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Pixel Aspect question that has been driving me nuts
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Ok, so I just tried it again bringing a 720×547 tiff of a circle into FCP and then opened the clip from the timeline into the viewer and saw that FCP distorts it for some reason. So, I changed the distortion from -12.5 back to zero and the circle is now a perfect circle. Why is it that the 720×540 frame dropped into a 720×486 timeline looks correct with the -12.5 distortion, but the 720×547 frame looks wrong?
Best,
EliEli Mavros
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This is happening in 720 x 486 sequence? or DV?
Kevin Monahan
http://www.fcpworld.com
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro -
This was happening when bringing a 720×547 tiff into a 10bit 720×486 timeline. If you look at my post below, it turns out that once I brought the distortion back to zero from -12.5, the image looked correct.
-Eli
Eli Mavros
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[Eli Mavros] “Why is it that the 720×540 frame dropped into a 720×486 timeline looks correct with the -12.5 distortion, but the 720×547 frame looks wrong?”
I can’t answer that.
I will say we do 720×540 here.
We have ALWAYS used 720×540 here. (goin on 12+ years)
We will continue to use 720×540 here.
If it works, don’t fix it.
There’s a similar argument for graphic originated
dvd anamorphic settings.some say 864×480, some say 854×480
It’s actually 854×480 as defined by Sonic Solutions,
THE gold standard in DVD and Blu-Ray disc authoring systems. -
[Chris Borjis] “There’s a similar argument for graphic originated
dvd anamorphic settings.some say 864×480, some say 854×480”
How on earth would someone come up with 864? It’s just basic math:
16/9 = x/480
x = 853.333
Round to the nearest even number, you get 854. I’m glad Sonic agrees with me :).
Sean
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The easiest way to do this is correct the aspect ratio before going to FCP. So in photoshop you can design at 720×540 square pixels, then change the final image size to 720×486 (you will notice your circle is now squeezed, which is the non-sq format that video needs). You can then import the 486 graphic to FCP, make sure the aspect is set to D1 (0.9) and all should be well. Also, with later versions of Photoshop, you can set the aspect ratio for video (it’d be a 720×486 image size with a D1 aspect ratio). In AE, you can also do the same and all will be correctly adjusted for you before going to FCP. In AE you simply choose the D1 preset (or you can use the D1 sq. pixel preset if you feel 720×540 is better for your needs, I never used it). If designing in Illustrator, stick with square pixels 720×540 and do the conversion in whatever program you feel is necessary.
[Sean ONeil] “How on earth would someone come up with 864? It’s just basic math: “
Yes, but stretching that out to x 720×486 D1 timeline, it would be 864
16/9 = x/486
x= 864
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Adobe and Apple have different schemes. Apple has verified that these are the proper frame sizes. Just because you have done things the same way for years doesn’t mean you’ve been doing it right the whole time. 😉
First of all, you should never have to distort graphics in FCP to -12.5%. Create them at the proper sizes in Sq. Pixels (720 x 547), then “squeeze” them to the CCIR-601 frame size 720 x 486) in the Image Size Dialog Photoshop. Import them and open them in the timeline and they will “unsqueeze” to the perfect aspect ratio. This is the classic Photoshop for Video technique.
One would never edit a 720 x 540 graphic directly into the timeline, if you do that, you’ll get small black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. You’re also adding overhead by unnecessarily introducing a Distort parameter. Not good.
Kevin Monahan
http://www.fcpworld.com
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro -
[Kevin Monahan] “Adobe and Apple have different schemes. Apple has verified that these are the proper frame sizes. Just because you have done things the same way for years doesn’t mean you’ve been doing it right the whole time. ;-)”
but the catch Adobe and Apple only in the last few years have gained market share.
You’ve got Avid, Quantel, Discreet and others who have been around much longer
doing it 720×540. -
but the catch Adobe and Apple only in the last few years have gained market share.
You’ve got Avid, Quantel, Discreet and others who have been around much longer
doing it 720×540.With those systems, perhaps it is fine to use 720 x 540.
In the spec for non-square pixels, there is some opportunity to create them with different pixel aspect rations. Apple has chosen to do just this. I’m not sure why they chose their non-square pixels to be different than other graphics platforms, but they have.
I’m not arguing with you guys, I’m just passing along information here.
Kevin Monahan
http://www.fcpworld.com
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro -
720 x 540 should be used for DV
720 x 547 should be used for SDRemember, Apple non-square pixels are DIFFERENT than all other applications.
Kevin Monahan
http://www.fcpworld.com
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro
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