Looking for very basic by the numbers guie to editing HMC150 in Final Cut Pro

M

Mark Turner

Active member
I am a novice at this, and would be very grateful for a very simple step by step guide to the log and transfer process... Can anyone steer me to one?

For example - what is the correct capture preset (etc)... I am not sure?

Thanks!

M
 
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I am very, very far from an expert. But I always get bummed when my posts do not get replies, so maybe I can start something for ya.

You need to either plug your camera in to computer OR transfer the entire PRIVATE folder to computer. Then in FCP fire up 'log and transfer'. I think if the camera is plugged in, it just locates the files, but if you brought the PRIVATE folder over, then you need to click the gear icon to locate folder. Then there is a preference/pulldown setting on how to transcode (prores LT, prores HQ, etc....) then drag those clips you want transcoded to the bottom left window and it will begin, the files will now be in the final cut pro render folder in DOCUMENTS.

hope that helps some?
 
Here's my process..

1. Shoot
2. Plug SD Card reader with card into usb port
3. Transfer the ENTIRE "Private" folder to the hard drivev
4. Fire up FCP
5. File>Import>Log and Transfer..
6. Import the private folder on the hard drive.
7. Convert to pro res.

Now once you are done editing the project, you will have a backup of the AVCHD which is very efficently compressed therefore is not a big file compared to the pro res files that you created. That way you can delete the pro res files and just re transfer from the AVCHD backup if needed.
 
MattRobertson said:
Here's my process..

1. Shoot
2. Plug SD Card reader with card into usb port
3. Transfer the ENTIRE "Private" folder to the hard drivev
4. Fire up FCP
5. File>Import>Log and Transfer..
6. Import the private folder on the hard drive.
7. Convert to pro res.

Now once you are done editing the project, you will have a backup of the AVCHD which is very efficently compressed therefore is not a big file compared to the pro res files that you created. That way you can delete the pro res files and just re transfer from the AVCHD backup if needed.
Click to expand...

thank you
when you use log and transfer, what audio/video settings have you got? what capture preset? (or does that make no difference)

I have managed to work fine with video that I logged and transferred straight from the sd card into FCP (which is fine, as I am practicing for the time being, and do not need all the clips I take, even for archive, but I am sure I will use a process more like yours for serious projects.)

But I am left uncertain as to the ideal video settings. I am using HDV pro res atm, but of course this is not HDV!

Still, the way I have been doing it is certainly easy, and seems to give nice enough results - great for what I see on my computer screen - but I have no idea what it would look like on a larger screen
 
In the log and transfer window is a preferences settings in the upper right.

There you set your preferences.

Ingest your video normally, and then place a clip on the timeline sequence and FCP will ask you if you want to adjust your settings to match your clip.

Say okay.
 
David S. said:
In the log and transfer window is a preferences settings in the upper right.

There you set your preferences.

Ingest your video normally, and then place a clip on the timeline sequence and FCP will ask you if you want to adjust your settings to match your clip.

Say okay.
Click to expand...

SO, if in preferences, one of the options is AVCHD Plugin, AVCHD and then the various versions, (prores hq, proxy, LT and intermediate codec) I just set one of those and I am good to go? (Not sure what intermediate codec means tbh)

I am still left unsure what exactly to put in caputure preset under Audio/Video settings under the Final Cut Pro dropdown menu... or do I not need to worry about that?
 
It doesn't matter what easy set up you start with.

On a fresh sequence, once you place a clip on the timeline, FCP will show a box that asks if you want to adjust your sequence settings to the clip.

Click on okay.

It's called "Autoconform."

Automatically Conforming a Sequence to Clip Settings

Final Cut Pro can automatically conform a sequence’s settings to the settings of the first clip edited into the sequence. This allows you to make your sequence match your clips
without ever opening the Sequence Settings window. The “Auto conform sequence” option in the Editing tab of the User Preferences window allows you to control how
conforming is handled.
 
Is dragging the PRIVATE folder and then loggin' and transferring it faster than just taking directly from the card using FCP?
 
David S. said:
It doesn't matter what easy set up you start with.

On a fresh sequence, once you place a clip on the timeline, FCP will show a box that asks if you want to adjust your sequence settings to the clip.

Click on okay.

It's called "Autoconform."

Automatically Conforming a Sequence to Clip Settings

Final Cut Pro can automatically conform a sequence’s settings to the settings of the first clip edited into the sequence. This allows you to make your sequence match your clips
without ever opening the Sequence Settings window. The “Auto conform sequence” option in the Editing tab of the User Preferences window allows you to control how
conforming is handled.
Click to expand...

I assume if I want to use the slo-mo effect achieved from using 60p in a 30p or 24p timeline, I would not click ok?
 
David S. said:
You add copy time, but once copied, you are ingesting from a HDD rather than through a USB2 connection
Click to expand...

I discovered as I was fiddling around with experimental footage, that if I deleted one of the files (that I had transfered to the HD) that it seemed to make it impossible for FCP to log and transfer any of them. Perhaps it messed up the organisation of the file or something.

Have you discovered a way a way of safely deleting files you will not need without messing up the ability to log and transfer?

Ideally, I would like to delete individual files from within FCP, but perhaps that is not possible.
 
I have big troubles importing the files from my HMC150 to FCP.

I tried with Log and Transfert, my files aren't even detected.

I tried by copying the PRIVATE folder to my desktop and then import directly the file, FCP said that it didn't reconize the file structure.

I read many thread and didn't find a way that worked.

Weird because every single HMC150 owner should have the same problem, and know the magic trick to edit his footage.

Am I missing something?

PS: I didn't try to convert my footage to quicktime yet. Is there a software included in FCS2?
 
I'll repeat here too... hehe

I agree... Dump the MAC stuff, put Vista64 (with the free upgrade to Windows 7 64) on and CS4.1 so you can enjoy some real native file handling.

Oh, us PC guys will help you also.
 
I'am on a real intel based Mac Book Pro (the version before the new ones) and I' am getting the same thing. Could not recognize file structure? Help?
 
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