Hi,
I have FCP 5.0

I heard that when you import a PSD file with layers, it comes in as a Sequence instead of a graphic file.
I have tried importing a PSD file with 3 layers and it always comes in as a graphic file, not sequence.
I am just wondering if I have to have certain settings for that to happen, or what is the reason it doesn't come in as a sequence. By the way, Photoshop is not on the same Mac that my FCP is on...could that be the reason? I have Photoshop on my other computer. Please help...

Hmm, that is odd. On FCP 4.5 I can drag a photoshop file to the browser. It is identified with the icon of a sequence. If I double click on that icon it opens up as a sequence on the timeline with each layer in the .psd file as a video track.

I haven't used FCP 5 so I don't know what's different. Try doing what I did though:

1. choose a photoshop file with more than one layer for a test
2. make sure it has the .psd file extension
3. drag it from the finder window to the FCP browser window
4. double-click in the browser to open on the timeline

When you try this, what happens? Does it open as a clip instead of a sequence?

It opens as a clip not a sequence. I right click on my mouse to see what options I have with the graphic file and it doesn't say anything about sequence.

Do you think it has to do with Photoshop not being installed on the same computer as the FCP program? Any other thoughts? Thank you for your response.

I wouldn't think it needs photoshop, but who knows? I don't have photoshop on my machine, but I do have Photoshop Elements. Perhaps something is different in FCP 5?

One thing to check - does the photoshop file have more than one layer in it? If there's only one layer then it will open as a clip and not a sequence.

yeah.
it has 3 layers. i tried another one with 10 layers and the same thing happened. No sequence...only graphic file.

Any other settings that have to be set for this to happen?

Jay, I am using FCP 5 and when I import a photoshop file it imports with a sequence icon. are you double clicking the file? because if you just drag and drop to the timeline is shows up as a clip but when you double click on it, it opens up in a new sequence with each layer a separate track. I do have photoshop on my computer so maybe you do, I got photoshop and FCP about the same time so I never tried one without the other

are you double clicking the file? because if you just drag and drop to the timeline is shows up as a clip but when you double click on it, it opens up in a new sequence with each layer a separate track.

Thanks for your response.
I did both...drag it and double click it...then also bring it to the viewer then back to the browser...still same thing...only a graphic file.
I am thinking I need some sort of Photoshop on the computer to have this ability. Is there somewhere I can go to find out this question? I tried to search google for this question as well.
I am guessing it is something right under my nose and I can't see it.

In my FCP 4.5 manual it says that only Photoshop 3 files are supported. This might have changed in FCP 5, so you should RTFM :-) What version of Photoshop are you using? That might be the problem....

I have Photoshop 5.0

And FCP 5.02

Does your manual say it doesn't support any Photoshop LATER than 3.0 or EARLIER?

Jay: I'm happy to help, but I don't have FCP 5. Why not just have a look in your manual and see what it says? You should also be able to access the full manual in PDF format using the FCP help menu.

Just checked my FCP 5 manual. It states what Boyd said. Any version can be imported, but only Photoshop 3.0 multilayer files are supported for composite, opacity, layer order, and layer name. So apparently, nothing has changed in 5.0 in this regard.

See section III, page 369 in the FCP 5 manual.

Jay, I guess you need to try to locate Photoshop 3.0 to do what you are wanting to do.

-gb-

Thanks for your help Boyd and Greg. I appreciate it very much!

I read the same thing in my manual and have looked everywhere in the manual to see why this doesn't come up as a sequence. I first went to the manual before asking on this site. It's just that I don't understand.

Greg...When YOU import a PSD file with layers into FCP 5.0, does it come in as a graphic file or sequence?

I am really sorry for my confusion here...but everyone I have talked to says when they import a PSD file with layers into FCP it comes in as a sequence. Even the manual says this, unless the file is flattened. So are you saying that only PSD files created in version 3.0 will import as sequences? The people I have talked to are using all different versions of Photoshop, and they get sequences. So, just wondering why I don't. Once again, forgive me for my ignorance...just trying to figure this out.

So are you saying that only PSD files created in version 3.0 will import as sequences?

No, we aren't saying that, Apple says that very clearly but you seem reluctant to accept it... I don't have Photoshop 5, but I assume it will let you save as a version 3 file which could then be imported.

Beyond that, it seems like a rather trivial problem. Save the individual layers of your photoshop file into separate clips, drag them into FCP, make a new sequence, and put each clip on its own track. Same results, might take two or three minutes longer at most.

Hi Boyd,
I do realize this may be trivial to you and everyone else, but personally, I am just trying to understand it. To me...it made me think something wasn't set right with my FCP settings or something.
Basically, I have only been using FCP for about 6 weeks now and I am doing this online tutorial that says to import this PSD file and it should show up as a sequence.
Well, when it didn't do that...I tried figuring it out (FCP manual, search online). Then I found this message board and went to you guys.
I didn't mean to keep bringing this question up...I just really wanted to figure out why it did this with other's FCPs and not with mine.

Thanks for the tip on bringing in each layer seperately...I guess that will be the way i need to do it.

I do appreciate your responses and thanks for your help.

I just really wanted to figure out why it did this with other's FCPs and not with mine.

It's no problem Jay. If other people are getting this to work with newer versions of photoshop then my guess is that they're saving their files in version 3 format. I don't have photoshop 5... but maybe there's a preference setting for default file format or something.

It just seems that Apple has specifically said you must use version 3, and your experience seems to bear that out. Have one of your friends send you a .psd file which imports correctly on their system and see what happens on yours. Without having either of the software versions that you use, it just isn't something I can test.

Also see Apple's FCP support forum where you can ask others about this:

http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@933.3ARaank7ZG6.0@.ee6bcd7

It's no problem Jay.


Thanks Boyd!

[QUOTE=Jay Voog] So are you saying that only PSD files created in version 3.0 will import as sequences?

I took this to mean that all versions will import multi layers, but is the the layer properties such as opacity that must be supported by version 3, my version 8 works fine. Also I tried uninstalling photoshop to see if that made a difference but the files still came into FCP as a sequence. There must be some setting that affects this I'll keep looking!

Back when I was still using FCP 3 I ran into a bunch of problems with stills when I used the wrong version of Quicktime. I wonder if it could be related to that? Are you using the version of Quicktime Pro which came with your FCP 5 install disks?

I have Quicktime Player 7.0.1 and FCP 5.0.2 (recently updated).

I had an Apple re-seller (where I bought my FCP system) do all my setups and installs so I am guessing this is what all came together.

By the way, thanks for the time and effort with this...it is so appreciated!

Below is a link of a guy who seems to have the same problem...


http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@658.ECqea1zHZ9r.5@.68b39637/0

Try this: click on the icon on your Mac, right click-get info and change the "Opens with" to Photoshop. Check that you have Read and Write permissions while you're in there too.

Here is my 2 cents...

Have been editing a rather substantial wedding video and have run into the same confusion - clips vs stills. Just so you know, I have FCP 4.5 HD and Abobe Photoshop Elements. I did alot of photography for the couple as part of the project and wanted to import stills into the video to add some nice flair.

When I started converting the files, I really wanted just clips and kept getting actual sequences. After some trial and error (and still not completely sure of what I was doing)...came to these basic differences in this process.

For a sequence:

Open an original full size jpeg image in PSE

Duplicate the image (so I don't wreck the original)

Crop and size this image to 72dpi @ 720px X 540px

Go to Layer> New layer FROM BACKGROUND> (name it) > click OK

Go to Select> All

Go to Select> Save Selection > (name it) > click OK

Go to Select> Load Selection > click OK

Save as> imagename.psd

(Do not "flatten image") Import the file into FCP

This process has created a sequence for me every time

For a clip, I noticed the process has a couple of differences:

Open an original full size jpeg image in PSE

Duplicate the image

Crop and size this image to 72dpi @ 720px X 540px

Go to Layer> NEW LAYER > (name it) > click OK (NOT new layer from background)

Go to Select> All

Go to Select> Save Selection > (name it) > click OK

Go to Select> Load Selection > click OK

Go to layer> Flatten the image

Save as> imagename.psd

Perhaps some of this info will work for you. I hope so.

Best wishes!

Brad

Bradley, you're running the exact same software as I am and basically your results agree with mine but it seems like you're jumping through a lot of extra hoops! I have observed the basic principle:

A psd file with more than one layer opens as a sequence
A psd file with only one layer opens as a clip

Not sure why you go through all the trouble of creating a multi-layer file and then flattening it to create a clip, unless you're doing something on the other layers in Photoshop?

