Video image control filters not working.

I think I must be missing something obvious. All I want is to get any image control filters to work. I've applied gamma corrections and/or levels to individual clips and master clips. I make sure they're activated. But when I look for changes in response to the sliders both in the canvas and the torn off viewer. Nothing changes, nada.
I repaired permissions and thanks to someone's suggestion, I trashed and flushed the 4 (hidden) preference files. Still nothing.
This is real frustrating as it has worked fine before. I'm using OSX.7.5 on a 2Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB memory. Anybody else had this problem?

Sure you're not applying the clips to the master clips in the Browser? You need to apply the filters in the affiliate clips -- the actual clips in the Timeline.


www.derekmok.com

@derekmok. Thanks for responding. I tried applying filters to clips from the timeline as well as to other master clips. When I open them in the viewer all the filter controls are there - they just don't effect the clip or canvas images.

Do the images play OK on the timeline? Or are they freezing? Are you connected to an external monitor? What happens if you export a short section with a radical change on a filter applied? Does the export show the changes?

I just exported several tests using boldface (which don't require rendering). A) no filter B) Gamma cranked to 5 C) Brightness cranked to 100% and D) Contrast cranked to 100%. The only one with any effect was the Gamma, and then only a modest brightening in the highlights. The rest - no difference.

Wow. That's odd. What is the footage? Anything different from your normal work? What has changed since the last time the system worked? New gear? Camera? Ingest system? Filter pack? Anything?

I'm going to go out on a limb and suspect a Software Update as the culprit:

QuickTime
OS
ProApps Codecs

Did you do any updates lately? Remember that FCP7 has now been end-of-life for two and a half years. Any Apple update would not take it into account, which means any machine running FCP7 should stop doing upgrades to the pertinent software components.


www.derekmok.com

That may be the problem. My last computer (OSX.6) had a melt down and was replaced with an Intel Core 2 Duo running 10.7.5. FCP7 doesn't even open on my Hackintosh running 10.9.1 I fear that upgrade may have done it in.

Do you know of a workaround? I'd be happy just to be able to tweek the Gamma response. Or reasonably priced upgrade to FCP or FCPX?

Maybe your FXScript filters have crapped out and the FXPlug versions still work, or vice versa. If the Gamma filter didn't work, try the Gamma Correction filter, or vice versa. Also there is Compressor's Gamma Correction filter to try. They're somewhat different.

Concerning 10.9, don't go there. I recently had to buy a MBP and paid extra to get one with 10.8, and then killed Notification Center. No more pestering about updates. Why can't you reload 10.6, 10.7, or 10.8 and get back to work?

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany