How to generate a frame overview for your editing session
- Step 1Drop in your clip or proxy — Use a proxy or the camera original (MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI). Drop it on the tool — it reads locally via FFmpeg.wasm and never uploads. Proxies process faster than heavy mezzanine media.
- Step 2Choose a grid that reads as a timeline — A wider grid maps the clip more finely. 6x6 (36 frames) is a good edit-guide density; 1xN makes a single-row scrubber strip if you prefer a literal timeline shape. Columns and Rows accept 1-10.
- Step 3Set Tile width for screen or print — 320px for a second-monitor reference; 640-1280px if you will print the guide and annotate with a pen. Height auto-follows the source aspect ratio.
- Step 4Generate the overview — Run it. The tool probes duration, samples one frame per equal interval across the whole clip, and tiles them into one PNG. Proxies finish quickly; full-res mezzanine takes longer in-browser.
- Step 5Annotate before you cut — Download
<yourfile>-grid.png, then mark scene boundaries, in/out points, and beats — on a printout or in any image editor. The tool adds no marks itself, so the annotation is entirely yours. - Step 6Bringing it into the NLE — Import the PNG as a still into Premiere, Resolve, or Final Cut to keep it on a reference track, or keep it on a second monitor. For frames at actual cut points to match your edit decisions, get cut data from scene-detector.
Grid shapes for an edit guide
Choose how the overview maps onto your timeline.
| Grid | Frames | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 1x10 | 10 | A single-row scrubber strip — most timeline-like |
| 4x4 | 16 | Compact overview for a short clip |
| 6x6 | 36 | Detailed edit guide for a full sequence |
| 10x10 | 100 | Densest map for a long source (the maximum) |
Option behaviour
How each control shapes the guide. Out-of-range values are clamped.
| Control | Range / default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Columns | 1-10 / 4 | Frames per row; with Rows sets total sampled frames |
| Rows | 1-10 / 4 | Rows in the grid; duration split into cols x rows slices |
| Tile width | 120-1280px / 320 | Per-frame width; raise for print, lower for a quick screen reference |
Tier limits for video tools
Work from proxies on Free; full-res mezzanine fits higher tiers. No duration cap.
| Tier | Max file size | Files per batch |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 GB | 1 |
| Pro | 10 GB | 5 |
| Pro + Media | 100 GB | 50 |
| Developer | 100 GB | Unlimited |
Cookbook
Edit-guide recipes for prepping a session, with the exact option values.
Single-row scrubber strip
A 1x10 strip reads like a literal timeline — handy as a top-of-monitor reference while you cut.
Options: Columns=10 Rows=1 Tile width=320 Frames=10 (one row) Output: a wide scrubber-strip PNG
6x6 detailed edit guide for a 20-min source
A 6x6 (36 frames) at 480px gives a printable guide you can mark up before opening the timeline.
Options: Columns=6 Rows=6 Tile width=480 Duration=1200s -> 36 frames, ~32s apart Output: a print-ready edit guide PNG
Fast pass from a proxy
Generating from an H.264 proxy instead of a ProRes mezzanine keeps the in-browser decode quick.
Input: clip_proxy.mp4 (small H.264) Options: Columns=5 Rows=5 Tile width=320 Frames=25 Output: clip_proxy-grid.png (generates in seconds)
High-res printed guide
For a wall-pinned guide the whole room marks up, push tile width high and keep the grid modest.
Options: Columns=4 Rows=4 Tile width=1280 Frames=16 PNG width ~ 4 x 1280 = ~5120px Output: a large, print-quality guide
Align frames to your actual cuts
The grid samples by time, not by cut. To get frames that line up with edit decisions, pull cut timestamps and extract those frames.
1. scene-detector -> cut timestamps (JSON)
/video-tools/scene-detector
2. thumbnail-extractor at each cut
/video-tools/thumbnail-extractorEdge cases and what actually happens
Grid is time-sampled, not cut-aligned
By designCells land at equal time intervals, not on your edit points, so a cell may straddle a cut. For frames that match real cuts, use scene-detector for the timestamps and thumbnail-extractor to pull them.
No timecode burned into the cells
Not supportedThe overview has no timecode or labels — you annotate it yourself. Position is readable from cell order because sampling is evenly spaced across the duration.
Heavy ProRes / DNxHD mezzanine
PerformanceFull-res intermediates are large and slow to decode in-browser. Generating the guide from an H.264/HEVC proxy is much faster and yields the same layout for planning purposes.
Source duration unreadable
ErrorIf the file has no usable duration metadata, the tool throws "Could not determine video duration." Remux or transcode to a clean container, then retry.
Dense grid on a short clip
ExpectedA large grid on a short clip samples nearly identical frames. For short sources a 3x3 or 4x4 gives a clearer guide.
Variable frame rate source
SupportedSampling is by time interval, so VFR camera or screen-capture footage is handled by timestamp — you still get evenly time-spaced frames across the clip.
Baked-in bars in a stylised export
PreservedLetterbox bars in the source appear in every tile. Crop first with video-cropper if you want bar-free guide frames.
Columns/rows over 10
ClampedGrid dimensions cap at 10 each, so 10x10 = 100 frames is the maximum guide. Larger requests are reduced to 10.
Tile width over 1280 / under 120
ClampedThe panel limits tile width to 120-1280px; values outside are clamped. The minimum keeps frames legible; the maximum keeps file size sane.
One file per run
Single file onlyThe tool does not batch multiple clips. Generate a guide per source file.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import the overview into Premiere or Resolve?
Yes — the output is a standard PNG, so import it as a still and place it on a reference track, or just keep it open on a second monitor while you cut.
Do the frames line up with my edit points?
No. The grid samples at equal time intervals, not at cut boundaries, so a cell can fall mid-shot. For cut-aligned frames, get cut timestamps from scene-detector and extract those frames with thumbnail-extractor.
Will my camera originals be re-encoded?
No. The tool only decodes the sampled frames to build the PNG — it never re-encodes or rewrites your source media. Your originals stay byte-for-byte intact.
Should I use a proxy or the full-res file?
Use a proxy if you have one. FFmpeg.wasm runs in the browser, so a small H.264 proxy generates the guide far faster than a heavy ProRes/DNxHD mezzanine, with the same layout.
Is there a single-row timeline option?
Set Rows to 1 and Columns to up to 10 for a horizontal scrubber strip that reads like a literal timeline. A 1x10 gives ten evenly-spaced frames in one row.
Does it handle variable frame rate footage?
Yes. Because it samples by time, VFR screen-capture and camera footage are handled by timestamp, giving evenly time-spaced frames.
Will footage be uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser via FFmpeg.wasm. Client cuts and embargoed footage never leave your machine.
How sharp should I make the guide?
320px tiles are fine for a second-screen reference. For a printed guide you mark with a pen, use 640-1280px so the frames hold up at print size.
What is the output file?
One PNG named <yourfile>-grid.png containing the whole grid. There is no per-frame export or ZIP from this tool.
What formats can I drop in?
MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, and AVI — including the proxy formats Premiere, Resolve, and Final Cut generate.
What is the biggest guide I can make?
10x10 = 100 frames. Each grid dimension is capped at 10. For more frames, run over halves of the source or use thumbnail-extractor.
How large a source can I process?
Free up to 1 GB, Pro 10 GB, Pro + Media and Developer 100 GB. There is no duration cap — only file size. For big mezzanines, work from a proxy.
Privacy first
Every JAD Video tool runs entirely in your browser via WebCodecs and FFmpeg (WebAssembly). Your video files never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.