Sequence Setting By Association?

Is there any way to do this:

Sequence, Settings... [See that video over there? Make a Sequence just like it. Call me if you have a problem.]

Koz

Nick Meyers trick for this is to select the clip and use "Make Multiclip sequence" It will make a bunch of stuff you can throw away after but the sequence has the same settings as the clip.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

not really my tip.
i saw it written up as being demoed at a lafcpug meet by some genius.
i am just a humble reporter


nm

That genius: Christine Steele

http://tinyurl.com/y53yz8

Yes, but the question still remains.

I find it particularly annoying to be working in a project and opening a new sequence within that project and having to go through the sequence setup to make the sequence match every other sequence in that project.

It might be nice that when you drop the first clip into a new sequence FCP asks you if you want to match the sequence settings to that clip. If not go through the setup if so your done.

> I find it particularly annoying to be working in a project and opening a new sequence within
> that project and having to go through the sequence setup to make the sequence match
> every other sequence in that project.

You have to change Audio/Video Settings - Sequence Presets.

But, it'd probably be convenient to have a feature like "Make Custom Sequence Preset from current Sequence Settings". Likewise "Make Custom Capture Preset from current Clip Settings".

I guess I'm so used to looking at every nook and cranny of a clip/sequence for its settings that I don't mind it...much.


www.derekmok.com

I've had this debate on another forum, unfortunately it is what it is and no amount of debate is likely to change it.

I understand that there's probably even a little bit of security in checking to make sure your sequence setting are set correctly. If FCP was the only application this applied to that would be one issue. But I've sent clips to motion and back to FCP and the clip settings had changed and when placed in the original 16x9 sequence it was now a 4x3.

I don't want the computer to decide my sequence settings for me, but I do expect that if I start a project and all the sequence setting are the same, when I open a new sequence it matches the rest of the sequences in that project and when roundtriping from one application to another that the clip and sequence setting remain the same throughout the entire process.

There seems to be way too many opportunities to make a mistake. I certainly don't mind chalking some of this up to the learning curve and user error, but there are way too many threads dedicated to this sort of issue, something isn't right.

<<<I don't want the computer to decide my sequence settings for me, but I do expect that if I start a project and all the sequence setting are the same, when I open a new sequence it matches the rest of the sequences in that project and when roundtriping from one application to another that the clip and sequence setting remain the same throughout the entire process.>>>

Conjugate the verb "roundtrip." I roundtrip, you roundtrip. I will have.....

Yes, well, my favorite problem is the gamma gray level shifting, but I'm an engineer, not an editor.


In my capacity as a non-editor, I've been known to load a completely unknown HiDef video, do something engineering to it, and present it to the real editors.

Let's see, QuickTime thinks it's 1080 but I can't tell which 16x9...Let's try this setup. No, that's one's tall and skinny....How come it says 1888 instead of 1920.... The dime came up tails. It's interlaced.

Koz

Hi Koz,

Sorry I don't have the foggiest idea of what you just said. I'm hoping it has something to do with the inconsistencies with how Apple configures its clip, render and sequence settings?

Plus the lack of tools/information to determine exactly what it is your working with.

I have used [and hated] Avids for 20 years, but I always knew exactly how things were being translated. Such a fundamental premise for an NLE.

I keep hoping its my inexperience with FCP, but boy is the process of importing, exporting and possibly encoding a convoluted process in FCP.

I guess I'm just not smart enough - you know "Hi I'm a PC and I'm a Mac." I'm destined to be on a PC... [that's a joke...]

It is simple. When you start a new project, go FILE>EASY SETUP and choose the settings that you will be editing with. Then toss Sequence 1, and make a new sequence.

It would be nice to have FCP prompt you with something to ask if you wanted to conform the timeline settings to match that of your clip. So many people, whether they chose an Easy Setup or not, would drop clips into this SEQUENCE 1 and get the red render bars. VERY frustrating. Even if it changed the settings of the sequence after you chose an Easy Setup that would be nice (ALL things I have put requests in for at Apple).

Coming from an Avid, one thing I miss is the first window you see, that allows you to choose the project and user. But, FCP isn't an Avid, so...

