Can you add a keyword to a clip once it is in the timeline?

[Jeremy Garchow]

Yes, I think you see how a metadata solution might work for organizing without tracks.

I don’t think what you want is possible yet, but perhaps it is something like this that Apple has in mind when mentioned in their FAQ.

It wouldn’t hurt to send some feedback as the keywords don’t update in the index as of now.

Jeremy

[T. Payton]

“Am I dumb?” Far from the contrary, this seems like a “duh” feature, but it is just not implemented yet.

A couple of workaround suggestions, using SFX as an example:

1. Add a prefix to the clip name. Unfortunately you have to this one at a time in the inspector and add “SFX” in front and then use the timeline index to just show the “SFX” clips.

2. Change the name of all the clips at once and sort. Depending on your workflow this might or might not be a problem. Just select your clips, and in the inspector change their name to “SFX” or whatever. Then use the timeline index to sort. You’ll loose the original name, but you can always find out what it is by adding that metadata field to the inspector.

3. Group all the SFX audio into a compound clip for a final mixdown. With the above options, you can’t have your SFX clips work like an audio mixer channel, but with a compound clip you can. You really don’t want to do this until you have picture lock because it will hose all your clip connections, but it lets you add EQ, etc.

I’ll wager that we are going to see some kind of “grouping” or “styles” type function in an update of FCP X. That way you can add filter and adjustments to a “style”. Then assign clips a “style”. A style would then act as a mixer channel for audio or color grade group.

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Timothy Payton] “I’ll wager that we are going to see some kind of “grouping” or “styles” type function in an update of FCP X. That way you can add filter and adjustments to a “style”. Then assign clips a “style”. A style would then act as a mixer channel for audio or color grade group.”

I’m hoping something like this will happen too. Seems to make logical sense.

[Mark Morache]

If we keep saying “it seems like a no-brainer” we may need to change the definition of what a “brainer” is.

I need to create output with split audio, so when I discovered that adding keywords to clips doesn’t trickle down to the clips in the timeline, I had a scream-out-loud moment. Literally, I screamed out loud.

Overall, as much as I’ve had enjoyable moments with FCX, I’ve had as many yelling and screaming fits.

My experience with FC7 has generally been “oh, that’s cool” when I’ve discovered that they thought about all the great workflows (like dragging effects from your clip directly to your bin, editing from one timeline to another, normalization gain…).

My experience with FCX has generally been “oh, that doesn’t work like I would have expected, I wonder how else I might accomplish this… oops, not that way either… crap, another dead end.”

It’ll be better in the new building.

———
I’m calling it FCX. They took the “pro” out, so I will too.
I’ll reconsider after the first upgrade.

Mark Morache
Avid/Xpri/FCP7/FCX
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
blogging at https://fcpx.wordpress.com

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Mark Morache] “I need to create output with split audio, so when I discovered that adding keywords to clips doesn’t trickle down to the clips in the timeline, I had a scream-out-loud moment. Literally, I screamed out loud.”

It’s how fcp7 worked as well. you probably know all this, but:

You do realize you can use the info tab and rename the clips in the timeline to whatever you want, right?

As far as audio, you have control over that in the properties tab.

I highly recommend sending feedback.

[Greg Gilpatrick]

Thanks everyone for all your comments.

I guess I hit a nerve here. Its good to see a constructive discussion on the subject of FCP X.

When I finally wrapped my head around the concepts of tagging, smart collections, and the timeline browser, I got really into it because of the ability to filter items items in the timeline based on their metadata and properties. Just changing the name of the item like you suggest Jeremy is okay but not really a solution. Consider a situation where you have to edit a version of your show for English and Spanish speaking audiences. Some of your sound effects might be applicable for both but some SFX that would be applicable for only one language or another (if there were crowd chanting in the soundbed, for example). They could both be given a tag of “SFX” but one version could also be given a tag of “English” and another could be tagged “Spanish”. And the great thing is that you could actually accomplish this today with the current version of FCPX, its just so frustrating to realize that you have to be super careful to tag everything before you edit it. Oh well. Time to fire up the “Send Feedback”….

Thanks for reading my ramblings….

[Greg Gilpatrick]

Well, I guess I should have just read Apple’s FCPX FAQ because it says:

“Does Final Cut Pro X allow you to assign audio tracks for export?
Not yet. An update this summer will allow you to use metadata tags to categorize your audio clips by type and export them directly from Final Cut Pro X.”

[Jeremy Garchow]

Yep, it’s coming. Sorry, I thought you might have read that FAQ already.

Jeremy