Improving documentation:

- image seq details (PNG, SVG)
- normalize *.rst headers, for cleaner parsing
- added performance page (real-time preview)
- uninstall & clean-install steps
- added menu options, views, and docks sections on main window
- added preferences reset to default values
- added to title page, include "text" word in title, added section on importing text from other programs.
- various formatting and links

doc/animation.rst

@@ -80,10 +80,14 @@ To choose a curve preset, right click on the small graph icon next to a key fram
 
 .. image:: images/curve-presets.jpg
 
+.. _animation_image_seq_ref:
+
 Image Sequences
 ---------------
 If you have a sequence of similarly named images (such as, cat001.png, cat002.png, cat003.png, etc...), you can simply
-drag and drop one of them into OpenShot, and you will be prompted to import the entire sequence.
+drag and drop one of them into OpenShot, and you will be prompted to import the entire sequence. OpenShot will playback
+these sequential images rapidly, as if they are frames in a video. The rate or speed in which these images are displayed
+is based on their frame rate.
 
 .. image:: images/import-image-sequence.jpg
 

doc/files.rst

@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ all files you need to add, right click, and choose Add to Timeline.
    6   Transitions         Choose a specific transition to use between files, random, or none
    ==  ==================  ============
 
+.. _file_properties_ref:
+
 Properties
 ----------
 To view the properties of any imported file in your video project, right click on the file, and choose **File Properties**.

doc/glossary.rst

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-.. Copyright (c) 2008-2020 OpenShot Studios, LLC
+.. Copyright (c) 2008-2016 OpenShot Studios, LLC
  (http://www.openshotstudios.com). This file is part of
  OpenShot Video Editor (http://www.openshot.org), an open-source project
  dedicated to delivering high quality video editing and animation solutions
  to the world.
 
-.. OpenShot Video Editor is free software: you can redistribute it and/or 
- modify  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+.. OpenShot Video Editor is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
  (at your option) any later version.
 
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 .. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
  along with OpenShot Library.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-.. Edited September 26, 2020 - [USA]TechDude
-
 .. _glossary_ref:
 
 Glossary

doc/index.rst

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Table of Contents:
    profiles
    import_export
    preferences
+   performance
    developers
    contributing
    learn_more

doc/installation.rst

@@ -21,13 +21,20 @@
 Installation
 ============
 
-The latest **stable** version of OpenShot Video Editor for Linux,
+The latest official **stable** version of OpenShot Video Editor for Linux,
 Mac, Chrome OS, and Windows can be downloaded from the official download page at
 https://www.openshot.org/download/. You can find our latest **unstable** versions
 (i.e. daily builds) at https://www.openshot.org/download#daily (these versions are
 updated very frequently, and often contain many improvements not yet released in our stable
 build).
 
+Clean Install
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+If you are upgrading from a previous version of OpenShot or are experiencing a crash after
+launching OpenShot, please see :ref:`preferences_reset_ref` for instructions on clearing
+the previous ``openshot.settings`` file (for a clean install with **default preferences**).
+
 Windows (Installer)
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
@@ -115,3 +122,33 @@ OpenShot successfully.
 - Under "Linux (Beta)" select "Turn On". Default values are fine.
 - When the Terminal appears (i.e. black window), Copy/Paste the following command:
     - ``bash <(wget -O - http://openshot.org/files/chromeos/install-stable.sh)``
+
+Uninstall
+^^^^^^^^^
+
+To fully uninstall OpenShot from your system, you must **manually delete** the ``.openshot_qt`` folder:
+``~/.openshot_qt/`` or ``C:\Users\USERNAME\.openshot_qt\``, which contains all
+settings and files used by OpenShot. Be sure to **backup** any recovery files of your existing
+projects first (\*.osp files). Please see :ref:`preferences_reset_ref` for instructions on clearing
+the previous ``openshot.settings`` file (for a clean install with **default preferences**).
+
+Windows
+-------
+
+1. Open **Control Panel** from the Start menu
+2. Click on **Programs and Features**
+3. Select OpenShot Video Editor, then click **Uninstall**
+
+Mac
+---
+
+1. Open **Finder** and go to **Applications**
+2. Drag the OpenShot Video Editor icon to the **Trash** in the Dock
+3. Right-click **Trash** and choose **Empty Trash**
+
+Ubuntu (Linux)
+--------------
+
+1. Open up **Files**
+2. Locate the ``*.AppImage`` and delete the file
+3. OR click Activities, Right-click on OpenShot Video Editor icon, and choose **Remove AppImage from System**

