The Next FCPX Update

[David Mcclellan]

Yeah it lags. We need a decent sized feature update big time. I find that when it gets laggy doing a full restart sometimes helps. But you already knew that.

-DM

2013 MacPro 3.5 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5 64BG Ram
LG 31MU97 4K Display
2013 MacBookPro Retina

[Steve Connor]

I was hoping that upgrading to a new MP would help a lot.

I did an edit in iMovie today to see how that works and it’s MUCH snappier with exactly the same AVCHD material. Hopefully when FCPX gets it’s new look interface (assuming it does) it will improve the speed.

[Chris Frantz]

Just chiming in here, FCPX lags embarrassingly slow on brand new hardware, with fiber attached storage nonetheless. Didn’t use to be nearly this bad, I can move more quickly in FCP7 then 10 at this point. It is kind of strange watching Apple take such a beating from Adobe on this stuff. I can’t think of any other division in their company they’re getting so thoroughly owned in.

[Tim Wilson]

[Mitch Ives] “Maybe Apple could pretend for a moment that this is as important as some iPhone issue?”

Actually, I think they have.

I spent all day on hold, and when I finally got someone on the line to tell them about this, they said, “We’ve tested FCPX thoroughly, and found no problems with it here. You’re obviously holding it wrong.”

[David Mcclellan]

I have to say that I really like FCP X and have warmed to the new paradigm they have created. However – if there is not an update that addresses the issues I have with media management and the overall laggy feel after working on complex projects – I am likely to punt and move to PP on the next project.

-DM

2013 MacPro 3.5 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5 64BG Ram
LG 31MU97 4K Display
2013 MacBookPro Retina

[Timothy Auld]

Though I have used FCPX on a few projects I wouldn’t call myself an avid FCPX user. But as a potential user I have to ask myself if Apple is really still developing this software. And if they are then why are we still talking about a feature update when there hasn’t really been one in two years or more?

Tim

[Marcus Moore]

FCPX had a major feature update 13 months ago, and a minor feature update 6 months ago- and 3 additional maintenance updates in the past year.

That’s active development.

[Herb Sevush]

[Marcus Moore] “That’s active development.”

After Apple published their white paper listing all the things they were going to do to bring X up to speed after the initial release I will admit I was very skeptical. However they did exactly what they promised they would do and within the time frame they specified. Since then, as far as I can tell, they’ve changed the structure of the library database and changed the whole “persistent in and out point” thingy on clips. Not counting handling new codecs and surface GUI changes, which is maintenance type stuff – what has come off your own “requested feature” list in the past 15 months? Or is X perfect and not in need of improvement?

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf

[David Mcclellan]

[Herb Sevush] ” Or is X perfect and not in need of improvement?”

Surely you jest…

-DM

2013 MacPro 3.5 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5 64BG Ram
LG 31MU97 4K Display
2013 MacBookPro Retina

[Marcus Moore]

No one who’s read my posts or blog from the last couple years would confuse me with someone who’s satisfied with the status quo. After just completing a whole season of a show, I’m thrilled with how flexible Roles are, and how that model streamlined audio in my work. But at the same time working thru 39 episodes showed me where all the holes still are in process- things that haven’t changed since Roles made their first appearance in 10.0.1. If you’d like to see how hard I’ve though about this just read this post here-

https://disproportionatepictures.blogspot.ca/2014/10/roles-redux-part1.html

Without question FCPX is the most immature of the “big 3” NLEs cause… well, it is.

I’ve done enough construction to know you can’t build well on a weak foundation. So my personal belief is that a lot of stuff has been punted in development because of the big Library model switch. I’m thrilled with the results in that regard, so I’ve been willing to cut them some slack with whatever is coming down the pipe next. That said, I’ll be as disappointed as anyone if we don’t see some great new stuff this year.

As for improvements from the last year outside of codec and Library stuff that have really made a difference to me?

• Improved Retiming tools (way better than 7)
• Join thru edits returns (yay!)
• used/unused media indicators (while duplicate frames in timeline are stil needed I’ve found this even more useful)
• “unused media” Viewer
• XML improvements
• “White puck” pervasive selection which saves me tons of time manually selecting items to edit attributes
• improvements to VO tool (auditions & countdown)
• multicam improvements

Those are just the ones off the top of my head scanning thru the FCPX release notes.

What do I want to see this year?

• Roles, Roles, Roles. Faster assignment, use for Project timeline organization, use for mixing.
• Improved RED support- 3rd party GPU support, HDRX support.
• Performance and stability improvements.
• Improved trimming tools
• Motion integration

it’s not a long list, but each one of those is a big job, and in varied areas of the software.