SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
cli-anything-kdenlive
A stateful command-line interface for video editing, following the same patterns as the Blender CLI harness. Uses a JSON project format with MLT XML generation for Kdenlive/melt.
Installation
This CLI is installed as part of the cli-anything-kdenlive package:
pip install cli-anything-kdenlive
Prerequisites:
- Python 3.10+
- kdenlive must be installed on your system
Usage
Basic Commands
# Show help
cli-anything-kdenlive --help
# Start interactive REPL mode
cli-anything-kdenlive
# Create a new project
cli-anything-kdenlive project new -o project.json
# Run with JSON output (for agent consumption)
cli-anything-kdenlive --json project info -p project.json
REPL Mode
When invoked without a subcommand, the CLI enters an interactive REPL session:
cli-anything-kdenlive
# Enter commands interactively with tab-completion and history
Command Groups
Project
Project management commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
new | Create a new project |
open | Open an existing project |
save | Save the current project |
info | Show project information |
profiles | List available video profiles |
json | Print raw project JSON |
Bin Group
Media bin management commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
import | Import a clip into the media bin |
remove | Remove a clip from the bin |
list | List all clips in the bin |
get | Get detailed clip info |
Timeline
Timeline management commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
add-track | Add a track to the timeline |
remove-track | Remove a track |
add-clip | Add a clip to a track |
remove-clip | Remove a clip from a track |
trim | Trim a clip's in/out points |
split | Split a clip at a time offset |
move | Move a clip to a new position |
list | List all tracks |
Filter Group
Filter/effect management commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
add | Add a filter to a clip |
remove | Remove a filter from a clip |
set | Set a filter parameter |
list | List filters on a clip |
available | List all available filters |
Transition
Transition management commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
add | Add a transition between tracks |
remove | Remove a transition |
set | Set a transition parameter |
list | List all transitions |
Guide
Guide/marker management commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
add | Add a guide at a position (seconds) |
remove | Remove a guide |
list | List all guides |
Export
Export and render commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
xml | Generate Kdenlive/MLT XML |
presets | List available render presets |
Session
Session management commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
status | Show session status |
undo | Undo the last operation |
redo | Redo the last undone operation |
history | Show undo history |
Examples
Create a New Project
Create a new kdenlive project file.
cli-anything-kdenlive project new -o myproject.json
# Or with JSON output for programmatic use
cli-anything-kdenlive --json project new -o myproject.json
Interactive REPL Session
Start an interactive session with undo/redo support.
cli-anything-kdenlive
# Enter commands interactively
# Use 'help' to see available commands
# Use 'undo' and 'redo' for history navigation
Export Project
Export the project to a final output format.
cli-anything-kdenlive --project myproject.json export render output.pdf --overwrite
State Management
The CLI maintains session state with:
- Undo/Redo: Up to 50 levels of history
- Project persistence: Save/load project state as JSON
- Session tracking: Track modifications and changes
Output Formats
All commands support dual output modes:
- Human-readable (default): Tables, colors, formatted text
- Machine-readable (
--jsonflag): Structured JSON for agent consumption
# Human output
cli-anything-kdenlive project info -p project.json
# JSON output for agents
cli-anything-kdenlive --json project info -p project.json
For AI Agents
When using this CLI programmatically:
- Always use
--jsonflag for parseable output - Check return codes - 0 for success, non-zero for errors
- Parse stderr for error messages on failure
- Use absolute paths for all file operations
- Verify outputs exist after export operations
More Information
- Full documentation: See README.md in the package
- Test coverage: See TEST.md in the package
- Methodology: See HARNESS.md in the cli-anything-plugin
Version
1.0.0