Editor
EditorProvider, Preview, AssetPanel, transform overlays, text editing, and the transition system.
EditorProvider
EditorProvider creates and wires the TimelineEngine, PlaybackEngine, and all Zustand stores. It must wrap all components that use engine hooks.
import { EditorProvider, type InitialTrackConfig } from '@elah/editor'
const tracks: InitialTrackConfig[] = [
{ kind: 'video', name: 'Video / Image' },
{ kind: 'audio', name: 'Audio' },
{ kind: 'elements', name: 'Elements' },
]
function App() {
return (
<EditorProvider
fps={30} // frames per second (required)
initialTracks={tracks}
>
{/* All children can access engine + stores */}
</EditorProvider>
)
}| Prop | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| fps | number | Frames per second (e.g. 30, 60, 24) |
| initialTracks | InitialTrackConfig[] | Track layout to initialize the engine with |
| children | ReactNode | All components that need engine access |
Preview
<Preview> mounts the WebGL2 renderer and drives the RAF playback loop. It reads resolved scenes from resolveTimeline and composites video, image, and text layers. Transform overlays are painted on top automatically.
import {
Preview,
createDefaultDemuxerFactory,
type PreviewHandle,
} from '@elah/editor'
import { useRef } from 'react'
// Build the factory once outside the component
const demuxerFactory = createDefaultDemuxerFactory()
function MyPreview() {
const ref = useRef<PreviewHandle>(null)
// PreviewHandle exposes:
// ref.current.getCanvas() → HTMLCanvasElement | null
// ref.current.getRenderer() → GpuRenderer | null
return (
<Preview
ref={ref}
demuxerFactory={demuxerFactory}
enableAudio={true} // default: true
style={{ flex: 1 }}
/>
)
}The canvas is letterboxed to the project stage aspect ratio. Off-aspect clips are contained (never stretched) within the frame using object-fit: contain semantics.
AssetPanel
The AssetPanel provides the media library UI. Features: file import via button or drag-drop, filmstrip thumbnail generation, audio waveform visualization, and drag-to-timeline for clip creation.
import { AssetPanel } from '@elah/editor'
// Minimal usage
<AssetPanel style={{ width: 240, minHeight: 0, overflowY: 'auto' }} />
// The panel uses useMediaLibrary() internally. The hook returns the assets
// plus import/remove helpers — importFiles takes an Iterable<File>:
import { useMediaLibrary } from '@elah/editor'
function CustomLibrary() {
const { assets, importFiles, removeAsset } = useMediaLibrary()
const handleFileDrop = async (files: FileList) => {
const result = await importFiles(files)
console.log('imported:', result.imported)
console.log('skipped:', result.skipped)
}
return (
<div onDrop={(e) => handleFileDrop(e.dataTransfer.files)}>
{assets.map((asset) => (
<div key={asset.id}>{asset.name}</div>
))}
</div>
)
}Transforms
Every clip has an optional transform property. The MediaTransformOverlay is the interactive surface for video and image clips: click to select, drag to move, eight resize handles, and a Crop mode. It writes its result back to the engine as a transform (or a crop), so there is one renderer and one source of truth.
interface Transform {
x: number // position, normalized 0..1 of stage width
y: number // position, normalized 0..1 of stage height
scale: number // uniform scale factor (1 = native size)
scaleX?: number // extra horizontal stretch on top of scale; omitted = 1
scaleY?: number // extra vertical stretch on top of scale; omitted = 1
rotation: number // radians, positive = clockwise
anchor: { x: number; y: number } // 0..1 within the clip's own box
}
// Set transform programmatically (updateClip needs the clip's trackId)
engine.updateClip(clipId, trackId, {
transform: { x: 0.5, y: 0.4, scale: 1.2, rotation: 0, anchor: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 } },
})
// The transform flows to both renderers:
// GpuRenderer: applies to WebGL2 textured quad
// ExportWorker: applies via resolveDrawRect() placement math- Eight resize handles: four corners and four edges. Dragging a handle scales the clip on that axis (
scaleXandscaleY), so a non-uniform stretch is the default. Hold Shift to keep the aspect ratio. The opposite corner or edge stays fixed on screen while you drag. - Crop mode. A small Resize / Crop toggle floats above the selection box. In Crop mode the same eight handles resize the clip's
cropwindow instead of its scale, and dragging inside the box pans the source underneath a fixed crop window. A fresh selection always starts in Resize. See Clips & Tracks. - One undo step per gesture. Move, resize and crop all write through the same preview-then-commit protocol, so each drag is a single undo entry, and preview and export honour the result identically.
