How to apply speed changes without causing ripple changes in edit???

[Shane Ross]

The only way is to do the speed chage in the Viewer BEFORE you cut it into the timeline.

Shane Ross
Alokut Productions
http://www.lfhd.net

[Chris Kamen]

Yes, seems like the only other option, but then that clip’s speed is already modified for the next time I want to use it. I prefer to keep my clips free of effects and speed changes so I know they are “naked” when the come onto the timeline.

I suppose it’s not too hard to put it back to 100%, but I was hoping for some sort of preference in FCP to make it so it doesn’t make ripple changes when changing speed on the timeline.

[Bryce Whiteside]

You might want to consider reading this thread Variable Speed by Eli Mavros on Dec 1, 2005 at 9:53:52 am. Note my second post in this thread to a link on KenStone.net regarding the Time Remap Tool

I’m thinking the Time Remap Tool should do it for you. This is my Quick Start Guide to the Time Remap Tool. When you are adjusting your keyframes it will look like your clip in the timeline will want to ripple but it won’t.

Just try and remember to look at the second from the bottom “Speed Left” in the pop-up yellow dialogue box with the Time Remap Tool and adjust the segment of you clip to the left of your keyframe with the Time Remap Tool.

Also your Time Remap Tool needs to be hovering over your footage bar in the Sequence Timeline at a keyframe.

As a simple example let’s say you want a normal speed for the first half of a clip. Set a keyframe with the Time Remap Tool at the end of the normal speed–as a sidebar it should be noted that each clip you put in the timeline already has two keyframe and is set for Constant Speed. That means when you add your first keyframe with the Time Remap Tool you are really adding a second keyframe down from the first that was already there–you can see this if you click on the Motion tab in the Viewer for the clip you are working on and twirl (some call it the Disclosure Triangle) down the Time Remap channel at the bottom of the Motion tab. Since you are using the Time Remap Tool the speed will change to Variable Speed under Time Remap and you should see 3 keyframes now in the Viewer timeline under the Motion tab since you added one to the two that are always there.

Now add a 2nd keyframe with the Time Remap Tool further down the timeline–to the right of you present keyframe you set. Now hover over the footage bar in Sequence Timeline at the 2nd keyframe you set and drag to the left watching the yellow pop-up dialogue box to slow it down to 33% or 25%. Now go to the end of you clip to adjust the last keyframe–it is automatically there for each clip–and adjust it to 100% for Speed Left in the yellow pop-up dialogue box. As a general rule you are alway adjusting Speed Left–second from the bottom in the yellow dialogue box.

In this example the first part of the clip is normal speed, then about 25% and finally normal or 100% again.

In the Viewer you could hover over your clips and hold the Control Key down and click for the Context Menu and adjust the keyframe for Smooth, but that explanation is beyond my little example here.

Understand that the Time Remap Tool is a zero sum game. That means if you slow you clip to the left of your keyframe it speeds up the clip to the right of your keyframe to make up for your adjustment. Just set your keyframes where you want them while the clip is in normal speed and then work left to right to each keyframe in your clip to adjust the the Speed Left for the speed you want. And remember if you clip needs to be normal speed for the first part of you clip set an anchor keyframe at the end of the normal speed range.

If you load you clip into the Viewer from your sequence and look at the Motion tab and Time Remap in the Viewer timeline you should see your keyframes and adjustments. I can’t stress enough to watch your adjustments in the Viewer while you work in the sequence Timeline to begin to understand the Time Remap Tool.

HTH,
Bryce Whiteside

Don’t worry Mr. B. I have a cunning plan…

PowerBook 1.67 Ghz ATI 9700 128 MB 2 GB
Final Cut Pro HD
DVD Studio Pro 3
Motion

[Rich Rubasch]

What I do is drag the clip up to an empty video track…I lock the other tracks below, apply the speed change and the lower tracks remain unchanged. Then I can drag the new speed changed clip back onto position. It’s a kludge, but it works and I don’t have to do it so often.

I’d love to see a speed change option where you get a dialog box when you apply the speed change in the timeline to ripple or not, and to start the clip at the head or obey the out point. That would work perfectly for me.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media

[Bret Williams]

The simplest way is to do it in the viewer. If you don’t want it to effect the clip in the bin, you can bring up the source file, buut it won’t have any mark in’s or outs. Just place the playhead and press cmd+opt+f. THEN set the speed, and the in/out points and edit it in like normal.

[Chris Kamen]

Thanks for that suggestion, indeed it’s another way of doing, but the bad thing is you have to reset the IN / OUT points which is the whole thing I was wanting to avoid in the first place!

Rich, I agree with you, it would be a great nifty feature to have that as a checkbox option in the change Speed dialogue box: to be able to ripple edit or not when you change a clip’s speed on the timeline.