Apple Color: Send to FCP Doesn't work! at DVinfo.net

Neil Rostance · February 25th, 2009, 11:00 AM

Hi Guys,

Just graded and rendered a sequence from FCP No problem in Apple Color. I'm now ready to send it back to FCP and go via the File>Send To>Final Cut Pro

I expected to see a sequence appear in FCP and it didn't. Color did send open FCP back up, but no sequence appeard. Nothing.

What do you suggest may have one wrong?

James Brill · February 25th, 2009, 07:33 PM

Is there a new sequence that was created called "Insert sequence name" (From Color)?

Neil Rostance · February 26th, 2009, 05:32 AM

Nope, no new sequence appeared at all.

After rendering files out from Color, which worked fine and sent all clips to Color Documents folders, it was then impossible for Color to reconnect these files in a seq within FCP.

After clicking File>Send To>Final Cut Pro the application did switch back to FCP but nothing happened then. No new sequence.

I also exported XML from Color to reconnect within FCP but when importing XML into FCP it says "XML Translation Failed due to a critical error"

Color is such a wonderful program. Why is it so difficult for these apps to communicate with eachother?

I've generally been so disappointed with Final Cut Studio 2 I'm one more bug away from writing to their product manager. It has been a complete waste of time.

James Brill · February 26th, 2009, 08:59 PM

Odd indeed. Usually the only issue I have when sending back to FCP is the render not matching the sequence settings. It seems like an XML problem because Color should send you back to FCP and see a window pop up saying "importing XML" which is it importing the sequence. How long is the sequence your sending back? I've heard of people having to break up their full length features into 5 sequences to avoid problems.

Neil Rostance · March 4th, 2009, 08:23 AM

Thanks for the reply.

It's such a shame that such high profile application can have such sloppy and amateurish bugs like this.

Does anybody else have any ideas of how to rectify this workflow?

Mike Barber · March 4th, 2009, 02:26 PM

Can you walk us through your steps a bit more? Start from the beginning in FCP. Also, what were your FCP sequence settings?

Neil Rostance · March 16th, 2009, 11:21 AM

Sorry in the delay in replying here! I really hope you can offer some help!

Ok...steps from start to finish...

FCP - Sequence Settings - HD720p25 -
(Sequence is 20 seconds long)
V
Selected Sequence and File>Send To>Color
V
(Color Opens)
v
Name Project and Save
V
Color's Project Settings are defaulted to DV-PAL - Change to HD720p25
V
Color Correction Work
V
Render
V
File>Send To>Final Cut Pro
"Change graded Final Cut Pro sequence to match the Quicktime export codec?" - Yes
V
Final Cut Pro Opens
V
Nothing happens No new sequence, nothing at all changed from when sent.

On checking my Color Directory, the render files are all there. I can only assume that the XML is somehow corrupt when sending back to FCP and that it can't reconnect it's sequence with the new clips.

Please, if anybody can spare the time to help me out with this i would be hugely hugely appreciative!

Thanks,

Neil

Liam Hall · March 17th, 2009, 07:12 AM

Neil, you shouldn't have to change video codec on "Send to FCP" since you are already matching codecs. I'm guessing something has gone awry between those codec settings.

Michael Finn · April 10th, 2009, 09:14 AM

My steps match Neil's exactly, except it does not ask me wether I want to change the codec, and it says "not all clips are rendered" (there are two titles that Color otherwise ignores--it tells me that FCP will link to the original files for those clips). FCP comes forward, but the new sequence does not appear. Would love some help!

Andrew Kimery · April 13th, 2009, 07:45 PM

Color is very picky about what goes into so you need to very careful when prepping your FCP sequence to send to Color so that only 'Color friendly' material is left in the timeline.

Basically, no nests, no multiclips (even if they are collapsed), no images, no freeze frames, nothing that is 'generated' inside FCP (such as FCP's color bars, titles, mattes, etc,.), everything down on V1, no mixing codecs, frame rates, or frame sizes, and only Color approved codecs (check the manual and release notes for up to date lists). Sometimes Motion attributes and filters do not survive a Color round trip properly either. In a nut shell you want as minimal, as plain vanilla a sequence as possible to send from FCP to Color. Even if a Seq is screwed up that doesn't mean Color will reject it. Color might take it and then not work proplerly (which seems to be the OPs problem).

