Timing

Autofit and Cascade

Automatic timing correction and propagation of adjustments with cascade mode.

Autofit

Autofit is a timing assistant that automatically corrects subtitles as you work. Its principle: as soon as an entry is deselected, Scene Cut checks its text and timing, and applies the necessary corrections.

Specifically, Autofit:

Redistributes text if the line balance is poor
Adjusts duration if the reading speed exceeds the limits
Corrects typography (quotation marks, ellipsis, capitalization)

Autofit is toggled on or off from the transport bar (checkmark icon). It is disabled by default.

Autofit never touches the subtitle currently being edited — it waits until the entry is deselected. This gives you full freedom during typing and fine-tuning, and corrects in the background once you're done with the entry.

Cascade Mode

Cascade mode fundamentally changes how subtitles interact with each other on the timeline.

Without cascade (default mode): each subtitle is independent. Moving or resizing a block doesn't affect the others. If a move creates an overlap, it is either blocked (with standards locking) or simply flagged.

With cascade (key C): subtitles behave like a chain. Moving a block to the right pushes all following blocks to maintain the minimum gap. Moving left pushes the preceding blocks. Pushed blocks keep their duration — they are shifted, not resized.

Imagine a row of dominoes on the timeline: pushing the first one moves all the following ones forward, each keeping its size but shifting to make room.

Locking a Subtitle

Sometimes a subtitle is perfectly synced and must not move — a precise word on a sound impact, or lip-synced dialogue. Locking (padlock icon in the action bar) freezes the entry on the timeline.

A locked subtitle:

Cannot be moved, neither manually nor by cascade
Acts as a wall for cascade — blocks that reach it stop

It is the combination of cascade + locking that gives the system its full power: adjustments propagate freely in unlocked zones and stop at anchor points.

A locked subtitle cannot be automatically corrected. If cascade pushes blocks against a locked subtitle, some timing errors may persist without being resolvable. In that case, you need to unlock the subtitle in question or manually adjust the timing around it.

Quick Fix and Global Fix

Beyond Autofit, two actions let you trigger corrections manually:

Quick fix (Cmd + K) — applies text and timing corrections to the selected entries. With standards locking active, the fix uses cascade mode to adjust durations by pushing neighbors if needed.

Global fix — accessible via the Tools menu, reviews the entire project and corrects all detected timing issues. A notification indicates the number of adjusted subtitles.

Both operations are undoable with Cmd + Z.

Positioning on the Timeline

Adjust subtitle timing: move, resize, and snap to scene cuts.

Validation and Standards

Real-time quality control, professional standards profiles, and QC reports.