Project files

A .screencut file is a self-contained package that holds your raw recording and all your edits. Move it between Macs, back it up, or archive it — everything you need to keep editing comes along.

Inside a `.screencut` bundle

.screencut is a macOS file package — visually a single file in Finder, but a folder underneath. Right-click → Show Package Contents to peek inside:

project.json — all editor state: trims, speeds, zooms, annotations, audio mix, background.
recording/ — everything captured during the recording session:
- channel-*-display-*.mov — the screen video.
- channel-*-system-audio-*.m4a — system audio track.
- channel-*-microphone-*.m4a — microphone narration.
- metadata.json — recording-time metadata.
- cursors.json, mousemoves-*.json, mouseclicks-*.json, keystrokes-*.json — cursor position, mouse, and keyboard event streams.
cursors/ — cursor bitmap captures (each unique cursor image observed during the recording).
history/ — version snapshots from the version-history feature.

Finder showing the inside of a .screencut bundle: history folder, project.json, an expanded recording folder with metadata, cursor and input event JSON files, and the screen .mov plus system-audio and microphone .m4a tracks, and a top-level cursors folder — The package format keeps everything — media, event streams, edits, history — in one moveable file.

Save vs. Save As

A new recording lives in a temporary folder until you save it. The first save (or File → Save Project As) prompts for a permanent .screencut location and copies the temp working files there.

Subsequent Save Project commands write directly to that location. The Save As command makes a copy at a new location and rebinds the editor to the new copy.

Version history

Open File → Version History… to see snapshots of your project. Each snapshot is a self-contained copy of project.json taken at meaningful save points. Click any snapshot to revert.

Sharing & backup

Sharing — right-click in Finder, compress, send the resulting .zip. The recipient unzips and opens the bundle.
iCloud / Dropbox — .screencut bundles sync as packages on macOS. Use Optimize Mac Storage caution: the package can be sizeable.
Backup — Time Machine treats the package as a single unit, so partial-state corruption isn’t a concern.

Legacy formats

Older projects with .screenrecorder extension still open. Drop them on the app or use File → Open Project…. They’re upgraded to .screencut the next time you save.