Trouble importing mxf files into FCP 6

[Shane Ross]

Did you click on that folder symbol in the upper left of the L&T window? Navigate to the folder in question? And really, the P2 card dump should NOT be on the media drive. You need to put that onto the drive you are going to archive it to. When you import with LOG AND TRANSFER, it wil wrap it in a QT wrapper and copy it to your media drive.

Oh, have FX Factory installed? That interefered with P2 import. Remove it, or update to 2.0.1 and that will fix it.

Shane

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[Mark Fanjoy]

I figured it out! I was trying to bring in the Video files into FCP and needed to be choosing the parent folder itself to bring in. Now I know why the folder name would be black and everything else inside was always grey.

I’m cruising along now! Thanks, everyone!

Wherever I am…I’m lost!

[Jonathan Skurnik]

I have a question. I was told that with FCP 6, I could read P2 files natively, but in the L&T window, I still have to import them into a Quicktime compatible format. Since I have a Powerbook, not Intel, Mac, I can’t use Calibrated’s product. So, does anyone have a simple workflow how to they can send me? For example, Shane says to have one drive for the files, another drive for the Quicktime converted files, which he calls the media drive. Is that the best way to do this? Also, do those transferred quicktime files double the date space?

Thanks,

-Jonathan

[Shane Ross]

[Jonathan Skurnik] “I was told that with FCP 6, I could read P2 files natively,”

Then you were told wrong. FCP cannot, not without third party software like Raylight or Calibrated or MXF4QT. There is also HD Log, which includes the means to offload the cards much like Shotput P2 does (same company).

[Jonathan Skurnik] “Shane says to have one drive for the files, another drive for the Quicktime converted files, which he calls the media drive. Is that the best way to do this?”

Well, being Shane, I say yes. Why? Well, once you capture your footage, you don’t throw your tapes into the garbage, right? No, you keep them on a shelf. Same with P2. Archive a drive after you Log and Transfer the footage. This is backup…if your media drive fails, then you’d be hosed.

Even if you used software to read the MXF files natively, you should copy the cards to your media drive, THEN use the software (Raylight was mentioned) to import that into FCP. So you are still copying files and taking that time, so why not convert? FCP will stitch spanned clips, and allow you to name them.

[Jonathan Skurnik] “Also, do those transferred quicktime files double the date space?”

I guess. Again, one drive for archive, another for editing. You need a way to archive the footage, and hard drives are the cheapest and quickest way to do so. If you want, you can look at LTO and DLT tape backup systems.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
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[Mark Fanjoy]

Jonathan, not sure if there is a way to work directly from the native MXF file, at least with FC6. I have not been able to. Probably has something to do with Panasonic’s split directory structure. An import must be performed for FC to read and manage the split files via the xxx.txt file.

I can tell you for sure that allowing the L&T function to do its job converting the files into QT is perfectly fine, does not degrade the quality of the native files, and “wraps” all the multiple native source files (Audio, Video, BMP Thumb) into single manageable QT files. Yes, this doubles your hard drive capacity use.

As for workflows, someone can point you to a better PDF source, but I have all MXF directories on my local hard disk AND backed up on two other separate external drives. I have one single batch capture directory (on my hard disk) for every QT file converted with L&T. For me, there is no reason to manage multiple QT directories/sub directories when FC6 is doing that job with bins. And it makes L&T a pain in the rear doing so. I don’t back up the QT directory, because it is so easy and fast to simply re capture video from the native files if they ever got blown out.

Also, research the pros and cons for changing the original source file name when in the L&T mode.

DOUBLE AND/OR TRIPLE BACK UP YOUR MXF FILES. Hard drive space is cheap compared to the alternative consequences.

Wherever I am…I’m lost!

[James Fortier]

I’m trying to use the Log and Transfer tool as well and whenever I click on the little folder icon in the upper left corner I can browse to my P2 folder which has the Content folder and the .txt file but when I select it nothing happens. I just bought the HPX300 and shot three text clips. So we’re only talking about importing 3 files, total size is under 3 GBs. I transferred the P2 Card files via my Mac laptop and from the laptop to my MacPro via Firewire Target. I’m running FCP Studio 2, with all updates. I’ve also installed the AVC Intra Decoder, and P2CMS from Panasonic’s website. Not sure how that P2CMS works, I explored it a bit but I don’t see how it exports .mov wrapper files that FCP can import. When exported from P2CMS it just made duplicate copy of the original P2 Contents folder of MFX files etc. The test clips I shot were using the HPX300’s AVC 100 codec shooting 1920×1080/60i footage.

[Shane Ross]

Turn off Airport or ethernet networking, then try again.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Evan Ahlgren]

I have already transcoded all my MXF files and they are now currently 8-bit (They transcoded 8 bit rather than 10 bit to save hard drive space). I am turning over the project to the colorist and he wants the original 10 bit media. Would MXF for Mac work for this? I am trying to avoid transcoding all the footage again and would like to relink to the MXF files as a reference in my current time line, then media manage the sequence as their original 10 bit.

Can this be done?

[Mariette Dumas]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and am excited to exchange feedback with you all:)
Currently working on a project using P2 for the first time and my director
seems keen on simply converting our mfx files via a program such as mfx-converter for mac.
Will this affect the quality of the video files if converted for FCP? or is it better to import straight from the hard drive using one of the aforementioned softwares?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Jadis

[Mark Fanjoy]

Mariette, I am not an expert on the various ways an MXF file can be manipulated by specific software, but from what I do understand is, this file type is simply a wrapper and if a software will see and convert it, it is likely only converting it to another readable format such as .mov so that FC and/or other editing software will recognize and control the movie file. MXF is simply a universal wrapper allowing multiple platforms access.

My concern with your Director is why you are not letting FC do the work in Log and Transfer. But, it’s not that big a deal to use a stand alone transfer software, then bring everything into FC later I guess.

Hope this provides some insight.

Wherever I am…I’m lost!