Titles from PS to FCP

I'm doing titles in Photoshop (CS2)--over a dummy background, which I make invisible when done. Then I convert the type layers to shape and merge the visible layers (just type layers) and import the file to FCP5 and place them in the timeline in a second track above the video track. The result is rather weak jaggy-looking letters. Even in PS, the type is jaggy--just as though the letters are still bitmaps. The result is the same regardless whether the resolution is 72 pixels per inch or 160 pixels.

What's wrong?

Pixel resolution doesn't matter in video like it does in print; only the pixel dimensions, which you should set to match the frame size of your video.

Hard to tell what's going on without seeing your files. What are you setting your anti-aliasing to in PShop? I often use 'Strong' or 'Smooth'. If the text is jagged is Pshop after you convert the layers then I'm inclined the think the problem lies there and not in FCP.

JK

_______________________________________
SCQT! Self-contained QuickTime ? pass it on!

Hey Walter have a read about DPI: [www.lafcpug.org]


But it sounds like John might be right - however you would be best doing a layered TIFF file instead of a PSD and this way you need not flatten any layers or effects - simply turn off the background so it shows the transparent background before saving as a TIFF with layers.

You can then edit this text anytime you want.



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Thanks for the info.

My mail server has been down, which is the cause of the delay in posting this.

Please, if you can, see the three pictures at these URL's:

www.greenworldcenter.org/Title-test-PSfile.jpg
www.greenworldcenter.org/Titleteststill-from-FCPseq.jpg
www.greenworldcenter.org/Title-test-video.mov

The letters are a little jagged even in the PS file. (I converted type to shape for these files.)
In FCP5 they are a little blotchy around the edges. It occurs to me this may (or may not) be from the PS drop shadow.

How to get better looking titles? Importing a tiff into fcp didn't help.

Hey Walter

Could you do me a favour and check your Render settings are all at 100% and quality is all at Full on any other settings.

To me it looks like your have Render set to 50% (Check in the Timeline options and under User Prefs)

If this is not the issue.

Could you add a Circle or Oval Shape from within FCP to the title so I can see if this is just an imported GFX issue?

Quote

The letters are a little jagged even in the PS file.

The JPG doesn't seem to have this - could you link to the PSD file and I can check that too.



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Thanks for the response Ben.

Render settings are all at 100 percent, and the clips are fully rendered.

They were always rendered in 8-bit YUV and motion filter quality was normal, but when these are changed to render all YUV material in high-precision YUV with quality as Best the result is the same.

INCIDENTAL QUESTIONS: Are the mini-dv seq default settings for White or Super White? How should this be set?

Here are links to three PS files:

? www.greenworldcenter.org/Titles-test-4.psd has a circle, is done with high-precision YUV. And

? www.greenworldcenter.org/Titles-test-4a.psd is I believe identical except I converted the size back to 480 pixels tall for export to FCP. (I neglected the conversion in the previous links.)

? www.greenworldcenter.org/Titles-test-4b.psd is the same picture after importing test-4a into FCP 5 and placing it in the timeline over the video track, rendering, and exporting. (I didn't narrow it back down after the export, as you can see.)

In the end, the letters still look lousy, don't they? (I also get lousy letters when I omit the drop shadow in PS.)

??!

I recall a similar problem with titles the last time I did this, a few years ago, and I think that may have been solved by adjusting the alpha type or composite mode. I dickered around with these this time, but no dice.

Sorry, I see you asked for a circle to be added from within FCP and i did it in PS. How do I do it within FCP?

From the same drop down menu as Text on the Viewer window...



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Generate a shape and then pull it into the timeline on Track 3 where track 2 is the title and the bottom track is the video under the title?

In this case, all we see is the circle. A white circle with blurred edges and surrounded by black.

I'm not getting the same problem with them.

Just double check the actual timeline settings command+0 (zero) when you have the timeline selected.

They should be this:



I can't get the titles to replicate your issue apart form the 50% render resolution!



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Double click on the shape layer and adjust the softness to 0.5%

Try it in a couple of composite modes such as screen or multiply and see if you get jaggy edges when you render.

Also try this PSD: [www.loudandfast.co.uk]

and this one: [www.loudandfast.co.uk]

right-click or alt-click and "Download Linked File"



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Thank you very much Ben.