Still...fix that sequence thing and I'll be happy.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

"Yes, but the question still remains."

actually.. Andrew answered it.

"I have used [and hated] Avids for 20 years, but I always knew exactly how things were being translated. Such a fundamental premise for an NLE. "

well avid is very strict about the way it works.
FCP is very open.
that's IT's fundamental premise.

you wanna work in DV?
SD?
HD?
fine... it;s all the one piece of software with whatever hardware you need bolted on.


Agree with Shane, Easy Setups are great.
and i agree there should be a (less hidden) way to make a sequence based on a clip.

when i need to check settings, clip, sequence, or clip vs sequence, i use the browser.
i have a column layout called "Stats".
it's all the columns relevant to settings.
if you need to check a clip against a sequence put them both n a bin, and scroll thru the stats columns, and any discrepancies will soon be obvious.


you know there was an app made by the same people who made FCP Attic, which you avid folk might find interesting.
Multiuser Pro
basically it swapped out one set of prefs for another (and maybe user settings like keyboard layout etc, too)
the idea is you'd open Multi User Pro first, chose your settings based on user, (or indeed, project)
THEN launch FCP. (in fact there is a "Launch FCP" button in the app.)

i cant seem to link to Chespeake Systems, the people who made it anymore
[www.chesa.com]

but if anyone is interested, i can email the app to you.
it wasn't that useful to me, as i tend to work on long form projects and stick with one set-up for a long time.
and im happy enough wrangling FCP when i need to.


nick

<<<Conjugate the verb "roundtrip." I roundtrip, you roundtrip. I will have.....>>>

Nobody? I will have roundtripped?

<<<Sorry I don't have the foggiest idea of what you just said. >>>

I'm a little like eating oysters for the first time. You probably don't want to do it in public.

I'm illustrating the problem of not only being innocent of all the required information about the clip, but I'm also not an editor, so I'm restricted to the hunt and peck method of setting up a sequence. I also live on the analysis tools. The programmer of "Get Info" is in my will.

This is also the origination of questions like: "How do you tell after the fact which ColorSync monitor profile is burned into your video?"

<<<It is simple. When you start a new project, go FILE>EASY SETUP and choose the settings that you will be editing with. Then toss Sequence 1, and make a new sequence.>>>

Works for me. Or it will as soon as I can get back in front of a machine.

The red render bar and I are old friends......

Koz

<<<I guess I'm just not smart enough - you know "Hi I'm a PC and I'm a Mac." I'm destined to be on a PC... [that's a joke...]>>>

Anybody else notice who is making out on those commercials? I see a Justin Long fluff piece in "Fade In" Magazine and a little piece a while ago about his agent refusing to allow him to do any more Mac ads. (Note to agent: The Mac ads *are* his career.) (Note to Long: New agent time.)

Hodgman, on the other hand, is hot...

Koz

In danger of making this thread go off in another tanget, the Mac ads are hardly Justin Long's career. He has been in TV and Movies long before them. He was a main character on GALAXY QUEST, DODGEBALL and a main character on ED (NBC). Look for yourself:

[www.imdb.com]

Not that I am a fan of his, but to say his career is only these Mac ads is false.

But I do like Hodgeman better.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

No doubt there are certainly things that Avid is strict about, as I work more and more with HD that's why I'm not working with an Avid.

<<<you wanna work in DV? SD? HD? fine... it;s all the one piece of software with whatever hardware you need bolted on.>>>

That's great but I thought I could do more, because actually what I 'need' to do is be able to work with HDV, DVCProHD and Uncompressed HD all in the same sequence without rendering.

Any thoughts?

Chuck Spaulding Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> That's great but I thought I could do more,
> because actually what I 'need' to do is be able to
> work with HDV, DVCProHD and Uncompressed HD all in
> the same sequence without rendering.
>
> Any thoughts?

Yes. Get a capture card and capture all your footage at one resolution. That is what you nad to do with an Avid. Capture all your footage at 15:1, or 2:1...or AVR 75, or AVR 3s.

