-
How can I reassociate master clips while retaining logging data?
This is about the very familiar problem of master clip associations breaking in FCP7.
I regularly need to copy sequences from one project to another and also transfer them by XML. In both cases, as is well known, FCP7 breaks the association between the clips in the sequence and their master clips in the browser, even when the master clips are also copied/transferred.
On the timeline, pressing Shift+F produces the dialog “The clip’s master clip is not present in the browser. Would you like to recreate it?” If I use Tools > Create Master Clips… I can recreate them easily. But here’s the problem:
The original master clips contain a lot of important Logging data (the comments, descriptions, notes that appear under Logging in Item Properties). I can transfer this data between projects by copying the master clips, or by exporting/importing them as batchlists.
However I cannot find a way to retain the Logging data and also retain the master clip associations, or any way to recreate those associations after transferring the sequence and clips.
I have two questions…
(1) What determines this association between timeline clips and the master clips in the browser? Is there a field or flag somewhere in the Item Properties on the timeline clip that determines this?
(2) Is it possible to fix this with a scripting solution? e.g. Python, AppleScript. I guess this depends on the answer to (1) since I’m not clear what the script would actually be altering/repairing.
Like many FCP7 users, I find this whole master clips issue a frustrating shortcoming of FCP7 so if there is a scripting solution out there already I would be very keen to know more.
Nick
-
4 Replies
-
First and foremost, what codec are you working with?
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Creative Pro Users Group -
Currently XDCAM EX (1080p24 35mbps VBR).
The same issue also affects projects I edit in ProRes 422 and ProRes Proxy. How might the choice of codec affect this?
Nick
Nick Scale | Film Editor | Colourist | Compositor
-
Hi, Nick.
i know the master affiliate thing is fragile, but it is possible to keep it alive.
when copying your bins and sequence from one project to another, it is safest to copy them SEPARATELY.
don not copy the bin and sequence at the same time.
this can break the link.so, assuming you have a working link in one project, you need to copy first the bin of clips,
then the sequence. (or the sequence then the bin)
OR just copy the bin or the sequncean XML transfer would pretty much just break the link. or more accurately it would be creating a new collection of clips with NO LINK. i doubt there’d be anything you can do about that.
do you need XML? why not jut use sequences?sorry, i don’t have experience with keeping the logging data, as i don’t use it, myself.
i don’t think there’s a way to “re-link” clips, other than
A create new master clips, and re-enter the log gin.
or
B over-cutting your sequences with borrower clipsyou should check the browser clips first to see if they them selves are master clips.
it can happen that you can double click a BROWSER clip into the viewer, try Shift F, and STILL get the “no master clip” warning.nick
-
Thanks, but it’s the combination of maintaining master clip associations while also maintaining logging data that’s the problem.
I’ve found a solution. The logging data has to go into the XML. I can use the batchlist to generate an XML sequence containing all the clips. I import that into FCP and use Tools > Create Master Clips and there you go. All logging data maintained, timeline clips connected to master clips in the browser.
Now I just need a script that will generate XML from a batchlist. Anybody know of one?
Nick
Nick Scale | Film Editor | Colourist | Compositor
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up