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Is FCPX a Platform for Developers, or the end game?
Hi all,
As I’ve played around with FCPX today, read many of your CreativeCOW forums, and spent time pondering both apples business strategy and possible long term goals, I began to come up with a very optimistic theory to counteract much of the negativity I’ve been reading and experiencing all day regarding the new app.
Is it possible that FCPX is, in fact, merely a raw platform intended to incorporate support from major 3rd party developers (such as native RED functionality or DaVanci etc…) and not the end all-be all editing program that apple has intended for it to be? If this is the case, then final cut pro X can and, in the above case, will be very powerful, EVENTUALLY. I have a hunch that apple is going the way of the iPhone and iPad, and simply setting the master foundation for 3rd parties to build upon and incorporate their own support – this gives apple more time to focus on other things as wel. This is only a theory, but enough buzz about it may catch apples gaze and get them thinking about this, if they aren’t already doing so of course.
– Roman
Panasonic HPX170 P
2008 Unibody Macbook Pro 15 inch, 2.8 Ghz, 4GB RAM
CalDigit VR
Final Cut Pro Studio 3
Avid Media Composer
The College of WIlliam and Mary -
3 Replies
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In my opinion, the absence of any mechanism for third-party software to interface with FCP X is so conspicuous, that it can almost only be explained by the theory that Apple is working on something that isn’t done yet, maybe this.
I mean, even iMovie has a (limited) XML export command. It just seems very unlikely that Apple could actually believe it was sensible for FCP X to have nothing. And Apple flat out told Philip Hodgetts they were working on the ‘ecosystem’ issue:
However, during my direct briefing, the Apple folk made it abundantly clear that the ecosystem was very important to them, and that there will be a new, and much improved, replacement for the current XML workflow. That’s entirely consistent with what I’d heard pre-release that there would be a new form of XML and that it would be accessed by some sort of SDK (Software Developer Kit).
The primary focus for this release was for Apple to get its ducks in a row with respect to the big technical issues, specifically so they would have something to build on for the future, because the old Carbon/QuickTime codebase was never going to carry them through the next decade. As such, it’s kind of silly how many people are acting as if this is the end of the road. It’s the beginning. It’s like the first release of OS X, which also caused a bunch of Internet panic.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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[Chris Kenny] “As such, it’s kind of silly how many people are acting as if this is the end of the road. It’s the beginning. It’s like the first release of OS X, which also caused a bunch of Internet panic.”
When I read users are encountering destructive source processes, no warnings or roadmaps to discontinued features et al, I’m not reading that as unjustifiable “internet panic”. There have been more reasoned posts expressing concern and criticisms than “the sky is falling” crowd. I think it’s a shame most are getting lumped in with them unfortunately.
There just seems to be a lot of unnecessary mystery surrounding a platform that has been supported and built by the very people put off by todays release.
While I am not as cynical as some, and feel that down the road this will obviously improve. I just won’t be surprised after today’s rollout if the once *standard* features of most NLE’s, or much requested updated features (years late to FCP) won’t come at an inflated price.
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[Jamie Franklin] “When I read users are encountering destructive source processes, no warnings or roadmaps to discontinued features et al, I’m not reading that as unjustifiable “internet panic”.”
Bugs impacting source media are just that — bugs. They’ll be fixed shortly, and don’t really have long-term significance. Roadmaps are something Apple, in general, just doesn’t do. They’ve basically told Philip Hodgetts they’re working ‘ecosystem’ problem, but that’s already much more openness than we usually see out of Apple, and I suspect it’s all we’re going to get.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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