blurry resolution in canvas

[Tom Wolsky]

First, are you looking at the rendered output with the Canvas set to 100%?

Why are you making it 640×480 and then using DV as the compressor? That’s really wrong. What are you trying to do?

“The previous sequence settings were: frame size 1080 x 720, aspect ratio 3:2, H.264 compressor.”

This is even worse. H.264 is a delivery codec, not a production codec. It should really never be used in the timeline. What kind of frame size is 1080×720?

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop”

[Bill Dewald]

So you were editing 640×480 clips in a HD sized 1280×720 H.264 timeline, and now you’ve changed your sequence settings and things are blurry in the canvas.

How could they not be blurry?

#1 – The canvas is for preview only – it is not representative of your video.

#2 – H.264 is not an editing format.

#3 – the DV framesize is 720×480.

#4 – moving clips from an HD sequence to a SD sequence can cause all sorts of scaling and aspect problems.

etc, etc, etc

Keep it simple – Use the DV easy setup, acquire your footage with that easy setup, edit in that easy setup, and finish in that easy setup.

[Stephan Scrofani]

Yes, the rendered output is set to 100%. 1080 x 720 is 3:2. I am working with exported vids from after effects. Their aspect ratio is 3:2 (frame size 1080 x 720), delivery codec H.264. Basically, I want to be working within a 4:3 composition, rather than 3:2. Is there a way to do this…? What should I set my sequence settings to?

[Tom Wolsky]

Not the rendered output, the viewing size of the canvas. That’s the only time you see the image at correct resolution when the viewer or canvas is set to 100%. Otherwise the display is being scaled.

Who is they? Because that’s the frame size and delivery codec that doesn’t mean that’s what you edit it. You edit in whatever conforms to your media or an appropriate intermediate codec, which H.264 sure as sunset isn’t.

3:2 with the correct pixel aspect ratio is 4:3.

What’s your media?

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop”

[Stephan Scrofani]

The media I have imported are quick time movies exported from after effects. Codec H.264, dimensions 1080 x 720. I want to be working within a 4:3 composition…but, my sequence adjusted to be 3:2…

[Tom Wolsky]

That’s complete the wrong format and codec to be export from AE unless you’re exporting a finished product. If you’re making the AE you should make it match your media. If everything is coming from AE then use that wacky frame size and ProRes, but if you have to incorporate video in your FCP timeline then your AE comp should match that format exactly. Do you have any media in FCP besides the AE comps? What is it?

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop”

[Stephan Scrofani]

No, the only media I am going to be working with in FCP are these clips exported from after effects…The clips do not have to fit within the 4:3 frame exactly, because I am going to be cropping the compositions of the clips and fitting many small frames into a single composition (similar to 70s style movies…thomas crown affair…). But, I don’t want my project to be blurry…

[Tom Wolsky]

I’m guessing the project is too long to be built entirely in an AE comp. Is that the reason you’re using FCP? Make your AE comps in a high resolution production codec. Do NOT use H.264 for anything except delivery. Make them in ProRes for instance. Whatever 4:3 size you want for your convenience. I’m assuming you’re going straight to the web and not to any standard video format, is that correct? In FCP make your sequence settings match those. Any compositing you do should be done in AE. You have an extremely powerful compositing and motion graphics tools, why are you taking stuff from AE and then comping it in FCP?

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop”

[Stephan Scrofani]

The problem is that I have tons (50 at least) of clips which have already been exported as H.264. We are using Final Cut simply because we are more familiar with it. And, we do want the final product to be in a standard video format. Is going to be impossible to work with H.264 clips in final cut under these circumstances?

[Tom Wolsky]

What standard video format? I’m afraid you absolutely should go back to AE and rebuild the comps at the standard video format size you’re going to be working in at a standard frame rate and using a high resolution codec. There is no good way around that.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop”