-
Interesting notes about fcpx plugins
-
[Jeremy Garchow] “While I agree with you, it’s how the audio filters work today in FCPX. So it seems, the floating window idea is already somewhat in the application today.”
Indeed — but it strikes me as a bit out-of-place compared to the rest of the UI.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
[Jeremy Garchow] ” but if you have to open a new window, is that such a big deal as long as it will theoretically work with the theoretical video out and the frame cache gets fixed?”
This open window is a static frame opening in a separate application. That’s how all the preset-based plug-ins work (PhotoCopy, Tiffen Dfx, Looks, Sapphire Edge). That’s not a problem, but the original point is that FCP X has no actual dedicated plug-in architecture. That’s what the developers have been telling me.
[Jeremy Garchow] “And why are Motion plugins bad?”
Nothing wrong with them at all, but the implementations within FCP X are artificially restricted by Apple edict and the UI design. Right now, plug-ins that work inside Motion 5 cannot be used within FCP X because of their control interfaces. These same plug-ins worked with Motion4/FCP7.
Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Mark Dobson] “So it’s as if it is, probably through using xml “
I really doubt it has anything to do with XML. This is a separate API entirely. This demo shows Looks. There a static frame is sent to an external application. You set the parameters, which are then applied to the moving clip, once you return to the host application. There is BTW, no clip-to-clip workflow. Plug-ins like Looks are a great way for a stylized look, but they are no substitute for an actual grading application or even a plug-in, like Colorista II. The reason is that you can’t use it in context with the clip before and after in the timeline.
[Mark Dobson] “The demo clearly shows a colour wheel ( at 01.42) “
Wrong. You are seeing the color wheel inside the Looks interface. This has nothing to do with the effects pane inside FCP X.
[Mark Dobson] “Either way i’m really looking forward to its release and feel sorry that RGS have had such an uphill struggle to port their software over to FCPX. Seems like they are very nearly there”
I’m beginning to wonder if this will take until the next FCP X update (early next year), because it seems that all of the plug-in makers have hit the same roadblock. It’s Apple problem at this point.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Walter Soyka] “I would have thought that something like a comprehensive effects API — including custom UI element support so that third-party developers could do their job and add functionality and control that Apple hadn’t already thought of themselves — would have been an important piece of plumbing to have in place before launch.”
There is one possibility. Namely the use of floating HUDs like in Aperture. It’s possible that certain custom controls, like color wheels, could be floated in some future plug-in.
[Walter Soyka] “With that said, I’d like to call some more attention to one of the features I like best about FCPX, which you wrote about in this post: Motion/FCPX integration. This is brilliantly done, and as a designer, I’m excited about possibly using this to deliver customized motion elements to any of my editorial clients who choose to move forward with FCPX.”
Well, in some ways better and in other ways worse. Without a “send to” function, I cannot use Motion to draw mattes, for example on a clip for use inside FCP X. Like I used to in FCP7/Motion4 or like I can now with PPro/AE and Dynamic Link. Or like I can with Avid Media Composer and Avid FX (or internally in Avid Animatte).
Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
I’d agree – allowing more UI design control from within Motion 5 clearly seems like the best way of addressing this issue and I’m sure is part of the game plan.
I hope so anyway …
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Nothing wrong with them at all, but the implementations within FCP X are artificially restricted by Apple edict and the UI design. Right now, plug-ins that work inside Motion 5 cannot be used within FCP X because of their control interfaces. These same plug-ins worked with Motion4/FCP7.”
OK, perhaps this is based on the rather limited FCPXML at this point?
-
[Jeremy Garchow] “[Oliver Peters] “Nothing wrong with them at all, but the implementations within FCP X are artificially restricted by Apple edict and the UI design. Right now, plug-ins that work inside Motion 5 cannot be used within FCP X because of their control interfaces. These same plug-ins worked with Motion4/FCP7.”
OK, perhaps this is based on the rather limited FCPXML at this point?”
Sorry, fires this off before reading responses.
Don’t mind me.
-
[Jeremy Garchow] “OK, perhaps this is based on the rather limited FCPXML at this point?”
This has nothing to do with FCPXML. Plug-in APIs are an entirely different animal. Look at the design and please explain to me how the interface of FCP X would allow the possibility of something like Colorista II. The same issue exists with Avid AVX, BTW, which also doesn’t permit custom UI controls.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Look at the design and please explain to me how the interface of FCP X would allow the possibility of something like Colorista II. The same issue exists with Avid AVX, BTW, which also doesn’t permit custom UI controls.”
All I can reference is Apple’s existing UI. There are custom controls. Perhaps they aren’t available to developers yet (or maybe they won’t be, I don’t know, I don’t develop plugins)
Look at the keyer and luma keyer.
Look at the Color Board with the masks and various tools that you step through (Exposure, Saturation, Board, etc).
Am I making too much of a jump to how custom controls might work?
Jeremy
-
[Jeremy Garchow] “All I can reference is Apple’s existing UI. There are custom controls… Am I making too much of a jump to how custom controls might work?”
I don’t think so, but the key word there is “might.” A developer working on a plugin today doesn’t care about “might” — they care about “does” or “does not.”
Sadly for FCPX users, right now it’s “does not.” Hopefully that will change. (Optimism?)
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up