goes wrong, you can immediately undo with
Command (⌘) + Zand redo withCommand (⌘) + Shift + Z.
IV. Common Issues and Solutions
| Symptom | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Video import fails or preview is unavailable | The video encoding format is too uncommon or the file is corrupted. | Try using QuickTime Player or another conversion tool to convert the video to the standard H.264 MP4 format before importing. |
| Exported video has no sound | 1. The source file’s audio track encoding is not supported. 2. The portion containing the audio track was accidentally deleted during cutting. |
1. Check the output settings to ensure the audio option is not disabled. 2. Re-check the cut points to ensure the selected segment contains complete audio track data. |
| Video image is blurry after trimming | The resolution after trimming is far lower than the original resolution, yet it is forcibly upscaled on output. | In the output settings, select a resolution that matches the trimmed image dimensions, or select “Same as source” to let the software handle it automatically. |
| Software lags or crashes | 1. Hardware load is high when processing ultra-high-resolution (e.g., 4K) videos. 2. The software version is incompatible with the macOS system. |
1. Try lowering the preview resolution first or processing proxy files. 2. Visit the Mac App Store to check for and install the latest version of Cutter. |
| Cannot find the “Apply to All” batch setting | Cutter’s batch functionality is implicit rather than an explicit one-click apply. | After setting up each file individually following the “complete workflow,” during the export stage, these settings will be applied to each file respectively, achieving batch export. |
V. Keyboard Shortcuts Summary (Mac Version)
| Function Category | Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| File Operations | Open File | ⌘ + O |
| Export File | ⌘ + E |
|
| Close Current Project/Window | ⌘ + W |
|
| Edit Operations | Undo | ⌘ + Z |
| Redo | ⌘ + Shift + Z |
|
| Enter Cut Mode | ⌘ + T |
|
| Enter Trim/Rotate Mode | ⌘ + R |
|
| Cut Mode Exclusive | Set In Point | I |
| Set Out Point | O |
|
| Clear In/Out Points | X |
|
| Play/Pause Preview | Spacebar (Space) |
|
| Preview Controls | Step Forward One Frame | → (Right Arrow Key) |
| Preview Controls | Step Back One Frame | ← (Left Arrow Key) |
Note: This guide is based on the typical interface and features of Cutter. Interface layouts and shortcuts may vary slightly between minor versions; please refer to the software version you are actually using.
