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importing photoshop files
I’m constantly being provided “art cards” to be added to videos. I usually ask for them as a .psd so that i can manipulate individual layers within the photoshop file. My PROBLEM is that when I copy and paste a layer from the .psd sequence into my editing sequence, the sizing, positioning, and aspect ratio are almost always affected. I try and make sure they design the “art cards” with the same frame size and pixel aspect ratio that I’m using in my editing sequence, but things are still affected.
Anyone know any obvious things to look out for? Any other solutions to maintain and preserve all aspects of the .psd when imported to FCP 6 and copy/pasted into my editing sequence?
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5 Replies
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What I do to avoid that the layers get resized in the time-line, is to pint a pixel in each of the corner of each of the layers. The layers will retain the size and aspect, and you can crop it later in FC.
Rafael -
You just need to add two dots in diagonally opposite corners.
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” -
I guess I’m not sure what you guys mean. Are you using the dots/pixels as points of reference to re-adjust in FCP? The main problem I have is with text layers. If someone builds me an art card that has bullet pointed text with each bullet point being a separate layer, the sizing and placement of each layer is affected and changed when brought into FCP. And not even in the same way most of the time. Text layers that all have the same size/font/effects/etc…. will be affected differently when brought into FCP.
I’m confused. I’m just not sure whether it’s a Photoshop thing or a FCP thing or both?
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Well, it’s more of a Final Cut issue. While Final Cut can import PSD files, they’re not ideal. FCP wants to make the layer fill the frame, so that’s why each layer does it’s own unique whackjob stretch. If you work with TIFF files with alpha channels (the layers with text) you’re going to have much better results. All of the graphics we build in house, while they may start as PSD files, all get saved as TIFF files before coming into FCP. You do not get the layers, it comes in composite, but if you start fiddling with the alpha channels and text and saving out individual files, it works pretty well. Time intensive, sure, but things like drop shadows come across quite well, you can do nice bullet builds, etc. It’s a change of workflow, but something to consider.
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Thanks so much Nicole! That makes sense. I’m going to try it that way.
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