HudMod: A Fast, Lightweight Open-Source Video Editor from an Arab Developer

A Gap in the Open-Source Video Editor Landscape

If you’re a Linux user, you know the struggle of finding a video editor that is both professional and fast. Some options are heavy and complex, others lack essential features, and many don’t fully utilize system capabilities.

HudMod was created to fill this gap.

What is HudMod?

HudMod is an open-source video editor released under the GNU GPLv3 license. Development began on June 17, 2025, by Arab developer Omar Balita (Omar TOP).

“Hello, I am Omar, a game and application developer on Godot, and a designer and artist on Blender” — Omar Balita

HudMod uses the Godot engine in the background, along with FFmpeg for media decoding and processing.

🔗 Official Repository: github.com/OmarBalita/HudMod-Public

Why HudMod?

The developer clearly states the vision:

“I started working on this project to fill a void in current video editors, especially among free or open-source options. Furthermore, it aims to run natively on Linux without complex technical hurdles.”

Main Goals:

✅ Focus on Linux and fast workflow
✅ Build the first stable version and present it to all users
✅ Build a community of supporters to ensure sustainability (providing a modest monthly salary for everyone working on it)

Current Features

HudMod offers a range of competitive features:

Feature	Description
Real-time playback	Instant preview in real time
Components-based effects	Flexible component-based effect system
Animation for all properties	Any property can be animated
Custom interface	Multi-monitor support

Development Status (May 2026)

HudMod is currently in Alpha stage. You can try it from the Releases section on GitHub.

The first Alpha version was launched alongside this article’s publication. Version 1.0.0 is expected to be completed by early 2027.

Planned Features (Next Seven Months):

Core Structure & Effects

Build integrated core structure for Transitions
Design various transition effects
Add Render-Pass Object (crucial for complex effects)
Support Polygon drawing (essential for Masking)

Performance Improvements

Hardware Acceleration support for video decoding
Hardware Acceleration support for video encoding/exporting
Pooling system for reusing previously opened videos
Improve Video Caching system to avoid errors
Batch audio decoding (instead of all at once)

UI & Workflow

Drag and Drop for files from outside the app
Zoom in-out and navigation for the Viewport
Select and modify basic properties (position, rotation, scale) directly through the Viewport interface
Adjust video and audio speed with Curve support
Separate audio from video
Capture a frame from video as a standalone image

Color Grading & Output

Build Color Grading interface with LGG controls
Add Rendering Presets and Project Settings Presets
Support up to 12-bit color depth for media at Shaders/Effects level

Setup Guide

Requirements

Godot 4.6+ (Mono Version)

Installation Steps

# 1. Download HudMod files from the repository
git clone https://github.com/OmarBalita/HudMod-Public.git
cd HudMod-Public

# 2. Download the appropriate VideoCodec release for your system from:
# https://github.com/OmarBalita/HudMod-Public/releases

# 3. Place the VideoCodec binary along with its associated FFmpeg libraries (.dlls or .sos) into:
# addons/ffmpeg_codec/

# 4. Open HudMod using Godot 4.6+ (Mono Version)

Why This Matters for FOSS and Arab Development

HudMod represents more than just a video editor:

🇲🇦 An Arab developer leading an ambitious project competing globally
🎯 Focuses on Linux — a platform neglected by many video application developers
📖 Fully open source under GPLv3 — anyone can contribute or fork
🧠 Uses Godot — the open-source game engine, opening doors for Godot developers to contribute

The project is still in its early stages, but the vision is clear and the roadmap is defined. This is exactly the time to contribute and support.

Quick Comparison with Open-Source Alternatives

Feature	HudMod	Shotcut	Olive	Kdenlive
Godot Engine	✅	❌	❌	❌
Hardware Acceleration (planned)	✅	Partial	❌	✅
Fully Custom UI	✅	❌	✅	❌
Components Effect System	✅	❌	❌	❌
Animation for all properties	✅	❌	❌	Partial
Linux Focus	✅	✅	✅	✅

Summary

HudMod isn’t just another video editor — it’s an ambitious Arab-led project rethinking how open-source video editors should be built.

By using Godot as a foundation, HudMod offers tremendous flexibility and a modern workflow. It’s still in Alpha, but the roadmap is clear, and developer Omar Balita is looking for a supportive community to achieve the dream: a professional, fast, lightweight video editor that runs natively on Linux and is owned by the community.

If you’re interested in video editing, Godot development, or supporting Arab open-source projects, this project deserves your attention.

HudMod: A Fast, Lightweight Open-Source Video Editor from an Arab Developer

This article will be published soon

A Gap in the Open-Source Video Editor Landscape

What is HudMod?