You can set the timeline to scroll continuously during playback, so that the timeline always shows the section of the project playing in the viewer. The playhead stays centered while the timeline scrolls. When the timeline is zoomed in and continuous scrolling is turned off, you can also scroll manually to see other parts of your project.
In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:
Click the Continuous Scrolling button in the top-right corner of the timeline.
When continuous scrolling is on, the button is highlighted.
Choose View > Timeline Scrolling (or press Option-Shift-S).
When you play a project that extends beyond the visible timeline, the playhead moves to the center of the timeline and then remains there as the clips currently playing in the viewer pass beneath. During automatic scrolling, you can continue to make edits in the timeline and use the J, K, and L keys to control playback.
In Final Cut Pro, zoom in to the timeline until you see a portion of the project only.
Do one of the following:
Drag the scroll bar at the bottom of the timeline left or right.
Drag the scroll bar at the right side of the timeline up or down.
Click the Tools pop-up menu in the top-left corner of the timeline and choose Hand (or press H), then drag in the timeline.
Tip: To switch to the Hand tool temporarily, hold down the H key. When you release the H key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool.
Swipe with two fingers on a Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse.
To change how scroll bars appear and behave, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Appearance in the sidebar, then modify the scroll bar settings on the right.
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