Saving a project file gives you the ability to work on a project over several sessions. All of your project decisions are saved into a HitFilm project file. The next time you load the project file you can continue from exactly where you left it.
If you want to create a new video file which can be played outside of HitFilm, see the chapter on Exporting.
Saving Your Project
The quickest and easiest way to save your project is to use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+S . Alternately, you can click the Save button on the navigation bar. If it is the first time you have saved the project, you will need to specify a location for the file. Once the project has a name, saving will update the saved project file to contain the current contents of the open project.
The File menu also has Save and Save As options. Save As can be used to create a new copy of the project file on your computer, after which clicking the Save icon will save to the newer project.
If the Save icon is dark gray it means that you have not made any changes to your project since you last saved.
Hovering the mouse over the Save icon will display the location of the project file on your computer.
HitFilm also has an auto-save feature built in, which allows the software to save your project at regular intervals. This allows you to recover your work in the event of a power failure or similar situations. To learn more about setting up Auto Save, please see the page on the HitFilm Options window.
Loading Projects
To load a project select Open from the Home screen or File menu, then locate the project file on your computer.
You can also select from a list of recent projects in the File menu, and on the Home screen.
HitFilm can open projects in the following formats:
- HFP: HitFilm’s native project format is .hfp.
- HFCS: Composite shot timelines exported from HitFilm use the .hfcs format.
- IMERGE: Imerge projects created using version 5 or higher of Imerge Pro can be imported into HitFilm and will import as images.
- VEGFX Projects created in VEGAS Effects use the .vegfx format, and can be opened the same as composite shots.
- VEGIMG Projects created in VEGAS Image use the .vegimg format, and can be opened the same as Imerge projects.
- AAF Projects edited in Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Grass Valley EDIUS, or Avid Media Composer can be exported from those programs to the .aaf format, and then opened in HitFilm.
Importing Projects & Composite Shots
You can import composite shots from one project into another project. This is useful for transferring visual effects shots and templates between projects, or for importing data created in mocha HitFilm.
In the Media panel, click the triangular menu button to the right of the Import… button and select Composite Shot.
You can then select either a project file or a composite shot file to import into your current project. When importing a project file HitFilm will analyze the file and display a list of available composite shots. You can select specific composite shots to import.
Imported composite shots will be listed in new folders in the Media panel. If any of the composite shots contain embedded composite shots, these will also be imported. The editor timeline from one project can not be imported into another using this method. If you wish to move your editor timeline from one project to another, you must first export it, to create a new video file. The new file created can then be imported into a new HitFilm project.
For more information on composite shots see Introducing the two timelines.