Parametrized Keyframes - Status Report, February 2026 - Kdenlive

[kdenlive]

In the last month, I have mostly been working on refactoring the Kdenlive keyframes system to make it more powerful. This is part of a NGI Zero Commons grant via NLnet.

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://kdenlive.org/news/2026/dopesheet-status-1-26

[rokejulianlockhart]

@kdenlive

Not all effects expose their parameters in the same way. For example in MLT, we have a rectangle parameter allowing to define a zone in a video frame. Other effects expose several independent parameters for a rectangle, namely x, y, width and height.

Currently, these effects are displayed with a list of sliders for each value:

With my latest changes, these will be handled like a rectangle, which means it can directly be manipulated in the monitor overlay.

Can a user still select specific co-ordinates, in case they don’t want a rectangle?

[berndmj]

@rokejulianlockhart

Can a user still select specific co-ordinates, in case they don’t want a rectangle?

What is your use case for that? I mean, you can already set width and height to 0 essentially giving you just a dot. But I don’t see the point (pun intended).

[rokejulianlockhart]

@berndmj

I mean, you can already set width and height to 0 essentially giving you just a dot. But I don’t see the point (pun intended).

@berndmj, I was thinking of applying an effect with irregular geometry:

^[1]

…rather than a rectangle.

@berndmj

What is your use case for that?

My use case would be redactions (of faces, etcetera).

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1. Apologies for the wait to respond. It was due to t/70249/10. ↩︎

[Ron]

@rokejulianlockhart

@berndmj, I was thinking of applying an effect with irregular geometry:

In the example you quoted, nothing has changed about that.
You couldn’t do it before and you can’t do it now … It’s just two different way to define a rectangle being normalised to one.

If you want to apply effects to an arbitrary area you need to use a mask.

[Painting_Bot]

Do you have any future plans to implement randomization(or oscillation) of these keyframe values in an adjustable way? (So that the users can create hand-held effects, beat syncing to the music, etc., on the fly.)

[berndmj]

@rokejulianlockhart

My use case would be redactions (of faces, etcetera).

Wouldn’t you use Rotoscoping for that?

[berndmj]

@Painting_Bot

Do you have any future plans to implement randomization(or oscillation) of these keyframe values in an adjustable way?

There is WIP for adding math functions to parameter values. As an iteration of that perhaps rand() (or whatever function for RNG is working) might get added …

[Painting_Bot]

I see. Glad to know that it’s on the way. I hope it’s not too complicated to use when it comes out.
Either way, keep up the good work!

[Federico_Allegretti]

WONDERFULL work!!! Kdenlive keeps growing and becaming better day by day.
Thanks for your effort.
A feature i greatly wish to be added in the track effect, was the ability to track a point and show the “arrow” or the blur box, in another place (at DeltaX and DeltaY of the tracked x,y).
Not always the point you want to apply the effect, has image details to be easy tracked.
By the way, you made a great job!

[berndmj]

Thanks for the kind words!

Considering this is done by more or less one developer, imagine what could be achieved if we could attract more contributors or had more money to contract out some development work.

Please consider donating to make Kdenlive even better. Thanks!

[Ron]

@Federico_Allegretti

A feature i greatly wish to be added in the track effect, was the ability to track a point and show the “arrow” or the blur box, in another place

Maybe I misunderstand you, but in the import keyframes dialog there is the ability to add offsets, and you can always apply a secondary transform to offset things too? This has Always™ been possible.