Relation between timeline and playlist?

Hi, new user here.

I wonder what the relation between the timeline and the playlist is? I thought that the playlist was a repository of the clips on the timeline, but I managed to create a project where I had several clips that I could only find on the timeline, not in the playlist. If I wanted to add a new section of the clip to the timeline, I had to find it in an explorer window and drag and drop it on the player again. From there I could selection the portion I wanted and add it to the timeline.

Is that how it’s supposed to work? What is the function of the playlist?

Hi, let’s see if my answer in this thread can help you:

Playlist is like a ‘Media bin’. A selection of clips you might want to use in your project.
The only time I’ve got a clip on the timeline that isn’t in the playlist [bin] is when I’ve started a project with a single clip that I’ve imported or dragged into the preview window then added it to the timeline without first adding it to the playlist via the + button.

Absolutely no relationship. It is simply a container or an alternate project format. You can make a Playlist only project (no Timeline), or you can not use Playlist at all (Timeline only). Anything that appears to be in both places are actually copies of each other such that changing one does not affect the other.

All you need to do is Copy the clip. Then, it goes in Source player where you can trim out a new shot and add it to the Timeline using any of the same ways you always add things to the Timeline: Paste, drag-n-drop, Overwrite, Add, etc.