10.0.4 Feature Requests

[Michael Gissing]

OMF export from FCPX not via XML and third party translators. As FCPX and it’s new XML format are essentially beta software there will be a long period of fixups required as the XML stage evolves, so third party developers will not be able to provide stability for a long time.

AAF export might be nice but there is a whole world of sound post based on OMF and fixing this aspect of broadcast and feature film workflow is a biggie.

[Helmut Kobler]

1) I really want a new way to create alternate cuts of the same project, without having to duplicate the whole project. On a regular basis, I want to try out a new idea while keeping the option of going back to my original edit on the Timeline. But duplicating the project is so wasteful in terms of disk space, and creating too many projects can slow FCP X to a crawl. So I would like the equivalent of alternative timelines within the same project. In other words, bring back Sequences please.

2) The ability to set In and Outs on the timeline, and export just that section of my work. Right now, the only way you can export a portion of the timeline is to Export to Compressor, which takes a while to load, and even longer to set In and Out points.

3) Better Copy/Paste attributes, which more control over what’s copied and not.

4) More snappiness.

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Documentary Camera in Los Angeles
http://www.lacameraman.com

[James Mortner]

[Helmut Kobler] “2) The ability to set In and Outs on the timeline, and export just that section of my work. Right now, the only way you can export a portion of the timeline is to Export to Compressor, which takes a while to load, and even longer to set In and Out points.
“

Can it seriously not do this ? I ran into the same problem the other day !

[Chris Harlan]

[Helmut Kobler] “1) I really want a new way to create alternate cuts of the same project, without having to duplicate the whole project.”

Yeah, this is still a biggie for me.

[Mark Morache]

[Helmut Kobler] “I really want a new way to create alternate cuts of the same project”

Yes. In FCP7 I could have several copies and versions of sequences. In fact many projects are littered with versions I need to clean up!

My workaround is to select the portion of the timeline I want to create versions of, make it a compound clip, duplicate the compound as an audition, and then step into the compound and create my alternate reality.

That way I don’t need to have a version of the entire timeline, I can just have the compound clips in an audition that I can simply click to change for previewing.

In some ways this makes a lot of sense, because my changes may just be in one small section, and if I make changes to the rest of the timeline, I may need to replicate those changes in the alternate timeline as well. Also, having the versions live in one project timeline, keeps me from having copies of the renders in each project.

[Helmut Kobler] “2) The ability to set In and Outs on the timeline”

I’m afraid to trim the timeline before I export then undo the trims, because if the program crashes before I undo, I’m sunk.

Lately I’ve tried dropping the entire sequence into a compound clip, trimming the parts I don’t want to export, then undoing the trims.

The good thing about the compound clip, is that even though parts of the sequence aren’t in the timeline, they are still nested within the compound clip. If the program crashes before you undo, all you need to do is drag the ends of the trimmed compound clip back to their original length, then break the compound clip apart. Pretty simple.

Anyone see any potential trouble in this?

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FCX. She tempts me, abuses me, beats me up, makes me feel worthless, then in the end she comes around, helps me get my work done, gives me hope and I can’t stop thinking about her.

Mark Morache
Avid/Xpri/FCP7/FCX
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com

[Dustin Parsons]

[Helmut Kobler] “1) I really want a new way to create alternate cuts of the same project, without having to duplicate the whole project.”

Agreed, I can’t believe FCPX doesn’t have this! I duplicate my projects all the time and would think that most other editors do too. How are you supposed to experiment without destroying the work you’ve already done?

[Lance Bachelder]

Concur on the in and outs on the timeline to export/render/lift/delete etc – one of the missing features from PPro (I know there is the Workspace Bar thingy) that I always use in FCP7, Avid and VegasPro.

This needs to be put back in X asap.

Lance Bachelder
Writer, Editor, Director
Irvine, California

[Bill Davis]

I still disagree about this with most of you.

I think the difference between Legacy and X can be seen as Legacy was a “versioning” program where every project can exist in all sorts of unfinished states while you decide what you really want. But then, when you decide what your particular FINAL program is – you had to BAKE that into a terminated document. That’s how most videos were made in the past – and how many of them still need to be made in the present and will suite many projects in the future – but does that mean the “draft, draft, draft, then bake a final – is the only “best” way to develop ALL programs?

Let your thinking roam a little.

Increasingly, the world is valuing projects that aren’t necessarily “terminated” but those that can be published in “progressive states. One example is video hosted on a web site. It really doesn’t have to “terminated” to be valuable. It might have one “state” today. Perhaps content with current pricing – but that content may need to change tomorrow. Sale prices, revised rules, special offers – the list of content changes can be almost endless.

In X, everything in the Project Library can be viewed as a “live connected” final. It’s exportable in it’s current state – but the moment you make a change, the “current state” is updated in real time.

Perhaps one of the things X will evolve more towards is a content creation tool that better enables changes to be done incrementally. The project library can just as easily be seen as a rudimentary “content management” view. Where the “current” state of projects are reflected. The Share menu is poised to do “one click” publication.

I see that as potentially a lot more useful than “always bake a version of this timeline and cut it off from further access” which is how I’d describe the Legacy reliance on “serial project export.”

Again and again, if you only look at X in terms of what you’re “missing” from Legacy – I think you’re unnecessarily limiting your view.

You have a NEW tool here. It favors new thinking and new possibilities. Those who simply keep looking for it to be what Legacy was are going to be constantly disappointed.

Those who can see it for what it is – a program designed to re-think video creation workflows – rather than just keep doing things as we always have in the past – will be the first to leverage it’s unique capabilities and be poised to benefit as it matures.

My 2 cents anyway.

“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Connor

[Andy Neil]

I’m going to second your number 2 and 3. Although instead of IN/OUT points, I’d prefer something similar to Premiere’s “work area” idea. I think it’d fit better with how X is designed.

My big one has to be with audio handling. This is particularly important now that multicam has been introduced. Often times in multicam workflows, you’re dealing with upwards of 8-20 discrete audio tracks (especially in reality tv). I don’t have a problem with them being synced and embedded in a video angle, but there NEEDS to be an easy way to get to the individual audio layers to make adjustments, or silence the unneeded tracks.

My proposal is for a “step in” feature where if you double click a clip with embedded audio that it expands to show you ALL individual audio tracks allowing you to easily make keyframe adjustments or trims to layers. Then when you escape out, it closes back up again. In this mode, you won’t be able to affect the audio track’s position (FCP will still keep the sync), but you can make all other audio edits to it.

Andy

https://www.timesavertutorials.com

[Mark Morache]

[Andy Neil] “My proposal is for a “step in” feature”

That’s not a bad idea. I use “open in timeline” as a step-in feature, and it mostly works.

Generally I use the loudness enhancement on clips to compress them and raise the gain, and once I step into a clip by opening in timeline, the enhancement goes away, and I’m left riding my separate audio tracks without the loudness.

Would you still be able to make changes to audio tracks as one? For example if I expanded the audio to create a J-cut, would I need to make adjustments to all the tracks separately?

Perhaps they need to expand the audio with one double-click and show you each individual channel with second double-click.

Another tweak I’d love to see is a vertically expanded audio track when I expand the audio track. It just makes sense. I’m opening it to work on it, so make the embedded audio larger by default.

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FCX. She tempts me, abuses me, beats me up, makes me feel worthless, then in the end she comes around, helps me get my work done, gives me hope and I can’t stop thinking about her.

Mark Morache
Avid/Xpri/FCP7/FCX
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com