Sync Cameras and Audio

Sync lines up footage from several cameras and recorders. It can place the result on the timeline for you, or save the analysis until you're ready.

Choose the files to sync

1. Select files in the media bin or clips on the timeline.
2. Open Process and choose Sync….
3. Choose Selected in bin or On timeline, then check the files you want to sync.

You need at least two checked files, and every file must have audio. A transcript isn't required. If Sync… or Run Sync is greyed out, point to it to see what's missing.

For more about choosing media and managing a run, see Run an AI Tool.

Choose how to place the result

2-pass sync is off by default. Leave it off for the first run. If some files remain unmatched, turn it on and run Sync again for a slower, deeper search.

Place clips on timeline after analysis is on by default. Turn it off if you want to finish the analysis without changing the timeline. When you're ready, open Sequence and choose Place Synced Media on Timeline.

Open Advanced to choose the Video track order:

• My default order uses the order under Edit > Preferences… > Sync.
• Longest first (ignore classification) orders cameras by recorded duration instead of their classification.
• Custom for this run… lets you move camera types into the order you want. The list shows the top track first and Video 1 at the bottom.

A custom order stays with that Sync result if you place it later from the Sequence menu.

Understand what placement changes

Placement inserts new timeline clips with matching moments lined up. Files from the same camera or recorder share a track. If recordings assigned to one camera overlap, Solar Sailer uses another track rather than stacking clips on top of each other.

The synced result starts after the clips already on the timeline. Solar Sailer reuses unlocked tracks when it can and creates more tracks when needed. It doesn't delete existing clips or change locked tracks.

Placing the same Sync result again adds another copy after the current timeline. It doesn't replace the earlier placement. Press Ctrl+Z to undo an entire placement in one step. The saved Sync analysis remains available, so you can place it again later.

Recover files that didn't sync

A file with readable audio but no reliable match is still placed in its own unsynced group. Try another run with 2-pass sync on. If it still can't be matched, line it up by hand. Repetitive sound, such as music playing throughout a room, can make automatic matching unreliable.

Sync checks for matches that would make two recordings from the same device overlap in time. It usually rejects the bad match and places the affected file unsynced. If it can't resolve the conflict, it names both clips so you can check them and align the misplaced one by hand.

A file whose audio couldn't be read isn't placed. Make sure the file is online and playable, then run Sync again. For a very large file on a cloud or network drive, copy it to a local drive first.