Selecting, moving or altering transitions and effects is nearly impossible now

[Warwick5F89]

In previous verisons of Premiere Pro, when a transition was applied to a track, eiether video or audio transition, it could then be quicly and easily altered: moved across to begin and end at a different point of the clip, or double clicked to change the length. Intuitive, simple, worked every time!

Now, since sometime around v24, the graphical interface of transitions has changed. It looks fancy now... but it is totally useless for making regular and simple changes. I just took 11 attempts to actually be able to select an audio transition I wanted to change the length and position of. Every time I clicked it, on a different part of the transition, it would not select the transition. It instead selects the clip TRHOUGH the transition... and even when the transition is selected, then when I click to move it, invariably, the whole clip moves instead of the transition. It seems to be worse on audio clips than video.

This is absolutely driving me crazy! Why, why, why Adobe have you made something so everyday, so basic, into something that looks fancy, but is funtcionally infuriating, frustrating, impossible, inconsistent???

It slows editing down so much, and causes constant issues. It actually feels like a "last straw" for Premiere for me... I really didn't need any more reasons to jump ship to Davinci or Final Cut... but honestly, this one is massive! Fix it, or you lose me... 

Mac OSX Sonoma 14.6.1
Premiere Pro v25.1 (but has happened since v24.x)

[MarekMularczyk]

It's true that some elements of the timeline have changed recently (I actually like the way transitions are now bigger, more visible, and easier to work with). 

If you're having issues changing the transitions' duration, why don't you just double-click the transition? I use this a lot as it's quick and easy.

[Warwick5F89]

Unfortunately, this is the main problem! All things left the same as prior versions, double clicking the transition was a simple task, whcih worked 100% of the time. Now, it works 10% of the time ( mostly the clip BEHIND the transition is selected, and rarely the trsnaition itself, even clicking multiple places on the transition)

[scalzoc]

This response does not address the issue stated. The change to the design, has made it difficult at best to do a simple shift of transition with a mouse. Yes, you can grab roll tool and not adjust the center of transition. Yes you can double click and change duration there instead of dragging it out visually using the wavform and a quick mouse swipe; it just isn't faster, more intuitive, or better in way workflow way. In the eyes of many users, including myself, it is a mistake that needs to be resolved.

Sugessting any different workflow besides a checkbox that can be changes in settings to allow you to grab a transition without grrabbing the clip underneither is insulting and a waste of a post. (did you really think @Warwick5F89 didn't know he could double click on a transtion to change it's duration?) I might be a couple months late to read this, but it is so infuriating.

[Adolfo H.]

Hi @Warwick5F89 , the target areas for the transitions haven't changed from previous versions. The cursor will dynamically changed and will tell you if you are on top of the target area of a transition or the clip itself. The reason why is that if you are working with small track heights and your transiiton is covering most of the clip, you can still click and drag a clip or select a transition.

[Warwick5F89]

Prior versionbs didn't require a large timeline track height... clicking anywhere on the transition selected it, and click-hold moved it... now, it's so hit and miss (mostly miss!) that it is a massive slow down. Editing professionals don't n eed slow downs! Not sure if it's a Mac OSX version problem - no access to Windows to test

[Kevin-Monahan]

This drives me a little insane too, @Warwick5F89, and @scalzoc. I found a workaround that may help: grab the transition like I am going to change the duration. Now that it's selected instead of the underlying clip, the entirely I can do what I actually want to do: like, copy/paste it elsewhere or even to simply remove it. It slows me down, as well, @Adolfo H., to be honest.

Thanks for bringing this up. I hope we can make this work better for you in the future.

Thanks,

Kevin

[R Neil Haugen]

I find the newer timeline a bit more finicky where you click. With tiny track heights, it can be nearly impossible to get the right place.

So having track height presets is a very important user thing now.

[Adolfo H.]

@R Neil Haugen I wonder why is this. We haven't changed any target areas. I have checked this personally line per line. It would be great if you can, to provide me with a video. It's important to me to understand where you are seeing these issues so I can address them with the team. Really appreciate your constant feedback on this. 

