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How to mark in and out points for split edits in DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve uses in and out points in the source viewer to select portions of clips for editing. This guide covers marking clips, split edits with separate audio/video points, keyboard shortcuts, and audio waveform scrubbing.

How do you mark in and out points on clips in DaVinci Resolve?

Double-click a clip in the media pool or timeline to load it into the source viewer on the left side of the Edit page. Drag the playhead to the frame where you want the clip to start and press the I key to set an in point. Drag the playhead to the frame where you want the clip to end and press the O key to set an out point. The selected portion appears highlighted in the source viewer with the duration displayed.

In and out points define the portion of the source clip that will be used when you edit it into the timeline. The source viewer displays the in point frame as a thumbnail at the top and the total duration of the selected range. You can refine the points by dragging them in the source timeline at the bottom of the viewer or by using the trim controls.

The keyboard shortcuts I (in) and O (out) are the fastest way to set points during playback. Play the clip in the source viewer and press I at the frame where you want the selection to begin. Continue playing and press O where you want it to end. This is significantly faster than scrubbing to each frame manually.

For more DaVinci Resolve tips, read our guide on DaVinci Resolve AI Tools for Colorists and Editors.

Extract clips automatically with How to Turn Long Videos into Short Clips Automatically.

How do split edits work with separate audio and video in and out points?

Split edits, also known as L-cuts and J-cuts, allow the audio and video of a clip to have different in and out points. The audio may start before the video (J-cut) or continue after the video cuts away (L-cut). DaVinci Resolve supports separate audio and video in and out points for precise split edit control.

To create a split edit, mark the video in and out points normally using I and O. Then, before editing the clip into the timeline, Alt-drag (Option-drag on Mac) the audio in or out point in the source viewer timeline to a different position. The video selection remains at its original position while the audio selection shifts independently.

Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcuts for separate source controls. Toggle the video source track selector on or off to mark video-only in and out points. Toggle the audio source track selectors independently. This gives you four independent markers — video in, video out, audio in, audio out — that can be positioned anywhere within the clip.

Split edits are essential for natural-sounding dialogue editing. A J-cut where the audio of the next speaker starts before the video cut creates a smoother transition than cutting both audio and video at the same frame. Professional dialogue editing uses split edits almost exclusively.

How do audio waveforms help with marking clips?

Turning on audio waveforms in the source viewer lets you visually see where sentences start and stop. Enable waveforms from the viewer settings menu or press W to toggle them. Tape-style audio scrubbing lets you hear the audio as you drag the playhead, making it easier to find exact words.

For dialogue-heavy content, use the waveform combined with audio scrubbing to identify natural edit points. The waveform shows silence gaps, breath points, and sentence boundaries visually. Set your in point at the start of a sentence and your out point at the end of a breath for clean dialogue edits.

For editors who want an even faster approach, Cutsio automatically transcribes video and displays the text alongside the timeline. Instead of scrubbing through waveforms to find specific phrases, you read the transcript, highlight the sentence you want, and export an EDL with the exact in and out points already set.

How do you clear in and out points in DaVinci Resolve?

Press Alt+X (Option+X on Mac) to clear both the in and out points on the current clip in the source viewer. This resets the viewer to show the full clip duration. You can also click the clear buttons next to the timecode displays in the source viewer.

Clearing and resetting points is common during the rough cut phase when you are exploring different selections. Set rough in and out points to get a sense of the clip, clear them, and refine as you narrow down the exact frames.

FAQ

Can I set in and out points directly on the timeline?

Yes. Select a clip on the timeline and press I or O to set in and out points for that specific clip. This is useful for defining render ranges on the timeline.

How do I mark video and audio separately for split edits?

Toggle the video source track selector (V1) and audio source track selectors (A1, A2, etc.) independently in the source viewer. Set in and out points with only the desired tracks active.

What happens if I set an out point before the in point?

DaVinci Resolve does not allow the out point to precede the in point. If you try, Resolve swaps the points automatically.

Can I save in and out points as markers?

Yes. After setting in and out points, right-click in the source viewer and select "Add Marker Based on In/Out." The marker is saved with the clip metadata and persists across sessions.

Does Cutsio set in and out points when I highlight transcript text?

Yes. When you highlight a section of the transcript in Cutsio, it creates in and out points for that segment. The exported EDL contains these points, so your Resolve timeline has clips with in and out points already applied.