Really like it but...

roxics

roxics

Veteran
So I tried FCPX back when it first came out. Been cutting on PPro before and since. I'm really liking FCPX now. Especially the magnetic timeline.

But I have a few issues:

1. Sequences, they don't seem to exist. I found a work around that involves compound clips but it would be nice to have proper sequences. Maybe there is something I don't know.

2. Export options seem really limited. I like that you can export directly to youttube/vimeo. That's nice. But I really want an H.264 export option that lets me pick frame size, bitrate, VBR/CBR, audio bitrate, etc. The fact that you have to buy and send your project to Compressor to do this seems like a cheap shot.

3. When capturing DV tapes there doesn't seem to be a way to fast forward or rewind while viewing the footage. There is just simply a hard rewind/fforward where the screen goes blue. There also seems to be a lack of a "capture tape" option of the ability to set in and out points for capture.

These are really my only issues with it. So far.

I'd love to see motion and compressor go away and all compositing/rendering happen in FCPX. I'm not a big fan of the Adobe model where you have separate applications for each task and have to send the video different places. But I think that's probably a pipe dream.

All of that said, I really really do like FCPX. Sadly this is just a trial. I actually cut at work on a PC most of the time and so does my co-worker. My company won't buy us macs or FCPX licenses. So while I just bought a new mac mini and started bringing it into work to use as my main machine, if I were the only editor here I would simply pay out of pocket and make the switch myself. But I have to maintain compability with my co-workers. It's situations like this where I wish Apple would release FCPX for Windows.
 
1. In FCPX you have Events and Projects. You 'could' compare Events with the old Projects in FCP7, and 'Projects' with old 'Sequences' in FCP7.
The truth is a bit more complicated. Events act as a kind of Media Pool for a Project. A Project in this case being like the 'sequence' you know of old days.
Very important to get all the importances between Events and Projects, to know where Render Files go, and where everything lands on your hard drive.

2. Export options aren't limited. You have a nice set of options, and yes, if you want to really use FCPX, you need Compressor. Cheap shot? We are talking about a 30 dollar program... You should be able to recup that cost with one hour of work. Then you can make whatever setting in Compressor, and use it in FCPX.
If you know someone who has Compressor, you can let him make a setting, and copy it to your Settings folder. (if I'm not mistaken, it's somewhere in your Library).

3. I really don't like capturing tape in X. For reasons you stated, and more. Luckily, I almost never get tape anymore, but when I do, I capture it in 7.

Regards,
 
Keep in mind that you basically have to forget everything you know about editing in fcp7 or premiere. My suggestion is to watch every tutorial you can on FCPX (ripple being a great one) and maybe hit some seminars on FCPX. Once you see how and why it was designed you might never go back to traditional NLE editing.
 
FCP X is fundamentally different.

Think of it as two separate pieces of software running in one interface (FCP X).

1st software is the event library - cataloging, identifying and organizing your footage. however you want.
2nd software is the editor (where sequences are created). The editor uses any footage that is in the library.

Exports - There are a few limitations, but not as severe as you're describing. Export to "master file" and you can choose your flavor of export. h264 is there.

DV tape - haven't touched it in a while but you do have DV transport controls when you're using the import window to import footy.

Best of luck to you.

roxics said:
So I tried FCPX back when it first came out. Been cutting on PPro before and since. I'm really liking FCPX now. Especially the magnetic timeline.

But I have a few issues:

1. Sequences, they don't seem to exist. I found a work around that involves compound clips but it would be nice to have proper sequences. Maybe there is something I don't know.

2. Export options seem really limited. I like that you can export directly to youttube/vimeo. That's nice. But I really want an H.264 export option that lets me pick frame size, bitrate, VBR/CBR, audio bitrate, etc. The fact that you have to buy and send your project to Compressor to do this seems like a cheap shot.

3. When capturing DV tapes there doesn't seem to be a way to fast forward or rewind while viewing the footage. There is just simply a hard rewind/fforward where the screen goes blue. There also seems to be a lack of a "capture tape" option of the ability to set in and out points for capture.

These are really my only issues with it. So far.

I'd love to see motion and compressor go away and all compositing/rendering happen in FCPX. I'm not a big fan of the Adobe model where you have separate applications for each task and have to send the video different places. But I think that's probably a pipe dream.

All of that said, I really really do like FCPX. Sadly this is just a trial. I actually cut at work on a PC most of the time and so does my co-worker. My company won't buy us macs or FCPX licenses. So while I just bought a new mac mini and started bringing it into work to use as my main machine, if I were the only editor here I would simply pay out of pocket and make the switch myself. But I have to maintain compability with my co-workers. It's situations like this where I wish Apple would release FCPX for Windows.
Click to expand...
 
Your last comment about combining all the apps into one means you want FCPX to become Autodesk Smoke but maintain its own paradigm. There are times when using multiple programs isn't ideal but I believe an NLE would be cluttered if you combined the likes of Premiere, After Effects and Photoshop into one. Separation works best when the serve a specific purpose.
 
Get compressor.
Make the settings you like. I have e.g. h264-1080p_2passVBR, 1080p, the same as one pass and then the same for 720p 360p. The one pass is created with lower nitrates and they render VERY FAST. 2pass takes a while but looks great. This way you get mp4s fast out of your timeline.

I have export-folder for different clients. e.g. one click creates an e-mail, a vimeo-file, a h.264 and a ProRes master file.
 
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