Markers
Markers Panel
The Markers Panel in Tin Man provides a structured way to annotate clips with timecode-based markers, making it easier to track creative notes, technical comments, and review feedback. Markers can be color-coded, renamed, and extended with notes. Marker metadata is stored in the project database, with thumbnails and annotations stored in a project-local markerthmb/ folder.
Overview
The panel is designed to give editors and production teams an intuitive workspace for managing clip annotations. Each marker entry includes a thumbnail, timecode, duration, creation date, and user-entered notes. Markers can also be color-labeled for fast visual categorization.
The panel is divided into the following key elements:
Annotation Toolbar
The annotation toolbar sits above the marker thumbnail canvas and provides drawing tools for annotating marker thumbnails directly:
Freeform Line – Draw freehand lines on the thumbnail.
Arrow – Draw arrows to point out specific areas of the frame.
Rectangle – Draw rectangles to highlight regions.
Ellipse – Draw ellipses to circle areas of interest.
Delete Tool – Remove annotations by drawing a selection rectangle over them.
Stroke Width – Configure the line thickness (e.g., 6px).
Color Picker – Choose the annotation drawing color.
Undo/Redo – Step back or forward through annotation changes.
The annotation canvas position can be configured to appear on the Right, Left, Top, or Bottom relative to the marker list.
Marker Toolbar
Search Bar – Filter markers by text or notes.
Color Filter – Quick-access palette for filtering markers by color.
Add Marker Button –
Left-click: Adds a marker at the current timecode with the currently selected marker color.
Right-click: Opens a menu to choose a new default marker color.
Keyboard Shortcut: Press m to add a marker.
Note: Only one marker can exist at a given starting timecode. Double-clicking a marker in the list will move playback to that marker’s starting point.
Marker List Columns
Color – Color swatch reflecting the assigned marker color.
Thumbnail – A thumbnail image of the frame at the marker's starting timecode.
Name – Auto-incremented marker names (e.g., Marker 0, Marker 1) that can be renamed.
Start – The exact SMPTE timecode frame where the marker begins.
End – The marker's end timecode. For single-frame markers, this matches the start.
Duration – Length of the marker. Defaults to 1 frame unless extended.
Date – Timestamp when the marker was created.
Notes – Freeform text field for recording comments, instructions, or feedback. Fully searchable.
Marker Color
Each marker includes a color swatch on the left side of its row. The swatch reflects the assigned marker color and can be used as a quick reference for filtering or categorization.
Panel Controls
Visibility Toggle (eye icon) – Show hidden markers in the timeline view.
Remove Marker – Deletes selected markers.
Copy to Clipboard / Save to Text – Exports marker info for the current clip to the clipboard or a text file. For multi-clip Marker Reports (CSV, XLSX, or PDF), use the Report Panel.
Editing Markers
Start/End Adjustment – Double-click a Start or End field to manually enter a new timecode, or click-and-drag with the mouse to adjust.
Right-Click Context Menu – Provides additional options such as:
Select All
Hide Selected / Show Hidden
Remove Selected
Set Marker Color
Set Mark In / Set Mark Out
Go to Mark In / Go to Mark Out
Workflow Example
While reviewing a clip, press the Add Marker button or 'm' on the keyboard to drop a marker.
Use the annotation tools to draw directly on the marker thumbnail — arrows, rectangles, or freeform lines to highlight areas of interest.
If needed, re-assign a color to categorize it (e.g., yellow = "review later").
Enter notes in the Notes column to capture detailed feedback.
Use the search bar or color filters to find markers quickly during review.
Export the list in the Reports Panel for delivery to editorial or VFX. Thumbnails and annotations are composited into PDF, HTML, and JSON marker reports.
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