doc/introduction.rst

@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ Minimum Specifications
 - 4GB of RAM (*16+ GB recommended*)
 - 1 GB of hard-disk space for installation & usage (*recommended: 50+ GB available hard-disk space for media, videos, images, and storage*)
 - Optional: Solid-state drive (SSD), if utilizing disk-caching add an additional 10GB of hard-disk space
+- For factors related to real-time previews, see :ref:`performance_ref`.
 
 License
 -------

doc/main_window.rst

@@ -157,3 +157,56 @@ Not Set                    Save Current Frame
 :kbd:`-`                   Zoom Out
 :kbd:`Ctrl+Middle Button`  Scroll Timeline
 =========================  ============
+
+Menu
+----
+The following menu options are available on the main window on OpenShot. Most of these options can be accessed
+by the keyboard shortcuts mentioned above. On some Operating Systems (such as macOS) a few of these options
+are renamed and/or rearranged.
+
+.. table::
+   :widths: 10 73
+
+   ==================  ============
+   Name                Description
+   ==================  ============
+   File                :guilabel:`New Project`, :guilabel:`Open Project`, :guilabel:`Recent Projects`,
+                       :guilabel:`Save Project`, :guilabel:`Import Files`, :guilabel:`Choose Profile`,
+                       :guilabel:`Import`, :guilabel:`Export`, :guilabel:`Quit`
+   Edit                :guilabel:`Undo`, :guilabel:`Redo`, :guilabel:`Clear`, :guilabel:`Preferences`
+   Title               :guilabel:`Title`, :guilabel:`Animated Title`
+   View                :guilabel:`Toolbar`, :guilabel:`Fullscreen`, :guilabel:`Views` `(Simple, Advanced, Freeze, Show All)`,
+                       :guilabel:`Docks`
+   Help                :guilabel:`Contents`, :guilabel:`Tutorial`, :guilabel:`Report a Bug`, :guilabel:`Ask a Question`,
+                       :guilabel:`Translate`, :guilabel:`Donate`, :guilabel:`About`
+   ==================  ============
+
+Views
+-----
+
+The OpenShot main window is composed of multiple **docks**. These **docks** are arranged and snapped together
+into a grouping that we call a **View**. OpenShot comes with two primary views: :guilabel:`Simple View` and
+:guilabel:`Advanced View`.
+
+Simple View
+^^^^^^^^^^^
+This is the **default** view, and is designed to be easy-to-use, especially for first-time users. It contains
+:guilabel:`Project Files` on the top left, :guilabel:`Preview Window` on the top right, and :guilabel:`Timeline` on
+the bottom. If you accidentally close or move a dock, you can quickly reset all the docks back to their default
+location using the :guilabel:`View->Views->Simple View` menu at the top of the screen.
+
+Advanced View
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+This is an advanced view, which adds more docks to the screen at once, improving access to many features that are
+not visible in Simple View. Once you have mastered the Simple View, we recommend giving this view a try as well.
+NOTE: You can also drag and drop the docks anywhere you would like, for a fully custom view.
+
+Docks
+^^^^^
+Each widget on the OpenShot main window is contained in a **dock**. These docks can be dragged and snapped around the
+main window, and even grouped together (into tabs). OpenShot will always save your main window dock layout when you
+exit the program. Re-launching OpenShot will restore your custom dock layout automatically.
+
+If you have accidentally closed or moved a dock and can no longer find it, there are a couple easy solutions.
+First, you can use the :guilabel:`View->Views->Simple View` menu option at the top of the screen, to restore the view back to its
+default. Or you can use the :guilabel:`View->Views->Docks->...` menu to show or hide specific dock widgets on the main window.

