FFmpeg xfade has 59 transitions: which does Sume Timeline take?
FFmpeg's xfade page lists 59 transition values, including custom. Sume Timeline 1.0 accepts six: fade, wipeleft, wiperight, slideup, slidedown and dissolve.

FFmpeg's xfade filter page lists 59 values for transition, custom included. Sume's Timeline 1.0 accepts six on a video[] slot: fade, wipeleft, wiperight, slideup, slidedown and dissolve. All six are names FFmpeg also lists, so a six-type look ports; the other 53 do not exist on Sume, and a circleopen or zoomin has no Timeline field.
FFmpeg facts are from the Filters Documentation, read 2026-10-02. Sume facts are from the Timeline 1.0 docs.
What does FFmpeg require for xfade?
The page says both inputs must be constant frame-rate and have the same resolution, pixel format, frame rate and timebase. duration ranges from 0 to 60 seconds (default 1) and offset sets the start relative to the first input (default 0). A custom transition takes an expr expression. In a raw FFmpeg command you compute each offset yourself.
How does Sume's Timeline handle the same job?
You declare each slot's on-spine start and duration and an optional transition on slots after the first. The docs say declared starts are authoritative and the compiler compensates for the crossfade; you never pre-shift. Transition duration must be at most 1 second, at most 50% of the shorter neighbouring slot, and at least one output frame. More than 8 adjacent fades is refused as too_many_chained_transitions; insert a hard cut. A transition on video[0] is transition_on_first_segment.
Resolution and rate are set once: output.width / output.height (even integers 256 to 2160) and output.fps (24, 25, 30 or 60), with fit per slot (cover, contain, stretch, blur). Mixed-size sources do not need matching first.
{
"audio": { "mode": "silence", "duration_seconds": 12 },
"video": [
{ "source_url": "https://media.sume.com/artifacts/artf_demo/a.mp4", "start": 0, "duration": 6 },
{ "source_url": "https://media.sume.com/artifacts/artf_demo/b.mp4", "start": 6, "duration": 6,
"transition": { "type": "wipeleft", "duration": 0.5 } }
]
}Which names overlap?
Send the body to POST /v1/timeline-1.0/render with an Idempotency-Key; POST /v1/timeline-1.0/plan is the unbilled preflight.
| Value | On the FFmpeg xfade page | On Sume Timeline |
|---|---|---|
fade | Yes (default) | Yes |
wipeleft, wiperight | Yes | Yes |
slideup, slidedown | Yes | Yes |
dissolve | Yes | Yes |
wipeup, slideleft, circleopen, zoomin | Yes | No |
custom with expr | Yes | No |
Sources
Related posts
More in Comparisons
- Flow Agent makes several video variations at once: the API way
Google Flow's Agent toggle can create multiple variations of a video in one ask. Sume has no agent toggle in its API; it has queued jobs and Format bulk runs.
- Flow image edits keep the original in History: the Sume edit API
Flow keeps every earlier version in a History panel when you edit an image, with Nano Banana Pro by default. Sume returns a new image URL per edit call.
- Flow custom voices only work with ingredients: what Sume video does
Flow lets you build a custom voice but only for video runs that use ingredients. The Gemini API can't edit voices, and Sume video takes no voice reference.
- Flow Tools vs Sume Formats: a saved creative tool you can call by API
Google Flow Tools lets users build custom creative tools from plain language and share them. A Sume Format is a saved recipe you call over HTTP.
Written by Sume