The edges of the circle are smooth.

The letters in my PS files look ok after import into FCP and placement in the timeline (resolution and frame rate are 100%) with nothing under them. (White letters over black ackground) But no drop shadow here of course.

When I re-size the PS files to 720 x 480 (from 720 x 534) and import to FCP and place them in a time line (straight alpha, alpha reversed, normal composite mode) with no video track under them (so that there are white letters over a black background), they look OK (no drop shadow here of course). (That is, they look OK until I render them--then they look not so good!)

(Pics that were not re-sized to 720 x 534 look jagged with bits of shadow or something visible within the letters in the timeline.)

But when I move the good title image (720 x 480) in the timeline (as above) to a track over the background video track the result is the lousy letters in
www.greenworldcenter.org/Titleteststill-from-fcp.jpg.

The resolution and frame rate are 100%.

When you say you "can't get the titles to replicate your issue apart from the 50% render resolution," do you mean your titles look good? i.e. better than the ones at www.greenworldcenter.org/Titleteststill-from-fcp.jpg?

Hey Walter

The link www.greenworldcenter.org/Titleteststill-from-fcp.jpg doesn't work. Could you check the URL?

Yes using your PSDs I get good sharp titles that look the same as they do in PS rendered or unrendered.

Did you try the files I posted above?


I might also suggest deleting your preferences and see if that works right now its a bit of a wild guess as I don't see any issue with your PSD files.

To Delete the User Preferences

? In the Finder, go to ~/Library/Preferences?the tilde (~) represents your Home folder.
? Remove the "com.apple.finalcutpro.plist" file from the Preferences folder.
? Remove the "Final Cut Pro User Data" folder from the Preferences folder.

Restart FCP and you will need to re-specify the scratch disk and set up your User Preferences and System Settings.



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Thanks for your help and patience on this.

You wrote, "The link www.greenworldcenter.org/Titleteststill-from-fcp.jpg doesn't work. Could you check the URL?"

Sorry. It's www.greenworldcenter.org/Titleteststill-from-fcpseq.jpg . Note the jaggies on the N and the K and the O. Note also the muddy effect at the top and bottom of the letters, as though the drop shadow has spilled inward into the letters.

The letters in the PS file at
www.greenworldcenter.org/Titles-test-4a.psd look much better.

QUESTION: Are those little jaggies in this Titles-test-4a.psd file normal for after converting to shape?

You wrote, "Yes using your PSDs I get good sharp titles that look the same as they do in PS rendered or unrendered.
"Did you try the files I posted above?"

I tried trashing prefs. Doesn't help.

???

Re what I wrote in my post above:

"The letters in the PS file at
www.greenworldcenter.org/Titles-test-4a.psd look much better.

"QUESTION: Are those little jaggies in this Titles-test-4a.psd file normal for after converting to shape?"

I see that the sample files you posted are much better in this regard.

??????

Quote

Thanks for your help and patience on this.

No probs I just hope we can get to the bottom of whatever is going on!

Quote

QUESTION: Are those little jaggies in this Titles-test-4a.psd file normal for after converting to shape?

If you mean "flattening a layer" or Rasterizing text - then no, it should retain the same pixels and detail as the original layer with text and layer FX.

Walter try this zip file:

[www.loudandfast.co.uk]

- its an XML FCP project and a PSD file.

? Close all your current projects

? File > Import > XML

? Select: Title-Test-Render.XML (from wherever you unzipped the file)

On the dialog box

? Destination (Create New Project)

? Sequence Settings (auto)

? Click OK

? Save as: Title-Test-Render.fcp

? Open the sequence "Title-Test-Render"

? Render it and then export me a still and also a 2 frame DV NTSC (mark in and out 2 frames then export Quicktime movie - make self contained)


- see if it works.



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You wrote:
"File > Import > XML
Select: Title-Test-Render.XML (from wherever you unzipped the file)
On the dialog box
Destination (Create New Project)
Sequence Settings (auto)"

Sequence Settings (auto) was not an option. I left it at the default, i.e. DV NTSC 48 kHz. And I left the box checked for "Override with settings for XML."