-A

Luke Tingle · April 14th, 2009, 11:58 PM

ditto the previous post.
Also, HDV is hit or miss with Color (alot of things are).

I usually send sequences to color after rough editing, color correct, then finish editing the color corrected sequence (motion, speed changes, filters, etc.)

Michael Finn · April 19th, 2009, 01:21 PM

Alright, so I started over completely. I removed all the bad things listed by Andrew. I selected all the clips in my timeline and sent them to Color. Color opened, I did my grading, added all to the render queue and rendered. Then I "sent to FCP", and Final Cut came forward, as if the new Color sequence had arrived. But it did not. Am I missing a step?

Amos Kim · April 19th, 2009, 05:20 PM

Interesting... I have the SAME EXACT problem... I've gone to apple store they tried to reset settings by deleting plist files and still same. I have slugs, crossdissolves and simple text in my sequence. I doubt color should have problem with that. Anyone who's solved this problem and can chime in would be a holy savior at this point.

Andrew Kimery · April 20th, 2009, 06:17 PM

Michael,
In Color have you tried the Export->XML function? Sometimes the "Send to" just doesn't work.

Amos,
Slugs and text shouldn't be in your timeline. Literally only uniform video clips (same codec, frame size, frame rate) on V1 should be all you send to Color. Anything beyond that starts getting into questionable areas. The round tripping between FCP and Color is very fragile.

-A

Amos Kim · April 20th, 2009, 06:34 PM

hmm... now I see the problem I'm combining footage from hvx200, hd100, and canon a1 all transcoded to prores 422 HQ. And I have slugs and simple text but i'm only using v1 track. Is there any written doc that states no slugs, mixed codec, text and no multiple video tracks? thanks for clarification.

February 25th, 2009, 11:00 AM	#1
Neil Rostance Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lace Market, Nottingham, UK Posts: 194	Apple Color: Send to FCP Doesn't work! Hi Guys, Just graded and rendered a sequence from FCP No problem in Apple Color. I'm now ready to send it back to FCP and go via the File>Send To>Final Cut Pro I expected to see a sequence appear in FCP and it didn't. Color did send open FCP back up, but no sequence appeard. Nothing. What do you suggest may have one wrong?

March 4th, 2009, 02:26 PM	#6
Mike Barber Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Toronto ON Canada Posts: 731	Can you walk us through your steps a bit more? Start from the beginning in FCP. Also, what were your FCP sequence settings? __________________ Mike Barber "I'm laughing to stop myself from screaming."

March 17th, 2009, 07:12 AM	#8
Liam Hall Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 969	Neil, you shouldn't have to change video codec on "Send to FCP" since you are already matching codecs. I'm guessing something has gone awry between those codec settings. __________________ Writer-Director-DOP www.liamhall.net

April 10th, 2009, 09:14 AM	#9
Michael Finn Tourist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2	I'm having the same problem... My steps match Neil's exactly, except it does not ask me wether I want to change the codec, and it says "not all clips are rendered" (there are two titles that Color otherwise ignores--it tells me that FCP will link to the original files for those clips). FCP comes forward, but the new sequence does not appear. Would love some help!

April 19th, 2009, 01:21 PM	#12
Michael Finn Tourist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2	Still nothing... Alright, so I started over completely. I removed all the bad things listed by Andrew. I selected all the clips in my timeline and sent them to Color. Color opened, I did my grading, added all to the render queue and rendered. Then I "sent to FCP", and Final Cut came forward, as if the new Color sequence had arrived. But it did not. Am I missing a step?

February 25th, 2009, 07:33 PM	#2
James Brill Major Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Goleta, CA Posts: 299	Is there a new sequence that was created called "Insert sequence name" (From Color)?

February 26th, 2009, 05:32 AM	#3
Neil Rostance Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lace Market, Nottingham, UK Posts: 194	Nope, no new sequence appeared at all. After rendering files out from Color, which worked fine and sent all clips to Color Documents folders, it was then impossible for Color to reconnect these files in a seq within FCP. After clicking File>Send To>Final Cut Pro the application did switch back to FCP but nothing happened then. No new sequence. I also exported XML from Color to reconnect within FCP but when importing XML into FCP it says "XML Translation Failed due to a critical error" Color is such a wonderful program. Why is it so difficult for these apps to communicate with eachother? I've generally been so disappointed with Final Cut Studio 2 I'm one more bug away from writing to their product manager. It has been a complete waste of time.

