This tutorial will teach you the different keyboard shortcuts, tricks, and tips for using Bins in Avid Media Composer. In Avid there are a ton of different bin tricks you can do. Below you’ll learn how to create a new bin, create a new sequence, adjust the size of frames in a bin, sort bin columns and more.
Recapping Avid Bin Tricks and Shortcuts Tutorial
Create a New Bin Trick in Avid
The first bin trick in Avid is to create a new bin. With the Project window active, use the keyboard shortcut Command+N if you’re on a Mac or Control+N if you’re on a PC. This will create a new bin.
Close a Bin Trick in Avid
Next is how to close a bin. You can use this in a lot of other programs and for basically any window that’s open in Avid. With the bin selected and active use the keyboard shortcut Command+W if you’re on a Mac or Control+W if you’re on a PC. This will close the bin.
Quickly Create a New Sequence in a Bin
Now let’s create a new sequence. With a bin selected, use the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+N if you’re on a Mac or Control+Shift+N if you’re on a PC. Doing this creates a new sequence.
Select or Deselect All Items in a Bin
How do you select all items in a bin? Easy! Make sure the bin is selected and use the keyboard shortcut Command+A if you’re on a Mac or Control+A if you’re on a PC. To deselect all items in a bin use the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+A if you’re on a Mac or Control+Shift+A if you’re on a PC.
Duplicate a Master Clip in a Bin
To duplicate a master clip first select the clip. Then hit Command+D if you’re on a Mac or Control+D if you’re on a PC. This duplicates the clip and adds “.Copy.01” to the end of it.
Create a Mirrored Copy of a Clip
Let’s say you want a mirrored copy of a clip. Open a second bin. Then while holding the Option key if you’re on a Mac or Alt key if you’re on a PC, select and drag the clip into another bin.
I typically do this with footage. Each day’s footage I’ll take and put a mirrored copy into an “All of Sift” bin. Now all my footage is together and broken up by card or disc.
Group Clips Keyboard Shortcut
If you’re working in multi-cam you’ll want to group clips together. Select the clips and use the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+G if you’re on a Mac or Control+Shift+G if you’re on a PC. This will pop open the Group Clips box and will give you options on how to group them.
Sort Bin Column Tricks in Avid
There are two ways to sort a bin column — ascending and descending. Select a bin heading and use the keyboard shortcut Command+E if you’re on a Mac or Control+E if you’re on a PC to sort the bin column in ascending order. To sort by descending order use Command+Opt+E if you’re on a Mac or Control+Alt+E if you’re on a PC.
Enlarge or Shrink Clip Icon Size in Frame or Script View in a Bin
Frame View and Script View in a bin shows a one frame still preview of the clip in an icon. To make this larger use the keyboard shortcut Command+L if you’re on a Mac or Control+L if you’re on a PC. I like to remember this shortcut as “L” for “Larger”. This also works for selected tracks in the timeline if you want to make then larger.
To make these icons smaller use the keyboard shortcut Command+K if you’re on a Mac or Control+K if you’re on a PC. I like to remember this shortcut as “K” for “shrinK“. This shortcut also works for selected tracks in the timeline if you want to make them smaller.
Check out my other tutorial on timeline shortcuts in Avid Media Composer here.
Align Frames to Grid in Bin Frame View Trick in Avid
Our last trick is while a bin is in Frame View. Move the clips around as needed. And to “tidy” them up, use the keyboard shortcut Command+T if you’re on a Mac or Control+T if you’re on a PC.
Additional Recommended Viewing: Mastering Avid Media Composer’s Keyboard Shortcuts | Bins Lesson
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