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POVhd Generic H264 import, log and transfer?
I have just purchased a Vio POVhd headcam which produces H264.mov up to 1080p resolution.
It records onto a 32GB SD card. The pictures are pretty amazing.I can import from the card into my computer directly and convert to Prores etc to edit with.
(FCP will play the H264 directly on my timeline , just. good enough if there are long clips to top and tail, then conform to an editing format, but a conversion before import is recommended.
(I find streamclip better than compressor, it crashes less when batch converting a lot of files.)Th SD card has: DCIM ,CHUNKS (empty), TAGS ( contains optional in-camera produced files around tag points) folders.
The DCIM folder contains the recorded .mov clips together with with an associated .xml file which holds tag information in the form of:
<?xml version=”1.0″ ?>
0
0
14
14etc.
Two questions:
1. Is there a generic import template to “log and transfer” H264 files. from a DCIM folder
If not an any one point me to anything about how to write my own?2. Is there any easy way of combining the above .xml file into a fcp readable format so these tags can be shown as markers on my clips?
( I could import the file, xml export it, then add markers, in frames, manually…… easy not!)Thanks Steve
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8 Replies
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i think your stuck with mpeg streamclip as the only option.
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Hi Steve,
The only thing to do with all that file/folder structure is DON”T MESS WITH IT.
All that is needed in perfect shape for the L&T.
No templates needed for L&T.
L&T just transcode to Prores, keeping all the rest of the original setting: Time-base, size, pixels, field order,..Only the codec will change.
rafael -
Thanks rafel,
but that intact non-messed with file structure WILL NOT be recognised by L&T as I mentioned.
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[steve knattress] “but that intact non-messed with file structure WILL NOT be recognised by L&T as I mentioned.”
Hi Steve,
The file structure can be altered in many ways.
Some time that happens just by copying the files on a HD. Drag&Drop doesn’t warranty the integrity of the data (applications like the SONY ClipBrowser uses a Data Error Detection system when copying the folder structure).
Also on copying, Mac OSx creates a new file on each folder (.DS Store) that are not on the original structure.
Rafael -
Rafa,
Not all tapeless media sources are natively recognizable by Log and Transfer … Steve is telling us here that this camera does NOT work with Log and Transfer. He has to import and transcode manually and is looking for a way to avoid that. Nothing to do with the data copy in this instance I think.Steve,
I’m not aware of any published specs available for writing your own Log and Transfer plugin, tho it may well be out there … but it will not be trivial. If you balk at the though of “I could import the file, xml export it, then add markers, in frames, manually…… easy not!)” then you will not likely be happy coding your own Log and Transfer plugin.Sorry thats not especially helpful
Andy -
Thanks Andy,
yes you have the problem right. The import even directly of the camera card connected directly by USB does not recognise the file structure. (which looks the same as my Fuji stills camera, ie the media in a DCIM directory.)
I suppose its the non standard .xml for each .mov file which is confusing FCP
This did not reproduce above but is used by the camera’s inbuilt “highlight” editing etc.?xml version=”1.0″ ?
POV2
video name=”/mnt/sdcard/DCIM/2011 Feb 18 14h30m40s.mov” /
tags
tag time=”00:00:16″
hours 0 /hours
minutes 0 /minutes
seconds 16 /seconds
seconds_from_beginning 16 /seconds_from_beginning
/tag
[xml tag delimiters removed]No baulk, for not easy read boring, just wondered whether I needed to invent the wheel 😉
just need to change the tags into markers and covert to frames!Thanks all
Steve -
[steve knattress] “I suppose its the non standard .xml for each .mov file which is confusing FCP”
No … its more likely the whole directory structure Steve. As I alluded to before, not all tapeless media can be instantly recognized and handled by FCP’s Log and Transfer, indeed a specific Log and Transfer plugin must be written for every different data structure that needs to be supported … either that or the camera manufacturer must adhere to an already supported data structure. I’d guess that no amount of tweaking that XML is going to make FCP suddenly read your camera’s particular DCIM folder structure and data and handle it all for you, interpreting the time and date stamp in the XML etc.
As I said, sorry thats not more helpful
Andy -
You are right Andy.
The manual doesn’t mention L&T but clearly explain which files to copy to the HD.
So basically suggests drag&drop the MP4 files.
rafael
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