Using Transitions in Projects to Be Exported as EDLs
Edit Decision Lists (EDLs) were developed for older tape-to-tape editing systems with
limited capabilities. Therefore, they can only describe a narrow range of transitions.
Typically, these transitions match standard transitions found on most broadcast video
switchers, designated by codes that have been standardized by the Society of Motion
Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).
Although today’s nonlinear editing systems have introduced a much wider variety of
transitions and effects, the EDL format continues to reflect the simplicity of older
systems. As a result, not everything that you can do in a Final Cut Pro sequence will
show up as expected in an exported EDL.
Keep the following in mind when creating a sequence that you may export as an EDL:
 EDLs don’t support transitions in any tracks other than V1. If you use transitions in
other tracks, they won’t appear in the EDL.
 Anything other than a cross dissolve or simple wipe is mapped to the closest