TC Calculator

TC Calculator does quick show math on SMPTE timecode: it adds and subtracts two timecodes, gives the duration between them, and converts between timecode and frame counts. It is useful for looking up where a cue falls or how long a segment runs, and it never affects playback.

Accessing TC Calculator

It is the TOOLS tab in the right-hand panel, and that tab holds only the calculator. The tab is hidden by default — show it with View → Panels → TOOLS, a role preset that includes it (View menu & role presets), or Show "Tools" tab in Settings → Workflow → Appearance.

Frame rate

Pick the frame rate first with the FPS buttons: 24, 25 (the default), 29.97 (drop-frame) or 30. The maths depends on it, especially for 29.97 drop-frame, which skips frame numbers. Choose the wrong rate and every result will be wrong.

TC A and TC B

Enter two timecodes in TC A and TC B, as HH:MM:SS:FF or as eight digits such as 01000000. A shows 01:00:00:00 and B 00:00:00:00 until you change them. Beside each box the frame count is shown (for example = 90000 fr), so each box also acts as a timecode-to-frames converter. A timecode that cannot exist at the chosen rate — such as the dropped frame numbers of 29.97 drop-frame — shows — in the results.

Three results update as you type:

• A + B — the two timecodes added together
• A − B — A minus B, signed: if B is later than A the answer is negative rather than blank
• Duration — the length of time between A and B regardless of which is earlier, as HH:MM:SS:FF followed by the length in seconds, for example 00:01:30:00 (90.000s). It does not wrap around midnight; it is simply the difference of the two.

Frames to timecode

Below the results, type a number of frames in the Frames box to see the equivalent timecode at the chosen frame rate. Use it when a manufacturer specification gives an offset in frames that you need as a timecode address.