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Final Cut Pro X – Reflecting on Six Years
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Changing file attributes in a graphic file would be things like changing the name, size, file type, color space (RGB vs CMYK), layer structure, etc. Not editing the graphic content within.
Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Changing file attributes in a graphic file would be things like changing the name, size, file type, color space (RGB vs CMYK), layer structure, etc. Not editing the graphic content within.”
I know, but that wasn’t what you said at first.
You just needed to clarify that’s all.
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[Brett Sherman] “If you want to keep working in FCP X while rendering in AE, just add a “2” or something to the render file. Then when it’s done, quit FCP X, rename it to the original filename. Reopen FCP X. Done and done.”
Actually, you can even re-render whilst working in FCP. The file will simply go offline until it is finished. After that it’ll reconnect itself as soon as the new “eligible” file is there.
Obviously altogether more difficult if your media is managed in the library.
[Brett Sherman] “it would be nice if there was a “Replace Media File” function, so you could force a file replacement.”
Agreed. Ultimately, it should work as it did in 7. Yell at you, but let you decide whether to do it anyway or not and put that file in the replacement list in italics.
The reasoning behind the stringency is fairly simple. The average user (those without our super-superior “pro” expertise) has no clue what even the smallest difference can or will do when replacing, therefore potentially messing up an entire project irrevocably. And gee, guess who’s fault it is then? Not THEIR’S. Never ever. Look at how many posts there are even here, where you just facepalm thinking “If only you went to the trouble of at least learning even the most basic basics and not completely overestimate your superior “pro” status in this world, we wouldn’t be having to listen to this ‘problem’ xyz.” ????
– RK
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Deutsch? Hier gibt es ein umfassendes FCP X Training für dich! -
Ageed,
But this was curious to me:
“If you were running the Adobe suite on a top-level PC with high-end Nvidia cards, performance would definitely shine over that of the Macs.”
Followed later by:
“On a recent on-site edit gig at CES, I had to cut some 4K ARRI ALEXA material on my two-year-old Retina MacBook Pro. Premiere Pro couldn’t hack it without stuttering playback, while FCPX was buttery smooth. Thus FCPX was the axe for me throughout this gig.”
I was kinda hoping that what would follow that paragraph was examples of where the Adobe suite approach “running on a top-level PD with high-end Nvidia cards,…” would “definitely shine over” what the Macs could produce – but you moved directly to the hardware debates and never articulated which aspects of Premiere Pro running on top hardware were superior in your experience.
Can you be a bit more specific about that?
If somebody spends the money for a fully tricked out system on the PC side (what the hardware fanboys are trumpeting these days!) where can they expect the biggest real-world editing performance gains to show up?
And with your experience in both systems, are the gains marginal, or significant? Thanks.
Also thanks for another well-written and well-considered article!
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Oliver Peters] “things like changing the […] layer structure”
No. Even that you can do. Only it won’t translate well if you e.g. DELETE a layer. But it WILL still work in X. I even have an entire chapter on that in my training.
So it’s more limited than with others, yes, but not nearly as limited as some would have you believe.
– RK
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Deutsch? Hier gibt es ein umfassendes FCP X Training für dich! -
[Tony West] “I know, but that wasn’t what you said at first.
You just needed to clarify that’s all”Correct. I was talking about movie files specifically and ignored other types of files, like graphics, photos, etc. So yes, not as clear as I might have thought.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Robin,
Thanks for responding to my rant. I have been waiting for some projects to clear before upgrading my OS to where I can use 10.3 as a lot of my hate was addressed in that update. (Libraries on a NAS Wahoo!) I also would like to take a moment and re humble myself as I have never claimed to know how to do everything nor would I want to consider myself superior in any way. This is why I frequent this particular forum because there is so much knowledge lurking in the wings and I am always up for something new. (Except when I have producers behind me barking orders)
[James Sullivan] “having some things live in a project while others do not.”
If that’s the case, then you told it to do that. Pretty simple. It’s not some random procedure. And you can consolidate everything into a single location, if needed, with the simple click of one little button.
On this point I want to argue that if I inherit a poorly managed project because this choice was overlooked by somebody not thinking at the time it would become a problem and has for me in the past. I have also noticed that having FCPX
manage media on a weaker computer forces content to be copied into the project, bloating the size of it, where as on a more powerful newer mac the very same media would have been left external. This just bugs me.And have helped, amazed and empowered a lot of others. I’d even venture to say a lot more than the other way around. And that’s actually by not just looking within my own little box.
On this I completely agree. But not having every been forced to edit with tracks. And not being forced to control where things land creates some messed up looking timelines that again when I inherit a project, makes me grumpy.
[James Sullivan] “it has way more things that need to be tweaked that would make the day to day grind better.”
For example? Again, being specific is much more helpful for others to follow what it is you’re getting at.
The ability to cut from a compound clip and have it use the original media.
The ability to bake a multi clip so that when it goes external it plays well.
