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Blurry stills and text in Motion
I’ve recently converted from a PC (Premiere) to a Mac with Final Cut Studio.
Since keyframing and title functionality seems lacking in FCP, I’m trying to use motion to create titles and some basic animation with stills. Specifically I’m working on tags for SD TV commercials which include a small map (jpg), credit card logos(jpg, png), and address for each store location.
In Motion, everything seems softer (slightly blurry) than it does in FCP. When I bring the Motion project into Final Cut, it remains slightly blurry. Same if I export the Motion project to a Prores 422HQ mov file. The exact same elements imported directly into FCP appear crisp and clean (titles using Boris Text 3D).
As far as I can see the settings between Motion and FCP match as best as possible:
Motion- NTSC Broadcast SD 720×486, 0.90, Lower First.
FCP- 720×486 CCIR 601 NTSC (40:27), Lower, Compressor:Apple ProRes 422 HQ Quality=100%.I’m using an AJA KONA LHI hooked to an LCD TV for monitoring. The blurry images are also noticeable in the desktop canvas window.
I’m running the dual quad core 2.26, with 6GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT120.
Thanks for any help… this is driving me crazy!
Arnie Clawson
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6 Replies
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Set to best before you export the project. Or just drag the project file into FCP and render is. In FCP, be sure to got to Sequence, Settings, click on the Render Control tab and set Quality to best. Hope this helps and best of luck.
Check out my Motion Training DVD
Check out my Motion Tutorials
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You can’t evaluate the image in FCP’s Canvas – you are only seeing one field, and if you are working with non-square pixels as you are, the view is also being scaled. Since you also see the issue on your monitor, you should make sure you are rendering your Motion project in FCP (assuming you are embedding your Motion projects) at best quality by selecting your sequence, choosing Sequence > Settings, going to the Render Control tab, and making the changes there.
You might want to take a look at this:
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/motion_text_in_fcp_spencer.html—
Mark Spencer
Freelance Producer/Editor/Motion Graphics Artist
Apple-certified Master Trainer
Author, Motion 4 from Peachpit Press
https://www.applemotion.net -
I really should check the thread first. Sorry for the duplicate response!
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Mark Spencer
Freelance Producer/Editor/Motion Graphics Artist
Apple-certified Master Trainer
Author, Motion 4 from Peachpit Press
https://www.applemotion.net -
Thanks for the posts…
Everything is set to Best for rendering/exporting. I am monitoring via an AJA KONA LHI. I’m pretty certain I am viewing both fields. A single field would be much worse, and more jagged (or combed).
The blurriness is very subtle, but definitely there. The detail in the images just appear a little softer than they do in directly in FCP. Does Motion apply anti-alaising on text and images. The text is crisper in FCP, but maybe a little more alaised.
Or am I looking at the problem all wrong… maybe things are harsher in FCP??? I just expected that the exact same images would look the same in FCP and Motion.
Arnie
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Follow up question – I wasn’t able to find this in other threads, but I apologize if it’s already been addressed, or if it’s an amateurish question… I understand that the Motion/FCP canvases are not accurate representations of what the final text will look like on a broadcast monitor. However, what if I want to create text to be viewed on a computer/website? What project setting should I use for crisp text?
Thanks very much.
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Stay away from codec like the DV one. They don’t like text. I use the Animation or ProRess 4444 ones the most. Hope this helps and best of luck.
Check out my Motion Training DVD
Check out my Motion Tutorials
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