Mark Out is offset by one frame

[Tom Wolsky]

That’s the way the application works. The out point includes the frame you’re sitting on, so it’s after the frame. It does not mark like tape and mark where the playhead is, which is before the frame you’re looking at.

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”

[Adam Sonnenfeld]

I think what’s happened though is that the playhead is offset. For instance, if I position the playhead at a cut and hit O, I expect an out point now at the location of the cut, on the playhead. What’s happening here is that the marker out is one frame to the right, into the next clip, not on the cut.

Also, looking at the top of the playhead, there is a highlighted region in the time code area that takes up one frame to the right of the playhead. Marking out snaps to the end of the region, rather than to the playhead.

I’ve been on FCP for years and this came up yesterday. I returned from vacation, turned the computer on, and found the timeline behaving like this. I’ll also note that X works fine to mark a clip. it just won’t let me mark an accurate out.

[Tom Wolsky]

That’s the way the application is designed to work. The out point includes the frame you’re looking at, which is why the mark is not at the playhead. The playhead is always at the intersection between the previous frame and the frame you’re looking at. If the out point were marked at the playhead it would exclude the frame you’re seeing. This is the way FCP has worked since version 1, and it is common to many NLEs.

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”

[Tom Brooks]

I think it’s always been that way. Seems like it differs from the Avid I used to use more often. Yep, they make a lot of it in the manual. Vol-II, P. 99.

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[Adam Sonnenfeld]

Thanks for the pages in the manual. I guess I’m losing my mind because I never thought it was an issue before. There’s no way to turn that off right?

[Shane Ross]

Turn that off? It is a basic function of every NLE…as Tom says, that is how NLEs work. The out point always includes the frame you see. If you park on a frame, and mark IN and OUT, you have a duration of 1 frame. ON a tape to tape system, the duration would be 0. But this is how all NLEs have worked since NLEs have been made.

This came up on an other form too:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1755409&tstart=0

Shane

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[Mark Raudonis]

Adding to Shane’s comments…

This behavior is normal, and is derrived from the “EDL” concept where the out point is defined as the “First frame NOT recorded”. If you’ve every closely examined an EDL, you’ll see that the NLE behavior makes sense.

Mark

[Kevin Monahan]

Avid works the same way. However, if you want the playhead to snap to the true out, you can hold down the Command Key and it will snap there. If only FCP had a similar feature.

I think every user under the sun probably makes the same mistake as the OP. That’s why when I teach a class, I always make sure that they leave with this ever so important tidbit.

The feeling that you’ve been unknowingly chopping off a frame every time you use your playhead to mark out, for years, must be a bit confounding.

I’m quite sure we’ll see this one again. In fact, it showed up today over at kenstone. 😉

Kevin Monahan
http://www.fcpworld.com
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro

[Steven Gonzales]

Just think “The frame I am seeing in the Canvas or Viewer will be the out frame, it will be included”.

Because why wouldn’t the application show you the frame that the action will apply to? If you don’t want that frame included, go back one frame.

[Ken Pugh]

No no no – don’t believe the hype – its not you it’s FCP – written by a programmer not an editor.

My case – mark an in point – move forward four frames – mark an out point – select the region with the alt-A command an delete. How many frames have gone? Five.

I rest my case.

Ken. 🙂