Timeline segment_source_short_looped vs padded: loop or freeze a clip

If a source clip is shorter than the slot it fills, Sume Timeline either loops the clip (segment_source_short_looped) or freezes its last frame (segment_source_short_padded). The choice comes from render.pad_mode, which is auto, loop or freeze. Neither is an error and neither refunds anything. Read from the Timeline docs and compiler on 2026-10-06.

How does each mode decide?

Each warning reports pad_seconds and pad_mode in its context, and a loop adds loop_count.

Which should a Short use?

A looped motion clip reads as a deliberate loop, while a frozen last frame reads as a stall. Use loop for ambient footage such as steam or traffic, and freeze for a product shot that must end on its final pose. Check warnings[] in the result, since the plan call cannot predict these.

{
  "audio": {"mode": "silence", "duration_seconds": 15},
  "video": [{"source_url": "https://media.sume.com/artifacts/artf_demo/steam-4s.mp4",
             "start": 0, "duration": 15}],
  "render": {"pad_mode": "loop"}
}