Control-Command-3 in Final Cut Pro: Show or Hide the Event Viewer

Keyboard shortcut: ControlCommand3

In Final Cut Pro, Control-Command-3 shows or hides the Event Viewer. The Event Viewer is a second viewer that sits next to the main Viewer. It isn't where you browse and organize clips (that's the Browser); it's a separate screen for watching them.

What the Event Viewer Does

Normally Final Cut Pro has one Viewer, and it switches between showing whatever you skim in the Browser and whatever is in your timeline. With the Event Viewer open, the two are split: clips you skim or play in the Browser appear in the Event Viewer, while the main Viewer keeps showing your project. You can watch a source clip and your edit side by side.

How to Use It

  1. Press Control-Command-3. The Event Viewer appears beside the main Viewer.
  2. Skim or play a clip in the Browser. It shows in the Event Viewer.
  3. Skim or play your timeline. It shows in the main Viewer.
  4. Press Control-Command-3 again to hide the Event Viewer and give the main Viewer the full space.

When It Helps

  • Choosing B-roll: look through source clips while keeping the moment in your edit visible.
  • Matching shots: compare color, framing, or continuity between a source clip and the shot already in your timeline.
  • Marking ranges: set In and Out points on a source clip while still seeing where it will go in your project.

Tip

The Event Viewer takes screen space from the main Viewer, so it's most comfortable on a larger display. Toggle it on when you're selecting footage and off when you're fine-tuning your edit.

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