problems exporting Animation codec from AE CS3 to FCP

[Paul Rijkaard]

Hi ok here goes:

What format is your source media: DV pal (16:9 anamorphic)

What are your capture settings? DV pal anamorphic

What are your timeline settings in FCP? DV pal anamorphic

How are you exporting the footage from FCP? native uncompressed quicktime (export as quicktime)

How is your footage interpreted in AE after import? The footage appears in Project window as 720 x 576 and then shifts pixel ratio when I move it to the comp

What are your composition settings in AE? Pal D1/DV widescreen square pixel, 1024 x 576 widescreen, square pix, frame aspect ratio 16:9, 25fps, full resoltion, 11 mins duration

What are your render settings/output module in AE? I go file>export>as quicktime movie> … Settings: compression type: Animation, frame rate 25 fps, key frame every 24 frames, millions of colors +, Best quality, No sound, size: compressor native, no filters, uncheck prepare for internet streaming.

Does the rendered footage look correct when played in QT Player? What does it say in the Info palette (cmd-I)?

Rendered footage cannot usually play at full speed in QT due to size of file, it staggers, hangs etc. The info palette on a number of clips has read that the frame rate on the clip is not 25 fps, but sometimes 24.3 or 22.79, it reads as animation codec. However this file is fine when placed straight into DVD pro and burnt with a simple burn.looks great on screen.however some of the clips are noted as 25fps and these still cause problems in fcp. The problem is that the ghosting or stagger caused when playing back the footage in QT (due to less than 25fps playback) appears within the later generations of this clip

Thanks for your help, there must be a solution within this I can’t believe adobe and apple can’t be friends

[Darby Edelen]

[paulsimonrichards] “How are you exporting the footage from FCP? native uncompressed quicktime (export as quicktime)”

Just to clarify, when you use “Export As QuickTime” it exports the footage in the same settings as your timeline, so it should actually be exporting a PAL DV Compressed mov.

[paulsimonrichards] “I go file>export>as quicktime movie> … Settings: compression type: Animation, frame rate 25 fps, key frame every 24 frames, millions of colors +, Best quality, No sound, size: compressor native, no filters, uncheck prepare for internet streaming.”

This is where your problem appears to be, you don’t want to File>Export>As QuickTime Movie. You want to Composition>Make Movie or Composition>Add to Render Queue. For further information I will point you to Dave LaRonde’s excellent rant:

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/202/874822

Your default render settings should be exactly what you want to use, the Output Module is named “Lossless” and will take its size/frame rate settings from the composition automatically.

Since the Render Queue is something new to learn, here’s a head start:

https://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/8.0/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103a4f2dff7-79f4.html

[paulsimonrichards] “Rendered footage cannot usually play at full speed in QT due to size of file, it staggers, hangs etc.”

I regularly watch lossless Animation footage on my computer, and ProRes 4:2:2 compressed HD footage with no stuttering. It’s a function of what sort of disk/raid array/computer you have.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA