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Getting started

Getting started

Install FramePilot, activate your license, and make your first AI-assisted cut in a few minutes.

FramePilot is a local-first desktop video editor built for AI. You edit on a real timeline, an agent proposes typed and reversible edits, and a deterministic Python engine renders the final file. This page takes you from download to your first AI-assisted cut.

Install FramePilot

Download the build for your platform from the downloads page. Each release is published as a signed desktop installer.

  • macOS — open the .dmg and drag FramePilot into Applications.
  • Windows — run the .exe installer and follow the prompts.
  • Linux — use the AppImage (make it executable and run it) or the .deb where available.

FFmpeg is bundled with the app, so there is nothing else to install to render. See system requirements for supported OS versions and hardware notes.

First launch

On first launch FramePilot checks for a valid license. If it does not find one, it shows an activation card. If you already have a key, paste it here; if not, follow the buy link to pricing and come back.

Once activated, you land in the editor: a media bin, a multi-track timeline, a preview player, and the AI panel. The preview uses HTML video and canvas so scrubbing stays instant — the heavy render engine only runs when you export.

Activate your license

FramePilot requires an active subscription. After checkout, Freemius emails you a license key. Copy it, paste it into the license box on the activation card, and click activate. The app validates the key once, stores it locally on your device, and re-checks periodically.

Activation is a one-time step per machine. For the full picture — monthly vs. annual, moving between machines, offline behavior, cancellation, and refunds — read activation and licensing.

Make your first AI-assisted cut

  1. Import a clip. Drag a screen recording or talking-head video into the media bin, then onto the timeline.

  2. Open the AI panel and describe what you want in plain language, for example:

    Remove the silences and add captions.

  3. Review the proposed patch. The agent never edits your project directly. It returns a typed, validated patch and shows you a before/after diff of exactly what changes.

  4. Apply or reject. Click apply to commit the edit transactionally, or reject to discard it. Anything you apply can be undone in one step.

  5. Preview, then export. Scrub the result in the preview player. When it looks right, export through the deterministic render engine, which validates the output before handing you the file.

That loop — describe, review the patch, apply, undo if needed — is the whole model. Every AI edit is concrete and reversible, so you stay in control.

Where to go next