Yes, the newer Avid's can mix some resolutions on the timeline. But Avid has been around for a while. Give FCP time. new kid on the block. Does things an Avid can't do, so there are trade offs.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

INT___HOLLYWOOD 7-ELEVEN___EVENING

JOE looks up from filling his Big Gulp.

JOE
Look, there's the guy that played Mookie in Dreamland!

--------or---------

JOE
Oh My God, isn't that the "I'm A Mac" guy onTV?


Koz

"what I 'need' to do is be able to work with HDV, DVCProHD and Uncompressed HD all in the same sequence without rendering. "

switch from "Safe" mode to unlimited RT.
top left of your current timeline,
& for all future sequnces, open FCP System Settings, go to "Playback Control"

you wont get great playback, but if your; computer is fast enough you'll get some
(my guess is HDV will be the most taxing for the system, and the least successful playback).
otherwise, what Shane suggested


nick

Actually what I would like to do is convert all forms of HD(V) to the same file format for post production which would enable FCP to edit without rendering.

On the PC I use two products, Prospect HD converts any HD captured through a Blackmagic or Aja card [component and HD-SDI] and AspectHD converts all HDV via fire wire to the same Cineform AVI digital intermediate codec.

Using wavelet compression it creates a file that is similar to DVCProHD however it is 4:2:2 10bit 1280x720 or 1920x1080 not 960x1080 8bit and looks much better.

Is there a similar solution or a better way to do this with FCP?

Chuck Spaulding Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Is there a similar solution or a better way to do
> this with FCP?

Compressor. Use the Advanced settings and convert all your footage to DVCPRO HD.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

The conversion to the Cineform codec happens in real time during capture, there is no post processing required. This is a huge advantage of time, disk space and quality.

I have read some about the bitjazz a codec that might be similar to the Cineform codec, has anyone used or know where I can find reliable information about it?

CHuck, does is do this while capturing via firewire, or with the aid of a capture card?

With a capture card you can capture it as most anything.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

AspectHD converts via firewire, ProspectHD converts via capture card but they both produce the same lossy AVI. [http://www.cineform.com/]

The reason for wanting to work this way is that I regularly have to combine footage from a Sony F900, Z1, and HVX200 for example and work with several artisans using [at least trying to use] FCP, After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc..

So I would like to create a "digital intermediate" work flow that can be reconfigured to meet the various types of projects. This is important with HD for several reasons, the need to manage the look of a project and the need for much better efficiency. Most people have not worked in such a distributed work environment with HD and don't realize the significant cost associated with just the management of 100's of terabytes of data. It is too costly to transfer HD data and then convert/copy this much data from one file format to another.

I don't want to work in uncompressed and I think the DVCProHD [100] codec is inferior to the Cineform codec. I read the review by Graeme Nattress in this forum about the Sheer Video "Bitjazz" codec and I'm hoping it can be used in a similar way with FCP as the Cineform codec with PPro on the PC.

I don't want to 'dumb' down FCP's sequence settings, I'd rather work smarter and develop a work flow that incorporates an intermediate codec that enable me to edit with any source all on in the same sequence thereby making the data significantly more manageable.

I was under the impression that FCP was ready for this level of production. Although we wrote this article quite some time ago about digital film production it is still very relevant for the needs for HD production - [http://digitalcontentproducer.com/mag/video_visual_effects_industry/index.html]

hi Chuck

you can download a 20 day free trial of SheerVideo's BitJazz codec at [www.bitjazz.com] . for convenience the download includes a multitude of FCP easy setup presets for using the codec including capture via Kona2 and Decklink hardware. ( there are also output module teplates for AE )

the codec appears to be cross platform, and has a free player component for those who need to view the intermediates on non-production machines.

if you test this, I'd love to here your results.

cheers
Andy

Thanks Andy,

I saw this while reading thier site, but since I'm new to the Mac [this is a little thing brought over from the PC] I don't like the idea of loading up my system with a bunch of temp/demo files that might do more harm than good.

I'd like to keep a very "kleen" system and I was hoping that Graeme would chime in on this issue before I downloaded the free trial.

This product looks very promising but if you read their website they make it sound like this thing will cure world hunger --

Somebody on this forum must be using it. Maybe I'll start a new thread about this codec [or I'll bight the bullet and download the trial version]