doc/performance.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+.. Copyright (c) 2008-2023 OpenShot Studios, LLC
+ (http://www.openshotstudios.com). This file is part of
+ OpenShot Video Editor (http://www.openshot.org), an open-source project
+ dedicated to delivering high quality video editing and animation solutions
+ to the world.
+
+.. OpenShot Video Editor is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ (at your option) any later version.
+
+.. OpenShot Video Editor is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+.. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ along with OpenShot Library.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+.. _performance_ref:
+
+Performance
+===========
+
+The preview window is the area that the video will playback on the screen. The preview window utilizes a real-time
+video render from OpenShot Video Editor, including audio playback. This is the primary area for watching
+back your edits, giving you the feedback needed to make adjustments.
+
+Real-Time Preview
+-----------------
+
+Many factors affect how smoothly the **real-time preview** is rendered on your computer. This requires a fast, modern
+multi-threaded CPU, lots of RAM (memory), and a decent GPU. We have listed many of the important factors below.
+See :ref:`min_system_req_ref`.
+
+   ==================  ============
+   Factor              Description
+   ==================  ============
+   CPU                 If your CPU is too slow or has too few cores, you will likely experience a slow, choppy preview.
+                       We recommend installing OpenShot on decent, modern computer. See :ref:`min_system_req_ref`.
+   Memory              If your available RAM memory is too limited, you will likely see huge drops in real-time
+                       performance, and your entire system will lag. We recommend installing additional RAM in your
+                       computer, if possible.
+   Cache               Your cache settings in the OpenShot Preferences are very important for determining how many
+                       frames to processes in advance. A value too low or too high can cause lag during the real-time
+                       video preview. The cache is also related to the available RAM. The higher the cache values, the more
+                       RAM and CPU is needed. We recommend experimenting with the Cache Preferences in OpenShot if you are
+                       experiencing issues with smooth playback. See :ref:`preferences_cache_ref`.
+   Preview Size        The height x width of your preview dock (widget) is very important for smooth real-time previews.
+                       The larger the window size, the more pixels must be rendered per frame, and the more CPU and RAM
+                       are required. It is recommended to keep reducing the preview window size until you achieve smooth
+                       video playback. On a slower computer, the preview window size might need to be very small for
+                       real-time previews (i.e. 320 x 240).
+   FPS (Frame Rate)    The FPS of your project is also very important, and a large factor for smooth video playback. For
+                       example, a 60 FPS video must render twice the number of frames, compared to a 30 FPS video. If
+                       you are experiencing slow downs in real-time performance, it can be helpful to reduce your project's
+                       FPS to a lower value, such as 30 or 24.
+   Matching Rates      It is very important to match your source assets FPS and Sample Rate with your Project FPS and Project
+                       sample rate. If either rate does not match exactly, it requires lots of additional CPU and RAM for
+                       OpenShot to normalize the mismatching rates. This can lead to audio pops, mis-alignments, duplicate frames, and extra
+                       lag in the real-time video preview. You can right-click a file and choose :guilabel:`File Properties`, to
+                       inspect the source asset rates, and ensure they match your Project settings (shown at the top of OpenShot).
+                       See :ref:`file_properties_ref`.
+   Source Assets       For example, if you are editing 4K 60 FPS source assets, this is likely going to put a strain on your system. A
+                       common solution is using another tool (such as FFmpeg) to create a copy (or proxy) of all your source assets,
+                       at a lower resolution (and maybe even a lower FPS). It is recommended to keep these proxy video files
+                       in their own folder, separate from the original video files. Once you have completed your video editing with
+                       the proxy files, simply copy/paste your `*.osp` project file back into the original folder, and export
+                       the higher quality, original files.
+   ==================  ============

doc/preferences.rst

@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ in your original project folder location (i.e. the folder that contains your bro
 recovery folder, and if you still have issues with the recovered ``*.osp`` file, you can repeat this
 process with older versions contained in the recovery folder.
 
