Wireframe When Positioning Overlay Clips

[Andy Neil]

[Ken Evans] “Is there any wireframe option when you have 1 clip overlaying another? Are we forced to use those nasty positioning numerical sliders in the transform box? I just want to simply shrink and drag to create a basic PIP but it seems painfully awkward.”

Yes. In the bottom left corner of the viewer is the transform tool. Click it and then you can shrink, rotate and distort your clip to your hearts content. Then when finished, there is a blue “done” button in the upper right. Click it to finish.

For your second question, I would recommend watching my tutorial on the difference between storylines, compounds and connected clips. It explains how they work, how they’re created. It may clear things up for you. It’s a two parter.

FCPX INs and OUTs-Storylines, Compounds, and Connected Clips Pt. 1

FCPX INs and OUTs-Storylines, Compounds, and Connected Clips Pt. 2

Not sure what’s happening with your third problem although it sounds like you’re doing something to add transitions to both ends of a clip instead of just one edit point. One method that might fix that for you is to select an edit point with the arrow tool and then double-click the transition in the Effects Browser instead of trying to drag it.

Hope this helps.

Andy

https://www.timesavertutorials.com

[Ken Evans]

Thanks Andy, I found the tutorials very enlightening.

I’m still having some nightmares with bits and bobs, like what happened to copy and paste attributes?

Seems it copies everything without asking and then pasting without asking, that includes filters from both audio AND video! For me that is a core and important pro feature and it appears to be missing…I may be wrong though as things are hidden and the terminology has changed. (Scrubbing is now skimming apparently)

I did like the favourites explanation. Nice to be able to set multiple in and out points on a clip then even drag down all those sub selections at once, or in any order you like.

Also what about track select. I saw in your video you just lassoed up some clips but in my test timeline I have over 250 audio edits and it’s very difficult to be zoomed out to see them all and also be able to see exactly what you’re selecting when the edits are very small – and I want to move some to the right. Are you saying that ‘create a gap’ is the new track select? How does this impact on other tracks? Whilst we’re there, how do you lock tracks, for example to lock an audio track down in a music video edit?

Many thanks for your time.

[Andy Neil]

[Ken Evans] “what happened to copy and paste attributes?”

It exists only in the manner that you discovered. In other words it copies and pastes everything. Not only filters, but keyframed effects (like audio adjustments). Many people (myself included) hope that a more FCP 7 version of the feature will be implemented soon. But in the meantime, what you can do is turn off filters on the clip you copy that you DON’T want to paste. Then when you paste attributes, those filters will be pasted, but turned off. It’s an imperfect solution, but all we have for this feature.

[Ken Evans] “terminology has changed. (Scrubbing is now skimming apparently)”

Well, skimming is a little different than scrubbing since scrubbing required you to click and drag on the mouse where skimming is performed merely by hovering over a point. But you’re right, a lot of terminology has changed. Sequence is now project. Project is now Event. Bin is now collection. Those are the big three that confuse people, but most people on the forum here understand what you mean if you say “bin” when talking about FCPX.

[Ken Evans] “it’s very difficult to be zoomed out to see them all and also be able to see exactly what you’re selecting when the edits are very small – and I want to move some to the right. Are you saying that ‘create a gap’ is the new track select?”

Not exactly, but if all you want to do is track select forward and move clips to the right, then yes, I would use the insert gap for short moves. But there’s another technique that works almost as well as a track forward select tool. Open your timeline index (CMD+SHIFT+2). There you’ll see a list of every clip in your timeline. There will also be a pointer line showing you at exactly which clip the playhead is nearest. Select that clip, scroll down to the bottom of your list, and hold SHIFT and select the last clip. This will select all clips forward of the playhead in your project without you needing to zoom out. Then you can just activate the position tool (P) and move the clips as you like.

[Ken Evans] “How does this impact on other tracks?”

The “insert gap” inserts the gap into the primary storyline (or selected secondary storyline). Since all clips are connected in one way or another to that storyline, everything will ripple.

[Ken Evans] “how do you lock tracks, for example to lock an audio track down in a music video edit?”

FCPX doesn’t really have tracks as you understand them (except for perhaps the primary storyline). You can’t lock any storyline or clip in time. If you’re cutting a music video, you have two basic choices. Place the music in the primary storyline and cut all the video elements as connected clips. Or you can place the music into a secondary storyline, and cut all the video elements into the primary.

Hope this helps.

Andy

https://www.timesavertutorials.com

[Ken Evans]

Thanks for your comprehensive answers Andy, much appreciated and very helpful.