Match Frame usability behavior

Has anybody figured out yet how FCP 4 is *supposed* to behave, when matching video, audio, on mult-track projects? I can't seem to figure out any sensible logic to it, yet. Tom?

Anybody know the difference between View > Match Frame > Master Clip and View > Match Frame > Source File? Since the master clip is, by definition, the very first instance of a source file in the project, I'm having a hard time understanding what the difference is. The behavior was so buggy in FCP 4.0 that I couldn't see any logic to it, so I'm reluctant to just rely on what FCP 4.0.1 actually does, as my guide to the logic behind the behavior, and the manual is no help.

Thanks,

--Ralph

Here's the best I can figure on autoselect and match frame. It matches to whatever layer has autoselect turned on starting with V1. If you have multiple layers stacked it doesn't match to the visible frame but to V1. If V1 is off then it matches to V2, then V3, then V4, and so on. If no Vs are selected it matches VANDA based on autoselection on A1, then A2, then A3 and so on. So if you want to match in a stack the best way is to option click on the autoselect for that layer and then match. You'll get the one you want to see.

The difference between match and match source is that when you match you load the master clip from the Browser with the I/O as defined in the Timeline. When you match back to source you get a fresh instance of the entire piece of media. So if you've subclipped your material, and you match frame you go to the master subclip in the Browser. If you match back to source you get the whole piece of media from which the subclip was taken with no I/O marked.

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When you match back to source you get a fresh instance of the entire piece of media. So if you've subclipped your material, and you match frame you go to the master subclip in the Browser.

Got it. Thanks. That's finally starting to make sense to me. Couldn't grok it in FCP 4.0. I seemed to ignore the subclip and go to the big master.

Another thing: I notice that if I do a Match Frame (simple f) I actually change the marked In-Out points of that master clip or master subclip, back in the Browser. I lose my marked points, forever. Which I don't like, or see any sense to, at all. I just don't get the value of this behavior. I may have marked those points for a very particular reason, for a whole other sequence. Not sure if this is a bug, or by design.

At any rate, if i want to match frame to my master clip, I can work around this odd behavior by matching to source, i guess.

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Here's the best I can figure on autoselect and match frame. It matches to whatever layer has autoselect turned on starting with V1.

I'm with you on this one. Seems logically consistent that it would match to the highest V track, not the lowest, when more than 1 track is autoselected. Again, not sure if this behavior is a bug, or by design. The manual thinks that it's the destination track controls that govern this. I can't seem to get the destination track controls to have any affect at all.

--Ralph

"Another thing: I notice that if I do a Match Frame (simple f) I actually change the marked In-Out points of that master clip or master subclip, back in the Browser. I lose my marked points, forever."

Yes. This seems to be a new "feature." Now instead of loading the master at the appropriate frame but with the original Browser I/O marked, it tosses those and sets the I/O to those of the sequence clip.

As far as I can figure the destination settings have zero to do with the autoselect function. The source/destination patch panel controls only how stuff goes into the timeline; autoselect controls how and what stuff goes out of it, if you see what I mean.

All the best,

Tom

Yeah, I see what you mean alrighty Tom, but the manual and the Late Breaking News don't seem to see it that way. They both say that the destination track controls how match frame works, which is clearly not how it works.

Would be cool if somebody could ask Brian M tonite at the LAFCPUG meeting what the skinny is. He's quite possibly the only guy on the planet that knows how it is supposed to work, vs how it just happened to work when they decided to ship.

--Ralph

Yeah well nobody did. In fact, AGAIN, there was nothing but soft questions. What can ya do. Write Brian. He'll be glad to address the issue.

mike

Has somebody collected all the wonderful things you can control with the new AutoSelect feature? The docs list some, but not all the things I've found.

The obvious ones--

- Selects track for match Frame
- Selects track for Clip Select
- Selects track(s) for live Add edit
- Selects tracks for audio level adjust

I think it's a fine feature, but some timeline actions don't appear to observe what's selected.

What else?

- Loren
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Once again, my good friend Loren,

Perhaps the purpose of this particular little forum is not clear.

We are gathered together here to *report bugs*

And possibly state some thing things about user issues.

I'm not clear on where your post fits, in this.

--Ralph

- Selects tracks for audio level adjust

Could you elucidate on this one? Are you saying if autoselect is off I don't have audio level adjust? In what way not. I have it in the Timeline and in the mixer. Do you mean some specific instance.

All the best,

Tom