HPX250: P2 card spanning from card slot 1 to card slot 2 with sequential numbers

V

Vardalos

Well-known member
I need to learn about spanning and the procedure that keeps clip numbers ascending as the camera spans from one card to the next. Is there something written on the subject that will help me, I'm using Final Cut Pro 7 and Log & Transfer to convert the files to Pro Res 422 HQ for editing.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Phil Vardalos
http://horizoneastproductions.com/
 
P2 has its own way of generating clip names and will not always sort properly when doing Log & XFer. Even on a non-spanned P2 card, it will not always confirm to the ####$$.mxf format. The conventional P2 name starts with 4 numerical and 2 alpha numeric at the end follows by .mxf. In many cases it will have all numeric names and this is where it will screw up the auto sorting in OSX or Windows. I typically use Type 2 custom user name on the metadata and it will always sort properly in OSX Finder or Windows Explorer. For those who use 2/3" HPX3100 and the proxy record option to .mov, this will be a problem because proxy files never get recorded w/ the Type 2 custom name. It always in the $$$$$$.mxf legacy DOS format. In this situation, simply use accurate free run TC and sort them out that way. Always work for me.

For spanning, there's nothing you can do to the file name. Pay attention to the spanned clip. It's always 5 min. in length and each clip has its own unique name. I'd make sure to make sure and import all the P2 cards when FCP 7 L&Xfer window says "Incomplete span". The rest will be done automatically by the xml header file. When you have all the folders properly loaded to L&Xfer, it will say "Span complete". This is where you can do the process and have one big long clip rather than each 5 min clip.

Not sure why you need to convert to non-native Pro Res 422 HQ. It consumes much more space than native Apple AVC-I 100 codec that FCP 7 and beyond will support natively. Perhaps that little extra quality that I seem to not be able discern. I share the native AVC-I 100 .MOV files in CS5 & CS6 w/ out any issues. It'll also Log & XFer faster.
 
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Lonewolf,

Thanks for your response, I'll try using the Type 2 custom user name but when I look at the FCP 7 Log & Transfer Name Presets it offers Custom Name With Counter as a custom option but no Type 2 Custom User Name. It looks like I'll need more information about setting up with a Type 2 Custom User Name, could you help me out on that?

Thanks,
Phil
 
Check out this .PDF fr Panasonic: ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/panasonic/drivers/PBTS/papers/P2 HD FCP7 white paper.pdf

This is definitely for serious, high volume broadcast production workflow. Naming your clip is quite important and it can't be ignored.

When you set it up correctly, there's no need to use Name Preset in FCP. The custom user name that you specified in the User Clip Name will automatically get named and saved onto the .MOV. If you name your custom clip to: "U2 Convention CAM A_", all of the names will be "U2 Convention CAM A_4851 0015AZ.MOV". The 4851 is the shot # counter that all P2 cams have (up to 9999 or you hit reset)) and the 0015AZ is the actual P2 name created during recording. This is to ensure that all file names are unique. My tip is to put a "_" after all of your custom name. If you don't it will follow right away with the #### counter name and P2 name. Just make sure the P2 is set to the following: METADATA / USER CLIP NAME / TYPE 2 and that you load that particular metadata file w/ the custom name field enabled. You can verify this after the metadata is loaded fr the SDHC card on any P2 cam (1/3" to 2/3"): METADATA / PROPERTY. Then click on USER CLIP NAME. The REC DATA will have your custom name. One important thing is to keep the file name short. If it's longer than 35 characters it will not work. For me, I intentionally never use any Name Preset in FCP 7 log & xver. If the hdd ever crashes, all I have to do is reload the original P2 media fr the LTO-6 backup archives and simply perform L&Xfer to all of the P2 media. No need to remember custom names because it's already done just before the shoot w/ metadata embedded to all of the P2 clips. Now for fun's sake, if you didn't do this, you can still add custom meta data after the fact in P2 CMS. However, if you have over several thousands, I rather do it before hand than after the fact.

After using this since 2010 and shot in a 8-12 multicams P2 configuration, I observed that the SHOT MARKER will not get ported over when using FCP X. But the cam's serial #, original time stamp recorded on P2 do get ported in FCP X. So make sure to set each of your cam's clock as correct as possible. This is important when you're editing in FCP X and multicam. It will look for each clip's cam serial # and consider that as a unique angle. The custom name is quite important when you're working w/ 8-12 cams. Drastically help to organize the clip names vs. the generic ####$$.mxf format. Most wonder why don't I import this in FCP X directly? The reason is I use the media for other apps (CS6) to do effects work and having a clean, independent AVC-I 100 .mov file is essential. FCP 7 is not completely dead yet.
 
To really use the P2 metadata to its fullest, you have to use the HPX-3100 (via the AJ-WM30) or HPX-600 cams. And probably the PX5000G and new Varicam 3 120 fps will have external metadata capability. They will allow external metadata editing, & proxy previews on the fly while the cam is shooting via any smart phone or iPad. All other cam models you have to load the metadata field via SDHC card which deters usage of it because it's so cumbersome and not real-time.

The drawback here is extra people needed. Typically the producer, script supervisor or anybody involved will insert metadata while the cam op shoots. Works out well for super long form docs shoot where you have many cams and footage to deal with and editing fast turn around is needed.

The dilemma now is which one is better in the long run. Should I do it all in the field w/ P2 format metadata or do it all in post w/ FCP X's metadata? Currently FCPX doesn't extract all of P2's metadata fields. Maybe future versions will. For now, a combination of both P2 metadata and NLE method is a safer method for me.

P2's metadata needs improvement. The biggest issue I have with it is the lack of a notes field where I can enter more than 100-character. There's none. I have to use other field but has a limit of 100-charactter. Typically I need to enter the gamma mode, wb setting, DRS setting, lens focal length, f-stop, optical stabilizer mode setting and all sort of tech parameters. Current workaround is to add a text file to the archived original P2 media, which is quite crude. Pretty much all major photo dSLR cams already have this implemented, why not on video?
 
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