+.. _preferences_cache_ref:
+
 Cache
 -----
 
@@ -187,3 +189,18 @@ starting folder (options described below).
    **Recent Folder**                 The last folder used for this same operation. Project folders, Import folders, and Export folders are tracked separately.
    **Project Folder**                The current project folder (or the user's home folder, if the project is not yet saved)
    ================================  ==================
+
+.. _preferences_reset_ref:
+
+Reset (Default Values)
+----------------------
+
+To reset **all** preferences to their default values, please delete the ``openshot.settings`` file and
+re-launch OpenShot. The settings file can be located at this path: ``~/.openshot_qt/openshot.settings`` or
+``C:\Users\USERNAME\.openshot_qt\openshot.settings``. When OpenShot is re-launched, it will create the
+``.openshot_qt`` folder (if missing) and create the `openshot.settings` file with default values (if missing).
+
+Optionally, you can delete the entire ``.openshot_qt`` folder and re-launch OpenShot. However, please make a
+**backup** of the recovery folder first, since it contains backup copies of all your existing projects (``*.osp`` files):
+``~/.openshot_qt/recovery/`` or ``C:\Users\USERNAME\.openshot_qt\recovery``. This is the quickest method to achieve
+a **clean install** of OpenShot.

doc/titles.rst

@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@
 .. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
  along with OpenShot Library.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-Titles
-======
+Text & Titles
+=============
 
-Adding text and titles is an important aspect of video editing, and OpenShot comes with an easy to use Title Editor. Use
+Adding text and titles is an important aspect of video editing, and OpenShot comes with an easy-to-use Title Editor. Use
 the Title menu (located in the main menu of OpenShot) to launch the Title Editor. You can also use the keyboard shortcut
-**Ctrl+T**.
+:kbd:`Ctrl+T`.
 
 Overview
 --------
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ Overview
    4   Save                Save and add the title to your project
    ==  ==================  ============
 
-Custom Titles
--------------
-OpenShot can use any vector SVG image file as a title template. Just add an SVG image file to your 
-*.openshot_qt/title_templates/* folder, and it will appear the next time you open the Title Editor interface. You can
+Custom Title Templates
+----------------------
+OpenShot can use any vector SVG image file as a custom title template. Just add an SVG image file to your
+``~/.openshot_qt/title_templates/`` folder, and it will appear the next time you open the Title Editor dialog. You can
 also right click on any SVG files in your **Project Files** panel, and choose **Edit Title** or **Duplicate Title**.
 
 3D Animated Titles
@@ -63,6 +63,20 @@ in the main menu of OpenShot) to launch the Animated Title editor. You can also
 4   Render              Render the 3D animation, and add it to your project
 ==  ==================  ============
 
+Importing Text
+--------------
+
+You can generate text & titles in many different programs, such as Blender, Inkscape, Krita, Gimp, etc... Before you
+can import text into OpenShot, you must first export the text from these programs into a compatible image format that
+contains a **transparent background** and **alpha** channel.
+
+The ``SVG`` format is a great choice for vector graphics (curves, shapes, text effects and paths), however
+it is **not** always 100% compatible with OpenShot. Thus, we recommend using ``PNG`` format, which is a great web-based
+image format that can include a transparent background and alpha channel. A transparent background and alpha channel
+are needed for OpenShot to allow the text to not cover up videos and images on the timeline below them.
+
+For information on importing animated sequences into OpenShot, please see :ref:`animation_image_seq_ref`.
+
 Installing Inkscape & Blender
 -----------------------------
 

doc/transitions.rst

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ with the **Brightness** curve, or held at a constant value to create a transpare
 
 Custom Transition
 -----------------
-Any greyscale image can be used as a transition (or mask), by adding it to your */.openshot_qt/transitions/* folder. Just
+Any greyscale image can be used as a transition (or mask), by adding it to your ``~/.openshot_qt/transitions/`` folder. Just
 be sure to name your file something that is easily recognizable, and restart OpenShot. Your custom transition/mask will now show
 up in the list of transitions.