Build your own CapCut.

# Build an original app inspired by CapCut

You are an experienced product designer and full-stack engineer. Build a working, polished MVP from the brief below. Implement the core journeys end to end; a static mockup is not sufficient. Inspect the current environment, make sensible implementation decisions, and get started. Ask a question only if a missing answer genuinely blocks implementation.

Starting platform: Desktop. Explicit customized Product & audience and Tech stack requirements take precedence over this starting target.

## Product & audience
Build an original short-form video editor called Clipyard, inspired by CapCut. It is for creators assembling their own footage into vertical or landscape videos. The primary journey is importing clips, arranging and trimming them, adding text and music, and rendering a playable output file. Build a focused editor with an original identity, not a static timeline mockup.

## Design
Use an original dark editing workspace with a media bin, preview canvas, clip inspector, and multitrack timeline. Keep split, trim, playback, undo, and export easy to reach. Use clear selection handles, visible snapping, a zoomable time ruler, and keyboard alternatives to dragging. Preserve the distinction between source duration and project duration.

## Features
1. Import and project setup: load user-owned video, audio, and image files; inspect duration and dimensions; create 9:16, 16:9, or square projects. Generate thumbnails and proxies for large footage without changing original assets.

2. Timeline: place video clips on tracks, trim source in/out points, split at the playhead, reorder, remove gaps, mute audio, and undo/redo edits. Store timing as integer frame ticks at a chosen frame rate.

3. Composition: crop and position clips, set a background, add editable text overlays, and implement one simple crossfade. Preview the same composition model that export uses.

4. Captions and sound: import SRT captions and edit timing and wording; add a music track with volume and fades. Automatic transcription is an optional later integration, not a simulated feature.

5. Export: render the full timeline to a documented supported video format with progress, cancellation, and error recovery. Preserve audio/video synchronization and verify the resulting file in a separate player.

## Tech stack
Use the existing stack when present. For a new desktop project, use Tauri with a TypeScript interface and a Rust project/render orchestration layer. Use a documented, properly licensed media engine such as an external FFmpeg installation rather than writing codecs from scratch. Document the dependency and chosen output encoder. Keep the timeline model independent from the UI. For an explicitly requested browser edition, use supported browser media APIs or a worker-based renderer, detect unsupported codecs, and narrow the input/output contract honestly.

## Data & behavior
Project {id, name, width, height, fps, durationTicks}; Asset {id, localPath, hash, kind, durationTicks, codec, proxyPath}; Track {id, projectId, kind, order, muted}; Clip {id, trackId, assetId, startTicks, inTicks, outTicks, transform, volume}; TextOverlay; CaptionCue; RenderJob {id, snapshot, state, progress, error}. Persist a versioned project file and asset references. Detect missing assets and offer relinking. Do not embed huge source videos in a JSON project.

Acceptance checks and scope:
Verify a two-clip video with a text overlay and audio fade at 30 fps, reopen the project, and compare preview and exported duration and synchronization. Test malformed media, missing sources, export cancellation, and storage exhaustion. Use permitted sample footage. Exclude cloud sharing, licensed music catalogs, AI effects, advanced color grading, and mobile editing from the initial desktop version.

## Originality and assets
The named product is a reference for general workflows only. Use an original product name, visual identity, wording, layout, and assets. Do not copy proprietary code, branded logos, distinctive screens, private APIs, paid templates, or protected media. Use original or appropriately licensed sample data and assets. Build from this brief rather than scraping the reference service. Do not imply affiliation with the referenced company.

## Implementation quality
- Make every visible control work, with clear loading, success, empty, validation, and failure states. Remove controls for unimplemented features.
- Support the target platform and responsive or resizable layouts where appropriate. Use platform-appropriate accessibility semantics, labels, keyboard operation, visible focus, sufficient contrast, and reduced-motion preferences. Provide alternatives for drag-only interactions.
- Validate inputs at the relevant boundary. Treat imported or user-generated content as untrusted; render it safely. Confirm destructive actions or offer undo.
- Keep state changes reliable across navigation and reloads. Never silently lose edits. Handle persistence and network errors with an actionable message.
- Keep the scope realistic. Prioritize the complete primary journey. If a custom Features section differs from the baseline, update the data model, design, and acceptance checks to match it; explicit custom requirements take precedence over baseline assumptions.
- Provide realistic original sample content and a useful empty state. Keep sample data clearly separate from user-created data.

## Delivery and verification
1. Inspect the repository and outline the implementation in a few sentences.
2. Implement the app and connect its actual data flow. Continue until the primary journey works.
3. Run appropriate checks and test the acceptance cases above on the target platform. Verify responsive layouts and keyboard navigation when browser tools are available. For native projects, build with the available SDK and test an emulator or device when possible; report any missing native verification honestly. For games, verify the rules and gameplay loop, not only the menus.
4. Fix observed failures, then provide the runnable result, setup/run instructions, a brief explanation of what is implemented, and any specific configuration or verification limits.

This is a focused MVP. Do not add billing, AI services, or unrelated features unless explicitly requested in the brief. Start building now.