Best way to work between Motion and FCP

I use Motion on occasion but always seem to run into a problem when I export projects to .mov files and import into FCP as the same. The files always show up in FCP but if I return back to Motion to edit the Motion Project I get an alert that say that file is in use. Should I just import the whole .motn file into and FCP and render after or is there a better way? Any ideas would be helpful.

Hi Buck,
if you export your motion project as a mov file you create an independent file with properties selected prior export. That file becomes independent from all applications and will remain even if you delete the project it originated from. On the contrary, if you import a Motion Project into FCP it will always depend on and reference its native editor.
If you are using a previously exported mov file within both Motion (say you re-imported it, apply changes and try to save it with same name) and FCP at the same time then you may get the warning that the file is in use.
Any change you make in Motion to your .motn project should update within FCP timeline instantly.
Luca

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Best way to work on timerange from FCP X project in motion?

Suppose there is a region within my FCP X that I want to add some touches (that may rely on the footage and sound i.e. tracking etc) in Motion.
As I cannot export a region from FCP X, just the whole time line, for long projects this seems quite inefficient. I don't want one massive motion project and bit may change in the edit and it is a nightmare to maintain.
What is the best way to do this now? Is there a workaround.

You can save a lot of time by trying to do what you can in FCPX. You want to track something: easy. Apply your title, graphic, or other overlay as a connected clip. Select that clip and move the playhead to the beginning (type up arrow if you're after that start, down arrow if you're ahead of the start). In Video > Transform, set a keyframe on the Position (X and Y are keyframed simultaneously -- you only need to set that first keyframe -- any subsequent adjustments will automatically add new keyframes). Command - right arrow to advance 10 frames and reposition the clip, right in the canvas with the onscreen control. Repeat until you get to the last frame (the last frame is the right edge of the clip – 1 frame!). Playback (or frame advance with right arrow) and for any frame that needs adjustment, just drag that OSC to the new position. It will take you a lot less time than trying to get a Motion tracker going in Motion for a "remote" clip in the storyline.
If you're bound and determined to use Motion tracking:
Blade your clip.
go out to the projects pane and duplicate the project (right click on the project > duplicate project :: duplicate project only)
In the duplicate: delete all the clips before an after your target clip (magnetic timeline will move it to the beginning)
Export > Current Settings (should be some flavor of ProRes)
Do your work in Motion and Export out with same settings (go into the Render tab and set Render Quality to Best. No Fields, No Motion Blur, No Frame Blending (that way you'll get it back into FCPX the way you exported it.)
Import into an Event in FCPX. Select the clip from Motion in your Event Browser. Select the clip in your storyline and type Option R (to do a replace edit.) You can Move to Trash the duplicate project.

Working with Motion and FCP 6

I have some footage of a presenter reading the news and i need to know the best way to create a lower third caption in Motion and incorporating it into my movie in FCP.
So far i have created my lower third caption in Motion and then saved it as a template, when in FCP i then open the template and drag it into the timeline, but it was trial and error getting the lower third to position at the right place on the footage.
Is there a better way ? should i edit my footage then export to motion and creae the lower third over the footage ?
Help
Hillster

Do not worry, while you gain more experience in editing and motion graphics this non-issue will gradually disappear.
However, there are several things you can try within FCP, one is to toggle on Image+Wireframe (FCP main menu>view) and swiftly reposition your lower third as you wish in the canvas by dragging the image center.
g.

Working in Motion and FCP

I have some footage of a presenter reading the news and i need to know the best way to create a lower third caption in Motion and incorporating it into my movie in FCP.
So far i have created my lower third caption in Motion and then saved it as a template, when in FCP i then open the template and drag it into the timeline, but it was trial and error getting the lower third to position at the right place on the footage.
Is there a better way ? should i edit my footage then export to motion and creae the lower third over the footage ?
Help
Hillster

I would suggest using one of the many pre-produced lower third templates in LiveType.
They are all in the standard lower third position and can be modified. Just save a the file and it's an .ipr file that yu import into FCP.
Open in editor if you need to change it. Save it with a different name where you have different talent.
Opps, I just realized I inadvertently answered a Motion post and not a FCP post. Certainly one of the Motion Gurus will have a better Motion solution, but this one is viable nonetheless
Message was edited by: D Gilmore

Best way to work with interlaced and progressive clips in the same timeline

I´m shooting with Sony MC-50E camera in 1920x1080, 50i. When importing with Log & Transfer I can work with ProRes 422 files in interlaced mode. I have to mix the footage with video screencapture which is progressive (ProRes 422). The final videos are for web only so it should end up as progressive H264 videos. I´m getting good result if exporting to H264, 1024x576 with deinterlacing enabled, but exporting to full HD gives typical interlaced lines in the picture. How can I avoid this and what is the best solution for working with both interlaced and progressive clips?

