-
Why you should use Log and Transfer with Tapeless Media
I’ve been using a Sony EX-1 almost since the day they’ve come out and since Log and Transfer wasn’t supported back then, I got into the habit of using XDCAM Transfer to ingest my footage.
I’ve just discovered that if you use XDCAM Transfer, then Batch Capture inside Final Cut is not supported.
On the other hand, if you ingest your footage within Final Cut, you can Batch Capture just like we did with tape. You can even select an edited sequence, select batch capture and it will only ingest the files you need for that sequence.
Now, for all you meta-data gurus out there, there must be some difference between these clips but I can’t find any difference in the clip properties. It would be great if there was a way to take my 3+ years of clips ingested with XDCAM Transfer and flip a switch so batch capturing would work correctly.
Try this test: Connect your camera or card to your computer. Ingest a single clip with XDCAM Transfer and import it into FCP. Now use L&T to ingest that same clip. You’ll have 2 identical clips in your browser. (one will be stored in your capture scratch folder, the other in XDCAM Transfer’s import folder.)
Now select both clips in the browser and select Make Offline. Now control-click each clip one at a time and select Batch Capture. The one you imported with XDCAM Transfer will attempt to launch Log and Capture (and fail) and the one that you used L&T to import will launch L&T and successfully re-capture.
I did try to move the XDCAM Transfer clip to Final Cut’s Capture Scratch folder and that didn’t work. If you Get Info on the L&T clip, mine was a little bigger (.1 megs) than the XDCAM Transfer clip.
Andrew Wilson
WestView Digital Video & Design
http://www.westviewdigital.com -
27 Replies
-
I don’t have any XD cam stuff around – but did you check for a Reel name in the browser? Also did you check all the hidden browser columns?
Best,
Jeff G
Apple Master Trainer
Avid Cert. Instructor DS/MC
Avid & Color Videos Vasst.com
Compressor Essentials Lynda.com -
The Reel Name on both clips is taken from whatever I named my card. Which is also the name of my DVD-DL which is what I back up to when cloning my card.
In fact, in the above test, I captured off the card using L&T, deleted the media and when I selected batch capture for the clip, I inserted my DVD-DL backup and it captured it from there.
At the time, I didn’t unhide all the browser columns but isn’t that just the same info you can get by getting clip properties (format, timing, logging info, film).
I just took the time to unhide all the browser columns and both clips are identical (except for one being the Capture Scratch Folder) but I already tested that theory by putting the XDCAM Transfer clip into the capture scratch folder and trying a batch.
Andrew Wilson
WestView Digital Video & Design
http://www.westviewdigital.com -
Hi Andrew,
What you’re experiencing is an unfortunate side effect of using 3rd party applications to ingest for FCP. It’s rather frustrating that there doesn’t seem to be a way to force FCP to Log and Transfer over Log and Capture when you choose to Batch Capture.
As you mention, there is presumably some line of metadata somewhere (probably within the FCP project itself, not the Quicktime files) that tells FCP to Log and Transfer. The trick is finding a way to override it to do what you want. This applies to all tapeless formats and I’m betting there’s a clever way to do it. I’ll have a root around and post here if I can find anything.
There’s a chap called Bouke Vahl who runs https://www.videotoolshed.com – he is a genius when it comes to unearthing hidden secrets in QuickTime/FCP and creates a lot of applications to overcome some of FCP’s features/limitations. If it can be done I bet he’ll be able to design an application to do it.
All the best,
AlexAlex Elkins
Twitter: @postbluetv
http://www.PostBlue.tv
Shot on RED, Post on FCP/Color: Short Capoeira Film -
Yes, the basic difference is that L&T gives a reel number to the clips.
This is has pros and cons:
Pros: You may have clips with the same names but they will have different reel numbers, so for FC will be easier to connect the correct media.
Cons: You will ALWAYS need to keep the FULL BPAV folders structure to reconnect this media.Andrew, in the end is up to you to decide which way is better for your workflow.
