Selecting all clips after click point.

[Tom Wolsky]

No there isn’t. The application is designed to keep everything contiguous and not to generate gaps. If you want to make a make you can use the insert gap clip function and make the gap clip whatever duration you want.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX” from Class on Demand
“Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Craig Seeman]

Although I can see a different use for such a tool.

Imagine if you need to make a row of Connected Clips into a Secondary Storyline because you want to add transitions. Rather than having to lasso them all it would be nice to have a select row tool.

Additionally it would be nice to have a preference setting that would default to creating a Secondary Storyline rather than a Connected Clip.

[Tom Wolsky]

Once you connect a clip, you can make it a storyline. You can select the storyline and insert, overwrite, or append to the secondary storyline.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX” from Class on Demand
“Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Craig Seeman]

[Tom Wolsky] “Once you connect a clip, you can make it a storyline.”

Sure but why not allow for secondary storyline be a default behavior? I think some would like the option.

Another workflow is audio as Primary Storyline, adding connected clips synced to the audio cue, then make all the Connected Clips into a Storyline to add transition.

Additionally making a single clip a storyline doesn’t change the behavior at other points in time added subsequently. You still have to select them to join them into a single secondary storyline.

A “default” secondary story line would mean if I add a clip at 10 seconds of 1 second duration and another clip at 20 seconds of 1 second duration, the row becomes a secondary storyline and a Gap clip placed between them.

I think it would be a useful convenience to have “one button” methods to have a row as a storyline without have to lasso. It minimizes mouse use.

[Tom Wolsky]

“Additionally making a single clip a storyline doesn’t change the behavior at other points in time added subsequently. You still have to select them to join them into a single secondary storyline.”

Not so. If you select the secondary storyline you can insert into the secondary. You can continue adding to it just like the primary. If you want to leave a gap in the secondary you just add a gap clip to it. It’s transparent and shows the primary, and you can overwrite it at any time. If you want there is nothing to stop you from making a continuous secondary. It’s really a very efficient way to work for B roll laid over a bed.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX” from Class on Demand
“Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Craig Seeman]

[Tom Wolsky] “Not so. If you select the secondary storyline you can insert into the secondary.”

If you add a connected clip and make it a secondary storyline, the secondary storyline is only the length of the clip. Later on the timeline if you add more clips they are connected clips and must be selected along with the first clip to join the secondary storyline.

If you could make an entire row “default secondary storyline” adding clips would automatically be part of the secondary storyline with gaps filling the empty space between them. It would save keystrokes by not having to select and/or lasso the additional clips.

[Tom Wolsky] ” You can continue adding to it just like the primary. If you want to leave a gap in the secondary you just add a gap clip to it.”

That’s very awkward. That’s fine if the next clip is added within the already existing secondary storyline or you’re willing to add a long gap to get to the point where you want to add the next clip.

See the example below. It’s awkward and there should be an easy option to add a clip so it immediately add additional clips to the secondary storyline.

Making Connected Clips a Secondary Storyline

[Mark Morache]

[Craig Seeman] “Sure but why not allow for secondary storyline be a default behavior? I think some would like the option.

“

I think what Craig wants is the ability to assign edits to tracks, just like you can in FCP7. Just click the V1 on the source side and drag it to V2 on the right side to patch your new edits into the selected track.

But wait… there are no tracks! That won’t work. It’s against the paradigm.

I’ve tried putting audio as the primary storyline, then adding b-roll as a secondary storyline. It feels awkward to me. I really like using I and O on the timeline, and even if I have the secondary storyline selected, it still sets the region on the primary storyline.

After I set my points, I can hit the Q key to make a new connected clip, the hit P and drag the connected clip into the secondary storyline. #awkward

If I set my points THEN select the secondary storyline, my range disappears. The only way I can select a range in the secondary storyline is with the range tool and the mouse. #awkward

Perhaps there’s a way we can keep the secondary storyline selected until we specifically unselect it, and all of our keys and edits will apply to the secondary storyline, like a second track.

(Perhaps there’s also a way to keep the in and out-points we set until we unselect them.)

Overwrite and lift: I’ve been using the “overwrite to primary storyline” lately. After I place my narration and soundbites in the primary storyline, I select the entire length of the narration track with the X key, connect a clip the same length then select the connected clip and overwrite it to the primary storyline. It bumps the narration clip below the storyline, then the clip is now in the primary storyline, and I can use my keystrokes to replace bits and pieces of the primary storyline to go along with the narration.

There is nothing in FCP7 like the lift from and overwrite to the primary storyline functions. I could argue that they are trying to add these functions to the interface to make up for deficiencies, because the magnetic timeline is faulty, awkward, and no more practical than the tracked storyline unless you are dealing with the most simple of edits.

Trimming the ends: When I make large changes, trims, or re-arrangements in FCP7, I create a large gap, move the group of video and audio clips into the gap, then close up the gaps and “trim the ends” making sure that the sound and video clips on the non-primary channels overlap exactly the way I want. Likewise, to remove a large chunk requires closing the gap and trimming the ends to clean things up. FCX doesn’t keep me from the necessity of trimming the ends. The re-editing can be complicated because I may need to reconnect clips I don’t want to move to other clips before I make my edit. (And those little connection lines can be mighty hard to see.) It might make it a bit easier in X because of the non-collision, but most of us can deal with the complications because often editing can be a complicated thing.

