How to Use the Shift-Command- - (Hyphen) Shortcut to Decrease Clip Height in Final Cut Pro

Keyboard shortcut: ShiftCommandHyphen

When you browse footage in filmstrip view, big thumbnails look great but they don't leave much room. Shift-Command-Hyphen runs Decrease Clip Height: it decreases the clip height in the Browser, so each filmstrip gets shorter and more clips fit on screen.

What This Shortcut Does

This command works in the Browser, not the timeline. Each press makes the filmstrips in the Browser a little shorter. Your clips aren't changed in any way. It's purely a display setting that helps you see more of your media at once.

How to Use It

  1. Click in the Browser so it's active, and make sure you're in filmstrip view.
  2. Press Shift-Command-Hyphen. The filmstrips get shorter.
  3. Press it again to keep shrinking them until you see as many clips as you need.
  4. When you want to look at the images more closely, use the matching Increase Clip Height command to make them taller again.

When It Helps

  • Large events: See more clips at once when you're scanning a big shoot for the right take.
  • Small screens: On a laptop, shorter filmstrips leave more room to work.
  • Logging: Fit more clips on screen while you add keywords and ratings.

Tips

  • The Clip Appearance button in the Browser has a clip height slider, and you can also turn audio waveforms on or off there for an even more compact view.
  • Want shorter clips in the timeline instead? That's a separate setting, found in the timeline's own Clip Appearance options.

A quick press of Shift-Command-Hyphen is the easiest way to tidy up a crowded Browser.

Browse all tips and tutorials or search