In my case, I NEVER use L&t (I do not stock BPAV folders). I use the SONY Transfer as stand alone to re-wrap the MP4 as QT; then I import that to FC.
This works for me (one-man-band), but I understand that the L&T way can be interesting for other workflows. have a look to the SONY CINEALTA forum and search the posts of Craig Seeman on this topic.
rafael -
Hi Andrew,
I’m doing a test with an FCP project here with the same material transferred both with Log & Transfer and externally (REDCine-X – this is R3D Media but the principle is the same).
There is indeed metadata buried inside the FCP project file that refers to a clip being brought in with Log & Transfer. You can see this if you open a project file with Text Edit and search for L&T plugin.
Anyway, that’s about as far as I can go with it as it’s beyond my capabilities to understand how to correctly modify metadata attached to other clips.
Rafael – XDCAM Transfer adds a reel name to the clips. It uses the folder prior to the BPAV folder, same as FCP. Similar with the RED tools as well. I’m not sure reel name is the difference between the two ingest methods, or am I missing something? Looks like a metadata tag stored with the FCP project file from what I can tell.
Anyway, maybe someone will devise a way to tag other clips with the L&T metadata one day. I don’t think it’s a feature Apple would want to add.
All the best,
AlexAlex Elkins
Twitter: @postbluetv
http://www.PostBlue.tv
Shot on RED, Post on FCP/Color: Short Capoeira Film -
Using Sony’s Transfer Application was always my workflow in the past. I always got reel names (which were the same as the name I gave my card)
BUT – it seems like if you use L&T, only then does FCP allow you to batch capture clips after they have gone off-line.
However, you said that you don’t stock your BPAV folders… What do you use for backup?
Andrew Wilson
WestView Digital Video & Design
http://www.westviewdigital.com -
[Andrew Wilson] “However, you said that you don’t stock your BPAV folders… What do you use for backup?”
Normally I work on the field. At night I download the MP4 as QT files. I download to 2 external HDs.[Alex Elkins] “Rafael – XDCAM Transfer adds a reel name to the clips. It uses the folder prior to the BPAV folder, same as FCP. Similar with the RED tools as well. I’m not sure reel name is the difference between the two ingest methods, or am I missing something? Looks like a metadata tag stored with the FCP project file from what I can tell.”
Hi Alex, as you points, the Transfer tool (alone), will set the SxS card name as Reel name.
When you use it through L&T, you can set yourself the name.
rafael -
Just to add; When you use L&T, is the same Transfer tool who is working under FC.
FC adds some options to the re-wrapping process.
rafael -
as long as (at worst case scenario) you can always re-ingest your cards, then reconnect, even manually, then this isn’t really a problem of FCP but rather a curiosity…
i mean, as strange as it might seem, it does makes some sense that using the software’s own protocol for ingesting and logging your files would work slightly better than an external tool…
i’m a fan of L&T… wish FCP would be more L&T and less fcp 🙂
even if it slows down my workflows sometimes.
its an important part of my toolbox… feels right to prefer in over other tools.
archiving and storing camera file folders for as long as you would with tapes… that’s a problem
Hector Berrebi
Schibber Group
prePost Consulting -
Yes, there is metadata written to an XML.
You can look at the difference if you export XMLs of each of the different clips (xdcam transfer clip vs log and transfer clip). Quite simply the XDCAM utility could not write that info into the Fcp XML.
At least for p2, the amount of metadata per clip is significant. I’m sure it’s the same for XDCam. It wouldn’t be a simple copy paste, and it goes beyond the reel number.
I don’t use log and transfer for my p2 material, instead I edit all mxf files natively. It has worked a treat and reconnecting is very easy as MXF4mac assigns the unique clip is as the reel name. Haven’t had an issue restoring projects yet. Can’t say the same about log and transfer. Speaking of log and transfer, the canon plugin can also fail when trying to restore projects. Haven’t had time to hunt down what’s going on with this one.
Jeremy
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up