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Sequence Settings Problem
I’m trying to set my sequence settings so that the aspect ratio is 1920/1080 I shoot with an EX1 XDcam in 1920/1080p so am trying to edit in the native codec at that ratio.
However, despite setting the easy set up to that ratio, the sequence setting is always 1440.
If I drag a clip in, it was change the aspect ration to 1920. But if I drag a clip from a motion file in, without thinking, it conforms to the 1440 ratio and subsequently, I edit in that ratio and then combine that edit with another and… well… I get into a hopeless mess because suddenly I’ve got clips with two aspect ratios on the line.
How do I make the sequence setting stay at 1920/1080?
I’ve trashed the preferences and begun again and I still get the same problem.
And once I’ve realised I’ve got a confused timeline, how can I get all the clips to conform to the right ratio without ending up with short and fat guys or long and thin guys in the picture?
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17 Replies
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Hi lawrence,
Open a clip in QT player and in the Info window have a look to “Format”.
I guess you are using EX-1 SQ, that is really HDV, so 1440×1080.
But those files need to be displayed as 1920×1080.
Open one of the problematic files in QT Player and open the Properties Window (Comm-J), then click “Video Track” and Visual Setting. You need to have 1920×1080 in “Scaled Size” to display them properly.
So if is like that, uncheck “Preserve Aspect Ratio and set those values.
Cheers,
rafael -
Thanks… Now, the clips that have been affected have exactly the same setting as those that haven’t. They have “preserve aspect ratio” ticked.
Do I have to go through all the clips and untick?
And does that set the default of the sequence setting to 1920/1080?
You’re right in that I’ve got 1920/1080 Square. If I drag that into the sequence and tell it to conform to the clip size, it gives me this setting… 1920/1080 HDTV 1080i(16:9) despite the clip being Progressive.
If I don’t drag anything onto the line it gives me the 1440/1080 HD(1440×1080)(16;9) with Pixel Aspect Ration as HD(1440×1080) ratio as the default setting no matter what.
Having unticked the preserve aspect ratio on a couple of clips… I’ve found it hasn’t changed the clip in the time line, other than requiring me to re-render it.
Lawrence Gray
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Hi lawrence,
Once you have set something in a FC’s sequence, whatever change you do to the original clip it won’t affect the one you have in the sequence. So clips with the new properties must to be replaced.
If you change the properties of those clips to be displayed as 1920×1080 when you go to open a new sequence with them, the sequence will be EX-1 1920×1080. I tried that this morning when I read your first post. I recorded a EX-1 1080150 SQ (first time I do so) , so Format: HDV 1440×1080.
I dragged it to a new sequence and the sequence became EX-1 1920×1080.[Lawrence Gray]“If I drag that into the sequence and tell it to conform to the clip size, it gives me this setting… 1920/1080 HDTV 1080i(16:9) despite the clip being Progressive. “
This may be because the native EX-1 SQ is only interlaced.
Hope this helps,
rafael -
Hmm… it says its progressive and looks progressive!
I can’t believe that I have to manually changed every single clip I import from the EX1… because they all have the same setting! Don’t think that’s the answer. Doesn’t seem to make much difference whether it’s set to keep aspect ratio or not.
I dragged a few of my clips onto the time line that’s garbled the aspect ratios and they all need rendering, despite the setting being the same.
Opened up a new sequence, with the same settings, and dragged the same clips in… no problem. Correct aspect ratio. And no rendering.
Something must have happened with that sequence setting.
If I cut and past into the new sequence at least I don[t have to render but I have to replace all the corrupted clips, with, well, exactly the same clips which come in perfectly OK!
Is there a quick way of searching within the BINS for timeline clips?
It looks like I’ll have to piece this together manually… Any idea how to stop this happening again?
Lawrence Gray
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Hi Lawrence,
I really don’t understand the mess.
You said that you have some footage from Motion?
Are you mixing EX-1 HQ with Ex- SQ?
You can have EX-1 HQ footage (EX. 1920x 1080. Square pixels) together with EX-1 SQ/HDV(144×1080.HD pixels) footage in the same sequence without need to render. But they must show the proper size and aspect ratio in the Browser.
However when you open a new sequence and say OK to match the clips setting, you get two different kind of sequences.
Rafael -
You me both!
Here’s what I’ve got…
I set the easy set up to Sony XD CAM HD.,, 1080 25p VBR the same as the camera setting.
My sequence setting is 1920×1080 and Aspect Ratio, for some reason is billed as HDTV 1080i(16:9) And Pixel Aspect is Square.If I drag a clip to the time line I get the message saying that none of my sequence settings are compatible, can it change the time line to fit the clip. So I agree, because if I don’t, I have to render all the time.
Now my sequence settings are… exactly the same! Nothing has changed despite the warning.
And so I can now edit happily.
However, if I unwittingly drag a clip what was created by Motion… not a motion clip as I’ve avoided doing the round trip because it seems to crash too often… I then get a sequence that is 1280×720 (despite my setting in Motion… but that’s probably another issue to look at.)
Dragging my camera produced files onto that time line requires rendering.
Now I think I unwittingly put a clip in the line resetting one of the sequence edits to some other aspect ratio! Which clip it was that did it is a mystery to me.
However when I combined a sequence at a later date somehow the two ratios changed randomly the ratios of different clips… some clips clipped from the same master file and placed on the same time line at the same time.
The problem is getting it all back in line… which I’m resigned to doing manually…
But essentially how can I avoid this? And I wonder why does the Sequence Setting tell me it is not the same as my clip and after placing my clip on the line it remains the same?
Lawrence Gray
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[Lawrence Gray] ” set the easy set up to Sony XD CAM HD.,, 1080 25p VBR the same as the camera settin”
Hi Lawren,
If you are using an EX-1 in SQ mode your easy set-up must be “CBR” instead of “VBR”.
“VBR” in 1440×1080 comes only in the Disk based XDCAM and is 35 Mbps.
So you need to set your sequence with the XDCAM HD CBR. This may be the reason of your problems.
Just open QT Info and have a look to the data rate.
If is 25Mbps, your sequence must be Like that (off course with different time base if you are in NTSC Land):
Rafael
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With the EX1 there’s HQ mode, if that’s what you mean. It’s 1920×1080 The alternative is SP mode, which is as you say 1440×1080
Here’s what it says about my clips in QT’s info…
XDCAM EX 1080p (35Mb/s VBR)
I’m on PAL here in Hong Kong.
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e[Lawrence Gray] “Here’s what it says about my clips in QT’s info…
XDCAM EX 1080p (35Mb/s VBR)
I’m on PAL here in Hong Kong. “
Hi Lawrence,
Then yours clips should show everywhere as EX 1920×1080 Square pixels.
The 1440×1080 shouldn’t appear nowhere.
Your Sequence Setting should be like this:
Rafael
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Hi,
thanks for that. It is the setting that I have.
Even so, when I drag a clip into the time line it tells me the settings do not conform and that it will change the time line for me. So I say YES… and so don’t have to render. And when I check the Sequence Setting they are exactly the same as before.
I’ve no idea whether this causes me problems. All I know is that I have to be doubly careful and double check each time because the timeline settings have mysteriously been garbled a few times now.
So, why would it say that my clip is no compatible with the settings when they are, and why, on telling it to make the setting compatible, does it simply leave them the same?
Does this happen with you?
Lawrence Gray
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