Moving clips along timeline, and closing gap

[bobpeg71]

Hello- 2 questions:
1) I am trying to move clips along timeline. I use instruction to highlight and drag individual clips, or use marquee approach to drag many clips, and have successfully done this when desired location is near current location. But if I want to move from end to beginning of a 20 minute video, or vice versa, it is a problem. Is there a cut/paste function? I see cut/paste in the menu but don't see how they operate. I find I am creating many ripple effects problems when attempting to move clips. (I am aware of the tip to hold the control key while moving)
2) I am confused on 'close gap' function. Sometimes this works, but other times it is 'greyed out'. I guess I don't understand when this close gap is designed to work and when it does not.
Prior to using this forum I look at the 'guided' approach in PE12, I search in the PDF manual for PE 12 available at the help menu, and I search the community forum using the search window. I have done each with both of these questions and find no answers. Maybe I don't know the key words to put in the forum window box.
Thanks again to all the experts providing solutions...

[Steve Grisetti]

1) Yes, you can select a clip on your timeline and it to a new location. The clip will paste to Video 1, at the position of the CTI playhead.

2) You can delete and close gap if there is no video, audio or other clips on any parallel tracks that keep this from being a true "gap". In other words, a gap is only a gap if it is a gap on the entire timeline. If you've got a clip on a track above or below it, it's not a true gap and the option will be grayed out.

[bobpeg71]

Ok thanks. will keep working ...

[robbie410]

Refresher question associated. How do you highlight a number of clips, rather than a single clip, to enable them to be moved together?
Robbie

[Steve Grisetti]

The easiest way is to just drag over them. Start your drag in an area of the timeline in which there are no clips and then drag over the clips you want to group or move.

You can also hold down the Ctrl key (Cmd on a Mac) while selecting several individual clips on the timeline.

[robbie410]

Will try the dragging. Have tried cmd and click but with my way of doing it the highlight just went from the previous highlighted clip to the clicked one only becoming highlighted.
Robbie
(PS. Not sure if I should be commenting on this string)

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[robbie410]

Hi Steve, have had success with dragging from a space outside the Timeline covering numerous clips. Not managed to highlight separate clips using the CMD and click method. Will keep trying, maybe you need to hold down another key at the same time on an Imac, not your favourite I know.
Robbie

[Peru]

You can also hold down the Ctrl key (Cmd on a Mac) while selecting several individual clips on the timeline.

I thought it was shift-click, Steve.

[Gerlinde]

Robbie, my answer to your question 1: if I have to move a number of clips I find it easiest to select all clips ( Shift click or lasso/drag ) and then temporary >Group them. You can either right click once you have all clips selected and choose from the resulting menu > Group or from the tool bar on the top of the program > Clip > Group.
Now you can move all the clips at once to a higher track and to the position you want them. After that > Ungroup for further editing.

[robbie410]

Thanks everybody for your help and advice. Got it all now and yes, Peru, Shift and Cmd on Imac goes a long way to allow me to do what `I need
Robbie