https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/12/final-cut-pro-x-introduces-360-degree-vr-video-editing/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/final-cut-pro/id424389933?mt=12

I don't plan to upgrade for awhile, it's full of features that I don't really need and I'll wait to hear about all the new bugs. For me, the most interesting upgrade is the ability to (finally) keyframe color correction.
_________________________

What's New in Version 10.4
360 VR editing
• Import and edit 360° equirectangular video in a wide range of formats and frame sizes
• Output 360° video to a connected VR headset*
• Open the 360° viewer to simultaneously monitor headset and equirectangular views while editing
• Option to track movement of a VR headset in the 360° viewer in Final Cut Pro
• Add 360° effects including blurs, glows, and more
• Share 360° video directly to YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo
• Use the 360° patch to instantly remove cameras and rigs from the scene
• Use the Horizon overlay to easily change the orientation of 360° video right in the viewer
• Edit 360° video into a non-360° project and animate the pan, tilt, and zoom
• Place any graphic, still, or video into a 360° project, then reposition and resize to fit perfectly into the 360° scene
• Support for monoscopic and stereoscopic 360° video

Advanced color grading
• Dedicated color tab in the inspector provides one location for all color controls
• Powerful new color wheels improve upon traditional wheels with integrated sliders to adjust hue, saturation, and brightness
• Color curves enable ultra-fine adjustments using multiple control points to change color and contrast
• Hue/saturation curves let you select a specific hue or brightness level to make adjustments while leaving other parts of the image unchanged
• Use the eye dropper in the color and hue/saturation curves to quickly sample parts of an image for adjustment
• Balance Color command includes an eye dropper for manual white balance
• Apply custom LUTs from popular color grading apps and sites
• Adjust color corrections over time with precise keyframe controls
• Speed through color correction using new keyboard shortcuts for color adjustments and role-based timeline navigation
• Color presets are now located in the effects browser for skimmable preview and fast search

High Dynamic Range
• Import, grade, and deliver High Dynamic Range (HDR) video as Rec. 2020 HLG or Rec. 2020 PQ for HDR10
• Output video to third-party HDR monitors using third-party I/O devices
• Built-in waveform monitor indicates HDR brightness levels up to 10,000 nits
• HDR Tools effect lets you easily tone map HDR to Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) output as well as convert between PQ and HLG formats
• Option to view HDR as raw values when working without an HDR monitor

Additional features
• Send your iMovie for iOS project directly to Final Cut Pro for advanced editing, audio work, and finishing
• Import, playback, and editing of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC, also known as H.265) video clips and High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF) photos from Apple devices**
• Send to Compressor to export video projects in the HEVC format
• Adjust audio using effects plug-ins from Logic Pro X with redesigned, resizable interfaces
• Support for Canon Cinema RAW Light format with additional software from Canon
• Faster Optical Flow analysis using Metal 2
• Support for NFS-based libraries and media
• XML 1.7 with support for new color grading controls, 360 VR effects, and HDR

* Requires compatible VR headset, macOS High Sierra, and SteamVR
** HEVC and HEIF support requires macOS High Sierra

and color wheels are back!

https://larryjordan.com/articles/first-look-apple-final-cut-pro-x-10-4/?utm_source=FCP+X+Update+-+Blast+1&utm_campaign=FCP+X+10.4+Blast+1&utm_medium=email

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions/nyc

Don't forget curves too.

With all these interesting new features, I think this is a great time to do some tutorials! I just bought Ripple Training's "Advanced Color Correction" tutorials for 10.4 and there have been so many changes to FCP X in general over the years that I also picked up their Core Training for 10.4 just to fill in any gaps I might have accumulated.

I don't know whether some of these new features will stand the test of time or go the way of 3D (sorry if that's sounds too harsh about 3D), but I figure I may as well get acquainted with these new toys.

And I'm as thrilled as Boyd about the ability to keyframe color correction. I just checked the sticky thread on feature requests (above) and I've been asking for this since June 2013. At last!

Since I have Ripple's FCPX Core Training 10.3 and Color Correction 10.3 I'm waiting to hear from them if there's an upgrade path. In the past there had been a 50% discount but no mention of that. This would be different than the discounts they offer new purchasers. So my training is in a holding pattern.

At last we have a new update on FCP. But how many non-professional can and want the new update. What I find frustrating the older versions of FCP are dumped by Apple.I was using DVD Studio Pro 4.2.2 and now I cant use it anymore.
Ripple Training and Larry Jordon do a good job and are fast of the staring block, but there comes a time were they could look at there price structure. YouTube provide plenty of training with old and new FCP material.
The pace all this editing software is going is mind blowing and if not careful could cost a fortune for the amateur video editing community.
Its a nice update and Apple must be pleased. But dont shut the door on lower applications which supports FCP.

What I find frustrating the older versions of FCP are dumped by Apple.I was using DVD Studio Pro 4.2.2...

Its a nice update and Apple must be pleased. But dont shut the door on lower applications which supports FCP.

I’m in a similar quandary. The majority of my clients still want dvds. I currently have DVDSP installed on Yosemite 10.10. I don’t think it will run on newer OS versions and the newest version of FCPX won’t install on Yosemite.