- A clip with no transform is drawn contained. On the first gesture the overlay bakes the contain-equivalent transform (
transformFromContainRect) as the baseline, so grabbing a clip never moves it.
transform.rotation flows through both renderers, and the media selection box tilts with the clip. Text clips have a rotate knob above the box (drag it; Shift snaps to 15 degree steps). Media clips do not have a rotate handle yet: set rotation on the transform through the engine, as above.
Text Overlays
Text clips are rendered via a 2D-canvas-to-texture pipeline (GPU TextLayer). An interactive overlay (TextOverlay) handles drag, resize (re-rasterized to stay crisp), rotation by a knob above the box, and double-click inline-edit.
// Add a text clip. The 'text' option carries content + style
// (TextClipMetadata); it is required when type is 'text'.
engine.addClip({
trackId: textTrack.id,
type: 'text',
startFrame: 0,
durationFrames: 90,
name: 'Title',
text: {
content: 'Hello World',
fontSize: 48,
color: '#ffffff',
fontWeight: 'bold', // 'normal' | 'bold'
textAlign: 'center', // 'left' | 'center' | 'right'
fontFamily: 'Inter',
},
transform: {
x: 0.5,
y: 0.8, // lower third
scale: 1,
rotation: 0, // radians
anchor: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 },
},
})
// Entry/exit animation lives on the clip as 'textAnimation', not on 'text'.
// Set it after creation via updateClip (in/out ramp, kind is 'fade'):
engine.updateClip(clipId, textTrack.id, {
textAnimation: { in: 'fade', out: 'fade', durationFrames: 10 },
})One end of an animation can also drive several channels at once with a layered MotionSpec, and 14 built-in text templates bundle a look with its motion. Applying a template is one undoable engine.updateClip call. See Text Templates & Motion.
Transitions
Transitions use a snapshot-overlay architecture. TransitionOverlay captures a frozen snapshot of the outgoing clip and animates it away over the incoming clip with CSS, while the GPU renders only the incoming clip. Export mirrors the same three modes in the 2D canvas API. There are three kinds, and all three are implemented in preview and export:
fadeslidewipe// Add a transition between two adjacent clips on the same track.
// trackId is required; returns the created Transition (or null if the
// clips aren't found on that track).
engine.addTransition({
fromClipId: clip1.id,
toClipId: clip2.id,
trackId: track.id,
kind: 'fade', // 'fade' | 'slide' | 'wipe'
durationFrames: 15,
easing: 'ease-out', // 'linear' | 'ease-in' | 'ease-out'
direction: 'left', // optional: 'left' | 'right' | 'up' | 'down' (slide uses left vs. not-left)
})
// Read transitions
const transitions = useTransitionsStore((s) => s.transitions)
// Remove a transition
engine.removeTransition(transitionId)Stage / Aspect Ratio
The stage aspect ratio is set on the engine and changes the canvas viewport. All clips are letterboxed to the stage. The StageBorder component shows a frame outline:
const engine = useTimelineEngine()
// setStage takes (width, height) as positional args.
// Portrait (9:16 — Reels/Shorts/TikTok)
engine.setStage(1080, 1920)
// Landscape (16:9 — YouTube)
engine.setStage(1920, 1080)
// Square (1:1)
engine.setStage(1080, 1080)
// Custom
engine.setStage(2560, 1440)