Deinterlace in Compressor using Frame Controls, Best settings. You can reconnect the deinterlaced files to your project, if you've already edited, but you may need to copy and paste the clips in your sequence to a new 25p timeline, then Remove Attributes, Basic Motion.
When you're ready to export your sequence, use Quicktime Movie, Current Settings, Self-contained. Take that file to Compressor to transcode back to h.264.
The Apple T.V. preset is very good.

Color discrepancy with imported PSD between Motion and FCP

I've got a Motion project with an imported PSD file as a background element (the PSD was created in Photoshop CS2 for Windows, running under Parallels).
The PSD file consists of two overlapping curved shapes, one blue, one green (part of our corporate look). The colors (RGB) match our official guidelines.
I imported the Motion project to FCP and placed it on the timeline, on V1. In FCP, I then used a color generator to create a small blue rectangle which would serve as a border for a slightly smaller thumbnail image that would get overlaid later on. The rectangle is on V2. I used the exact same RGB values for it as I did in Photoshop for the curved shape.
Trouble is, the blue color in the shape that got imported into FCP inside the Motion project doesn't match the generated color.
See this screenshot, in FCP:
http://elamaton.no-ip.com/~jarkko/colordiscrepancymotion.png
Three blues: leftmost, the color generator resized to a small rectangle; on the center, the shape that I created in Photoshop and imported into a Motion project, dropped into FCP; rightmost, an instance of Photoshop CS2 running in a virtual WinXP in Parallels Desktop. You'll notice that the blues of the generator and Photoshop match, but the middle shape that travelled the CS2->Motion->FCP route is a different shade.
Narrowing it down further, I decided to import the PSD file directly into FCP (just to see if it'd match - it needs to go through Motion for the final product). Here's a screengrab of Canvas this time:
http://elamaton.no-ip.com/~jarkko/colordiscrepancy_motion2.png
Again, from left to right: the generated rectangle, the directly imported PSD, the PSD in the imported Motion project. The first two match, but something in Motion or the Photoshop->Motion route screws up the colors of the blue-green shape (as well as the Työterveyslaitos logo on the top left, also a PSD, in the same Motion project). The blue shade is also incorrect in the Motion canvas, pre-import to FCP.
What's going on here, and how can I fix things?
The project settings are PAL DV in both FCP and Motion. No rendering has been done, I'm importing the .motn into FCP as-is.
Any help is greatly appreciated, deadlines loom...

First, double-check that your PSD is in RGB, but I suspect it it or it wouldn't even work in FCP. I suspect a gamma issue moving between the apps:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93794
You might try setting the colorspace in FCP to RGB or adding a gamma filter in Motion to adjust.
Mark

Font size problems between Motion and FCP

I created a custom Final Cut Pro title in Motion. I set the font size to 110 pixels. My custom title works great, with one exception. The 110 pixel font in my custom title doesn't match the size of 110 pixel fonts in other titles. I double checked the font specs between the two titles, and they are identical. But, the font in my custom title is much bigger (view screen shot). How do I fix this?

Hi Jim,
I found the problem. When I right click a text template in FCP and select "open in Motion", the template dimensions are 1920p X 1080p. My original custom templates were 1280p X 720p. So, I didn't realize I was toggling between different template sizes.
Thanks for you input though.

Roundtripping between Motion and FCP

I created an opening in motion, project settings are:
720x480
8bit
NTSC D1/DV Anamorphic PAR 1.20
Lower First
Frame Rate - 25
I started with a template [which explains the 25fps] and I have not been able to change that to 29.97.
My sequence settings in FCP are the same but wgen I bring the Motion project in its 4X3.
If I render the motion project I have the option of changing the Quicktime settings and it exports a 16X9 .mov.
There must be a switch I'm missing somewhere. Does anyone know how so solve this?

I doubt it was intended to work that way. It's a bug. A known bug. One that will hopefully be fixed in a future release. It's not the only bug out there, tho - so reporting it will add to the "fix it" voices...
Patrick
Oh, btw - just so you know how the forums are supposed to work, you should press the or buttons over the posts that warrant it...