I believe Apple could come up with a track based interface and still find a way to give us a virtually magnetic timeline. I think the ability to select a group of clips and “group” them together with a keystroke could give us the same advantage of the connected clips without forcing us into the stacks of storylines.

There is a way to perform ripple edits in FCP7. Perhaps if they made it a switch instead of a modifier key it would be easier for the new kids to understand it.

FCP7 has a superimpose function that puts the newly edited clip on a new track. I believe they could easily give FCP7 a non-collision workflow by having it automatically add audio tracks when there aren’t enough tracks to hold the new clips. How about a modifier key that handles potential collisions by creating a cross fade between the clips like Sony Vegas?

I understand the magnetic timeline. I can edit in the magnetic timeline. I am not afraid of the magnetic timeline. I am not a big fan of the magnetic timeline.

Perhaps after the upgrade the magnetic timeline will allow us to edit at 768 miles per hour, and we’ll all love it, and the rest of the NLEs will scamper to replicate it.

Meanwhile, I may have edited my last story in FCX until a significant upgrade. Parts of the editing process are much more fun, but other parts require me too many workarounds. For crying out loud, I’m still manually disabling clips and exporting my finished project 4 fimes and re-assembling the clips in FCP7 to create my split audio channels.

Oops, I ranted again…. sorry.

———
FCX. She tempts me, abuses me, beats me up, makes me feel worthless, then in the end she comes around, helps me get my work done, gives me hope and I can’t stop thinking about her.

Mark Morache
Avid/Xpri/FCP7/FCX
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com

[Craig Seeman]

[Mark Morache] “I think what Craig wants is the ability to assign edits to tracks, just like you can in FCP7. Just click the V1 on the source side and drag it to V2 on the right side to patch your new edits into the selected track.

But wait… there are no tracks! That won’t work. It’s against the paradigm.”

It’s not quite the same as assigning an edit to a track. One should have the option to add clips to a secondary storyline (already part of the paradigm) with a gap filling the space.

Currently you can place connected clips and, after that, make those a secondary storyline and gaps will fill the space as per the video I just posted. I would like the option to have that done automatically. Sometime you need secondary storylines for transitions and sometimes you want to place those clips nonlinearly as part of that secondary storyline rather than as connected clips.

Note that the primary storyline already has that behavior. You can place a clip anywhere and the space is filled with a gap. Optionally give secondary storylines the same default function.

[Mark Morache] “I believe Apple could come up with a track based interface”

I just want the option to create a “track” as needed, a behavior I can turn on/off with a keystroke. There are many times when I want a mix of connected clips and secondary storylines. The problem is secondary storylines need more flexibility.

[Mark Morache]

[Craig Seeman] “Note that the primary storyline already has that behavior. You can place a clip anywhere and the space is filled with a gap. Optionally give secondary storylines the same default function.”

Sometimes in FCP, or XPRI, I’ll place a clip way down the timeline to give myself a huge gap. I’ll bet you can do that in FCX. Just tried it. Put the gap into the secondary storyline, selected it and CTL-D and gave the gap a 5 minute duration. No problem. Huge secondary storyline. Fill away. It still doesn’t have the same functionality of editing to the primary.

I like the trick of ganging the connected clips and having it add the gap. I still maintain the magnetic timeline makes my job take longer right now.

I think you just want your tracks like me, you just won’t admit it. If you want the ability to add one track, why not have three or four?

———
FCX. She tempts me, abuses me, beats me up, makes me feel worthless, then in the end she comes around, helps me get my work done, gives me hope and I can’t stop thinking about her.

Mark Morache
Avid/Xpri/FCP7/FCX
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com

[Craig Seeman]

[Mark Morache] “Just tried it. Put the gap into the secondary storyline, selected it and CTL-D and gave the gap a 5 minute duration. No problem.”

Awkward though. Aren’t we hoping to cut down on some of these workarounds?
I can drop a clip at the end of the primary storyline and it fills the space with a gap no problems. With secondary storyline you have to do as you described. I’d rather have the option to have it behave like the primary storyline.

Of course if you’re trying to create a “workspace” area I find there’s little need for that in FCPX. I can create Compound Clip in the Event Browser to have all sorts of “little timeline” type work spaces and then drop them wherever they need to go when that section is ready.

[Mark Morache] “I think you just want your tracks like me, you just won’t admit it. If you want the ability to add one track, why not have three or four?”

Most of the time I don’t need them. In most cases I can use connected clips for simple stuff and small areas of secondary storylines if a need transitions in a cutaway or picture in picture area.

Sometimes though you need an entire row above the primary storyline to be a secondary storyline. One example might be a music video in which the primary is the music and most or all of the secondary is going to involve transitions. I still want to place the clips as I work but I don’t want to have to do a long selection to make the whole row a secondary storyline. In other words a “track” like behavior should be optional for an entire row.