buttercut

Build a cut from a library — scene, selects, roughcut, custom task, or an edit from a written script. Starts by asking what kind of cut the user wants, then works with them to determine what they want to create. Use when the user asks for a "roughcut", "sequence", "scene", "selects", "edit from a script", or any other cut-shaped output.

A skill to automatically download and install the latest ButterCut version while preserving libraries. Use when user wants to check for updates or update their installation for new features.

The ButterCut home menu — welcome the user back, then ask what they'd like to do (start a new cut, add footage to a library, a one-off task, or something else) and hand off to the right skill. Use as the front door when the user opens ButterCut, types "buttercut" or "bc", or asks "where do I start", "what can you do", or "help me get started".

The ButterCut home menu — welcome the user back, then ask what they'd like to do (start a new cut, add footage to a library, a one-off task, or something else) and hand off to the right skill. Use as the front door when the user opens ButterCut, types "buttercut" or "bc", or asks "where do I start", "what can you do", or "help me get started".

Create a new ButterCut library. Gather library info (name, footage location, language, transcript proofreading) and scaffold the library. Use when the user wants to start a **new** library. Libraries are containers of footage and footage analysis (transcripts, contact sheets, etc). User's may also refer to Libraries as "projects" or similiar. Ask them to confirm if they want a new Library (footage container) or just a new cut (roughcut, select, etc) if unsure.

Help a user handle a one-off production related task that doesn't match perfectly to an existing skill. Examples, pull a clip's audio, extract a frame, transcribe a stray recording, draft notes, create a spreadsheet, convert a file from one type to another, etc. Use when the request doesn't map to other more obvious skills.

Sets up a Mac for ButterCut. Installs all required dependencies (Homebrew, Ruby, Python, FFmpeg, WhisperX). Use when user says "install buttercut", "set up my mac", "get started", "first time setup", "install dependencies" or "check my installation".

Process the footage in a library — run analysis (transcripts, contact sheets, summaries) on a new library, resume processing on an existing one, or add and analyze new footage. Use when footage needs analyzing.

Internal sub-procedure (not a standalone entry point) — the shared footage-analysis pipeline that produces audio transcripts, contact sheets, and Sonnet-written summaries. Invoked end-to-end by the process-library and reprocess-with-contact-sheets skills; don't trigger it on its own.

Builds a contact sheet from a video clip — evenly spaced frames laid out in a single grid image, each with its hh:mm:ss timestamp burned in. Use when the user asks for a "contact sheet", "grid", "film strip", or wants a one-image overview of part of a clip.

Reset a library's visual analysis (contact sheets, summaries, legacy visual_transcripts) and re-run the current analyze-video pipeline on it. Keeps audio transcripts, cuts, plans, and library metadata. Use when a library was processed under the older pipeline and the user wants to bring it onto the contact-sheet-based one.

Transcribes video audio using WhisperX, preserving original timestamps. Creates JSON transcript with word-level timing. Use when you need to generate audio transcripts for videos.

Backs up user libraries and all their contents (external video excluded). This skill can also be useful when you need to restore a library.

Exports all dialogue from every clip in a library into a single text file. One clip per block — filename, then its spoken words. Use when the user asks for a "full transcript", "full script", or wants all the dialogue from a library in one place.