Cropping while maintaining image size

Hi,

I'm looking for a way to simultaneously crop an image by a certain amount, then stretch up the image to compensate so the resulting "cropped" image is still the same size as the original.

I seem to remember in Adobe Premiere there is a filter called "clip" (confusingly enough) which does this.

In context: I have 81 images in a perfect 9x9 split screen, but now I need to go into some of those split screens to reframe and tidy up the edges of some of them. Doing conventional cropping and scaling will be difficult since I need it to be pixel-accurate to avoid adjacent screens overlapping.

So where can I find the equivalent of a "clip" filter in Final Cut?

Thanks,

NickScale

Mac Pro 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
6 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
OSX 10.6.4, FCP 7.0.2

I would make a black frame in PS that has nine pixel accurate transparent holes in it and drop that on V10, then put the pics on the nine lines underneath.

That way you can adjust the pics underneath to your heart's content and never lose the border integrity.

I don't know of any such filter.

Jude's idea is good, but if you move an image far enough it can peek out behind the mask into adjacent holes.

This idea might work, but will require a bunch of extra video tracks, one for each image. First you need to make 81 still boxes that are the size and shape of each individual window. Then place one on a track under each still image. Change the transfer mode of each still to travel matte luma. Now you can scale and position each image in the window created by your matte frame.

A further advantage is that you can use a shape that is other than a perfect rectangle. You could, for instance make your mattes with rounded corners.

A final thought, when you get to 81 tracks of video maybe it is time to do this in Motion or After Effects.

-Vance

But that assumes there is some margin around each of the images or that there is a border between them. The images are lined up exactly adjacent to one another.

It is possible that I could use this method to mask each track individually, but it is very time consuming and my edit consists of numerous complex split screens similar to this.

Is there really no "clip" filter like that of Premiere in FCP?

NickScale

Mac Pro 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
6 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
OSX 10.6.4, FCP 7.0.2

Not that I know of, which is not to say that it doesn't exist.

You can do pixel accuracy using the numbers in the motion tab. It accepts up to two decimal points. Just painful on 81 images.

I found a plugin that does the job: DH_Box by Digital Heaven. 20 bucks and exactly what I needed!!

[www.digital-heaven.co.uk]

Cheers,
Nick

NickScale

Mac Pro 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
6 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
OSX 10.6.4, FCP 7.0.2

Ohh yeah. Actually I did know that. Sorry Digital Heaven..