How to collapse clips in TL

I am prepping for online so now I need to clean up my timeline.
I have so many layers of video that it takes me forever to do the cleaning.
So far I've been using Shift-click-drag to bring my clips from the higher tracks to "overwrite" the clips underneath.
Is there a way to do this quicker?

Thx

Xavier
2009 MBP - FCP 7
www.xavier-pilsudski.com

Is there a reason why you need so many layers or was it just sloppy editing? For most purposes, I cant imagine how anyone cuts with BRoll on layer 10 and a talking head on layer 20. But yea, Walter Murch had quite a lot of layers on his last edit. The easiest fix for it is not to be so sloppy- select your in/out points and insert/overwrite edit into the timeline. Don't drag that Broll from the bin onto layer 10. It usually takes me no more than 5 mins to clean up my timeline. I have edits on layer 1, and coverage/reaction shots/ Brolls on layer 2.



www.strypesinpost.com

yeah, i get lots of layers when cutting... well a few, anyway. if i get LOTS, i tend to tidy up as i go.

why do i get layers? options, and sometimes sections that work best by slipping and sliding some clips under / over other clips.

some sections are composites, and i have to be careful not to collapse them.
lately my process when prepnig for on-line is to nest my VFX comps if VFX are being farmed out.
so i wind up with all my rough comps as sequences i can give to the VFX person, (now i can run them though auto-duck now it's free)


there is software that will do it for you:
Edit Mule's Auto Collapse
[editmule.com]


i tried a demo , and it worked on a small timeline.


nick

Besides editing options, there are other issues such as flash frames, and how hard it is to swap scenes around. I tend to cut on v1 with Brolls on v2, and lower thirds on 3 and up... But the other reason is that I edit with thumbnails on the clips, so I can see the shots even before I move my playhead over it. This helps me local shots faster. And for thumbnails, you need the tracks wide enough to see thumbnails...



www.strypesinpost.com

strypes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there a reason why you need so many layers or
> was it just sloppy editing? .
> The easiest fix for it is not to be so sloppy-
>

great advice, thanks!

thanks for your helpful reply Nick.
I guess we're both working on real projects that require several layers of video and probably audio. Sometimes I wish I'd still be cutting stuff where all I'd need is V1 for A Cam, V2 for B Cam and V3... for.... oh lowerthirds!! Nice...

Anyway I checked out Edit Mule and it seems very nice!
Thanks again.

Xavier