10.1 XML Import Test – Appears to be DOA

[Erik Lundberg]

[Kim Hill] “Different data structures just don’t map to one another. There are ways to bring FCP7 material into FCPX, but it’s a matter of how much organization you’re willing to shed, because there’s no way to map one structure to the other, 1:1.”

Agreed.

Erik Lundberg

Technical Director, Media Technology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

[Bobby Fishbough]

From CatDV 9 Quickstart Manual

Final Cut Pro X

Apple’s new Final Cut Pro X application uses a completely different project format which is incompatible with FCP 6 and 7. With the FCP X 10.0.1 update it is again possible to exchange clips and sequences between CatDV and FCP X, using the new .fcpxml file format which CatDV 9 can read and write.
This provides a way to migrate FCP 7 projects over to FCP X:
Open your project in FCP 7, then export it as XML from FCP 7. (You will need to quit FCP X first. Even though it’s possible to install both versions on the same machine, you can only have one copy of Final Cut Pro running at one time.)
Import the XML file into CatDV. If necessary, check the Extra tracks & sequences option in CatDV’s preferences if you want to bring over more complex sequences (but remember that CatDV only provides very rudimentary cuts-only sequence support).
Select the sequence you want to send over and choose Export as FCP X XML File to save a .fcpxml file
Open this file in FCP X (again, you will have to quit FCP 7 first if it is running on that machine) to create a new project with the timeline.
When exporting an FCP X XML file you can either export a list of clips (to create a new event in the FCP X Event Library) or export a single sequence (to create a new project in the FCP X Project Library, including any clips it depends on in a new event if necessary). You can’t mix events and projects in the same .fcpxml file however. You can also go the other way and export an event or a project as an .fcpxml file from FCP X and import that into CatDV. As well as clips and sequences, metadata in the form of descriptions and timecode markers can be sent across.

[Bobby Fishbough]

You will need the PRO version “CatDVPRO 9.0.1”
It worked for me FCP 7 to FCP X.
When you send the project from CatDV PRO to FCP X it will launch FCP X.

[Joel Witmer]

Thanks! For whatever reason I wasn’t seeing the .1 update but now I’ve downloaded it and it works fairly well.

I tried first with a very simple edit. 2 minutes, three or four cuts, of a friend playing a song. The video came in perfectly, all the cuts spot on in the sequence/project. In FCP 7 I had synced the video with a mixed version of the audio. The mixed audio track did not come in at all.

Then I tried a more complex edit. 4 minutes, probably 50 cuts, and I’m noticing small gaps between clips in FCP X in a few places and again none of the secondary audio is coming in at all (just the audio with the clips; no music or SFX). Still, I would say this is pretty usable as-is if you want to just move sequences from 7 into X.

I should note that I don’t really use video transitions ever so I’m not sure if those would come in.

[Elias Huch]

So, I am getting ready to build a system and SAN revolving around CATdv, but am waiting on approval from up above. Is there a way to do this without CATdv or is there a demo version?

Elias Huch
Motion Graphics Designer
Reelvizion Productions