qtChange 2.26 and exporting XMLs for plurareyes

[Shane Ross]

Why are you compressing to ProRes Proxy OUTSIDE of FCP? And changing the timecode no less! That’ll make the online very difficult. If you transcode outside of FCP, that means that you’ll have to convert ALL the footage to full res later, and the timecode needs to match…if you have any hope of relinking to the high res stuff. Otherwise you’ll be eye matching everything.

If you want a smooth offline/online, you need to use Log and Transfer to convert your footage. If L&T won’t work with your camera model, then you either need to work full res all the way, or convert to full res and store that media on a shelf, AFTER using the Media Manager to recompress the dailies to ProRes Proxy. OR…use another NLE to edit.

Your current workflow ideas are leading you down the wrong path…

Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Bouke Vahl]

Craig,
Of course the metadata was changed by QTchange, it has added a TC track 🙂
Nevertheless, i highly doubt that this has corrupted the files in any way.
What could have happened is that the project is not totally aware the files have changed. Try creating a fresh project, import the prores in there and see if that fixes your problem.

hth,

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Craig Jackson]

I’m compressing outside FCP because Mpeg Streamclip batch compresses these files 3x faster and with more stability than any other application I’ve used. I’m not changing timecode but instead burning the prores proxy with the same exact timecode from the source h264 files. When it comes to online I will then make the prores proxy sequence (with my locked cut on it) go offline and reconnect the project to the prores 422 of those clips found in the particular locked sequence. Is that way off base?

[Craig Jackson]

That is exactly what I did Bouke. I imported the newly time-coded prores files from qtChange in to a fresh project and then imported the corresponding h4n audio. When I went to sync the audio and proxy with pluraleyes I received the error message above. I was not aware that qtChange would be altering the clips in such a way that FCP would not be able to generate an xml.

[Craig Jackson]

At this point could I use pluraleyes to sync audio in an h264 timeline then reconnect the h264 clips back to the prores files. That way audio is synced and I’m editing with prores that has timecode which is exactly the same as the h264 timecode.

[Bouke Vahl]

I highly doubt that FCP refuses to make XML files from QTchange altered clips. (At least i’ve never seen it happen…)
Did you try PluralEyes support?

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Shane Ross]

[Craig Jackson] “I’m not changing timecode but instead burning the prores proxy with the same exact timecode from the source h264 files.”

OK…so now you have H.264 and ProRes Proxy…

[Craig Jackson] “When it comes to online I will then make the prores proxy sequence (with my locked cut on it) go offline and reconnect the project to the prores 422 of those clips found in the particular locked sequence.”

Where did these ProRes 422 clips come from? That’s the question. IN order to reconnect to ProRes 422, you need to convert ALL of the footage, the full clips, to ProRes 422, with matching timecode. Which would then beg the question, if you have the space to do this, why not do it from the outset?

Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Craig Jackson]

Hi Shane. Thanks for your posts re: this issue. As of now I do not have ProRes 422 files. only the proxy and original h264. I was hoping to be able to make 422 files of only the clips located in the sequence containing the locked cut of the film once I have it finished. Is that possible?

[Shane Ross]

[Craig Jackson] ” I was hoping to be able to make 422 files of only the clips located in the sequence containing the locked cut of the film once I have it finished. Is that possible?”

Not if you do the initial conversion outside of FCP. FCP has no links or metadata claws into the footage if you do that. You cannot media manage then batch capture.

The typical offline/online workflow is this:

Log and Transfer the footage from the camera masters to ProRes Proxy.

Edit

Media Manage the sequence using the MAKE OFFLINE option…choose the compression you want to reimport the footage as…for example ProRes 422. Choose the length of your handles (I like 30-60 frames).

Mount the drive with the camera masters. Possibly load one card into the L&T window to remind FCP where they are.

Use the BATCH CAPTURE function…FCP will now batch capture using Log and Transfer and only bring in the clips used in the sequence, with handles.

If you do your initial conversion outside of FCP…this won’t work. Even if you add reel numbers. FCP doesn’t know where the footage came from…it has no link to the masters.

Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Craig Jackson]

Thanks Shane. It’s my first big edit and I’m learning some hard lessons here. Wondering if there’s anything I can do to clean up the project if the majority of the footage has been converted to prores in Mpeg Streamclip. L&T doesn’t work well with the 5D MKIII. Side note : does L&T create an additional copy of media in the capture scratch?

Would it be better for me to use Compressor to create all the prores files from here on in (that way they retain their original TC) or should I just continue down the rabbit hole of Mpeg Streamclip and manually reconnect the media for the online hoping that the edit points don’t change when I do connect to the 422 files.