Exporting/Importing between Motion and FCP

Hi, I'm trying to export a piece of DV PAL Anamorphic video footage into Motion to adjust it and then export it back into FCP. But when I export it back to FCP I don't seem to be using the right settings as it becomes squeezed 4:3. It's still in anamorphic in Motion, my problem is just when it exports from Motion back to FCP.
Can you help me work out what I'm doing wrong please?

Final Cut forgets it's anamorphic after it's little outing to Motion. Simple right-click on the clip in the timeline, select item properties, and add a checkmark in the anamorphic line.

What's the best way to convert between pixels and device-independent units?

WHAT I HAVE:
Visual Basic 2010, .NET 4.0, WinForms
WHAT I NEED:
I need a way to convert back and forth between device-dependent units (i.e., pixels) and
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Robert Gustafson

"Dots-per-inch" means "pixels-per-inch", right? If I'm right, then
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and, conversely,
XInches = XPixels / Graphics.DpiX : YInches = YPixels / Graphics.DpiY
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Best way to export from Motion 2 into Final Cut Pro 5, working in DV?

I am working in DV in Final Cut Pro 5, and I would like to get the best quality from anything I bring in from Motion 2 into Final Cut Pro 5, I keep hearing use the Animation codec. I would like to hear from the Panel of experts.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Sebastian

The Best way is to round-trip from FCP. Or simply import the .motn file directly into FCP. If you require an alpha channel and for some reason don't want to bring the .motn file in, Animation with millions+ for the colors (+ is the alpha channel) will work, But if you just want straight DV, you should export a DV file.
Patrick

Combing Keynote, Motion and FCP. Best Strategy?

Ok Im trying to do a project where Im using Keynote content, Motion content and FCP content.
My final screen delivery will be on a flat screen plasma monitor with a native resolution of 852 x 480.
I am going to be playing this back as a looping Quicktime movie from a Mac to the plasma screen. The screen will be functioning essentially as a computer monitor.
The piece will only be about 3-4 minutes max run time.
The video I've shot is standard DV resolution: 720 x 480.
I am building the whole project at 852 x 480 so I dont have to scale up the video to fit the final screen size vertically.
I was intending to piece it all together in Motion.
(Exporting Quicktime renderings from Keynote and Final Cut at high resolution and placing them on the timeline in Motion...)
Now, with Motion and FCP's ability to transfer files back and forth, am I using the best strategy? Should the whole thing be assembled in FCP? Or is Motion just as good for assembly.
(I want to use Motion because I find it's interface way easier to push around than FCP and much less cryptic...)
Is there any slicker way to bring in Keynote material than to do the exporting to Quicktime thing?
Any advise I could get from all you motion gurus out there would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Well after actually starting in on the real construction of this project it has become very obvious it must be assembled in FCP.
Now that I have resolved myself to that fact, I have a few issues:
I've exported all my Keynote stuff in Animation Codec.
Is that better than H.264? (Seemed to be slightly sharper on type edges)
I tried setting up the sequence to have H.264 compression but it refused to accept any imports.
I changed it back to NTSC DV Codec and it accepted to imports no prob.
Must all FCP projects use DV codec?
You cant tell them to use a different compression system?
(This is one of those areas of FC that I find utterly mysterious.)
When I bring the Keynote clips into my FCP document, they look crunchy.
And they stumble on playback.
Is that just temporary in the editing environment.
The video plays back pretty clean...
Can I get all the files to play back cleanly in FC as Im working on them?
Will the compression used in my sequence be ignored upon export to the Final Quicktime?
And what's the deal with the frame rates on the Keynote files.
Even though I specified 29.97 on export, when I get info on the files theyre all over the place (20fps, 24fps...)
Is that a problem?

What is the best way to work with mixed media in 1080 timeline?

Hi there,
I have a project shot mostly in 1080 24p but a bit of 720 24p and 4x3 30p footage.
What is the best way to work with this mixed media?
Thanks!
Steven

