Editing > Editing on the Desktop > Gestural Editing on the Desktop >
Gestural Editing Cursors

When you drag a source clip over a target clip, the cursor changes as the source clip moves over different areas of the target clip. The type of cursor indicates the type of edit that occurs when you drop the source clip on that spot.

All gestural splices, insert edits, and replace edits ripple the edit sequence; that is, they change the duration of the target clip unless you replace a clip with another clip of the same duration.

Cursor: | Appears when: | Use to:
--- | --- | ---
Insert | The source clip is positioned between frames on the target clip. | Perform an insert edit.
Replace | The source clip is grabbed at any frame other than its first or last frame, and is positioned over a frame on the target clip. | Perform a replace edit. You cannot gesturally replace frames with a two-frame clip. However, you can perform this type of edit with a one-frame clip.
Replace ahead | The source clip is grabbed at its first frame and is positioned directly over a frame on the target clip. | Perform a replace edit starting at the frame under the cursor and moving in the direction of the arrow.
Replace back | The source clip is grabbed at its last frame and is positioned directly over a frame on the target clip. | Perform a replace edit starting at the frame under the cursor and moving in the direction of the arrow.

To perform a gestural insert or replace edit:

1. Drag the source clip over the frame in the target clip where you want to make the edit until you see the appropriate edit cursor.
2. Drop the source clip.

   The clip is updated with the edit. The source clip replaces the frames of the target clip