24 hr timecode

[Joseph Owens]

YOU’RE LOOKING FOR VISUAL TIMECODE?

The captured video should be “clean” without any numbers burned into it… but you can call up the numbers in FCP either in the canvas/preview “Show Overlays” or if you really want it to be burned into the picture pull up the TimeCode Reader/Generator filter.

JPO

[Ivywalker]

We are trying to sync two cameras we thought that we did this by changing the timecode on the camera to User Bits using a 24 hr cclock as the timecode. the only timecode we can find is the regular timecode. How would we find this 24hr timecode.

[Joseph Owens]

Aha.

So you were in effect trying to “jam-sync” the two cameras…

User Bits do not iterate. They are a hexidecimal code designed to represent dates, machine numbers, that kind of thing. Multiple streams of meta data (such as telecine transfers which include source time code, audio code and keycode / film edge numbers) require outboard generators/inserters. Or my understanding of User Bits / Time code is flawed. I think this is why you only see the one stream of (wild?) timecode. Never fear.

If you can find a common frame between the two cameras, and the start/stops are not too numerous, you should be able to gang-sync (MAKE A MULTICLIP) between the two sources in FCP. It would, of course, have been better and easier if the the two cameras had been jammed to the same (external) time code master source generator.
But I’m thinking that you’ve got two wild sources with the same User Bits and different time code as an end result.

Please tell me I have the wrong perception…. it would be a lot less work for you! 🙂

JPO

[Steve Braker]

Unfortunately I don’t believe user bits are supported in FCP. Which makes as little sense as DV data not being supported, Line 21 not being dealt with, etc.

I’m guessing there are outboard ways to convert UB to TC. But then the result, AFAIK, won’t be usable by FCP because there’s no way to import it.

Wish I could be more helpful, and I hope someone proves me wrong.

[Steve Braker]

Perhaps Bouke will be the one who proves me wrong:

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/8/927743?

[Steve Braker]

Well, you may have a partially wrong perception of user bits. I can’t tell what “iterate” means in this contxt, but recording TOD like this was a very common way to “get it both ways” in the good old days.

That said, I can’t say I ever edited directly from user bits. But it was a very easy way to find and set a timecode offset so you could edit with TOD in a linear setup.

John, what format is your material in?

[Steve Braker]

Well, you may have a partially wrong perception of user bits. I can’t tell what “iterate” means in this contxt, but recording TOD like this was a very common way to “get it both ways” in the good old days.

That said, I can’t say I ever edited directly from user bits. But it was a very easy way to find and set a timecode offset so you could edit with TOD in a linear setup.

John, search here for Bouke or look at videotoolshed.com. He’s got something cooking in the way of LTC imports in FCP. Maybe it will deal with this too.

[Bouke Vahl]

I’m not in the mood of prooving anything right now, but here is my take:

I can set a custom TC for clips in FCP. Working on that right now for having ‘decent’ LTC reading and subclipping based on LTC.

I have written a VITC reader already, and i ‘could’ merge the two.
Now for that, the captured QT ‘must’ display the funny dots on the top.

If you can manage to do so, i’m able to help you out.

But there is another way.
If you have a deck that is able to read the user bits and has 422 control, i’m able to read the user bits over 422 simultaniously with the ‘normal’ TC. I can generate a log list from there, but i cannot do more than have my loggin application read the TC breaks, and (auto) log while setting the clip name (or comment or so) to the user bits. Log lists and XML can carry Aux TC to FCP, but it disappears after digging. (so i have found out the hard way…)

Hth,

Bouke

http://www.videoToolShed.com
smart tools for video pro’s

[Ivywalker]

thanks for all the input.. Im not sure if our deck can read UB – We have the sony HVR-m25u.
How can I get the UB data from FCP- So i can sync with TOD instead of regular timecode.

Also in the future how can I set the Timecode to be TOD instead of regular TC on my sony HDV Z1U.

Thanks,
John

[Steve Braker]

Well, if you have an RS-422 or MIDI hookup that would be a way to get it out to _something_ and find out whether FCP trashed the user bits. Assuming the camera even recorded them. I just don’t even know if DV and HDV support user bits at all.

I don’t know this machine but there’s no way it has a TC out port. Is there any such thing as an HDV deck? As for how to set TOD code that’s a question for your manual.

Sorry, I’m not hopeful.