Native editing of EX files in FCP

[Simon Wyndham]

Greg, when I have edited a video and want to make the final output I need to create a reference quicktime file of the edit to import into Compressor.

Outputting to Compressor directly from FCP is not a good idea because it means that FCP cannot be used while the compression is taking place, and also if you output to Compressor from within FCP you cannot take advantage of Qmaster for multi-core rendering.

[Mike Chandler]

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

Did you make sure to highlight the folder first? .

I have no idea what I'm doing differently from you. No matter which folder I highlight, it always only gives me back the contents of the drive. In your example, it would be showing Video 1 as the only option, not the folders within it.

How did you make that screenshot?

[Simon Wyndham]

Can you make me a screenshot? To take mine I pressed shift+Command+4 and then pressed space (the cursor changes to a camera icon). Go over the window you want to take the screen shot of and click the mouse.

I'm on OSX 10.5.7.

[Mike Chandler]

Figured it out. You have to be in column view, not list view, in order for it to work. Very cool.

Any dangers you can see in renaming the clips here? One that I can see is that I took these folders off my archive drive and there's a blu-ray backup as well. If I ever had to go back to those folders for reconnection, the names wouldn't match. That's not the case if I rename in FCP. Maybe Bridge is the answer--unless it needs to rename in the finder and not in the fcp bin.

And just out of curiosity, where did that screenshot go when I clicked the camera?

[Mike Chandler]

Got it. They were on the desktop. Even though they both show list view, one was created in list, the other in column, same folder highlighted. Vive la difference.

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Mike Chandler

Maybe Bridge is the answer--unless it needs to rename in the finder and not in the fcp bin.

Neither. Bridge renames files from inside Bridge -- not in the Finder or FCP.

[Mike Chandler]

But is it renaming the files in the fcp bin or the original files they came from?

I'd check myself, but turns out my Bridge is on my Dreamweaver cs3 PC version.

Also, Doug, have you found an online tutorial/article that outlines using Bridge with FCP. I've googled and come up with stuff that's close, but not quite. thanks.

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Mike Chandler

But is it renaming the files in the fcp bin or the original files they came from?

I'd check myself, but turns out my Bridge is on my Dreamweaver cs3 PC version.

Also, Doug, have you found an online tutorial/article that outlines using Bridge with FCP. I've googled and come up with stuff that's close, but not quite. thanks.

Bridge is used to rename the actual files stored on your hard drive and it is running entirely separate from FCP. You'd rename your files before bringing them into your bin. You might be able to rename the original files after they are in your bin, and then reconnect to the new name, but I've never had any reason to try that.

Bridge is so simple and easy to use that I've never searched for a tutorial or read the manual, but I suppose there might be something out there.

You know, all of this hassle can be avoided by just using XDCAM Transfer the way it was designed to make the workflow run smoothly. After reading this thread, I'm even more convinced that using native files is of no interest to me. I still see no major advantage and plenty of disadvantages.

My original intent of posting on this thread was just to suggest that Bridge might be a good way of batch renaming files. I use it all the time to rename every kind of file on my computer.

[Mike Chandler]

I spent a day playing around with both workflows (Q & XDCAM Transfer), and I have to agree with Simon and Doug, I think the XDCT is a better way to go. I did find a way to rename files within fcp, using xml, which involves not too many mouseclicks, but you still can't get close to what you can do in terms of organizing with XDCT, such as making sub-clips, deleting ng's, selecting groups of related shots and renaming them, etc.

As for the extra time it takes, I found I could start work on organizing as soon as the first clip came into fcp, viewing the take, making log notes, etc. As for using up more disk space, I think it's a trade-off I'm going to live with for the extra benefits, especially for something like a long-form doc.

[Keith Moreau]

Since I'm using an EX1 and a JVC HM100 on the same timeline, it seems that the HM100 would natively have the same problems as the Calibrated-decoded EX clips would have. Since I'll be dealing with both these on the same timeline I'm going to try to use the Calibrated method, using the original EX MP4s, to deal with the clips.