Apple has decided its more profitable to sell devices not software especially expensive software for professionals like the old Final Cut Studio. Its to Apple’s advantage when new version of the software requires new hardware. Although Apple has never been concerned with backward compatibility. On the one hand it fosters new technology but on the other hand what you have grown to depend on is quickly obsoleted and no longer supported.

Once you understand Apple’s business model you’ll be able to form reasonable expectations on what they’re going to do. You might not like it but you’ll understand it.

I maintain one older computer that can still run DVD Studio Pro just because I need it for a couple of clients. I tried Adobe Encore and find it ridiculously opaque compared to the ease of DVD Studio Pro. Plus there is no assurance that Encore will not one day stop working as Adobe has tossed it aside as well. The other Mac based DVD authoring program leave a lot to be desired regarding custom built menus and programming.

It boggles me that Apple is burying this unique program instead of either putting a small programmer unit to work upgrading it for 64bit (therefore operable on 10.13) or just selling the code to a small developer who knows there's a small profit in continuing the program. The small irony is that DVD Studio Pro was originally a third party program that Apple acquired.

When "giants' like Adobe and Apple both EOL their DVD designing software it should mean something. Of course their concern is whether it's a profitable use of their resources.

BTW you can still make DVD and even Blu-Ray disks from FCPX/Compressor but the menu structure basically means it's click and play. Even in the commercial DVDs I get don't have elaborate menus. Play movie, scene selection, some setup options, extras. Of course even that is beyond what Compressor does.

If you look in the Mac App Store there's still small third party DVD designing software.

Basically it's just not profitable for Adobe or Apple. If the customer wants a physical disk they can still get that (albeit with limited menu structure). DVD and Blu-Ray sales are in a precipitous decline.

The Ultimate Guide to Delivering Your Wedding Films on USB (http://www.universityofweddingfilmmakers.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-delivering-your-wedding-films-on-usb/)

Wedding DVD - Why You Shouldn't Get One | SD vs HD vs 4K - Kaper Video (http://kapervideo.com/2017/04/05/wedding-dvd-dvd-bluray-4k/)
"In conclusion, we highly recommend you ditch the DVD and ask for a blu-ray or USB, even better just get a download and back it up."


Meanwhile, far more important, is Apple's embrace of HDR which I think is even more significant than 4k/UHD.
Also support for frame sizes greater than 4K source material.

Make a lot of DVDs and BluRays for clients via direct export from FCPX or occasionally thru Compressor. Works great for screeners (I make these for small film distributors). Many of my other clients now use Vimeo or YouTube for distribution so discs are no longer needed for them. However I have a couple of non-profits as clients and they need DVDs with menus as part of their fund-raising packages. On-line delivery doesn't work in these scenarios. I did some on-line Encore lessons yesterday and pretty much discovered that unless I want to play games with Photoshop and Premier, many of the simple capabilities of DVDStudioPro are not available within Encore.

Craig,

I recently purchased Ripple Training FCPX Core Training 10.3 and Color Correction 10.3. After the update was announced they sent me the links to get the 10.4 training for free. I would check with them.

John

I'm still on "El Capitan" and FCPX "10.3.4."

Resisted updating 'cos no apparent need to. BUT latest hiatus re Intel etc chips means software updates are recommended.

I've a couple of FCPX projects which might need a bit of final tweaking. Will I be okay updating "everything"?
I don't want to run the risk of "losing contact" with my current FCPX projects.

(ps about bloody time Apple made Quicktime play 10 bit video files. They seem obsessed with flogging mobile devices to the detriment of keeping everything else up to date.)


Ron

Updating your OS will kill any legacy 32bit programs you might still be using, FCP7 and DVDStudioPro for example. The other question is if your Mac can update to OS 10.13. I have one Mac that I am not updating so I can still use DVDStudioPro, the other Macs updated fine and all my FCPX projects updated without incident as well. Some FCPX plug-ins might be affected by the updating either the OS or FCPX. If those are in use in your projects, you should check to see if the developers have updates before trying anything.

Thanks William,


I'll leave updating until these two projects are out of the way "just in case". I don't have any legacy stuff to worry about.


Ron

Can you still get Sierra? FCP7 works on Sierra.

Can you still get Sierra? FCP7 works on Sierra.

Yes you can. I recently upgraded my refurbished 2009/2010 Mac Pro to Sierra just so that I can take advantage of the Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X recent updates. Just do a search in Apple's community forums. One of the posts regarding this very topic of upgrading to Sierra (verses High Sierra) will provide a link which will direct you to web-page containing the upgrade to Sierra. So far, so good with regarding to upgrading from El Capitan to Sierra.

Finally upgraded to 10.4. Immediately after upgrading it was a shock because I couldn't open my C300 file folders. Then I realised that some software OS patch upgrading was still left. Did that and now FCPX 10.4 is importing and working fine. The Colour wheels and curves and hue is a big improvement. I had one shot where I had messed up the white balance and now I can correct it in a breeze.

I am hoping for some audio improvements.