Editing DNxHD in FCP

So, I work in a post house that is 99% Avid, but we utilize a couple of FCP stations for different jobs. I am the operator of one of these aforementioned machines. Lately we've been using our FCP Macs to transcode RED footage to DNxHD Quicktimes and ingest them into our Avids to do the finish edit. I had some spare time this morning so I started playing around with these rendered files and I can edit them quite easily in FCP. I was really surprised by this. In the past when I've imported DNx Quicktimes I get a white screen and the clip audio. I wasn't the one who created these clips but they were created with one of our Macs for sure. I laid a couple into a timeline and it came up with DNx compression and played back quite nicely. I can't monitor externally because, well, my Kona3 card just won't do that but they play in the viewer and sequence windows. Anyone using this workflow??


4Core MacPro, 6GB RAM, FCP 6.0.3, Kona3

I'm not at amy machine right now. I do think you can monitor externally off it (I could be wrong though), try switching your timeline to AJA Uncompressed 10 bit output and edit natively. Any filters will definitely require a render, though.



www.strypesinpost.com

When you install Avid on a machine you get the DNxHD codec which is compatible with any QuickTime application. That said it's obviously optimized best for Avid.

Noah

Final Cut Studio Training, featuring the HVX200, EX1, EX3, DVX100, DVDSP and Color at [www.callboxlive.com]!
Author, RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera available now at: [www.amazon.com].
Editors Store- Gifts and Gear for Editors: [www.editorsstore.com]

DNx and FCP? I had no idea one could do this?

even if you don't install Avid, you can download and install their QT codecs
[avidtechnology.custhelp.com]

OH, I have edited DNxHD a lot recently on my FCP. I have the codecs installed (Avid has an installer for the PE (professional edition) codecs...so all of them work. But mind you, they are DNxHD QUICKTIMES, not tha native Avid MXF files, so yes, you can edit them. External monitoring is not possible with any capture card. If you switch your sequence to uncompressed 10-bit, then your footage will require rendering at some point. SO yes, you can edit, but outputting...no. Well, not to tape anyway.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

I remember Wes Plate telling of being able to play OMF Avid media inside even earlier FCP if the codecs were installed. He didn't recommend it but it could be done...

This is why the QuickTime wrapper rules over the OMF wrpaper or the MXF wrapper! It's everywhere! Nyahahah.

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:

Cycle Image to Image & Wireframe to Wireframe with W !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Just tried it. Was on my lappie yesterday, so I couldn't give it a shot. But yea, Shane's right. You can't monitor it externally. It's not optimized for FCP anyway. Perhaps someone now could think of cross platform offline/online workflows between FCP/AVID.



www.strypesinpost.com

I tried this about a month ago on my G5 Quad. No output for my AJA LHe, and the timeline was not playing at full frame rate. I would rank it, at least on my system, as possible, but sub-optimal.

-V

Definetly sub-optimal but it does raise some interesting possibilities re: AVID/FCP workflows, like strypes was saying.

On a related note. I've just installed the RED FCS package and the RED Quicktime codec but the Log & Transfer plugin isn't showing up in my L&T prefs? Is this a common problem? Is there a step I'm missing??

Andre

Hi Adelena,

We've tried using our FCP station with a DS Nitris in this very same way - transcoding RED footage to DNxHD QTs and capturing into the DS. We've noticed the QTs look "soft" compared to the way they look in FCP, on timelines with the same settings in both systems. They also seem to take a long time to capture. Have you experienced either of these things?

Thanks for your help!

Stella

adelena Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, I work in a post house that is 99% Avid, but
> we utilize a couple of FCP stations for different
> jobs. I am the operator of one of these
> aforementioned machines. Lately we've been using
> our FCP Macs to transcode RED footage to DNxHD
> Quicktimes and ingest them into our Avids to do
> the finish edit. I had some spare time this
> morning so I started playing around with these
> rendered files and I can edit them quite easily in
> FCP. I was really surprised by this. In the past
> when I've imported DNx Quicktimes I get a white
> screen and the clip audio. I wasn't the one who
> created these clips but they were created with one
> of our Macs for sure. I laid a couple into a
> timeline and it came up with DNx compression and
> played back quite nicely. I can't monitor
> externally because, well, my Kona3 card just won't
> do that but they play in the viewer and sequence
> windows. Anyone using this workflow??
>
>
> 4Core MacPro, 6GB RAM, FCP 6.0.3, Kona3

Yes, you may want to try REDRushes or one of the other pieces of software RED offers for transcoding R3d files. That might give you a cleaner result. I'm not sure how it works with Avid? Can you straight import the RED proxy quicktimes? We've had mixed success importing different quicktime formats into our Avids. It may be just a question of finding the right recipe? Good luck.

Andre

Hi Andre,

Thanks for your response. Yes, we did process through RedRushes - we 1st did a quick color adjustment in RedAlert, then batch processed with RedRushes. We've been working with both a FCP system and a DS Nitris, but this is v.8. If we keep the DS, we'll have to upgrade to v.10.1.2 as I believe this is more "Red-friendly". FCP works great with Red, but the editor here likes to composite and CC on the DS. (We usually go to DPX files for the final conform.)

Thanks again! Stella