scale_transform

Applies a scale and/or position patch to all clips matching a level or source filter.

Tip: The edit processor's scale and position operations apply the same kind of adjustment to a single source within a chain of edits. Use scale_transform when you want to bulk-adjust every clip on a level or from a source file, regardless of which step produced it.

When to use

Use to zoom in on a clip, reposition it in the frame, or apply a uniform transform to an entire level. For subject-aware centering, use motion_center or speaker_center instead.

In the editor

Add it from the Library (Transforms group), or with + add step and a search for scale_transform.

It takes no inputs. You choose what it affects with the level and source parameters: leave both empty and it touches every clip in the video, set level to main and it touches only the clips on that level, set source to a filename and it touches only clips from that file. Then set the change itself: scale_factor to zoom relative to what is there now (1.15 is fifteen percent closer), or scale to set the size outright, plus position_x and position_y to move the frame.

It adds no clips, so nothing new appears in the run timeline. What changes is how the affected clips are framed in the preview and the export. If you want the framing to follow a person rather than stay fixed, use motion_center or speaker_center instead.

YAML Example

- id: scale_speaker
  processor: scale_transform
  params:
    scale_factor: 1.15    # zoom in 15%
    position_x: 0
    position_y: 50
    level: main

Inputs

None. Applies to all edit decisions already in the timeline matching the filters.

Params

Output

TransformPatches: scale and position adjustments on matching edit decisions.

Notes

• scale_factor and scale are mutually exclusive. Use scale_factor when you want relative adjustment; scale for absolute.
• FCPXML position units are outputH / 100 pixels per unit (not canvas pixels). For a 1920-tall sequence, 1 unit ≈ 19.2px.