---
title: "Manage scenes and scene transitions"
canonical_url: https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/scenes/
source: docs/editor/scenes.md
content_revision: 6338386a1dd87e4a
---

# Manage scenes and scene transitions

Divide a video into scenes, each with its own content, background, and local timeline.

## When to use it

Use scenes for slideshows, story sequences, and reusable sections such as an intro, product section, and outro. Content inside a scene uses time measured from that scene's start. **Global overlays** holds elements that use the whole-movie timeline, such as a persistent logo or music track.

## Before you begin

Open a **Video project**. Save a copy before changing an established project from a flat timeline to scenes or back.

## How to add and edit scenes

**Navigation:** **Editor → Scenes**.

1. Click **Add scene**.
2. Select the scene card to edit its local timeline.
3. In **Scene settings**, enter **Scene id** and set **Background color** if it should differ from the project background.
4. Leave **Duration → Auto** enabled to follow scene content. To use a fixed duration, turn **Auto** off and enter a value beside **Set length**.
5. Add media, text, and audio while that scene is selected.
6. Add more scenes and repeat.

![Zvid Scenes panel showing Global overlays and the Add scene control used to organize a video into scenes.](https://docs.zvid.io/img/dashboard-guide/editor-scenes.png)

The active scene's duration and the complete project duration are shown separately. If fixed-length scene content extends beyond its boundary, choose **Extend scene to fit** above the timeline.

## How to reorder or delete a scene

1. In **Scenes**, find the scene card.
2. Use **Move up** or **Move down** to change its order.
3. To remove it, click **Delete scene**.

> **Scene deletion removes its contents**
Delete scene immediately removes the scene and its local visual and audio elements from the working project. Use **Undo** during the editing session to recover an unintended deletion. Global overlays are separate from the deleted scene. Review transitions after reordering or deletion.

## How to add a scene transition

1. Create at least two scenes.
2. Select the earlier scene.
3. Under **Scene settings → Transition to next scene**, choose an effect.
4. Set **Transition duration** to the overlap between the two scenes. Keep it shorter than either adjacent scene.
5. Select **Global overlays**, then **full movie** above the timeline and play across the join.

Choose **None (hard cut)** to remove the transition. The final scene has no outgoing scene transition. Reordering updates transitions to point to the next scene.

Overlap reduces the final movie length: two five-second scenes with a one-second transition produce a nine-second sequence. Some effects use approximate browser previews; inspect a render for the final result.

## How to add content across the movie

1. Open **Scenes → Global overlays**.
2. Select **overlays** above the timeline if you are in **full movie** preview.
3. Add your logo, title, or audio track.
4. Set its timing against the entire project rather than a single scene.

## How to convert between a timeline and scenes

1. For a project without scenes but with visual or audio content, open **Scenes** and click **convert timeline → scene**. Existing visual and audio elements move into the first scene.
2. To move scene content into one root timeline, open **Scenes** and click **flatten**.
3. Review timing, layering, backgrounds, and playback after conversion.

> **Flatten changes scene structure**
Flatten moves local visual and audio elements to the main timeline and removes the scene containers. Scene-level backgrounds, transitions, conditions, and repeat settings are not preserved as scene behavior. Save a separate draft before flattening a composition that depends on these settings.

## What happens next

The [full-movie preview](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/preview/) shows the sequence and transitions. For scenes that repeat for each product or depend on a flag, use [variables, iteration, and conditions](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/templates/).

## Related documentation

- [Timeline and timing](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/timeline/)
- [Element animations and video transitions](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/animations/)
- [Scene schema reference](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/structure/scenes/)