Way way bigger keyframes.The ability to make very very very small proxies so that drive space can be saved. Exporting longform shows is faster to compress and export with the super powerful computers we have. I know that offiline online is dead at this point but god it is still useful.
Such is life. Though I’d really be curious what it is you think you need 128GB of RAM, 48 cores and FIVE Nvidia cards for… especially right after complaining that the MBP is “pricey”. What exactly do you figure that configuration would cost you even as a PC?
Have you seen what Octane render can do? That is why Five Nvidia cards are on the wishlist.
I used the word pricey but what I really meant was, for only 16GBs of ram. I love the size of the new laptop and I am glad that I did not buy any thunderbolt anything until they decided to go to USB C. Cost has always been relative in the sense that the systems I use make me money so I am ready to spend money on a nice system. But I am a owner operator of my business and any misstep I make on gear means I get to live on a park bench. Right now, building a bespoke PC will let me have the tower that can handle editorial, motion graphics, and really really really nice 3D renders. I just reserve the right to complain when I get a virus and all the parts I got from Newegg don’t work together nicely.
I use a lot of different software and cannot have 8 separate systems configured for each specific task. I need FCPX to be my NLE while I choose to run out to AE, Protools, Photoshop, Mocha, Cinema4D, Resolve, for all their goodness.
I should also explain that my laptop is in my bedroom hooked up via ethernet to my shared storage. My main workstations are out in my studio. When I have to money and the laptop dies I will most likely get the new laptop maxed out and use it with the fancy LG monitor they collaborated on. Again I am still on team apple I am just grumpy and have the wonderful set of tubes we know as the internet to vent a bit.
Thanks for taking the time to listen,
James
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Thanks for the kind words.
[Mark Dobson] “But whether I’d recommend FCPX to someone else is another question.”
Therein lies the rub. FCPX is not for everyone. My son is in his early 30s. He’s a highly technical guitarist and is doing some YouTube videos. I’ve cut the first few for him in X, but now he wants to do them himself. He knows DAWs well and is currently a heavy Logic Pro X user. You would figure him to be in the target demographic, yet the iMovie/FCPX construct is baffling to him. He’s a much better match for Resolve, which does what he occasionally needs and is free. And its track-structure makes sense to him.
A lot of folks here taught the advantages of owning (Apple) versus renting (Adobe); yet from an accounting standpoint, if you are a small production company up to a large enterprise, renting/subscription makes more sense. OTOH, if you are a single user who occasionally edits – such as a director or DP who sometimes cut their own stuff – then FCPX is likely a better choice – if they can wrap their head around the approach.
Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “A lot of folks here taught the advantages of owning (Apple) versus renting (Adobe); yet from an accounting standpoint, if you are a small production company up to a large enterprise, renting/subscription makes more sense.”
Interested in your thinking here.
Is there a small business or bulk rate in play? Outside that, $20 a month (single App subscription) seems like it crosses over the $300 cash price of X per seat in just 15 months regardless of how many seats you are seeding.
After that, no matter how you slice it you’re paying more to edit.
One can surely deduct subscription fees from their taxes, but just as easily deduct the price of X – so I’m missing the thinking behind the advantage.
Can you help me understand it better?
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Bill Davis] “Interested in your thinking here.”
First of all, if you correctly interpret Apple’s licensing, a business with multiple users on edit stations doing commercial work is not eligible for the 1 owner/multiple systems license that many of us operate under. I know many here do it and Apple tacitly looks the other way, but from a legal standpoint the business license is 1 software license per machine. So it’s not $299 divided by however many machines your have, but rather $299 times the number of machines you deploy it on. Apple does offer larger licensing deals, including large enterprise arrangements, which is what many universities use, for example.
Adobe offers 3 types of licenses – single user, team and enterprise. A single user can deploy the software onto 2 machines running simultaneously. Team counts are one machine per user and the number of users is determined by how many you subscribe for. The larger enterprise accounts are handled differently, including the fact that software is locally deployed by the enterprise’s system administrator, not via the cloud on every machine.
Even at that, you could still argue of course, that owning FCPX is cheaper than renting Premiere Pro. However, from a business POV, there’s absolutely no value to software ownership as an asset. If you sell the business, the software installed on the machines has no tangible value. Therefore, purely from an accounting standpoint, there’s an advantage to renting and where that expense is tallied. Just like your utilities bills, web hosting services, etc.
The installation access to immediate and current upgrades is pretty much a level playing field between Apple, Avid and Adobe now, but it isn’t with every app. For example, if you use software that has a regular upgrade cost for the next greatest version, then it means adding that cost into the annual budget and going to the well each time to request the money to make the upgrade.
[Bill Davis] “One can surely deduct subscription fees from their taxes, but just as easily deduct the price of X – so I’m missing the thinking behind the advantage.”
I don’t believe that it applies the same way. In one case you are paying for a product. In the other, a service. But I could be wrong.
Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com
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