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The FCP X timeline requires a different mindset
I’m believing the hate towards FCP X stems from two sources:
1. A totally new workflow
2. A lot of missing featuresA lot of the posts I’m reading, especially the ones regarding the new timeline, are complaining about the missing functionality to do X or Y. But most of these X and Y are actually possible if one had taken the time to read the fu**ing manual. All the people who are complaining about the usability are just to lazy or to ignorant to try to adapt to apples new way of doing things (that’s no excuse for the terrible lack of features though. I agree with everyone who’s complaining about that area). Let me say something: The new timeline is absolutely freaking awesome! But to be able to realize this, you need to wrap your mind around something: A new concept of defining time. Time is now relative.
Traditionally, our point of reference is the timecode. We set the frame indicator to a specific frame at a specific time, set In- and Out-Points and do our edits. Well, now I need to stop thinking this way. My plane of reference is not time anymore. Instead it’s whatever I put in the primary storyline. If I want to create a music video, I’d put the audio file inside the primary storyline. Because I want this to be my reference. With the audio file in the main storyline, I am now ready to connect clips with it. But what if I want to do traditional editing with one of the connected clips. Thats easy! I press CMD+G and create myself a handy connected storyline. Here I can do all the traditional editing I want and use all the tools I need (Overwrite, Ripple, 3-point-editing, roll, …). But what if that’s not enough? What if I want to superimpose another clip on that clip at a specific spot of the clip. It’s not possible to connect a clip to an already connected clip. Well. That’s simple to! I select the connected storyline (or the clip that I want to be serving as reference) and hit Option+G. And now I have a compound clip with the selected connected storyline as my primary storyline. AWESOME!
And I think I’m still scratching the surface here.
Now Apple. Please let me import motion files and I’m happy for now.
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3 Replies
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nice!…saved for future reference.
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Sorry….I don’t want to think and work differently than I have the last 20 years. I want to customize for me. There’s no way to convince me Apple consulted any professional FCP editors on this product.
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I’m ok with the new workflow…in fact I welcome a lot of the advantages it brings. It’s the missing features I’m really concerned about. Features like multi-clip editing, being able to load old projects, and being able to export an XML so I can send my audio tracks to Logic. I’m hoping that these things will be addressed in the near future, but right now that hope is very tentative.
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