-
Large compound clips, a drama in four acts…
I wanted to see if anything else has been discovered regarding Compound Clips and the relationship to their performance on the timeline (cough) sorry project, especially related to the length/size of the C.Clip. My problems are different than other Compound Clip problems posts I’ve found on the board so I wanted to see if that was because I was missing something, or just am the first to bring it up. Also, I’m totally open to the idea that All of these problems stem from bad practices. I’m open to being called out on them if you see them. I welcome it.
I’m bumping up against the following issues:
1) When I drop long compound clips onto the timeline –say an hour long interview of separate video clips (Thanks 5D!) and a single audio clip– I’m not able to play back the footage on the timeline, though I do get playback in the Event Browser. I just get a screen grab -which usually corresponds to the very first clip I put into the project, even if that clip is no longer on the time line- and audio playback. I can cut the CClip, but it doesn’t seem to help. CClips which are originally shorter work fine and certainly regular clips work, but after a certain length (maybe 20 min?) FCPX just seems to put up a wall. What am I doing wrong?
2) Rendering the media INSIDE of Compound Clips: As mentioned, I’ve shot this project on my 5D. I’m currently editing off the original H.264 footage, and so playback is a little janky on Synced C.Clips until I’ve opened it up and let the footage inside of it render. Is there a way to not have to do this automatically? ( get it to render when I make the clip originally) or is the answer: “You should be working in ProRes.” ?
3) Adding Footage to an already existing compound clip seems to be where Compound Clips are NOT like nesting. Back in the Nesting days, you could stretch out a Nested clip if there was additional media inside of it, now X wants to maintain the original length of the C.Clip. So if I decided later that, really, these two Interviews that I synced as individual CClips are really the same interview, I can’t just drop the media from one CClip into the other and be able to access the new footage on the timeline as the CClip maintains the original duration. Even though I can playback all of it in the Event Browser.
4) Markers on CClips: Some times, the markets go away after I’ve made them. I’ll admit, I didn’t search for this before mentioning it, but it only seems to happen on long interview CClips. What’s funny is that sometimes they markers are listed are for the clip List View and you can cycle through them, but other times, they just disappear after a quit.
So these are a big questions. Any insight is very welcome. If you’re in the LA/OC I owe you a beer/coffee.
Tech Specs just in case:
15″MBP 2.8Ghz Core2Duo
Ram-8gigs
OS-10.6.8
Internal HD is a 128SSD
I’m editing off of a RaidMini in Raid0 via FW800Virescit Vulnere Virtus
-
6 Replies
-
1) I wouldn’t call that bad practice since the new update to FCPX is supposed to allow for that kind of sync clip, and since all sync clips are compound clips, I don’t see why you can’t have an hour long compound clip. However, if you’re having issues, they may be related to your MBP. I haven’t tried an hour long compound clip so I don’t know if the problem is prevalent or isolated to your system.
2) I would definitely convert the h264 to ProRes, although you could work off of proxy if you didn’t want the file size of full ProRes. H264 is not ideal for editing because of it’s Long GOP structure, and I’ve even found that some H264 clips behave different from others inside FCPX.
3) Not sure I understand you here. You can indeed add new media into an existing compound clip. If the CC was created in the browser, open it in Timeline Mode, append the new footage and back out. The CC will update its duration and you’ll see it in the viewer. If the CC was created in the timeline, open in Timeline Mode, append the new footage, back out, and then drag the end of the CC to extend its border to encompass the new footage.
4) Not sure about missing markers, I haven’t noticed that myself, although if you add markers to a CC opened in it’s own timeline, those markers will not translate to the clip in the Event Browser.
Andy
https://www.timesavertutorials.com
-
Thanks Andy for your response. I’ve been doing some fiddling and have realized that some of this MAY be user error…. All the CCs were made pre-10.0.1 so those updated didn’t help BUT:
1) I made a new Project to test a few things and realized that my last two projects were 1080/24p as apposed to 23.98p. This seems to be the culprit as I’ve dropped those same long CCs into the 23.98p project and they seem to be behaving fine.
2) The proper Frame Rate has also resolved this issue, although I am going to go ahead at create proxies as it seems to create a more stable environment generally.
So my guess it that the massive re-timeing of an hour’s worth of h.264 clips from 23.98 to 24 just locks up something in FCPX.
3) You are so right. I should have seen that, thank you.
4) Regarding the Markers, the bug seems to have something to do with having my Events on a second display and then unplugging that display. The markers are “there” in the marker list, but the little blue chips aren’t displaying on the clip. After a re-launch most of the markers are now showing up, however a handful I laid down before a crash are gone. I realized early on that markers on a CC had to be made on the CC instead of IN the CC-I’m not a fan, but that’s for another time.
Virescit Vulnere Virtus
-
Are you on 10.0.1? Also what is your playback set to in preferences, high quality or better performance?
1 – I just made a 4.5 hr compound clip with about 40 edits (1080 HDV however) and it reacts normally. You might try setting your timeline to “pills”, or collapsing your audio roles. However, are you storing your compound clip in the event, or is it a compound clip in a project?
2 – Your milage may vary with h264. I wouldn’t think your MBP would have much trouble. I haven’t had trouble on my 2006 Mac Pro. Try toggling between playback of high quality and better performance and see if those perform any better. The other issue might be your FW800 RAID. The transfer rate might not be the problem, but the random access time might be. FCP X saves every time you touch the keyboard and release the mouse, plus it is reading audio and video off different parts of your HD. I have seen a slowdown on my FW800 drive, but not on my ESATA Raid.
3. – You can make a compound clip longer. Like Andy said, just add footage to the compound clip then when you go back to the timeline just roll your outpoint and you’ll have the extra length. Actually it works just like you described. Maybe there is something else we are missing.
4 – Haven’t seen this but it might be happening.
——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque -
I’m glad 1 and 2 and 3 have been resolved for you. I can see why playing back H264 from 23.98 to 24p over an hour could be glitchy.
I laughed when I read the steps to get the missing markers. I think if you can avoid unplugging your display when working with FCPX on 2 monitors while adding markers to CCs….you should be fine. 🙂
Andy
PS: BTW, I’ll take a stout.
https://www.timesavertutorials.com
-
I ment it man. I’m really appreciative.
Virescit Vulnere Virtus
-
Thanks Timothy,
The largest issues (1&2) ended up being simply negligence on my part. Quickly setting up a 24p project for 23.98p footage would require extra rendering in ANY NLE I would guess.
Between that and creating Proxies I’m back to a very usable system. I’m currently stuck on a MBP and because I opted for the 128SSD, editing externally over FW800 is currently the only real option until I can find the time and cash to pic up the Other World data doubler.
Thanks again for the advice.
Virescit Vulnere Virtus
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up