Time Speed Node

Time Speed applies a uniform speed multiplier to the whole sequence. Negative Speed = reverse playback. No curve, no speed ramp, just a constant ratio.

For interpolation quality, the Sample Mode lets you choose between Optical Flow (slow but high quality), Frame Blend (crossfade) or Nearest (jumps).

• Effects Library: Tools > Misc > Time Speed
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Misc > Time Speed

Time Speed

A global multiplier. Speed = 0.5, 2, etc. No curve. Ideal for a simple, constant retime.

Time Stretcher

An animatable Source Time. Allows complex curves, speed ramps, freeze frames and temporary reverses.

Rule: simple constant retime → Time Speed. Retime with a curve / custom animation → Time Stretcher.

• Input (orange) - the video sequence to retime.

50% slow motion:
MediaIn → Time Speed (Speed = 0.5, Sample = Optical Flow)
       → MediaOut

2× fast forward:
MediaIn → Time Speed (Speed = 2.0)
       → MediaOut

Reverse:
MediaIn → Time Speed (Speed = -1.0)
       → MediaOut

With a precomputed Optical Flow:
MediaIn → Optical Flow (cached)
       → Time Speed (Speed = 0.5, Sample = Optical Flow)
       → MediaOut

Speed (default: 1.0)

Speed multiplier. 1 = normal, 0.5 = 2× slower, 2 = 2× faster, negative = reverse.

Sample (Method) (default: Nearest)

Interpolation method between frames. Nearest: the closest frame (stuttering in slow motion). Frame Blend: crossfade between 2 adjacent frames (ghosting). Optical Flow: the best quality through motion vectors (slow).

Delay (default: 0)

An additional time offset. Lets you shift the timing on top of the retime.

• Simple slow motion - a constant 50% / 25% slowdown with no animation needed.
• Fast forward - a constant speed-up (timelapse, quick transition, sequence preview).
• Simple reverse - Speed = -1 = reverse playback at normal speed. For a more complex reverse (ramping), use Time Stretcher.
• Constant frame rate conform - a fixed ratio between the source and output frame rates (e.g. 24 → 30 fps with a matching Speed).
• Quick test of a retime effect - before setting up a complex Time Stretcher, test with Time Speed to validate the idea.

• Optical Flow for quality - for slow motion < 1, Optical Flow gives the best result. Otherwise you get visible stuttering.
• Frame Blend = a quick compromise - cheaper than Optical Flow but with visible ghosting on fast motion.
• Cache the Optical Flow upstream - otherwise it is recomputed on every Speed tweak.
• Speed -1 = a clean reverse - with Optical Flow, the interpolated reverse is smooth.
• Retime limits - below Speed 0.25 (4× slower), Optical Flow visibly generates artifacts. For extreme slow motion, shoot at a high frame rate in the first place.
• Do not chain it with Time Stretcher - the results are unpredictable. Pick just one.
• For a retime with a complex curve (speed ramp), use Time Stretcher with an animated Source Time.