[Neil Sadwelkar]

Just created a PShop file with 4 layers. File size set to PAL 720×576. Called it ‘Named layers.psd’

Named the layers, red, blue, green, yellow.

Imported file into FCP 5.1.4. Now its a seq with the 4 layers names intact.

I create a new seq set to DV-PAL. Call it. ‘layer names’.
I copy and paste the ‘red’ layer from the PShop layers seq into this new seq.

In this seq, I expect to have a clip called ‘red’

Now, not only does this clip get automatically named ‘Named layers.psd’ even the seq name changes from ‘layer names’ to ‘Named layers.psd’

That’s what I’m, talking about. Extremely frustrating if you make a multi-layer comp in PShop and then want to animate layers in FCP. They all get names changed. And you can’t even retain this seq name.

If you’ve never observed this FCP 5.1 or earlier, and I’m seeing it even now (in FCP 5.1.4), and assuming you work in NTSC, then is this a PAL thing?

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

Has anyone observed that if one used PShop layers, they take on the names of the sequence. So if you’ve taken trouble to name your layers in PShop, you lose all names in FCP pre-6.

Has this been fixed too in FCP 6

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

The link takes you to a page with two downloads

AvidCodecsLE.pkg.zip
AvidCodecsLE.zip

The first is a Mac version, while the second is for PC. I didn’t check the PC version but about the Mac version…

After decompressing AvidCodecsLE.pkg.zip

you have a package AvidCodecsLE.pkg
It is date-stamped 23 Mar 07 with a ver. 0.1
Size is 8.3 Mb

The Avid MC 2.7 Universal Binary install CD also has codecs placed in an ‘Other installers’ folder. There too

you have a package AvidCodecsLE.pkg
It is date-stamped 16 Mar 07 with a ver. 0.1
Size is 4.4 Mb

There is also (on the CD) a package called
AvidCodecsPE.pkg
It is date-stamped 16 Mar 07 with a ver. 0.1
Size is 5.4 Mb

I guess these two get installed when you install Avid MC on a Mac.

I haven’t tried the downloaded codec, but the codec from the MC CD works fine. All the DNxHD codecs show up while exporting.

And I’m not sure what the difference is between the downloaded codec and that on the Avid MC CD.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

If you’ve taken the recent FCS 1 crossgrade to 5.1 you have disks that say FCS 1 Retail. That number should work.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

In the Avid MC install disk there is an instaler called Avid codecs PE or LE or something like that. Alternately, you can just install Avid MC on the Field machine. What the heck. Avid MC won’t work without the dongle but for all its worth, Avid EDL manager and FilmScribe will work.

As will the Avid codecs of course. Also, in a pinch, you can just pinch the dongle off the studio system and have an Avid MC on your filed system temporarily.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

I hope the ETT not being accurate will also get looked into.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

FCP doesn’t really ‘not like’ PAL. You haven’t made your deck like PAL by leaving it on NTSC.

There are some PAL-specific issues in FCP, but this is not one of them.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

This is the better solution.

If your second machine is also a MacPro, that is.

If you choose to use an iMac as the second system, connect both ‘halves’ of the XSR to the MacPro and connect the MacPro and the iMac directly to each other via GigE. And enable jumbo frames. Directly, don’t go through a switch.

GigE and the MacPro would be plenty fast to edit and serve files to the assistant. We have three G5s (all dual) connected to individual XSRs. Editors routinely mount the other FCPs XSRs and edit off them. Everyone captures to their own, however.

Also look at solutions from Small Tree. Especially BlazeFS.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

Also, I hope they take a look at the Edit to tape not being accurate issue.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Neil Sadwelkar]

All our systems have two drives internal. When such an upgrade situation looms, we install another OS on the spare drive and load the new app there. Anything boken we just boot back with the original drive. Any kind of cloning and restore from clone process is time consuming.

And hey, even if its broken, there are enough exciting new things in FCS 2 that will definitely work fine.

Neil

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.