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Exporting motion tab settings via XML? EDL does not contain this info
I’m working on a feature film, shot in Super 16mm (1:166 aspect ratio), and being delivered in 1:185 aspect ratio. There’s alot of repositioning work to be done, sliding clips up and down to adjust the shot composition/framing within my 1:185 matte.
I’ve done my adjusting via the basic motion tab, on each clip that needed it.
Unfortunately, the EDL I will submit to the lab doesn’t contain the information from the motion tab (basic motion). The lab has asked me to submit a spreadsheet with the clip reposition information, referencing each clip’s timecode.
I’m trying to figure out a good way to get the basic motion info into a spreadsheet without having to manually enter the timecode and reposition info from each clip (there are several hundred clips).
If anyone has been through this, and has a suggestion (workaround, or other), please let me know. I’m wondering if anything can be done by exporting XML that would contain the motion tab info. I did check the manual and did not see anything that directly addresses this particular situation.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
-george
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8 Replies
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Yes, XML will contain the information. They will be under a tag” name Basic Motion /name”.
EDL is just the bare essentials.
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Thanks Steve. The only problem with that, is that XML contains a whole lot of other information as well, and I can’t ask the lab to weed through all that text for every clip. They need a clean spreadsheet, with clip or sequence timecode, and repos information. Do you know of a way to extract a specific type of info/ tag from the XML and place it into a spreadsheet so it can be more easily read?
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Without writing a program, I’m not sure of an easy way. There’s good search and select features in the XML editor EditiX from https://www.editix.com/ There’s a free version.
If you didn’t mind locating every clip with motion effect, and placing the info in a marker, then there’s an easy tool for extracting marker information to text: either XML2Text https://www.spherico.com/filmtools/XML2Text/index.html
or readXML
https://www.spherico.com/filmtools/readXML/index.html
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Thank you, Steve. ReadXML did the trick. I applied my motion to the 400+ clips that needed it, and placed a sequence marker over each one, with the motion info in the comments box. Then I exported an XML, which I ran through ReadXML. From there I exported the needed info, and now have it in a nice, pretty spreadsheet, ready to go to the lab. Of course it would be nice if apple would eventually allow me to export all the basic motion info (or any other filter/fx info on each clip) as part of a sortof enhanced EDL. This would be great for anyone dealing with film, labs, DI, or anything along these lines.
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Editing is about 90 percent perseverance, so congratulations on your work around.
It would be nice if Apple made an all around XML to text tool, perhaps where you could check mark the info you want to export.
Perhaps they’ll get some editors on their team, and add some information exchange features useful to professionals. With the decline in the use of film, perhaps Cinema Tools can become an all around info exchange tool.
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When will Apple get themselves together and make this a function in FCP? I wonder. In the meantime, perseverance will have to prevail…
I’m curious about one thing:
“I applied my motion to the 400+ clips that needed it, and placed a sequence marker over each one, with the motion info in the comments box.’
Is there a convenient way to do this step or does it require manual entry, also? If the latter, how is this any easier than just putting the info manually but directly into a spreadsheet?
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…And any help with the “search and select features” in EditiX would be greatly appreciated!
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Just found out that Smoke, which the post house is using to online, can read FCP XML files. Supposedly. Only time will tell whether that is actually true…
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