TouchEdit for the iPad

[Chris Harlan]

Its interesting, and seems well thought out. I could see doing sellects on it, especially when they get the AFF version going. I’ll undoubtedly give it a try, but frankly the constant transcoding will probably put me off. Here’s Shane’s take:

https://lfhd.net/2013/01/26/touch-edit-a-first-look/

[Oliver Peters]

I haven’t tested it because it requires an iPad 2 or 3 and I have the first gen model. Here are two more reviews:

https://provideocoalition.com/ssimmons/story/hands-on-with-the-new-touchedit-nle-for-ipad

https://www.fcp.co/hardware-and-software/pro/1051-edit-your-footage-on-the-ipad-retro-style-with-touchedit

The main issue Scott mentioned is that you cannot relink to the high-res media once you send the FCPXML to FCP X. That’s an X limitation. There are some workarounds, but it would require Xto7, 7toX and FCP7. The use of H264 is only for offline/proxy purposes and because that’s native for iOS.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Chris Harlan]

I always get momentarily excited by these gizmos, but almost as often, forty minutes later I’m thinking “why?” I mean, for me. The logistics just don’t make sense. For me, the best solution for an ultra-portable “sellects” station would still be the Macbook Air. The trackpad is as responsive as a touchscreen, and my fingers don’t get in the way of what I’m looking at. I have real, tactile buttons to push. I can use my NLE of choice, and I can plug in a small bus-powered SSD drive with full res copies of my source ProRes or DNx files. No transcoding. It just doesn’t make much practical sense to me. I DO like the idea of the iPad as a control surface, and have enjoyed my few ventures down that path.

[Rick Lang]

Yes, using the iPad to control FCPX and possibly Resolve would be interesting although I think there is another thread on that bemoaning the lack of haptics on the iPad.

Rick Lang

iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB

[Rick Lang]

Thanks, Oliver. Lots of reactionary comments in all these links. My physical film editing is minimal using a simple splicer to begin with and then a flatbed editor. But I certainly don’t get confused by film strips moving from left to right under the playhead! Still seems an interesting attempt for an early version with options for less skeuomorphics in the future. Limiting one’s HD video to H.264 isn’t bad for the intended purpose and device but if video is not shot in that natively (I am still HDV until I step up to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera), then it’s not such an easy fit in the workflow. And you certainly need to make ingesting original video easy. I think I’ll wait and see on this. The appeal of being so mobile and working almost anywhere offline is attractive though on a tool that’s lighter than the MacBook Air and with a better screen. Since getting this iPad for Christmas, it has changed what I do on the iMac. I agree with the basic premise of developing TouchEdit, that the touch experience adds an intangible value to the experience of what you are doing. More so so than even voice commands or tapping on a small trackpad or with a mouse click.

Rick Lang

iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB

[Chris Harlan]

I’ve really enjoyed using the iPad as a audio control surface for both mixing and plug-in control.

[Dan Lebental]

Actually the problem Scott had is because he had spaces in his file names which fcpxml does not allow. That’s not a TouchEdit thing. TouchEdit relinks very well in FCP if the file names have no spaces. I know it seems weird that Apple put a file name limitation but for now that is where its at.

Dan Lebental ACE

[Oliver Peters]

Yes, I saw the space issue mentioned later in the comments. I was referring to FCP X general issues in relinking to media files where some of the parameters don’t match. Not necessarily Scott’s specific files. FCP X is not as forgiving as FCP 7, by which I mean that when it doesn’t relink, you can’t tell it do it anyway like in FCP 7. But, I’m glad the issue is one that’s defined and does work for your workflow. Thanks for the clarification.

Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Oliver Peters]

PS: There may be more to the file name space issue. I have had no problem moving files with spaces from FCP X via FCPXML to Adobe apps. This uses the Xto7 application, but the file name in Audition (in this case) still has spaces. So it may be a relinking issue within FCP X and not the FCPXML format.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Dan Lebental]

Bear in mind that this design took into consideration its use by non-editors. Particularly Directors and Producers and other Department heads who need a simpler interface without a steep learning curve but can still be incorporated into the pro editorial environment. It is meant to be an on set, on the go device and the emphasis is on mobile communication and collaboration. I have been a power user of Avids for over two decades and I do know how intimidating the modern NLE’s can be. This complexity helps for intricate editing but it doesn’t necessarily make for great editing. That inspiration comes from the mind. My goal is to democratize the process and provide a quick and nimble tool that can be used in ways that even a laptop could not and thus ultimately giving back valuable time. Stay tuned for the next update and you will see some familiar features and some other features that are more about mobile collaboration.

Dan Lebental ACE