[R Neil Haugen]

If you have the Fx badges on, and narrow track heights particularly ... trying to add a transition, or use the cross faders, is really a tricky pain.

Turning off the Fx badge is not my preferred way of working ... to be polite, but is mostly necessary since:

1.  It doesn't show anything useful at a quick glance anymore and
2.  it gets in the way of working with transitions and cross-fades.

And for me, with transistions applied in fairly narrow track heights, I do have to be very careful as to where I click. 

As for some other users, the changes to the Fx badge ... both the look and the location ... have rendered that mostly unusable. The new functions are not nearly as quickly usable as the lost visual function of the FX badge.

And the location right in the cut-point/transition area is a nightmare.

But even with it off, there's issues with transitions vs crossfades vs cut point vs ... whatever.

[Adolfo H.]

Got it! Understand. In past version working with really small track heights was an issue as well. The user didn't know if they were gonna click on the transition target area or the clip. The cursor now indicates when you are hovering on the the transition target area or on the clip target area. This interaction is similar to how the cursor changes at the beginning or end of the clip.

We will keep looking at the other changes and see how we can improve them. Appreciate your feedback.

[Adolfo H.]

Here is another video on the new cursor indicator for small track heights with transitions and badges.

The FX badge had some updates as well. If the FX badge is disabled, no effects has been applied or modified. If it's enabled an effect has been applied or modified. If the FX badge has an underline a source effect has been applied.

There are more improvements on the pipeline for this and I'll kepp you updated. Thank you

[R Neil Haugen]

The old Fx badge told you useful stuff at a glance. Immediately.

The new on is incredibly, mind boggling slow to work with.

You ONLY get any information IF you take your hands off the control panel or keyboard, grab and move the mouse ... and ... wait, for the text bubble to appear.

Before your "improvement", I could see what I needed at a glance, without leaving the keyboard or my Elements panel.

This was a huge step bass-ackwards for me.

[Warwick5F89]

Agreed! 

[Warwick5F89]

It is a step backwards. It is slow. It is tedious. It feels random. All the comments above indicate that leaving track heights at standard height is now not workable. So, a many-layered timeline cannot be viewed as before? 
Prior to this "improvement" (i'm still unclear what has been improved, apart from seeing the transition shape via the little handles (which are slow to react, as mentioned above), selecting, changing length or positon of transitions was simple, worked every time, regardless of track height, etc. Now, sometimes I can do what I want with the transition. Most times, it ends up selecting the clip, not the transition, and even if it does, most times, then trying to move the transition, moves the clip, not the transition! Infuriating...

(M3 Macbook Pro with 4TB/36gb) v25.1

[R Neil Haugen]

And I don't mean to dump on you, Adolfo, as it wouldn't have been your decision, and you are so helpful in coming on here.

It is frustrating that the Fx badge was so useful for me. But isn't of any use to me anymore. Sadly.

[Robbiec]

That is WILD to me the target areas haven't been altered at all. I've been forced to work in 2025 on a recent project and it's a night and day difference - and a needless change. Long Live 2024 Premiere.

[nicktheclark]

Thank you for posting this (almost a year ago!). The transitions and FX badges in '25 having been absolutely wrecking me, and I came here to commiserate. I do like the overall aesthetic changes to '25 (round recs for clips are nice), but transitions are nearly impossible to see and click, and FX badges have gone from very visible/useful, to nearly impossible to see unless zoomed way in on a large track height. All of this is especially frustrating because none of it was necessary.

@Adolfo H. , I appreciate your videos demoing the variable cursor, but this really is a huge step backward in terms of usability, and it's particularlly irksome for something I (try to) do 1000 times/day. There are now simply too many different fiddly things to click/grab, especially at the ends of clips - transitions, transition handles, trim handles, clip itself, opacity/level bands, FX badges.

It's great to have different ways to work, but Adobe, I beg you, we just need to be able to click on transitions.

[Warwick5F89]

Yes, Adobe, we impore you to tak ea step back to a usable transition space on the timeline. A year after posting about this, it still drives me insane.