Michael Hancock
Forum Replies Created
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If you want to go from 100% to 400%:
1. Add a cut point about 5 frames before your cut, then 5 frames after.
2. Add a Resize. First keyframe at scale 100%, keyframe right before the cut to 400%, go forward one frame, set a keyframe at 400%, last keyframe at 100%. Select the track, collapse it onto itself or simply Alt+Add a submaster effect. Open your effect editor, Alt+Drag it to a bin to save it. It will be saved “With Source”. Now you can load it into your source monitor like a clip and cut onto a filler track over every cut you want to use it on! This will work with all effects added to filler.Check out Grinner’s transition tutorial (click his head on the top of the forum and you should find it at the bottom of the page that opens).
What kind of transitions are you wanting? Can you give us an example on some popular TV shows/movies/commercials?
Mike.
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There’s really no way that I know of to convert your MXF files to a more suitable format for Xpress 4.6. I think it’s only $50 or $100 to upgrade to the newest version of Xpress Pro–even though you might have to also upgrade your hardware, I’d suggest getting the software upgrade now so you can load your footage in at least. Otherwise, if you’re capturing to a firestore, just copy everything off to your hard drive. When you can upgrade everything to run the newest Xpress Pro version you’ll already have your footage ready. Open Avid, consolidate your footage to your Avid drives and start editing. Should work.
Otherwise, can’t you downconvert your footage to DV in camera, then capture from DV into Xpress 4.6 and have a least a low rez version? Test first to see if it works–because the firestores doesn’t have tape names you might not be able to relink to the higher rez version, however, once you upgrade. I’d search these forums to be sure–I haven’t tried it, but it might work.
Michael.
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Slightly related:
When you’re in segment mode (red arrow or yellow arrow), you can also move your cips using the Trim Back/Forwar 10 frames/1 frame. The default for these on the keyboard is “M” (move left ten frames) “,” (Move left 1 frame) “.” (Move right 1 frame) “/” (Move right 10 frames). This will give you more control as you make fine adjustments.
Michael.
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If you’re working in Avid and you’re preserving vertical line blanking it might be included when you send it to Premiere. I believe it’s essentially metadata like closed captioning and all–even if you don’t have closed captioning, the space is there.
You say you’re working in DV-PAL. I’m not really familiar with PAL, but here in NTSC land the frame size in an SD Avid project is 720×486. Well, DV is 720×480. When you export out of Avid you do get a thin black line across the top because of the six pixel difference. You can either crop it out when exporting or ignore it–it’s way out of action safe and safe title anyhow. If your final product delivery is for the web, however, you’ll definitely want to crop it. I don’t know if the same thing applies to PAL users, but it’s worth checking.
For the record, when I export a quicktime I typically don’t see the black line either, but when my video is encoded to something like Mpeg2 for DVD or a WMV file the line shows up. Oh the joys of editing. So many little details to look out for. When you export, try setting your video to crop 4 pixels from the top–it should take care of it.
Michael.
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What deck were you using and what setting did you have to change? It might help future users if they run into the same problem and search the forums.
Michael.
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Glad to hear there’s a laptop that can handle that footage, and off a firewire drive no less! As much as I love our desktop machines at work, when I end up buying a system for home use I thought about a laptop–the portability factor alone makes it worth extra thought. One question–can the laptop output to a second monitor so you have a 2 monitor setup at home, then laptop only when on the road?
Michael.
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Try making new user settings, too. Yours might be corrupt–it happens from time to time. Always keep a backup so you can reload them quickly.
Michael.
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It will be only but will say Wrong Format.
I would say these are your options:
1) You can play back everything if you buy a Media Composer (lots of $$$).
2) You can read 1:1 if you go with the newest Xpress Pro.
3) As for XpressDV–Avid doesn’t even make XpressDV anymore–it’s end of line and only reads DV25 footage (and won’t do MXF, I believe).
If you go with Xpress Pro (I’d suggest it if you can’t spring for the Media Composer software) just have the people you’re getting this footage from transcode it to DV50, 1:1, or DV25 before they hand it off to you. If you’re strictly offline editing you can also do 15:1s–these are the resolutions that Xpress Pro reads in a standard def, standard framerate project. When you get into 24p I think it reads some different resolutions–I’m not sure, don’t work in it yet.
Since you’re wanting to take this on the road, buy Xpress Pro, transcode your Newscutter footage to 15:1s, cut to your hearts content (15:1s can pretty much play off any drive, too, so you don’t have to worry about taking RAIDs or a handful of external hard drives with you). When you’re done, transfer just the project back to the Newscutter and relink your media to a higher rez. Done!
Michael.
Disclaimer–Test this before you cut your entire project to make sure it works well with your systems. It should, but I believe if your footage is coming from P2 cards there isn’t a TapeID so you can’t transcode and relink later. Check with your reseller to be sure.
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Meridien systems don’t support MXF. You don’t want a Meridien system anyway, they’re old and outdated (but still workhorses for SD work!). Go with Media Composer. The additional features (more DNxHD support, paint, animatte, improved shot stabilization, etc….)
I believe you can go with the software only version, transfer the MXF files via Consolidate (or do it as a normal file transfer from the desktop level), transcode to DNxHD for better playback and edit away. As far as monitoring goes–I’m not sure, but I’m thinking you will need the Adrenaline with DNxHD board for that–if you do have that you can capture HDSDI uncompressed directly into your system and it will transcode it to the DNxHD codec of your choice for editing. Avid doesn’t support DVCPro HD natively, I think. Check with a reseller to be sure.
My opinion–do a test run on a MC Software only version (preferably on a beefy HP8400, Avid certified) and see how it cuts and handles the footage. When you’re finished, rent an Adrenaline box for the online or step up to a Symphony if possible. You’ll save on costs (an Adrenaline box with DNxHD board will set you back a lot of money) and you’ll get a better end product (you have to go to Symphony for Secondary color correction anyhow). My opinion, for what it’s worth.
Michael.