[FEATURE] Feature Request: Python API for Batch Asset/Subtitle Management & Pipeline Automation

Problem

Currently, users must manually perform repetitive editing tasks through the GUI. This creates bottlenecks for:

Batch subtitle import/export (SRT/VTT)
Media asset management at scale
Automated timeline assembly workflows
Integration with external tools (ML captioning, QC systems)

Manual workflows make it impossible to build reusable editing pipelines or integrate OpenCut into production environments.

Solution

Implement Python API with this core functionality:

import opencut

# 1. Batch processing
project = opencut.load_project("demo")
project.import_subtitles(["intro.srt", "scene_*.vtt"], format="vtt")
project.export_assets(output_dir="/exports", pattern="*.mp4")

# 2. Timeline automation
timeline = project.create_timeline()
timeline.auto_sequence(clips=project.assets, transition="crossfade")
timeline.apply_template("news_package")
timeline.render("final.mp4", preset="4k")

# 3. Extensibility hooks
@opencut.hook("pre_render")
def color_correction(timeline):
    timeline.apply_lut("film_emulation.cube")

External integration

from autocaptions import generate_subs
project.import_subtitles(generate_subs("presentation.mp4"))

Alternative

Anything else?

Use Cases:

• Newsrooms: Auto-daily highlight reels
• Education: Bulk lecture processing
• Localization: Multi-language subtitles

Roadmap:

1. v0.5: Read-only API
2. v1.0: Asset/subtitle write ops
3. v1.5: Full timeline control

Tech Notes:

• Bindings: Pybind11/Cython
• Backend: Existing FFmpeg integration
• Security: Plugin sandboxing

Start by reviewing the existing project architecture and its FFmpeg integration, then compare them with the proposed Python API, bindings, and plugin-sandboxing notes. The issue does not identify files, tests, or a settled scope; done would require agreeing on a roadmap phase and implementing its defined API surface.