Re: What could be improved in FCP?

[Tig Coates]

Hopefully v5 will address all of these issues
thanks for everybody’s input.
I have attempted to categorise all of your posts.
10.4, QT7, Core-technologies and other improvements will no doubt
facilitate v5 in being v. cool.
Any further comments are welcome.
There are workarounds for some of these issues but anyway –

Scripting
FX-Script & Applescript to address the whole application

GUI
larger fonts & buttons for GUI
user colour choices for timeline media

Capture & Import
media preview when importing files
edit to timeline from log and capture window
marker shortcuts in log and capture window
capture now or later
capture time remaining for individual clips
edit while capture

Audio
XML integration with Logic fixed (107-region problem)
AU plug-ins to display their native GUI
peak-level meter also work according to PPM spec.
QT 7 to facilitate 4 channel audio capture

General
Core-MIDI access to whole application
ability to specify exact speed of scrolling text
curves in colour correction tool
improved timeline/project performance

Edit
multi-cam support
dedicated time-code window
scroll-in-play
variable frame-rate FF & REW in the viewer or canvas
only the editor stops playback function
bezier handles for speed change/automation
phantom marks

Core-Visual
improved scaling algorithm
RT scopes
integrated LiveType
3D Open-GL effects

Sequence
multiple RT/extreme codecs on the same timeline
RT/extreme HDV edit
sequence to target renders to alternative codec

Output
mastering tool fix
improved media management
re-capture improvement
automatic import of renders to bin or timeline

Facility
network rendering
multi-seat editing

thanks
Tig

[Peter Mcauley]

How about timecode display while capturing and audio meters that don’t disable when capturing. EDLs that are accurate and work. A larger user definable GUI. I’m going blind on my 23″ cinema displays. target tracks that light up when connected. Looking for the 2 pixal gap on target tracks is driving me crazy. How about being able yo toggle on/off the audio monitor of a clip in the viewer. Being able to turn video layers on and off without havng to rerender all the time. An entirely new data management system. The whole speed thing is an absolute joke. User definable safe title generators that go out to your client monitors. Copy paste and move for keyframes. I can’t think of one other app that uses keyframes that doesn’t have this functionaity. Seperate scale rotate and centre postion so these can be selected seperately pasting attributes. Speaking of pasting attributes how about the filter button split up into multiple filters to select from should there be more than one. Scratch disks set on a project by project basis. One can only hope.
Cheers

Peter McAuley
Axyz Edit
Toronto
G5 dual 2.0
4 gigs ram
10.3.8
FCP 4.5 HD
QT 6.5.2
Kona 2 v1.0.5 with K Box
4 X 250 gig external F800 Lacie firewire drive
2 X 23″ Apple cinema display

[Sean Oneil]

[mishka] “Only the editor stops playback – timeline or viewer should keep playing when I switch windows, perform edits, whatever until I hit Stop or Pause.”

Wow, that’s right. Good call. I completely forgot about that one. A lot of times I’ll want to watch something I’ll be working on in it’s entirety. I’d love to be able to do multitasking on the Mac while it’s playing (watching a movie while surfing the web- what a tough job).

[Sean Oneil]

A really big one I missed:

When capturing from tape, there’s no running TC counter. I always thought this made FCP look unprofessional. Aside from their image, it’s a pain for me. I have to go into the machine room and look at the deck’s counter to know how much time is left.

Another feature. When logging and then capturing (not capture now), you should be able to stop it shorter than you originally intended without it throwing away the media. It should be able to create a clip which ends when you stopped it. A button for “Stop” and a different button for “Abort” would be the way to go.

[Sean Oneil]

[Sean ONeil] “Another feature. When logging and then capturing (not capture now), you should be able to stop it shorter than you originally intended without it throwing away the media. It should be able to create a clip which ends when you stopped it. A button for “Stop” and a different button for “Abort” would be the way to go.”

Whoops, Peter beat me to this one. Sorry Pete!

[Jay Volk]

Media Management… PLEASE GIVE US WORKING AND RELIABLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT!!!!!
Timeline scroll with program — can’t stand hunting around for the timeline cursor…grrr
A control surface/interface to for audio. A mouse is a lousy way to adjust audio…
Better scaling quality… in this area FCP truly stinks

[Tommyg]

1 – A vari-speed that works in a user friendly logical manner. Ive been so embarrassed when a client asked me to have a clip go from 100% down to 40%, and easing into that change, and then to stick with 40% rate. Maybe i should read the manual, but i couldn’t get it done, let alone tweak it. See After effects time remap.

2 – Media manager that is trustworthy. And doesn’t screw up speed effects. (already been said)

3- Pasting of clips in the timeline, must obey the “targetting black box” the FIRST time I paste, not the SECOND try!

4 – Don’t “prepare video for display” for 40min, with no option to cancel, even though rendering only took 15 min.

5 – make nice EDLs

6 – Allow me to open my OMFs (audio) or is it avid licencing?

7 – Ever seen anyone use the “frame advancer wheels” on the viewer and canvas? not me

8 – Black n Code tape prep that allows me (on DV/ DVCam) via firwire to stripe MY DEFINED timcode. This might be a deck issue.

9 – another vote for scopes that are active during playback/record. Audio Level meters too. TC window, run while rec, and edit to tape.

10 – “Render timeline and edit to tape at this TC, and try 10 times if frame drops or some such error. All with no user interaction” This is not lazy. Sometimes I’ll have a long viewing with client, and tweak-a-thon. Then they say “great, love it” Then I’d like to go home and have my cold supper. Waiting for a render, then editing to tape and dropping a frame, seems like nursemaiding. Just do it, and try again if you fail.

11 – When using a PSD, I “open in editor” to change something on my layers. Then the layer is a bit bigger when i save it. This makes FCP do funny things. Does not acknoledge the bigger pix dimentions of the layer.

12 High precicion rendering should be available for portions of the timeline (eg heavy composites with graphic elements) Highlight Leave the funky ol DV footage to do it’s thing in ordinary precision

Furthermore I LOVE FCP!

[Johnw3d]

It’s very interesting to see several requests for scripting in this thread. I’ve been trying to get Apple to respond to overtures about getting serious scripting into FCP, but have heard not a peep. I’m interested in this, not only because I developed all the Lyric FXScript plugins and think FXScript could be made wildly better, but because I also happen to be the creator of MAXScript, the scripting language in Discreet’s 3D Studio MAX and have worked on scripting systems for 15 years, so I think I have a good idea about how much leverage it could give FCP.

Anyway, if it’s OK, I’d like to start a bit of a brainstorming thread on what scripting might mean for FCP. I’ll write a little intro and post it here in the next day or so.

BTW, I have a list of about 30 improvements ideas just for FXScript, if you are interested in that level of detail.

Cheers,
John.

[Steve Covello]

[Tom Matthies]

Ditto to the transport/machine control status for those of us that have a central machine room and can’t actually see the decks from the edit rooms.
How ’bout an easier way to get a PSD into the viewer rather than dragging it there. You can’t double click it without opening it as a sequence…
Just a small gripe.
Tom