Can't mark-in, 1.00, mark out on primary storyline. Help!

Question

I am sure I am doing something wrong....  On the primary storyline, I have an 8 second clip. I want to place another clip 3:00 after the start of my primary, let it run for 2:00, then come back to the original clip.
I would normally go to my inpoint, hit "I" to mark in, hit "+3:00/enter", then hit "O" to mark out. Then select my clip, and overwrite it. Boom. Done.
Unfortunately, I can't get X to work this way. If I go to that same 8 second primary-storyline clip, go to my inpoint, hit "I" - it then selects everything from my inpoint to the end of the primary clip. Then if I hit "+3:00/enter", it selects 3 seconds of the clip AFTER the endpoint of my primary storyline clip. This is not what I want to do. Is there no way to do a simple three-point edit in this program?

Answer 1

Hi Tom. I know that +3.00 means from the playhead position, but the program still doesn't work the way you stated - unless I've got something in my settings messed up
Tom Wolsky wrote:
You have to enter an Out point. If the playhead is at the point you want to mark the In enter +200 (or plus two period) to move the playhead forward two seconds. Press O. Press D.
Marking in on the timeline sets your mark-in point. I agree with you. Here's an example. I have a slug that I want to drop something in. Move the playhead to where I want to start my edit:
Now I select "mark-in" (or "I"). This happens:
The program selects from the inpoint to the end of the clip - automatically. Without me selecting an outpoint. It decided on its own that I wanted to set the outpoint as the end of that clip. I didn't.
then type "+3.", this is what happens:
The timecode window changes to this:
hit enter, and this happens:
It moves the range outpoint three seconds beyond the end of the clip it automatically selected in the previous step.
The only way I have found to do what I want to do requires extra keystrokes. As an editor, this is wasted time.
Move your playhead. Select your in-point. We still get this happening - which is not what I want:
Now I go and click on the timecode window, which now changes to this:
NOW if I type in "+3./enter" it does exactly what I want: Moves the playhead ahead 3 seconds, and I can hit "O" and set an outpoint.
How can I get the program to default to this behavior without having to waste time clicking in the timecode window? Is it possible?