dumbest FCP question EVER!

Okay, so I am semi obsesive compulsive and I am betting someone else here is too.

Is there an easy/quick way to reorganize the time line tabs into a specific order.

I.E- I have 4 segments of a show opened but the tabs are ordered 1, 4, 3, 2 because that is the order I opened them. Currently, I close them then reopen them, so that they now are ordered 1, 2, 3, 4,

Is there an Easier way to reorder them?

Thanks.

Sorry, no way this is the dumbest question ever.

The clue is in the way you described how you reordered them.

The sequences that were open when you shut down (last saved) are re-opened in sequence name order. So to force an order, name those sequences in the order you want them to appear. Easiest way to do that is use a preceding number, like "1. Opening titles", "2. First car chase", "3. Explosions", etc. Keep in mind that in alphanumeric ordering, "11." will come before "2.", etc., so if you have more than 9 sequences to order, use preceding zeroes, like "01. xxx", "02. xxx", ... "13. xxx".

Capisce?

Scott

Or you can tear them off and put them back in the order you want them in.

Grab the tab and drag it away from the window. You'll get the tab as a separate entity. Do this for all the tabs, so they are all the same, but separate. Then with the one you want first (I think, it may be vice-versa), drag them back to the main timeline window an hold it over until the outside edge of the window turns slightly bold (it's easy to miss...) and let go.

Do this for all the tabs, and you have yourself re-ordered timeline tabs!

if they're in TOTALY the wrong order,
you might be better off starting again rather than tearing off and rearranging.

to that end i'll add this:

to close all sequnces in one go, close your canvas window.


cheers,
nick

Doesn't sound like a dumb question. Sounds like a feature request. I rarely bother with the drag away-redrag into Timeline window route. I just click on the sequences in the right order.

Yeah, for 4 sequences, tearing off and re-ordering might not be worth it.

Still, it can be done, and I do it when I have longer or busy timelines because it is much faster than waiting for FCP to prepare the video for display...

I agree Deb, waiting for the sequences to open can take longer than tearing them off.

Thanks everyone, but I guess the answer to my question is NO. I was hoping someone found some way of holding down some random keys while clicking and dragging. Guess not.

Derek, I guess this could be a feature request but I wouldn't put it into my top 100, and I doubt apple would either!

-Rick

i hadn't thought of that.
but then that's not been my experience.

sure, when i open a project or a sequnce for the first time i get that.
but i did this when i posted originally , and i just did it again,
and the sequences opened pretty quickly.

when i changed track size on one of them, though, i got a longer wait.
heck i've been get long waits simply from adding an in-point lately.
(now THAT'D be a feature request: option to turn off the "highlight in/out selection"...or i guess i could get more RAM!)

maybe something to do with creating a view verses simply showing one.


nick