"Click OK
Save as: Title-Test-Render.fcp
Open the sequence 'Title-Test-Render'"

At this point I get a window saying "WARNING: Non-critical errors were found while processing an XML document. Would you like to see a log of those errors now?" Here's the log:

Mon, May 25, 2009, 12:02 AM - Errors Found Importing Title-Test-Render.xml
sequence:media:video:format:samplecharacteristics:codec(Apple DV - NTSC) - <xmeml>: Unknown element <appspecificdata> encountered.( line 39 )
sequence:media:video:format(Title-Test-Render) - <xmeml>: Unknown element <appspecificdata> encountered.( line 58 )
<file>: Unable to find file located at <pathurl> "file://localhost/Volumes/RAID%205/Tests/title-test/titles-test.psd".( line 112 )

The file is sitting there in my Downloads folder. When I open it in PS I get a window that says, "Pixel aspect ratio correction is for preview purposes only. Turn it off for maximum image quality." (Turn WHAT off?) Then the file shows up.


When I then try to open the sequence again in FCP 5, I get a seq with 4 tracks. The circle is there, but the other three tracks say "Media Offline Titles-test"

Boink!

Hey Walter

Quote

I left it at the default, i.e. DV NTSC 48 kHz. And I left the box checked for "Override with settings for XML."

Apologies - thats correct for FCP5 I was thinking FCP 6

You can ignore the XML processing error it is simply that it cannot find my RAID where the original files are.

Simply open the sequence:

? Highlight all the clips

? Right-click (option-click) and select reconnect media

? Find the PSD and relink it

? Render



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Quote

When I open it in PS I get a window that says, "Pixel aspect ratio correction is for preview purposes only. Turn it off for maximum image quality." (Turn WHAT off?) Then the file shows up.

Ok this will take us slightly off topic so will direct you to an explanation here: [livedocs.adobe.com]

and here: [docs.info.apple.com]

Sufficed to say, that all Photoshop is doing, is telling you that the PSD I created will be displaying the 3:2 Pixel Aspect Ratio of the file as a 4:3 Display Aspect Ratio of the final output so that anything you create in 720x480 will look correct on TV.

You can learn more about Pixel and Display Aspect Ratios by Googling - there are literally thousands of articles on the subject find one you can understand!



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Hey we're makin' progress.

Your title looks fine of course when I open it in PS. But after importing in FCP(5), the same lousy thing happens. Please see:

www.greenworldcenter.org/Walter-still-from-fcp.psd and

www.greenworldcenter.org/Title-test-RenderQT

Thanks yet again.

Walter

www.greenworldcenter.org/Title-test-RenderQT isn't working...



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Exactly which version of FCP 5 are you running and on what type of Mac?

Could you zip up and send me the FCP file that you made from my XML

Also can you take screenshots of:

? All your sequence settings - Command+0

? The Browser in List mode showing the:

Tracks, Frame Size, Vid Rate, Compressor, Alpha and Field Dominance



I'm starting to get really puzzled by this as the internal Shapes seem to be fine.

Try a different sequence CODEC such as DVCpro50 or Animation CODEC see if these yield different results. If they don't and there is nothing on the settings then I'm going to suggest a reinstall of FCP...



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Beats me. The file is good on my local disk, but unavailable online, even after I re-uploaded it. Maybe there is a protocall for QT filenames?? How about if I email the file to you?

Walter
info (at) crittertunes (dot) com

I don't need the Quicktime - but send me the FCP project file.

ben@loudandfast.co.uk

Quote

Maybe there is a protocall for QT filenames??

You must put .mov on the Quicktime file for the internet and also make sure there are no spaces in filenames - use underscores or hyphens instead of spaces if necessary.



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Actually - send me a 2 frames of the DV export please!

Use Export Quicktime Movie - Make Movie Self Contained and then send that - don't compress it as some other CODEC.



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I emailed you the stuff you requested, which I won't post to the web now because of other problems.

I'm running FCP 5.0 on an iMac with a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB of RAM.

INCIDENTAL Q: Most of the videos for the disk we are making are effects-heavy, and we have been planning to re-render everything with high-precision YUV. Should we expect much difference? The test we did so far doesn't show much difference.

Changing CODECs didn't help.

Incidentally, the titles track (Track1) looks even worse in the viewer window.

THANKS!

I think I went through this very issue about five years ago. Darned if I can remember the solution except that it may have had to do with rendering more than once, in both the viewer and the timeline, which doesn;t seem to apply here.

walter