[Enzo Tedeschi]

You need to use markers (M key) on your timeline – consult the FCP and DVDSP manuals, the detailed info is in there.

Enzo Tedeschi
____________________________
Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

A few ways to attack this, depends on how you like to work (and how Prem Pro handles things). Here’s a couple:

If you create your transition in AE as you would like it to appear, making sure you leave the parts that will be the A and B video transparent to the comp background, you can then render a QT or AVI with an embedded alpha (Or transparency) channel. This should be readable in Prem Pro upon import, you may just need to tell Premiere to look for the alpha channel in a setting somewhere. Make sure you render with “Millions of Colours+” and “RGB+Alpha” settings…

or…

Create a matte and fill transition. Create the comp in AE using black and white (100% black and 100% white will give you complete opacity/transparency, shades of grey in between), and then a separate file for the actual black layer. Stick the two above eac other on the timeline and use a matte key to make it work.

First option better for something as simple as a ‘fade’ to black, second is better for graphics or transition where you want to go straight from A to B with nothing in-between – if that makes sense?!?

Enzo Tedeschi
____________________________
Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

Where are you seeing your sync issues? Are you previewing to an external video monitor, or simply from the Mac screen? Are you mixing video resolutions / codecs on the timeline?

There can sometimes be a sync delay in what you see on your Mac’s monitor if you have external video pumping out simultaneously…? Should be in sync on the video monitor though…

This delay will disappear if you playback a QT outside of FCP, because the machine isn’t outputting an external video as well.

I have also experienced erratic behaviour on my G5 if I happen to walk away long enough for my machine to go to sleep. Once it wakes up, it can go a bit loopy.

Enzo Tedeschi
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Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

That’d be my guess. Apple seem to be pretty quick to dump legacy stuff – think floppy drives when the G3 was released – they jumped onto the ZIP bandwagon, but by G4… gone…

For my two cents, I don’t see old-school PCI sticking around long, and I certainly would be surprised to see it in the Intel macs…

It wouldn’t be Apple if they didn’t push the envelope just a little :o)

Enzo Tedeschi
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Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

Amen to that, Todd.

I’m going through that at the moment with my G5. Wanting to get a Kona card – fortunately they make PCIe and PCI versions (my machine has PCI only). But sadly, I likely won’t be able to upgrade my Mac around the Kona card once the Intels are released unless they maintain standard PCI support.

I think the key is always to remember that computer technology will always be out-of-date once you unpack the box. As long as the gear can do what you need it to do, then that will see you right.

If I were in your position, if I was in no rush I’d wait for the Intels. If you need to get cracking with work straight away, then buy in now – with any luck you’ll be flooded with so much work that you’ll need to buy a second suite when the Intels come out ;o)

Enzo Tedeschi
____________________________
Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

I haven’t used it myself, but it looks like it might be a job for Trapcode Particular? http://www.trapcode.com

Enzo Tedeschi
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Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

My apologies for misreading the initial post.

Enzo Tedeschi
____________________________
Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

Select the two layers in your comp timeline, then Layer > PreCompose. This will nest the two layers into a new comp within your original. If you affect the parameters for this comp, AE will treat the two sub layers as one flat one, rather than two individual ones. You can still edit the layers individually if needed.

Enzo Tedeschi
____________________________
Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

Check out 3D Invigorator:

https://zaxwerks.com/invigorator_classic/index.shtml

Enzo Tedeschi
____________________________
Editor
Sydney, Australia

[Enzo Tedeschi]

You’re welcome.

You can find the Avid codecs here:

https://www.avid.com/onlineSupport/browse.asp?topicID=404&browse=go

Enzo Tedeschi
____________________________
Editor
Sydney, Australia