Appearance
Gather shots in collections
A collection is a named set of shots you chose by hand. It holds those shots until you change it — nothing about editing a shot's metadata adds it to a collection or takes it out.
Folders file videos. Quick filters save a question. A collection is the pile on the desk: the selects, the reference set, the shots going to the client.
Collections are free on every plan.
Create a collection from selected shots
- Select one or more shots, in the editor or in the library.
- In the inspector, choose Add to collection.
- Choose New collection….
- Name it, and confirm.
It appears in the rail under Collections with its shot count beside it.
Add shots to an existing collection
Same path — select shots, Add to collection, then pick the collection from the list. Collections you have already added this shot to are ticked, so you can see at a glance where it already lives.
- From any video. A collection is not tied to the project you started it from; add from as many videos as you like.
- Several shots at once. Select them all, then add once.
- A shot that is already in it is skipped, not duplicated. Adding twice is harmless.
The shot count in the rail is the confirmation worth reading — if it did not go up by what you expected, some of what you selected was already there.
Work inside a collection
Opening a collection shows its shots with their own search box and filter bar, so a large selects pile is still something you can type into.
- Shots are grouped by the video they came from, so a collection drawn from four jobs still reads as four jobs.
- The result count tells you how many shots match what you have typed.
- If nothing matches, the collection says so and offers Clear search & filters rather than just looking empty.
- Selecting a shot shows it in the inspector, where you can read and edit its notes and metadata without leaving the collection.
Each collection has its own address in the app, so you can keep a link to one.
Remove shots from a collection
Select the shots inside the collection and choose Remove from collection in the inspector.
Removing is about membership only. The shot, its metadata, its video and the file on your disk are all untouched — you are taking it off the list, not deleting anything.
Rename or delete a collection
Double-click the rail row to rename in place, or right-click for Rename and Delete.
Deleting a collection is permanent
StoryFolder asks first and says exactly what happens: the collection is deleted for good and cannot be undone. Your videos and their shots are untouched — what you lose is the list, not the material. Collections have no Trash of their own.
When to use a collection
- Approved selects that must not change because somebody edited a field.
- A delivery set you will export or share as it stands.
- A cross-project reference set — every shot of the product from four different jobs.
When to use something else: a recurring condition like rating is at least 4 or usable is ticked is a quick filter, not a collection. If you find yourself repeatedly adding and removing shots to keep a collection "current", you wanted a quick filter.
The reverse move is also common and correct: build a quick filter, get the set right, then put those shots into a collection so the answer stops moving.
Troubleshooting
| What you see | What is happening |
|---|---|
| The collection looks empty | A search or filter is active inside it. Use Clear search & filters |
| A shot you expected is not there | Membership is manual. Nothing adds shots for you |
| Metadata changed but membership did not | Working as intended — that is the difference from a quick filter |
| The count went up by less than you added | Shots already in the collection are skipped rather than duplicated |