Since I'm using FCP, I'd rather keep as much of it in FCP and it's database as possible, rather than using the XDCT first, then FCP later.

I guess I'm a purist in that I would rather not have a lot of duplicates of the same material around if I don't have to. I'm think I'm going to use 'sub clips' to further identify and work with the native source material. I don't necessarily want to rename the original clips.

I also thought of XML, like Mike, as a way of quickly manipulating the clip properties, through a script. I also thought of creating aliases to the original MP4s, which can be imported to FCP, but when you then import the aliases, they then turn into the original file name.

However, for now, for me the Calibrated route is better. Back before Calibrated, I was wishing I could import EX natively in FCP, so I got what I wanted, and I believe that most people would use FCP in this manner if it worked with native files out of the box.

[Mike Chandler]

Using subclips would be a way to get more detailed descriptions/names and still avoid renaming original files. For some unfathomable reason, though, I hate using subclips (it's either something from fcp's early days--or mine!).

[Keith Moreau]

Originally Posted by Mike Chandler

Using subclips would be a way to get more detailed descriptions/names and still avoid renaming original files. For some unfathomable reason, though, I hate using subclips (it's either something from fcp's early days--or mine!).

The subclip icons are kind of ugly, with those jagged edges, like they have been unceremoniously ripped from the original clip...

But, in keeping with the rule (mine) to only have one copy of the source (which has been safely backed up) and keeping the source with it's original name and location (in the BPAV structure) --subclips are very convenient for organizing media in FCP. And you can do a lot with them, even create 'real' clips from them with media manager if you want. Kind of what some have suggested to use the XDCAM Transfer Utility for... making selections from the original media, identification with naming and logging, references to the original media, and keeping organized, except without the duplication of media.

[Mike Chandler]

With not too much cutting and pasting, Log & Transfer seems to offer the best of both worlds. If you add "Original Name" to the columns and change "Name" to the clip name you want, pasting it into all the Name slots, you can then use the little +box to incrementally add numerals to the new names.

When the shots come into fcp, you've got your new name with numerically ascending suffixes, plus the original file name showing up in the "Log Note" column. It's not a perfect system, as the renaming is not fully automated and L&T is slower by about a third than XDCTransfer, but at least it's a solution.

[Ron Wilk]

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

It works seamlessly. You can even edit directly off the cards, no need to copy anything. The only downside at the moment is that if you choose "Import" "Folder" all the files in the folder get imported so you end up with the MP4's and XML's etc in the bin. This is down to the way FCP works and I think Calibrated are looking at writing their own importer. It's great to have the ability to see thumbnails in Finder to! I am converted to Calibrated-Q. It makes sharing projects with PC users so much easier and if you expert your project as a MP4 you can then re-import it without having to make it in to a .mov first.

Hello:
I hate to sound like a complete dimwit but I installed the demo version of Calibrated Q MP4EX on a Mac 8 core running Tiger 10.4.11 and FCP 6.05 and cannot seem to figure out how to import clips either from the BPAV folder on my memory card or from the same folder copied to the MAX OSX desktop. There is no help file available nor is there any user info on the developer's web site. I don't know if the installation process should have installed a plugin to FCP 6.05 but there is no evidence for Cal Q when opening the import drop down list in FCP. Can you assist?
Thank you in advance,
Ron

[Keith Moreau]

Originally Posted by Ron Wilk

Hello:
I hate to sound like a complete dimwit but I installed the demo version of Calibrated Q MP4EX on a Mac 8 core running Tiger 10.4.11 and FCP 6.05 and cannot seem to figure out how to import clips either from the BPAV folder on my memory card or from the same folder copied to the MAX OSX desktop. There is no help file available nor is there any user info on the developer's web site. I don't know if the installation process should have installed a plugin to FCP 6.05 but there is no evidence for Cal Q when opening the import drop down list in FCP. Can you assist?
Thank you in advance,
Ron

You need to use the FCP "Import" or the "Import Folder" file/menu or the control/right click menu in the browser. Then navigate to the .MP4 files for individual imports or the folder containing the .MP4 files.