February 26th, 2009, 08:59 PM	#4
James Brill Major Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Goleta, CA Posts: 299	Odd indeed. Usually the only issue I have when sending back to FCP is the render not matching the sequence settings. It seems like an XML problem because Color should send you back to FCP and see a window pop up saying "importing XML" which is it importing the sequence. How long is the sequence your sending back? I've heard of people having to break up their full length features into 5 sequences to avoid problems.

March 4th, 2009, 08:23 AM	#5
Neil Rostance Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lace Market, Nottingham, UK Posts: 194	Thanks for the reply. It's such a shame that such high profile application can have such sloppy and amateurish bugs like this. Does anybody else have any ideas of how to rectify this workflow?

March 16th, 2009, 11:21 AM	#7
Neil Rostance Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lace Market, Nottingham, UK Posts: 194	Sorry in the delay in replying here! I really hope you can offer some help! Ok...steps from start to finish... FCP - Sequence Settings - HD720p25 - (Sequence is 20 seconds long) V Selected Sequence and File>Send To>Color V (Color Opens) v Name Project and Save V Color's Project Settings are defaulted to DV-PAL - Change to HD720p25 V Color Correction Work V Render V File>Send To>Final Cut Pro "Change graded Final Cut Pro sequence to match the Quicktime export codec?" - Yes V Final Cut Pro Opens V Nothing happens No new sequence, nothing at all changed from when sent. On checking my Color Directory, the render files are all there. I can only assume that the XML is somehow corrupt when sending back to FCP and that it can't reconnect it's sequence with the new clips. Please, if anybody can spare the time to help me out with this i would be hugely hugely appreciative! Thanks, Neil

April 13th, 2009, 07:45 PM	#10
Andrew Kimery Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 352	Color is very picky about what goes into so you need to very careful when prepping your FCP sequence to send to Color so that only 'Color friendly' material is left in the timeline. Basically, no nests, no multiclips (even if they are collapsed), no images, no freeze frames, nothing that is 'generated' inside FCP (such as FCP's color bars, titles, mattes, etc,.), everything down on V1, no mixing codecs, frame rates, or frame sizes, and only Color approved codecs (check the manual and release notes for up to date lists). Sometimes Motion attributes and filters do not survive a Color round trip properly either. In a nut shell you want as minimal, as plain vanilla a sequence as possible to send from FCP to Color. Even if a Seq is screwed up that doesn't mean Color will reject it. Color might take it and then not work proplerly (which seems to be the OPs problem). -A

April 14th, 2009, 11:58 PM	#11
Luke Tingle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 88	ditto the previous post. Also, HDV is hit or miss with Color (alot of things are). I usually send sequences to color after rough editing, color correct, then finish editing the color corrected sequence (motion, speed changes, filters, etc.)

April 19th, 2009, 05:20 PM	#13
Amos Kim Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 335	Interesting... I have the SAME EXACT problem... I've gone to apple store they tried to reset settings by deleting plist files and still same. I have slugs, crossdissolves and simple text in my sequence. I doubt color should have problem with that. Anyone who's solved this problem and can chime in would be a holy savior at this point.

April 20th, 2009, 06:17 PM	#14
Andrew Kimery Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 352	Michael, In Color have you tried the Export->XML function? Sometimes the "Send to" just doesn't work. Amos, Slugs and text shouldn't be in your timeline. Literally only uniform video clips (same codec, frame size, frame rate) on V1 should be all you send to Color. Anything beyond that starts getting into questionable areas. The round tripping between FCP and Color is very fragile. -A

April 20th, 2009, 06:34 PM	#15
Amos Kim Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 335	hmm... now I see the problem I'm combining footage from hvx200, hd100, and canon a1 all transcoded to prores 422 HQ. And I have slugs and simple text but i'm only using v1 track. Is there any written doc that states no slugs, mixed codec, text and no multiple video tracks? thanks for clarification.