Sending clip to Motion

David Scattergood · February 6th, 2007, 05:24 AM

Hi,

I've had a good route through the help manual and google etc but cannot seem to pin point an answer to my current issue. (I'm also following the DVD FCP Suite guide which is helping up to this point at least).

I'm trying to export a clip from FCP to motion via the Send to - Motion Project - Save As - Embed Motion Content.
My problem lies with the fact that as soon as I send to Motion the clip loses it's anamorphic ratio - it becomes 4:3. I actually noticed this once I'd finished editing with motion, but doing the same routine again proves that this is 'switched' immediately as the clip is sent to motion. I've had a look at the media tab in motion and the aspect ratio is the same (720 x 480...I should really be running the PAL version but the training files seemed to push me onto NTSC for some reason???). Unchecked/checked the 'Correct for Aspect Ration' tab to little avail.

Anything look amiss here folks?

Many thanks.

Bill Davis · February 6th, 2007, 10:44 AM

David,

Well, if your working with a true "anamorphic" workflow, the footage, itself, IS going to be 4x3. That's what you want - a 16x9 view SQUEEZED into a 4x3 raster so that it can be stretched ON PLAYBACK to reveal the natural scene.

It only gets stretched to it's proper VISUAL aspect ratio on playback.

FCP, like all other good NLEs can stretch the footage "on the fly" so that you see it properly stretched while you're working on it - but that's a function of the playback environment - not the aspect ratio of the underlying clip.

The solution is to follow the workflow Apple suggests here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302121

Hope that helps.

David Scattergood · February 6th, 2007, 11:26 AM

Thanks Bill - I've tried a multitude of combinations in google to find as answer - the apple one you have posted might just be what I was desperately looking for.
Yes, it is a true "anamorphic" workflow...basically the 16:9 clip was split in two and the second portion of that clip sent to Motion - as soon as this occurs then the second part of the clip becomes squashed (from the top and bottom naturally) as 4:3 i.e. the 16:9 view originally squeezed into the 4:3 canvas is then squuzed again from the sides (I guess this is Motion at work then as the clip is now over in that program - it was embedded on send?)
This obviously didn't occur on the training DVD!

Cheers Bill - I'll let you know how I get on with the apple link.

David Scattergood · February 6th, 2007, 01:36 PM

I followed the apple guide but unfortunately this has had no effect. All the anamorphic boxes were checked (the aspect ratio in the motion tab was already set at zero and not 33.33).
I'm really at a loss as to how I can change this so FCP shows the footage correctly.
I can only presume as this is embedded, that Motion itself is squeezing/distorting the clip as soon as it is sent. If that's the case, then how do I get Motion to show this correctly (the view is a properly stretched 16x9 in the Motion viewer).
Yours frustratingly!!!

February 6th, 2007, 05:24 AM	#1
David Scattergood Major Player Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 755	Sending clip to Motion - Aspect Ratio altered. Hi, I've had a good route through the help manual and google etc but cannot seem to pin point an answer to my current issue. (I'm also following the DVD FCP Suite guide which is helping up to this point at least). I'm trying to export a clip from FCP to motion via the Send to - Motion Project - Save As - Embed Motion Content. My problem lies with the fact that as soon as I send to Motion the clip loses it's anamorphic ratio - it becomes 4:3. I actually noticed this once I'd finished editing with motion, but doing the same routine again proves that this is 'switched' immediately as the clip is sent to motion. I've had a look at the media tab in motion and the aspect ratio is the same (720 x 480...I should really be running the PAL version but the training files seemed to push me onto NTSC for some reason???). Unchecked/checked the 'Correct for Aspect Ration' tab to little avail. Anything look amiss here folks? Many thanks.

February 6th, 2007, 10:44 AM	#2
Bill Davis Trustee Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Posts: 1,538	David, Well, if your working with a true "anamorphic" workflow, the footage, itself, IS going to be 4x3. That's what you want - a 16x9 view SQUEEZED into a 4x3 raster so that it can be stretched ON PLAYBACK to reveal the natural scene. It only gets stretched to it's proper VISUAL aspect ratio on playback. FCP, like all other good NLEs can stretch the footage "on the fly" so that you see it properly stretched while you're working on it - but that's a function of the playback environment - not the aspect ratio of the underlying clip. The solution is to follow the workflow Apple suggests here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302121 Hope that helps.

February 6th, 2007, 11:26 AM	#3
David Scattergood Major Player Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 755	Thanks Bill - I've tried a multitude of combinations in google to find as answer - the apple one you have posted might just be what I was desperately looking for. Yes, it is a true "anamorphic" workflow...basically the 16:9 clip was split in two and the second portion of that clip sent to Motion - as soon as this occurs then the second part of the clip becomes squashed (from the top and bottom naturally) as 4:3 i.e. the 16:9 view originally squeezed into the 4:3 canvas is then squuzed again from the sides (I guess this is Motion at work then as the clip is now over in that program - it was embedded on send?) This obviously didn't occur on the training DVD! Cheers Bill - I'll let you know how I get on with the apple link.

February 6th, 2007, 01:36 PM	#4
David Scattergood Major Player Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 755	I followed the apple guide but unfortunately this has had no effect. All the anamorphic boxes were checked (the aspect ratio in the motion tab was already set at zero and not 33.33). I'm really at a loss as to how I can change this so FCP shows the footage correctly. I can only presume as this is embedded, that Motion itself is squeezing/distorting the clip as soon as it is sent. If that's the case, then how do I get Motion to show this correctly (the view is a properly stretched 16x9 in the Motion viewer). Yours frustratingly!!!