Desktop Local Export and 4K

ChatCut Desktop can render video locally on your computer, with resolution presets up to 4K. Keep the project and required media available on that computer. Cloud export quotas are described separately in Web vs Desktop Export.

Export locally

1. Open the project in ChatCut Desktop.
2. Select Export → Video.
3. Choose Dynamic Range: SDR, or HDR (Rec. 2100 HLG) on macOS.
4. Choose Resolution (480p, 720p, 1080p or 4K), Frame Rate, Video Bitrate and the export Range.
5. Select Export, or Export Zone when exporting a marked Zone. Respond to the save dialog to choose the destination, then follow the queue. Keep Desktop open while the local render runs.
6. When complete, use Show in Finder or Open from the export row. Open the actual file to check picture and sound before sharing it.

4K means a target short side of 2160 pixels. HDR export is available in ChatCut Desktop on macOS only; on other systems, choose SDR. Export speed depends on the computer.

These steps describe local video export. Audio, transparent graphics and editable handoffs have their own output settings and requirements; follow the selected tab and the detailed guides linked from Export Panel.

Where does an agent export save the file?

When the agent exports a file without an explicit output path, Desktop uses a ChatCut subfolder in your system’s video directory. A supplied output path changes that destination. Use the export tool’s returned outputPath to locate the actual file; manual exports use the folder you selected. Editable Jianying/CapCut drafts use the destination app’s project directory instead.

How do I export a single frame as a PNG?

In ChatCut Desktop, you can ask the Agent to save one composed frame from the Timeline as a PNG image—for example, when you want a thumbnail, a reference still for another edit, or a quick check of the current layout and captions. The manual Export panel has no button or tab for still images, and single-frame PNG export is not available in the web app.

Keep the project open in ChatCut Desktop and ask the Agent to export the frame you want as a PNG. Give the frame number or time on the Timeline, and optionally specify which Timeline to use or where to save the file.

• Output format and size: Desktop writes one lossless .png file at the Timeline’s composition resolution, including visible overlays and captions on that frame.
• Limits: Still-image export does not offer other image formats (such as JPG), frame ranges, or separate export resolution, frame-rate, bitrate, or dynamic-range settings. If you ask for a frame past the end of the Timeline, Desktop saves the last frame.
• Where it saves and cost: Unless you give a file path, the PNG is saved in the ChatCut folder inside your system’s video directory without overwriting existing files. Saving a PNG still does not require a paid plan or spend export credits, though messages to the built-in ChatCut Agent use credits as usual.