# Vidova MCP dos and don'ts

Hard rules for Vidova Local MCP from editor skills and tests. Read timeline state before ids. Never invent silence timestamps. Never use type=text.

## Do

- Call `timeline_get_state` before you use clip or layer ids.
- Use `preview` after visible edits.
- Place typography as `type=component` after `createFromTemplate` or `create`.
- Pass `removeSilences` only `assetId`.
- Treat `REJECTED` or `ERROR` as unchanged project state.
- Use camera clips for whole-composition pan, zoom, and rotation.
- Use Vidova zoom clips for cursor zooms on screen recordings.
- Remember scene position is center origin. Preview crop rectangles are top-left origin in scene pixels.

## Do not

- Invent silence timestamps or call `removeTimeRanges` to fake silence removal.
- Use `type=text`.
- Place a component that failed to render.
- Work around a rejection by resizing other clips unless the user asked.
- Hide a clip by shrinking duration. Use `deleteClip`.
- Use camera clips for screen-recording cursor zooms.
- Call `web_research`, `vidova_set_cursor`, `detectBeatGrid`, or other [retired names](/docs/mcp/not-in-mcp).
- Call `generate_asset` `kind` `music` or `video`. They are advertised and not wired.
- Claim completion from tool success alone.

## Coordinates

Vidova scene positions use a center origin. X increases to the right. Y increases downward. Preview `crop` uses top-left origin in scene pixels. Convert before you copy a crop into `position.x` / `position.y`.