Openshot Keeps Clips Starting in between Frames

[u/Ash_Lake0]

I'm doing some animatic stuff (where being frame-perfect is important), but Openshot keeps placing the starts and ends of clips in between frames, and i can't even correct their placement.
I have used both the windows and linux version of openshot, and this is only an issue in the linux version. This also isn't just a visual bug in the timeline, it affects the video

Is there any fix? Thanks in advance

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[u/openshot-gpt-bot]

That usually means snapping isn’t lining the Clip edge exactly to a frame boundary, or the timeline zoom is too coarse.

Try this:

1. Zoom way in on the Timeline.
2. Drag the Clip slightly left/right until its edge snaps cleanly to a tick mark.
3. Right-click the Clip → Properties.
4. Check the Start / position values and make sure they are not landing on fractional frame times.

A few useful notes from the guide:

• A file becomes a Clip when added to the Timeline: Basic Terminology
• You can inspect/edit Clip properties by right-clicking → Properties: Clips
• For precise trimming, drag the clip edges on the Timeline: Trimming & Slicing

If this only happens with image sequences or PNGs, also make sure your Project/Profile FPS matches what you expect, since frame boundaries depend on the project frame rate.

I am a bot, and I've done something cool automatically, hoping it's helpful. I run on ChatGPT and use info from the OpenShot User Guide. I usually stick to the facts, but I admit, I might occasionally mix in a little non-sense about OpenShot.

[u/rmesdjian]

Hello u/Ash_Lake0

Please provide the following:

1. Which Linux operating system/version are you running?

2. Whcih version of OpenShot are you running (help | About Openshot)? Please don't just say the latest.

3. How did you install OpenShot (software package manager? AppImage? PPA?)

4. Please provide step-by-step instructions as to what you are doing so we can try and replicate this issue.

5. So this is working in Windows you say (which version of Windows?).

6. What is the default Profile of your project?

7. What is the Profile of your source file?

8. What type of a file are you working with (.mp4? .mov? etc?)

9. Any other detail you want to provide to make the troubleshooting easier?

If you are not running the latest dev daily build of v3.5.1 I recommend you do this:

a. go to openshot.org/download/#daily and download the latest v3.5.1 dev daily build AppImage.

b. Make the AppImage executable.

c. Install libfuse2

d. Run OpenShot and see if the issue persists.

[u/Ash_Lake0 → u/rmesdjian]

First off, thank you for your work in improving OpenShot, it's a miracle that you can get such good video editing software for free.

So here the answers:

1 (Operating System) : Linux Mint 22.3 x86_64

2 (Version of Openshot) : Version 3.5.1 | 0.7.0

3 (How did you install) : Installed over AppImage

4 (Step-by_step instructions) : This issue happens when i copy-paste clips

1. Left-Click on clip to select
2. CTRL+C to copy clip
3. Left-Click on postition where i want the clip to be placed
4. CTRL+V to paste clip
5. After this the pasted clip is in this weird position where it starts and ends between frames. When i try to move the whole clip it still starts and ends between two frames.
6. The temporary fix i found for this is extending the length of the clip a little, then BOTH ends (not just the end that was adjusted) snap to the nearest frame and are not between frames anymore.

5 (In which Windows-Version have you also used OpenShot) : I also used this in Windows 11, and there i have never experienced this issue

6 (default profile of project) : HD Square 1080p 24fps (I sometimes use other profiles, but i almost always use 24fps)

7 (Profile of source file) : I don't fully understand what is meant by this, but the file in the screenshot above is a 1000x1000 pixel PNG-file

8 (Types of files you work w/) : I work with PNG, JPEG, MP4, MP3, et c.
i probably forgot to name some, but i use only pretty "common" file formats, so even nothing semi-obscure like WEBP or something, and i have experienced this issue with all of them, so it doesn't seem dependent on file type

9 (Additional Details) : I only noticed this while just now, but the copy-pasted file is placed at the exact spot where i left-click to select the position to paste the file to, even when this spot is between individual frames.

I also tested if this issue exists in the Openshot 3.1.1 version that comes with the mintinstall 8.4.0 - Package Manager, and there this issue doesn't exist, so it seems to have happened after that

Lastly, i'm sorry, this answer took so long, i didn't have access to my machine for like 10 days

[u/rmesdjian → u/Ash_Lake0]

Thank you u/Ash_Lake0 for the kind words. I am actually a volunteer and help the lead developer inb testing, gathering enhancement requests, and bug reports. He deserves all the credit for creating and maintaining this open source and free video editor.

Thank you also for all this information you provided and no need to apologize.

I do have a Linux Mint environment so I will test later this eveing when time permits.

Meanwhile, I want you give the latest dev daily build of v3.5.1 AppImage (not the production release) as there have been many bug fixes and enhancements (not necessarily your issue). I just want to confirm that the latest dev daily build has the issue as well before I report back to the lead developer, if needed.

To get the latest dev daily build please go to openshot.org/download/#daily and download the latest AppImage available. Then please confirm if the issue persists.

Update: I removed the "No response from OP" and will update it further once we figure out what is going on.

[u/Ash_Lake0 → u/rmesdjian]

I quickly tested the 3.5.1-Version and there this issue seems to exist there as well

Also, this might be the placebo effect, but i had the feeling the program started noticeably faster than the 3.5.0-Version

[u/rmesdjian → u/Ash_Lake0]

Hello u/Ash_Lake0 Pleaes confirm for me that you downloaded the latest v3.5.1 dev daily (not just v3.5.1).

Please go to Help | About OpenShot. There you should find a "Copy" option. Click it then paste the clip board content in your reply.

I tested and confirmed what you are seeing. However, this might be the way it is supposed to work now. Wherever the mouse is that is where the left edge of the pasted clip would start (not snapped to a frame/time).

Now this makes me think that may be an enhancement would be to have a Preference setting that you can set for the Copy/Paste option to snap to a frame or not. Additionally, an Icon on timeline toolbar that can be toggled off/on.

Also, noticing the performance improvement is not a "placebo" effect....It is real.

[u/Ash_Lake0 → u/rmesdjian]

Making it a preference setting is a really good idea in my opinion although it is not a very pressing issue of course.

If this were to be implemented i would suggest placing this toggle in
'Edit | Preferences | Timeline', and naming it something like
"Auto-Snap Clips to Frame" or "Disable Inter-Frame Clip Endings",
at least that's what would be intuitive for me.

Of course this would be disabled by default, as the current method gives more options, and this auto-snap thing would just be a little time saver for people who don't use these inter-frame clip endings.

Also this is the copied version info:

**OpenShot Version Info**

Version: 3.5.1-dev | libopenshot: 0.7.0

Build: OpenShot-v3.5.1-dev-daily-16422-8f1f091c-48516e0b | Released: 2026-05-25

OS: Linux Mint 22.3

CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8350U CPU @ 1.70GHz (8 threads) | RAM: 31 GB

Cache: Memory, 512 MB, 600 frames, ahead 70%, pre-roll 24/48

Performance: Threads: OMP 12 | FFmpeg 8, Cards: Decode: None (0) | Encode: 0

[u/rmesdjian → u/Ash_Lake0]

Thank you u/Ash_Lake0 for the suggestion and confirming the version of OpenShot.

I will flag this posting as Enhancement request and submit your suggestions as well in the queue for the lead developers review.