For that matter, if you're starting out with a JPEG file to begin with, why bother to convert it to PSD at all? FCP will open JPEG's as clips by themselves.

However, Jay says he's having a different problem which is related to FCP 5 and a newer version of photoshop.

Jay, I looked at that thread you linked to on Apple's site. Is that your situation? If so then you neglected to tell us that you were using files created in the Windows version of photoshop. That seems to be the problem he's having, and he notes that if he opens the file in the Mac version of photoshop, then does a "save as," it works fine in FCP. So - at least in the thread on Apple's site - the lesson is that FCP won't open files created in the Windows version of Photoshop as sequences. That would be a problem with Adobe's implementation of their file format across different platforms, and not a problem with FCP.

I'm not sure why I am jumping through all those hoops either...lol. Though I suspected as much.

Your point is quite clear...and much appreciated.

While not veering too far off topic, I am curious... when importing jpeg clips, do you bother de-interlacing? I have had some instances where I needed to do that for pictures and I believe it was the odd fields. However, whatever it is that I have been doing thus far does not seem to require that additional work.

Best wishes!

(and always learning the hard way)
Brad

Bradley: sorry, I missed your post. I don't think there's any reason to deinterlace an imported still. If you do you'll be throwing away half of the information (duplicating every other scan line). Sometimes fine details can make stills look "jittery" on an interlaced screen. You can try clicking the motion blur box in the viewer if that's the case and see if it helps.

Jay, I realize this is an old thread, but in case you're still following (and for the benefit of anyone else), I think I've found an answer to your problem over on Apple's site.

Your photoshop files must be saved as 8 bits per channel. If you save them as 16 bits per channel they'll import as a flattened file.

Hi Boyd...
Thanks for your continued help with this bizarre situation...
I have them as 8 bits, like you described...still come in as graphic files.

I have come to the conclusion that the reason these don't import as sequences is that I don't have Photoshop on my Mac. I am actually looking to purchase Photoshop to have on the Mac. On that same note, just wondering if you have heard about OEM software. I am just wondering if you or anyone else has looked into these...they seem pretty affordable (only lacking a manual). Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Jay

Are you talking about those offers to sell you Photoshop for ridiculous prices like $50? Come on now, you know better than to fall for something like that, right?

FWIW, I don't have Photoshop either and I don't have problems like yours. I do own Photoshop Elements however. If you don't need all the high powered Photoshop features then this program is a real bargain. I have version 2 however; they just released a new version and I haven't looked at that yet but fear they may be making it more "consumery." That's the direction they seem to be headed... back in the Photoshop LE days the program looked pretty much the same but without some menu items. Then they discontinued it and replaced with Photoshop Elements.

Regardless, if you think your problem is related to Photoshop then all I can say is that it works for me with Photoshop Elements....

Jay, I think you are right, when I bring PSD files created on a window Photoshop onto my computer they open in Preview by default, and come into FCP as one layer. To fix this I open them in Photoshop on my Mac or just go to Get Info open with Photoshop. I guess you can't choose open with Photoshop if you don't have it.

Yes, compatability issues with the Windows version of Photoshop are discussed above, but Jay didn't say these were created under Windows.

Or are you saying that in the absence of Photoshop the Mac thinks these are flat files created in Preview? That's an interesting thought which never occurred to me! If true then it's an oversight on Apple's part not to mention that Photoshop must be installed on your machine.

I'm sure there's a straightforward way to manually change the file creator info to Photoshop using Terminal however, or probably even easier to do with some shareware application. If you're right on this, then that should make FCP happy.

I'll leave this as an "exercise for the reader" to try :-)

I've come to the understanding that the only way I will know about this is either...

1. find someone else with the same setup as myself (FCP 5.0 with no photoshop) and ask them. It seems everyone has photoshop or some sort of photoshop software for dealing with PSD files on their Mac.

2. purchase photoshop/Photo Elements and install and see what happens then.


when I am able to do either of these I will let you know. thanks for your time.

Jay, try this:

Download "file wrench" which is a free utility:

http://www.download.com/File-Wrench/3000-2274_4-10387653.html?tag=lst-0-6

Drag your a photoshop file into the program's file list.

click the "Adjust Mac Creator" box and change the code to MACS

Process the change.

That's the code for Photoshop Elements. Now see if that makes any difference inside FCP...