Behind InkyCut: How We’re Reimagining Video Editing from Scratch
Most video editors follow the same playbook: throw every possible feature into the interface, create complex menus, add more buttons, and hope users figure it out.
We took a different approach.
The Problem with “Kitchen Sink” Interfaces
Traditional video editors suffer from feature bloat. They try to surface every possible action in the UI, resulting in:
- Overwhelming toolbars with dozens of icons
- Nested menus six levels deep
- Context panels that steal half your screen
- Keyboard shortcuts you’ll never remember
The irony? Most of these features are rarely used, yet they dominate the interface and complicate the simple stuff.
Our Three-Part Strategy
InkyCut is built on a simple philosophy: lean UI, powerful commands, smart orchestration.
1. Lean UI - Data, Not Clutter
Our interface shows you one thing: your video composition data. That’s it.
No timeline scrubbing. No track management. No cluttered toolbars. Just a clean, minimal view of what’s actually in your video—clips, text, effects, transitions—displayed as structured data you can understand at a glance.
Think JSON, but human-readable. You see exactly what your video contains, nothing more, nothing less.
2. Slash Commands - Power When You Need It
Instead of hunting through menus, you access functionality through slash commands. Need to adjust timing? /set-elem -d 5s. Want to add text? /new-text -t "Hello World". Want to share your design with others? /share. Want to export your design? /export -f json.
It’s like having a command palette for video editing. Fast, direct, and discoverable. No need to remember where Adobe hid the feature you need—just type what you want to do.
These aren’t just shortcuts; they’re a complete editing language. Every action in InkyCut can be expressed as a command. This makes editing both faster for power users and more predictable for everyone.
3. AI Agent - Your Smart Assistant
Here’s where it gets interesting: you don’t even need to know the slash commands.
Our AI agent understands creative intent and translates it into the right sequence of commands. When you say “make this more dramatic,” the AI figures out which commands to run—maybe /transition dramatic, /music intensity +20%, and /color grade cinematic. (Note, this is still under construction, let’s see how it goes!)
The AI isn’t just autocomplete; it’s a creative partner that understands video editing principles and can execute complex multi-step edits with a single conversation.
Why This Approach Works
Simplicity Without Compromise
A lean interface doesn’t mean fewer features—it means smarter feature access. Every video editing capability exists, but it’s accessed through commands rather than cluttering the interface.
Predictable and Fast
Slash commands are discoverable and consistent. /duration always works the same way whether you’re editing a clip, transition, or effect. No context-switching confusion.
AI That Actually Helps
Because everything is command-driven, our AI can actually perform complex edits, not just suggest them. It can chain commands together, understand context, and execute your creative vision without you needing to learn the underlying syntax.
The Real-World Difference
Let me vision you how this plays out in practice (under construction though):
Traditional Editor:
- Find the transition menu (where was it again?)
- Browse through dozens of transition types
- Drag transition to timeline
- Adjust duration in properties panel
- Preview, realize it’s wrong
- Go back to step 1
InkyCut:
- Say “add a smooth fade between these clips”
- AI runs
/transition fade smoothautomatically - Done
Or if you prefer direct control: /transition fade 2s and you’re done.
Beyond Editing - A New Paradigm
This isn’t just about making video editing easier (though it does that). It’s about creating a new paradigm where:
- Interfaces serve data, not features
- Commands provide precise control
- AI handles the complexity
The result is editing that feels like conversation but with the precision of professional tools.
What This Means for Creators
You get the best of both worlds:
- Beginner-friendly: Just describe what you want, AI handles the commands
- Pro-level control: Direct command access for precise editing
- Always transparent: See exactly what’s in your composition, no hidden complexity
Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned editor, you can work at your preferred level of detail while the interface stays clean and focused.
The Open Source Advantage
Since InkyCut is open source, this approach benefits everyone:
- Command language is documented - Build your own tools using our slash commands
- AI models are swappable - Use different AI agents for different editing styles
- UI components are modular - Customize the interface for your workflow
The lean UI, powerful commands, and smart AI aren’t just InkyCut features—they’re an open standard for how video editing could work.
What’s Coming Next
We’re expanding this foundation:
- Command scripting - Save and share command sequences
- Custom AI agents - Train models for specific editing styles
- Collaborative commands - Real-time editing with shared command history
- Voice commands - Speak directly to the slash command system
Why We Built It This Way
Because we believe creative tools should be powerful yet approachable. You shouldn’t need to choose between ease-of-use and capability.
InkyCut’s strategy gives you both: simple when you want simple, powerful when you need powerful, smart enough to bridge the gap.
Your creativity is limitless. Your tools should be too.
Ready to experience lean UI and powerful commands? Try InkyCut and see the difference for yourself.