ProCutX iPad interface

[Michael Phillips]

My issue with most of these type of iPad devices is that the primary purpose of a hardware controller interface is to allow control over parameters without having to look at it – it is done by feel with your eyes and ears never leaving the program. I always find myself having to look where I am tapping or swiping as the glass has no physical boundary interface to work by feel. So at most, it is just a monitor extension to the interface and not a controller replacement.

Unknown is whether you can control more than one parameter at a time, which is another purpose of hardware controllers, or automate a parameter based on a playback time, etc…

Michael

[Gary Huff]

[Michael Phillips] “My issue with most of these type of iPad devices is that the primary purpose of a hardware controller interface is to allow control over parameters without having to look at it – it is done by feel with your eyes and ears never leaving the program.”

Ditto. I find myself a decent iPad typist, but every now and then I royally mess up what I’m trying to type, and I’m looking towards the keyboard all the time.

I can’t imagine the kinds of trouble I could get into with this thing on an edit. Yet another attempt at interface innovation that seems like it hasn’t been completely vetted.

[Cameron Clendaniel]

Agreed. Without that tactile experience, I don’t really see the point. Possibly as an add on to one’s existing workflow? Not sure it would really make anything more efficient though.

Cameron Clendaniel
Film Editor, NYC
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[Nicholas Kleczewski]

And can anyone tell me what purpose a jog wheel really serves at this point, real or virtual? FCPX especially. It has moved beyond what a jog wheel can offer in terms of performance and precision. The rest is just keyboard shortcuts people can force themselves to study a little harder.

Director, Editor, Colorist
http://www.trsociety.com

[T. Payton]

[Nicholas Kleczewski] “And can anyone tell me what purpose a jog wheel really serves at this point, real or virtual?”

Well my ShuttlePro looks really cool sitting on my desk… I don’t use it, but it sure looks impressive. 😉

Every once in a while I grab it and look through some footage. But then I go back to JKL or the skimmer.

I think that a control surface that would extend the FCP X interface and save desktop real estate would be a useful tool. A color board control that wouldn’t require the color board inspector to be up would something that I would use.

Video scopes that would be shown just on the iPad would be useful. Faders and meters on audio bus mixer would be ideally suited for the iPad also.

Regarding the lack of tactile response, I believe that a cleverly implemented audio feedback system could get pretty close to a physical feedback. Hearing switches “click” and nobs turn would help quite a bit.

I think the big hangup on why these types of apps haven’t appeared is that there is not an API for controlling FCP X. With FCP Legacy and Color we had hooks to allow developers to implement control surfaces, with FCP X we don’t.

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[Rick Lang]

Rome wasn’t built in a day. I see this as just the first panel of something that may eventually offer several virtual panels for specialized use. These criticisms of the current implementation are all quite valid but may be a hint of what is to come in future versions.

Rick Lang

iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB

[Gary Huff]

[Rick Lang] “These criticisms of the current implementation are all quite valid but may be a hint of what is to come in future versions.”

I don’t see how future versions will solve the tactile feedback problem.

[Michael Phillips]

I can see some form of vibrate and sound feedback happening, but still not the same as actual hardware with resistance, hard start and stop locations, etc. I certainly see value as an extension to interface and informative views – for example when editing on Media Composer, I use the iPad as a window extension to the timecode window where I display nice and large timecode, clip name, duration, etc. All the stuff the client asks for when I am editing, they can just now look and see that without interrupting my pace while working.

Michael

[Neil Patience]

Hi Michael

interested to know what you use to make the iPad a 2nd or is it 3rd display – do you use Air Display or something similar ?

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

8 Core MacPro, Kona 3, Tangent Wave, Mackie Universal Symphony 6.5 FCP7
i7 2.7 Gig MBP (non retina) 16Gigs Ram Blackmagic Monitor Mini Symphony 6.5 FCP7

[Michael Phillips]

Yes, I use Air Display to do that. I resize my timecode window to fit the entire iPad screen so it can easily be seen.

Michael