Shotcut from a game controller
The Shotcut layout is built into InputConfig, free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
On a Mac: Shotcut reads keys from this layout like a keyboard. Its J, K, L and frame keys match. The two trigger rows send Final Cut's B and A, which do other things in Shotcut.
Yes, Shotcut works from a game controller on a Mac, and its transport keys match: play on the big button, J, K and L on the others, a frame step on the stick, in and out on the D-pad. The two trigger rows send Final Cut's B and A, which do other things in Shotcut, so change them first. A first edit of holiday footage from a sofa is what this is for.
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Play. Play and pause (Space) on the bottom face button, L, J and K on the right, left and top.
- Find the frame. The left stick steps one frame.
- Mark. Mark in and out (I and O) on the D-pad.
- Keep your work. Undo and Save on the bumpers. The right stick scrolls the timeline.
Fix the triggers
Step 1: Make the right trigger split
- You: Change the right trigger's output from B to S.
- InputConfig: Sends S, which splits at the playhead in Shotcut. B is Overwrite there.
- Check: Park the playhead over a clip and pull the trigger. The clip splits in two.
Step 2: Decide on the left trigger
- You: Change it to a key you want, or keep it if appending clips is how you work.
- InputConfig: Sends A, which is Append in Shotcut, until you change it.
- Check: Pull it with a clip selected in the source and watch where it lands.
Split is the press you will make most, so it gets the trigger.
Tune it
- Feel the split. Tick Vibrate under Feedback in the split row's Options.
- Long timelines. Turn on Repeat keys while held in the frame step rows, so a held stick keeps stepping.
Free software and a pad you already own make a cheap editing desk.
Get it in two clicks
- Get InputConfig free on the Mac App Store, open it, and click Smart Preset Maker on the welcome screen.
- Search for Shotcut and pick it. The layout is created as a preset in your sidebar, named and ready.
- Press Activate. Every row can be changed afterwards: the editor's Scan button rebinds any control the moment you touch it.
Every binding, as a table
| Controller | Sends | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| A / Cross | Space | Play / Pause (Space) |
| B / Circle | L | Play forward (L) |
| X / Square | J | Play reverse (J) |
| Y / Triangle | K | Pause (K) |
| Left stick left | Left | Step back one frame |
| Left stick right | Right | Step forward one frame |
| Right trigger | B | Blade (B) |
| Left trigger | A | Selection (A) |
| D-pad left | I | Mark in (I) |
| D-pad right | O | Mark out (O) |
| LB / L1 | Command (Left), Z | Undo |
| RB / R1 | Command (Left), S | Save |
Button names follow the Xbox / PlayStation pair shown in the editor, so A / Cross is the bottom face button on either pad. On a Switch Pro Controller the bottom button is labeled B; the mapping still fires on position.
Questions
Does this match the Premiere layout?
Yes, it has the same shape as the Premiere layout. Shotcut's split key, S, is the change.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
Updated