basic timeline question

[Andy Neil]

You can either matchframe the clip (SHIFT+F) to load the source into the viewer, or you can double-click the edit point to open up the precision editor which will dynamically show you the effective handles on both sides of your clip.

BTW, precision editing is only available in the primary storyline.

Andy

https://www.timesavertutorials.com

[Craig Alan]

Thank you. I do know about these options. However when I double click an edit point I am seeing only one edit point’s handle not the entire master clip. When I match frame, I am back in the event browser. I can however see the elected portion and watch in the viewer. So would I then edit from the event window rather than the timeline? I’m used to double clicking a clip in FCP 7’s timeline and making changes in the viewer. It’s ok to work different but just want to make sure I’m not missing a built in feature.

I guess the thing that is throwing me is the entire clip will play in the viewer as I scroll over the little film strips in either the event browser or the timeline’s precision editor. But in both cases I can’t keep my eyes on the larger viewer. Is there no way to have the edit points appear in the viewer? I find it helpful for example that the L and filmstrip (end of media) overlays do appear.

MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170, Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Jeremy Garchow]

Currently, there’s no separate viewer in FCPX unless you’re working in multicam.

[Bret Williams]

A third alternative that might suit your needs is to right click the clip and open in timeline. The clip now opens in it’s own timeline (ala avid) and you can work with the clip all by it’s lonesome. It’s essentially the same as opening a clip in the viewer in FCP 7. You can see all of your clip. Greyed out areas are on the left and right showing exactly what part of the clip is being used. And, if you like, you can use the P tool to move the clip around in this timeline, performing a slip (slide? I forget) edit. Nice and extremely visual.

Not as cool as doing a slip / slide edit in 7, where you see a ghost of the remaining clip to left and right. And not as cool as other editors (avid, premiere) where you see the incoming and out going frame of the previous and next clip for reference. But, it’s another option that imho is better than 7’s open in viewer. Mainly because you can adjust keyframes without having to obliterate the viewer or pull off that tab.

On a side note, I hear Hasbro is suing Apple over the use of the term slip n slide in their software.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Bret Williams] “On a side note, I hear Hasbro is suing Apple over the use of the term slip n slide in their software.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg3BM_Qd2yM

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[Bret Williams]

Someone had a slip n slide!

Back on topic, I played a little more with the open in timeline concept. This might be new to me, but it seems to allow compound clipping without compound clipping. IOW, I can open it in timeline, add effects there, then step back to my main timeline and the effects are still applied, but not adjustable, nor even mentioned. Normally I’d suggest that is how a compound clip would work. Specifically I tried this with a color effect. I hoped that somehow I’d applied it to the clip in the bin, but nope.

Perhaps this is a way to control effect order without compounding?

[Craig Alan]

[Bret Williams] “the effects are still applied, but not adjustable, nor even mentioned”

Not following…the effect is there when you move back to the project timeline but cannot be further modified?

FWIW, i tried to apply a new out point after opening a clip in its own timeline. When I switched back to the project timeline it was not changed. Obviously I’m skipping a step and will review the manual. Not very intuitive though.

And back to my original question: no matter what window I am using in FCP X, the clips will be seen in the viewer but controlled from these narrow film strips. The controls in the viewer are very basic – play, pause, single frame advance or back. I don’t mind scrubbing from the strips in the project or event windows but would like to see all overlays in the viewer. To me the logic of a single viewer was that your eyes cannot be in more than one place at a time anyway. FCP X trains you that where your scrubber goes so goes your active window and therefore your viewer image. Yet I find myself watching the larger viewer for the visual impact/impression and moving back to the strips for everything else.

Since the Apple team was changing the names of everything, I would have suggested calling the VIEWER a MONITOR and like all broadcast monitor/camera/deck setups given you the choice of displaying all the metadata and overlays or not .

I’m too new at X to know if I am making a feature request or just showing my inexperience.

MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170, Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Bret Williams]

Well Premiere may call it a monitor, but I call my monitor a monitor and that’s confusing enough because I could be referring to my computer monitor or my broadcast monitor. The latter is pretty much where I look.

The single viewer was to save space. They’re adding a second viewer window soon they say.

When you edit a clip in its timeline I don’t think you can change in and out. But you can slip and slide pretty intuitively.

I don’t use filmstrips in the event. I use list or full thumbnail. I scrub or press jkl to navigate the clip. I don’t think I’ve ever pressed a play button in the viewer or a frame advance button, etc. I’d be perfectly happy if I could hide these. Wouldn’t mind hiding all interface buttons for that matter.

Nobody changed the names of anything. They’re exactly the same as they were before iMovie was upgraded to FCP X. No change.

[Craig Alan]

[Bret Williams] “Well Premiere may call it a monitor, but I call my monitor a monitor and that’s confusing enough because I could be referring to my computer monitor or my broadcast monitor. The latter is pretty much where I look.”

Didn’t know Adobe named it a monitor. But it makes sense to me. Calling a container for a digital collection of files a folder makes perfect sense. I don’t confuse it with the things hanging in my physical world cabinet. But I’m fine with viewer even though on my camera it is often an eyepiece.

[Bret Williams] “When you edit a clip in its timeline I don’t think you can change in and out. But you can slip and slide pretty intuitively.”

When you open a clip in its own timeline I’m not sure how you would slip and slide since you cannot see the clips before and after. It would cool if you could open in their own timeline three selected clips.

[Bret Williams] “I don’t use filmstrips in the event. I use list or full thumbnail. I scrub or press jkl to navigate the clip. I don’t think I’ve ever pressed a play button in the viewer or a frame advance button, etc. I’d be perfectly happy if I could hide these. Wouldn’t mind hiding all interface buttons for that matter. “

I agree with you there. However, it is helpful to me to see the overlays and in and out points in the viewer as long as you have the option to toggle them on and off. And i would prefer to scrub on the window I am viewing. But maybe when i get my updated eyeglasses I’ll be a happier with filmstrips or icons (mini-viewers).

[Bret Williams] “Nobody changed the names of anything. They’re exactly the same as they were before iMovie was upgraded to FCP X. No change.
“

I’m still on Imovie HD (version 6 I think) on the rare occasion I use it. The newer Imovie never appealed to me. I’ve been looking for a beginner program for my students and when the new Imovie came out I thought it didn’t help teach basic editing concepts or interface. Now that we have FCP X, I guess it does. But the new names make sense for Imovie. Home movies are usually composed of events – a vacation, a birthday, a ballgame. A montage might be a collection of different events put together as a project. But for most short form or long form films this has less meaning. More importantly there should be standards and a professional vocabulary so that everyone is on the same page.

This is better left for the debate forum, and I’m here because I really need to learn this X thing. Then again, dialog like this helps me remember and come to grips with it.

MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170, Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.