Mouseless Logging - custom keyboard shortcuts

I have to log a huge number of clips and am looking for a way to do it without having to reach for the mouse for every clip. Apparently, there is no keyboard shortcut to place the cursor into the inpoint field.

Is there a way of adding custom keyboard shortcuts - for example, I'd like to have Command-I put the cursor into the inpoint field, Command-O put the cursor into the outpoint field, and Command-L log the clip. Having to click into the field, and then click the Log button is adding a LOT of time to my workflow.

Anybody know of any solutions? OR - alternatively, a free-standing Logging application that isn't so mouse-heavy and generates a clip log for FCP?

Thanks (in advance)!

last time I looked you could tab between the fields ... and F2 was the default shortcut for Log Clip

Don't know of any way to get the cursor to the inpoint field via a shortcut but if you click in the inpoint field, after this, pressing TAB will move you to the outpoint field and then SHIFT TAB will get you back to the inpoint field etc.

And Andy is right F2 opens the log clip tab.

Alan F.

Hi Andy and AL - sorry for the delay in my response.

Thank you VERY much for the F2 shortcut. In my search for a "place cursor in inpoint fleld' command, I had forgotten about that one.

That still leaves me having to tab SEVEN times, though, to get to the in field. Anybody know a way to de-activate the "Scene" "Shot/Take" "Angle" "Log Note" and duration fields in the Tab queue so that one tab will take me to the inpoint field?

Thanks...

Andrew (swami17)

> That still leaves me having to tab SEVEN times, though

When you're working that hard to take the mouse out of the equation, chances are you'll be faster off if you just use the mouse. Several people in the past have asked how to edit without the mouse, and it can be a real pain. I'd suggest you get a keyboard that has the F and J markers (standard Apple keyboards, for example, rather than those "Final Cut" keyboards, which almost always omit this very important, standard typist's feature) and put your mouse close by. I also save oodles of time myself by eliminating those "Scene", "Shot" attributes from my log -- I put the Scene/Shot/Take numbers right into the clip name (eg. "01-01-01" and uncheck the "Prompt" feature so that all I'm dealing with are the In and Out windows. So I'm navigating two windows instead of seven, or three (if I need Log Notes), and I just enter the clip name when I hit F2 to log.


www.derekmok.com

Oh, and I'd encourage that you learn how to work with a mouse set to a very high Tracking Speed and Double Click Speed. A slow mouse just strains your hand, and a slow double-click speed means you can't single-click-single-click something quickly, such as when renaming items, where you have to single-click twice -- but if the speed is set too low, it counts as a double-click.


www.derekmok.com

Hi Derek,

When I uncheck Prompt, it's not deactivating those fields. I still have to tab through each of them to make my way over to the in field.

Is there somthing else I need to do to make that happen?

(By the way, I'm very comfortable using a mouse. It's just that until very recently I was working with Discreet Edit - an old, outdated system, but it allowed you to very quickly log a lot of clips, since there was a keyboard shortcut to put the cursor where you wanted to. Going for the mouse with each new clip is adding a LOT of time to my logging.)

Deactivating those fields would definitely solve my problem, because then I could just enter the clip name, tab, enter the inpoint, tab, enter the outpoint, F2, and then 2 tabs would bring me right back to the clip name (description) field.

> When I uncheck Prompt, it's not deactivating those fields.

My bad, I meant to say that I leave it CHECKED so that the Log command would ask me to put in the name. If it's unchecked, the system will attempt to create its own clip names for you, which I consider bad form. No, that doesn't affect how you TAB from one window to another.

I assume what you mean is that you have paper logs and you're just entering numbers?

So what I do is:

1. Leave the cursor on the In field.
2. Enter In number.
3. TAB to the Out field. Enter Out number.
4. F2, enter Clip Name, TAB, log notes, RETURN.
5. Click on In field, repeat.

Of course, this only works if you don't use the Scene, Shot and Take columns, like me. Since I put that information right into the clip names, those columns are useless to me and I turn them off in the Browser. But if you do want to use them, you could also consider leaving them blank at the logging stage, then adding the information back in after the logs are created. That way, you can put "012" in the Scene column of one clip, then highlight, say, 120 clips and CONTROL-click their Scene column and select 012.


www.derekmok.com

Wow, Derek -

That did the trick! Since the mouse never leaves the inpoint field, I can just quickly click on it with each new clip - no dragging it from fleld to field.

I had been starting with the Description and THEN going to the inpoint. Starting with the inpoint fixes my whole problem. THANK YOU!!!! for giving me a workflow that's as fast as what I've been used to.

Have a GREAT NIGHT!

Andrew (swami17)

And you do know SHIFT-TAB goes back one field, right? Useful if you enter the wrong thing and need to go back.


www.derekmok.com

Hi Andrew

If you're just enetring numbers from a paper log why not just create that paper log as an excel speadsheet in the first place ... then just import that file directly as an FCP batch list and avoid the "mouseless logging" altogether?

Larry Jordan offers a template on his website. Direct download link --> [www.larryjordan.biz]
"(Requires Microsoft Excel?). I designed this spreadsheet for logging NTSC video and, based upon my personal experience, this is much faster than the logger built into Final Cut.
Once a tape, or series of tapes, is logged, save the spreadsheet as a tab-delimited text file and import it into Final Cut using File > Import > Batch list. Instructions are included in the spreadsheet.
This works with all versions of Final Cut starting with version 3. Download size is 24K."

Best
Andy

Great question, Andy.

It's something I've been lobbying for. But the paper logs are coming to me from people who don't want to do it that way. I'm getting them as scripts with timecodes next to the shot descriptions and edit notes.

It's okay, I've actually gotten pretty fast at typing numbers...

Again, thanks for all the help, you guys. Hope I can return the favor sometime.

would it be faster for you to transcribe the written logs to such a spreadsheet yourself, rather than using FCP's log and capture interface? don;t know how your files are currently formated, but it might also be possible to write an applescript that parses the timecoded script and spits out an FCP batch list

Hold your horses!! There is a better (yes more expensive -but WAY better way)

Go here Movie Logger

This has sped up our logging 1 BILLION percent No more writing time code numbers -- just log the shot - hit a key stroke return and keep going -- yes it's 295.00 but the productivity boost and time saved pays for itself in one job. There is an excellent tutorial within that link to show you how it works -- Martin Baker did an outstanding job creating a must have add-on if you regularly create detailed tape logs -- and the best part - it not only creates logs but XML files so you can call up each individual logged clip within final cut pro -- Huge timesaver

We use it every day. Andy