text pixelation problem in FCP 4.5

Asa

Asa

Well-known member
I'm sure this is a really simple problem to solve, but I've searched this whole forum and a couple of others, read the manual, searched Apple's site, and haven't turned up anything. I'm a relatively new user of FCP, so I'm sure that user ignorance is at the bottome of this.

I'm editing a preview in FCP 4.5. The type in it looks great, except when I try to assign a color (in this case, red) to it. After it renders, it looks pixelated. Change it back to white or black and everything's fine. Weird, huh? I'm hoping that someone else has run into this problem...thanks in advance for your help.
 
I just fired up my copy of FCP, and it does the same thing. Here's my two theories -
1. It has to do with the color of the background - unlikely.
2. It has to do with TrueType not liking non-standard size/color combinations or something, in other words, a font issue.

Possible solutions;
Apply a light blur filter to the text, color the file with some other method, like coloring the entire clip instead of the text within the clip, try a different font.

Also, why do you have to render text files? is it a crawl or something?
 
Penfever...thanks for your reply.

I think FCP is rendering the text files due to a video track that plays along with the text that has dissolves and FX on it. I've tried just text in a new sequence and get the same pixelated results without the render.

I read this article yesterday and it had some good tips, but doesn't quite solve the problem:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/perfect_titles_phil.html

The blur might work, but I really don't like how it looks. I have too many other tracks playing to color the entire layer as that would affect the rest of the clips as well. I've come to the conclusion that I'll have to redo the text in Photoshop and import it to FCP...however, I'd rather not if there's a simpler way. I don't think the problem is in the font file, as it renders correctly in white and in other programs.
 
Photoshop images do exactly the same thing....I'm at a loss. My colors are in gamut (the red is 235-16-16). Anyone have any ideas?
 
You brought out an interesting question. I tried and got the same results with and without photoshop. I thought Illustrator might do it, but I failed. I'm starting to think it's got to do with how FCP handles color sampling, but I'm not too sure, yet. Let's research some more!
 
Glad I'm not the only one having this problem. I think it's dedfinitely in the way that Final Cut renders colors. I reduced the saturation of the red a bit and the situation improved, although it's still not perfect...

Anyone out there have any commentary/guidelines on FCP's color rendering?
 
I believe it has something to do with pixel sizes. In Photoshop, after you've made your graphic, go to Image Size and, making sure Constrain Proportions is deselected and Bicubic is selected, change the height of the image to 480 or 486, as appropriate.

This squashes the image down, distorting it, changing it to a file that FCP recognizes as using CCIR601 rectangular pixels.Then save your file. I save out a separate PS file that has been converted to CCIR601 format and keep the original so I can correct the typos I usually make.

When you bring a PS file that's 720x480 into FCP, the editing software assumes it's been prepared for use in a DV sequence.

When placed in a DV sequence, the image will work perfectly and be treated as a nonsquare pixel image.

I got this info from google. It wont help you in FCP, but it will with Photoshop
 
Nik...you're right, photoshop has to be set up correctly as far as pixel dimensions go. CS2 has a preset for NTSC DV with all the correct settings, which I used. I've decided that it's a more a function of a bright color on a dark background than anything else. I toned down the red a good deal and got much better results...I'd like to use a brighter red, but oh well...
 
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