Video Proxy

When you import a high-resolution, high-bitrate, or unconventional video file, Wayaframe automatically creates a smaller, optimized preview copy called a proxy. You edit with the lightweight proxy for smooth, lag-free playback, while the original full-quality file is always used when you export. No quality is lost.

This happens in the background with no setup required. You don't need to enable or configure anything.

Why proxies matter

Editing 4K, high-frame-rate, or codec-heavy footage directly can cause stuttering, dropped frames, and sluggish scrubbing, even on powerful hardware. Proxies solve this by giving the editor a smaller file to work with during preview and playback, while preserving your original media for the final render.

• Smoother playback: scrub, seek, and play without lag.
• Faster timeline response: trimming, splitting, and dragging clips feels instant.
• No quality loss: your export always uses the original, full-resolution source file.

How it works

When you import a video, Wayaframe automatically analyzes it and decides whether a proxy is needed based on the file's resolution, frame rate, codec, keyframe interval, and bitrate. If the video exceeds any of these thresholds, a proxy is generated in the background:

• Resolution: the longest edge exceeds 1920px.
• Frame rate: higher than 30 fps.
• Codec: not H.264 (requires transcoding for optimal playback).
• Keyframe interval: greater than 1.25 seconds (can cause scrubbing lag).
• Bitrate: exceeds the expected bitrate for the video's resolution.

If none of these apply, the original file is already efficient enough for editing and no proxy is created.

Proxy quality profiles

Wayaframe selects a quality profile for each proxy based on the source file's size, duration, and resolution. Smaller or shorter videos get higher-quality proxies, while very large or long files get more aggressively compressed proxies to keep performance smooth.

Profile	Max resolution	Max frame rate	Best for
High	1280px	30 fps	Short clips and smaller files
Medium	1280px	30 fps	Mid-length, moderate-size files
Low	960px	24 fps	Long or large files
Minimal	854px	20 fps	Very large files, 4K+ sources, or extremely long recordings

The proxy is always an H.264 MP4 file optimized for fast seeking and playback.

What you see during proxy generation

When a proxy is being created, a Processing badge with a spinner appears on the video's thumbnail in the Media Panel and Library Panel. You can continue editing while proxies generate in the background.

When proxies are used

• During editing: the timeline, canvas preview, and playback use the proxy file for any video that has one.
• During export: Wayaframe always uses the original, full-resolution source file. Proxies are never included in exports.

This means you can edit smoothly on any machine and still produce full-quality output.

What to read next

• Import Media
• Timeline
• Clips
• Export Settings