Web vs Desktop Export

For manual video and audio exports from the Web editor, ChatCut automatically selects browser or cloud rendering. Agent Plugin video and audio exports use browser rendering by default; cloud video or audio requires your explicit request or agreement. ChatCut Desktop can render video locally when the project and required media are available on your computer.

Export manually from the web app

1. Select Export in the editor header, then choose the output type and settings.
2. ChatCut checks the browser, output settings, Timeline media, motion graphics and audio requirements. It selects browser rendering when supported, or cloud rendering when the compatibility checks or current service settings require it. There is no manual renderer switch.
3. After starting the job, follow progress under the header Export button. Keep the tab open while a browser export is running.
4. Use Download again or View afterward when that action appears.

Browser rendering uses browser storage or asks where to save a large output, depending on projected size and browser support. A compatible device can also offer 4K browser video export.

Cloud rendering needs access to the required media. A job can wait at Preparing media… while uploads finish. Follow that same job in the export queue. Renderer selection happens before rendering starts; if a started job fails, inspect its message before retrying.

Export with the Agent Plugin

For video or audio, ask the agent to export the intended project and Timeline. The export call must name the full timelineId; external Agent Plugin callers must also supply the full projectId. Browser rendering is the default. A signed-in supported browser can render that target while Home or another page is visible. Keep the selected browser open until delivery; navigating does not change the export’s target.

If browser rendering is blocked, have the agent explain the specific blocker. Cloud video or audio is available only when you explicitly request it or agree to it after that explanation. Agent exports do not automatically fall back to cloud after a local failure. See Agent Plugin Setup and Missing Tools if the required tools are unavailable.

Request cloud video or audio explicitly

Through the hosted connection, you can explicitly request cloud video or audio with renderMode="cloud". This differs from manual Web export’s automatic renderer selection. The agent must not switch a failed browser export to cloud without your request or agreement.

1. Identify the intended project and Timeline using their full IDs. Confirm that the saved Timeline is available to your authorized ChatCut account.
2. Check that every referenced media asset is readable by the cloud render. A file available only on your computer is not ready for cloud export. Google Drive or Dropbox connection media is not automatically cloud-renderable; follow any requirement to use browser export or upload the required media through the connected browser.
3. Request cloud video at 1080p or lower, or request cloud audio. Cloud video does not offer 4K; 4K requires compatible browser rendering or Desktop local video export.
4. Resolve any media, permission, font or quota message. If fonts are unavailable in the cloud renderer, accept a proposed substitution only if it suits the result, or change the fonts before retrying. Cloud selection does not bypass these requirements.
5. Keep the returned renderId. When checking progress, use track_export for that same job and follow its returned polling interval. Do not submit another export merely to check progress.
6. Retrieve the completed file and open it to check picture and sound. Keep your own copy of the delivered output.

For example, replace both bracketed values with the actual full IDs before sending:

When the authorized saved Timeline and all required media are already remotely readable, this cloud route does not require a browser to execute the render or an inbound callback to your computer. A browser can still be required to upload missing media. If the route reports a blocker, keep the project and existing job information and resolve that blocker rather than assuming cloud export will succeed.

If local export is unavailable

Keep the project and original media, then inspect the same job’s message. For a manual Web export routed to cloud, let required uploads finish and resolve any media-access or quota message. For a browser compatibility issue, try the suggested browser, codec or resolution. Resolve a reported Timeline graphic or audio issue before retrying. For Agent exports, follow the explicit cloud-request rule above rather than assuming a failed local job will move to cloud.

Before trying Desktop local video export, confirm that the project and required media are available there. See Export Queue, Downloads, and Retries for progress and retry actions.

Export video locally in ChatCut Desktop

Before switching to Desktop, confirm that the project and original media you need are available there.

1. In ChatCut Desktop, select Export → Video.
2. Choose dynamic range, resolution, frame rate, video bitrate and export range. HDR is available only on supported computers.
3. Select Export, or Export Zone when exporting a marked Zone. Choose the destination in the save dialog, then follow the queue. Keep Desktop open while it renders.
4. When it finishes, select Show in Finder or Open.

Desktop local video export saves directly to the selected folder. Choose among the resolution and dynamic-range options available in your current Desktop export panel. Available options and actual speed depend on the version, computer performance, codec support, timeline complexity, and output settings.

These steps describe Desktop’s local video export. Audio, transparent graphics, and bundled handoffs can have different requirements; check the selected output’s current panel and detailed guide before starting.

Credits and output limits

Export does not spend ChatCut credits. Browser and device compatibility, supported formats, and plan permissions still apply. Individual outputs can still require Pro—for example transparent ProRes 4444 motion graphics. Credits and export permissions are separate; check the current output panel and your plan before choosing an output.

Free cloud exports have a cumulative 60-minute duration allowance. Successfully completed render duration and the planned duration reserved by active jobs count toward it. The quota follows the project owner’s plan and usage; a collaborator’s paid plan does not replace a Free project owner’s allowance. See Free and Pro for plan guidance.

See Free and Pro, Desktop Local Export and 4K, and Export Queue, Downloads, and Retries.