Editing > Navigating the Timeline >

# Swapping Timeline Elements

You can quickly swap elements on a timeline. If segments contain soft effects, they are swapped as well.

You can swap the following elements:

- Video segments
- Audio segments
- Video containers
- Audio containers
- Tracks
- Layers
- Contiguous sequences of elements
- Video transitions (unless they start or end a contiguous sequence of elements)
- Audio transitions
- Gap effects

Elements must be compatible to be swapped. Compatible elements are:

- Video: video segments, video containers, gap effects
- Audio: audio segments, audio containers
- Video transitions
- Audio transitions
- Tracks and layers

The following elements cannot be swapped:

- Gaps (unless they are between elements in a contiguous sequence)
- Cuts
- Cue marks
- Individual soft effects

To swap timeline elements:

1. Select two elements belonging to the same family.

   A contiguous sequence of elements is treated as a single element as long as the transition between the elements is selected. A gap can be part of a contiguous element as long as it is not at the beginning or end of the sequence.

   In the following example, both elements on L2 are considered a single element because the transition between them is also selected

   (a) Elements on L2

2. Press Shift+' (apostrophe).

   The elements are swapped according to the ripple setting. If the segments contain any soft effects, they are swapped as well.

   If Ripple is disabled, the segments are timewarped using a Constant Fit-to-Fill timewarp to fill each other's location. If there is already a timewarp on the segment, the timewarp is replaced by the Constant Fit-to-Fill timewarp. Gap effects, Matte containers, and contiguous sequences ripple regardless of Ripple status because they cannot be timewarped.

   Transitions keep their alignment but their duration changes based on the head and tail frames of the destination segments.

   In the following example, Ripple End is enabled. The segment on L2 ripples according this setting. Elements on L3 ripple regardless of the Ripple setting because contiguous elements cannot be timewarped.

   (a) Selected elements are swapped.