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Glama

Ripple Delete

ripple_delete
Destructive

Remove a clip and close the gap so later clips shift earlier while sync-locked tracks stay in sync. Preview the shift plan with dry_run, then verify the applied edit.

Instructions

Refuses attached transitions or unreadable transition collections before structural edits; inspect transitionsAffected and use remove_transition first. Remove a clip and close the gap it leaves, shifting later clips earlier on the clip's own track and on every sync-locked track so audio stays in sync. With the default scope the clip's linked audio/video partners are removed with it and their tracks close up too, even when not sync-locked; with scope 'own_track' the partners stay in place (reported as linkedPartnersKept). Premiere's QE rippleDelete() and the DOM's rippleEdit flag are both non-functional on 26.x, so this is done explicitly and verified. Refuses without changing anything if a clip on a participating track straddles the ripple point or sits inside the range being closed.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "node_id": "<node_id>"
    },
    "name": "ripple_delete"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
scopeNoWhich tracks shift: 'sync_locked' (default) shifts the clip's track plus every sync-locked track, matching Premiere's ripple behaviour; 'own_track' shifts only the clip's own track and WILL desync other tracks.
dry_runNoValidate and report the shift plan without changing the timeline (default: false)
node_idYesNode ID of the clip to ripple delete
range_contentNoWhat to do about other clips on participating tracks that sit entirely inside the time range being closed (the usual case in a multicam-style sequence with aligned clips). With scope 'sync_locked' the clip's own linked audio/video partners are always removed with it, as in Premiere; with 'own_track' they are kept. 'refuse' (default) changes nothing and reports them; 'delete' also removes them, i.e. lifts that whole time segment out of every participating track and closes up. 'delete' is destructive across tracks -- the removed clips are listed in the result.
idempotency_keyNoOptional client-chosen key (1-128 chars of A-Z a-z 0-9 . _ : -) for this intended edit. Pass a fresh key per edit and reuse it only when retrying that same edit, for example after a client-side timeout. A repeat with the same tool, key and arguments is not run again: while the first call is running it fails with IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS (poll get_last_operations); after it finished it returns the original outcome marked replayed. A definite failure with nothing applied (receipt outcome not_applied) may be retried with the same key. Reusing a key with different arguments fails with IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REUSED. Scoped to this MCP session (the stdio server process, or the HTTP server process when Streamable HTTP is stateless per request) and held in memory only (200 keys, 1 hour); it does not survive a restart or reconnect. Read-only invocations are never deduplicated.
allow_large_rippleNoAllow a ripple above large_ripple_threshold after its preflight estimate.
expected_cep_targetNoOptional reviewed CEP sequence/clip identity and exact tick ranges. Checked before every generated command; UXP refuses this CEP-only guard.
expected_project_pathNoOptional absolute saved-project path. Every generated CEP command refuses before its body when the active project differs or is unsaved. UXP commands refuse this CEP-only guard; local-only tools do not inspect Premiere. Omit to keep existing behavior.
large_ripple_thresholdNoMover count above which ripple_delete refuses unless allow_large_ripple is true (default: 400).

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
okYesWhether the tool completed successfully.
dataNoTool-specific result data when ok is true; on failure, diagnostic detail when the tool provides it.
toolYesThe registered MCP tool name.
errorNoFailure detail when ok is false.
receiptNoVersioned common mutation receipt; success never implies rendered verification.
idempotencyNoPresent when idempotency_key deduplicated this call: replayed is true when the original outcome was returned instead of running again.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observedv1.30.0

TDQS

A4.5/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Far beyond the annotations (destructiveHint=true, idempotentHint=false): it discloses linked audio/video partner handling, the linkedPartnersKept reporting, the large-ripple refusal gate, that the edit is performed explicitly and verified rather than via Premiere's non-functional QE rippleDelete()/rippleEdit flag, and the exact conditions under which nothing is changed. These are precisely the failure modes an agent needs before a destructive edit.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Dense but every sentence carries behavioral weight – no filler, no restatement of the title. The one structural weakness is ordering: the block opens with a precondition ('Refuses attached transitions...') before stating what the tool does, when the core verb should be front-loaded.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 9-parameter, nested-object, destructive timeline edit with an output schema, the description covers preconditions, scope semantics, partner behavior, refusal cases and verification. An agent has enough to invoke it correctly without opening the schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description still adds cross-parameter meaning the schema does not: how scope and range_content interact (sync_locked removing linked partners even when not sync-locked), and the downstream consequence of range_content='delete' lifting a whole segment across participating tracks.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb and resource with its defining behavior: 'Remove a clip and close the gap it leaves, shifting later clips earlier on the clip's own track and on every sync-locked track.' It also names one sibling to use instead (remove_transition). However, the purpose sentence is deferred behind a precondition sentence, and it does not differentiate itself from ripple_remove_timeline_ranges, which is the nearest ambiguous alternative.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicit when-not guidance is given: attached or unreadable transitions must be handled with remove_transition first, and the tool refuses rather than proceeding. The scope choice is spelled out ('own_track' keeps partners as linkedPartnersKept, default removes them), and the straddling/in-range refusal condition is stated with the outcome of refusing without changes.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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