[Jeff Markgraf]

Oliver-

Right. All the workflow articles mention that. I need to pay better attention!

Several questions:

1) I would be sending (mostly) MXF files to Resolve, and would be importing (via AAF) MXF files (DnX145) into Avid. Should I expect to see a loss in quality (compression artifacts, etc.)?

2) Do I specify the DnX145 in the export?

3) FCP imports the MXF files as separate audio & video. I then make a synchronized clip to edit. Will the audio stay attached through the Resolve in/out process? (Not very many synch sound clips, so not a deal-breaker.)

4) Isn’t it kinda late in Florida right now? 😉

[Jeff Markgraf]

Have to mostly agree with Neil and Brett and others here – this isn’t really “dynamic trimming” in the Avid sense of the term. It has some aspects of it, but the lack of looping playback and on-the-fly trimming is what keeps it out of contention.

That having been said, in almost 20 years of Avid editing, I can count the number of times I’ve used dynamic trimming on one hand. I think I’m pretty fast on the Avid (faster than I am on my new favorite, FCP-X!) and I just don’t seem to work that way. So not having true dynamic trimming on X just doesn’t bother me.

I find the expanded audio, non-colliding clips, easy fade handles and real-time fx more than make up for the lack of dynamic trimming. With or without clients in the room.

I would hate to see this particular feature be the deciding factor against X. As always, YMMV, to each his own, post no bills, don’t run with scissors, etc.

[Jeff Markgraf]

Oliver –

In my case, not carrying over the effects is fine.

Normally, I do a rough mockup in the Avid and then send a reference and clean video to the designer. Her finished composition goes on the top layer. I plan to do the same thing in X. The difference is that it will be much faster to do the mockup, so I can be more detailed in the rough cut. (This place is full of “Rough Cut Ladies,” if you know what I mean. The more it looks like the final version, the better.)

I plan to use Clip Exporter to send the clean video to the designer as a linked AE composition. So having the effects stripped off is just fine.

Getting the sequence into the Avid is a security blanket for the VP types. The Avid sequence would have clean clips with minimal effects, along with music & sfx and VO. It’s only there so someone can go back into the project in a couple of months and move things around based on client feedback or to make a cutdown or whatever. At that time, the new reference rough cut would go back to the designer who would make a new finished composition.

So mainly, I want to avoid having to completely reinvent the wheel in the Avid after I’ve done it in X. Getting an Avid sequence that mostly matches the X sequence in terms of clip placement is the primary goal. I’ll be using MXF media from the Avid and from other programs sources intended for the Avid, so at least the transcode step is moot.

As always, I appreciate your (and the other Cows’) thoughts. Maybe I can be the first X editor to crack the network wall of Avid!

[Jeff Markgraf]

Eric-

Yes, I imagine that would work. But it also requires having FCP 7 on the computer, which would be a problem here at the nameless network. Even the little bit I’m trying to do here could cause small phase shifts in the space-time continuum here. I kid you not.

[Jeff Markgraf]

From what I’ve found online, the X to Resolve to Avid route seems most likely.

Unfortunately, these projects will be compositing heavy – which is why I want to do them in X in the first place. And I gather compound clips and such are a little dicey in making the translation.

Still, if I can get a basic sequence in the Avid that mostly reflects the original X sequence (sorry – “project”) then it will be a good place to start. I don’t mind some rebuilding and tweaking. After all, these are only rough mockups – the final graphics will be done by the graphics person in AE & Cinema 4D and whatever other magic programs she uses.

I’m hoping Clip Exporter will be easy to use to get the X project & files to her.

I wonder why X to Pro can’t do video in the AAF compositions along with the audio? What a lifesaver that would be.

[Jeff Markgraf]

[Oliver Peters] “You have to import files of different frame rates into separate compatible projects.”

Hi Oliver. My mistake. I’ve done almost no mixed frame rate work in Avid. I was basing my comment on not being able to digitize or import different frame rates in the same project. For the record, my work avid is 6.5.3.

[Jeff Markgraf]

Hello again Cows.

Success! The jerky video that has been giving me fits has been fixed with an updated driver for the T-Tap. I guess Yosemite borked it just enough to be flaky, if not fully broken. All frame rates and combinations of progressive or interlaced appear to be playing fine now. The whole 23.98 vs 29.97 thing seems to have been an artifact of the driver problem.

At this point, I’m going with Jeremy and calling the false progressive flag a bug. I was able to look at some of these files in the Avid and Avid says they’re interlaced. I also imported one of the show files directly into FCP (delivered as MXF from the studio) and it also comes in interlaced but with the progressive flag set in FCP. Toggling to upper field dominance fixes it immediately.

Thanks to all for suggestions.

[Jeff Markgraf]

Meant to reply to Jeremy. Apparently the threading structure of this forum is too much for my pretty little head to handle.

[Jeff Markgraf]

Jeremy – I can email. Address?

[Jeff Markgraf]

Not sure how to post that to the board. Is iCloud sharing only via email?