Hi Shane,
Ok just to recap (thanks for being patient by the way)...I have put some questions in here...feel free to write in caps to respond and we'll put this baby to rest!
1) I will work in a 1080p FCP sequence, correct?
2) HD 1080p footage captured as applepro res hq I will leave as is and work with?
3) HD 720p footage which was captured as applepro res hq. Can I just drop in 1080 timeline and let FCP do its work? Or should i run through compressor, if so what setting shall I submit it too?
4) I dont have a budget for an external hardware to convert SD to HD...should I capture my SD Beta through Final Cut and just leave and let FCP do its work? Or should I run through compressor? If so what setting shall I submit it too?
5) For for my master sequence in FCP am I not using an I-Frame format apple pro res if I am using my apple pro res hq 1080 footage as my formatted sequence? I am not sure what you mean by GOP?
6) I also found some 60p footage 1080p XDCAM compressor shot with the same XDCAM camera. I put in the 1080p 24p timeline but it was pretty choppy...any ideas of this conform?
Thanks very much for all your help it has gone along way,
Steven
Saying what CODECS you are working with was my question. 1080, 720, 4:3...really says nothing. There are a dozen 1080 codecs, another dozen 720 codecs, and nearly 100 4:3 formats.
Best to capture all the footage to one uniform codec.
Second best is to work with one format and let FCP conform the rest to that...IF and only IF that format is an I-Frame format like ProRes. GOP formats as master sequence formats cause TONS of issues.
What I'd do is work 1080 ProRes, just add the 720p footage (Use Compressor to convert it if you didn't have a lot, but if you had a lot, just add it), but I'd capture all the SD 4:3 footage via a Kona 3 or Matrox MXO2 as 1080 ProRes. Hardware conversion of SD to HD is much better than anything FCP can do. AE might do good as well. But then use Compressor to convert 29.97 footage captured (you can't convert 29.97 to 23.98 when you capture) to get to 23.98.

General workflow between FCS and FCP question....

Hey all.
I'm totally new to FCS, and while in a few hours I've figured out a lot about how it works, what is totally eluding me is how to establish an efficient work flow back and forth between FCS and FCP...it's really driving me crazy.
Yeah, I know, read the manual...but nothing I'm finding anywhere seems to be a really direct, straight-up description of how to get a FCP project up and running.
Specifically I am dealing with the whole "checking out" a project thing, creating proxies, etc., it just feels very awkward. The test project I'm working with has 1 (ONE!) clip (granted a 28GB HD clip)...but FCS is not allowing me to make a proxy into the cache, this is after I already took that clip into FCP, cut it, saved it, checked it back into FCS just to make sure I got the basics of flowing back and forth down.
I wish I could be more specific, but I really really really just want a basic explanation of how to use the FCS as, you know, a server.
Anyone who can point me in that direction is a GOD!
thanks,
Mark

Hi Mark,
Here are the specific sections of the manual that should give you the best explanation regarding the Check out/in workflow for FCP projects in Final Cut Server:
Check out:
http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutserver/usermanual/#chapter=7%26section =5
Editing:
http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutserver/usermanual/#chapter=7%26section =6
Check in:
http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutserver/usermanual/#chapter=7%26section =7
-Daniel

Best way to work on a large project in CS5

Hello friends,
I've recently started editing a feature length film in APP CS5. I've never worked on a project this large before (around 160 GB). Since I've been just doing small projects, it hasn't been an issue to have my source footage on my C: drive. I sort of forgot the first rule I ever learned: Don't keep your source footage on the same drive as your program. So, I set up a master project, and then set up a sequence for every individual scene. The idea was to edit a scene, the drop it on the master time line. So I actually imported all of my footage and placed it in each corresponding sequence. Seemed like a good idea at the time. But then I started trying to edit a scene and my computer laughed at me. It just couldn't process anything within a project that big. So I started from scratch. Moved all my footage to an external drive, deleted it from my C: drive and started over. Now, I'm just moving a scene's worth of material in at a time. So far so good, but will I get bogged down again as the project grows? Even though I'm pulling everything from an external? And if I probably will, what should I do? A friend told me that I should export each sequence at a lossless format, such as the animation codec, then bring them back in and place them on a new master timeline. My concern is that those files are going to be bigger than the original files, so won't that kill my computer, too. What's the best way to work on such a large project? I'm running CS5 on a Toshiba Satellite Pro, Intel Core i3, 2.10 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, Windows 7 Pro (64 - bit). Thanks guys!

It's both AVCHD and DSLR. Are you saying it's too underpowered to do either of the scenarios I mentioned above, or both? One way, I will just edit each scene, and export them. Then, I'll begin with a clean slate, bringing those edited sequences back in and dropping them on a timeline in a new project. The files will be huge, but I'll only be working with those files. Nothing else will be in the way. Then I'll just have to put them in order and do a few transitions (dissolves mostly) between some of the scenes, then export the whole thing. The other way was to just build the entire movie with every scene as a sequence, editing them, and moving them to the master timeline. Are you saying I won't be able to do either? If that's the case, then I suppose I'll have to just edit each scene, export them, and then get someone with a monster machine to put it all together for me. Hoping it doesn't come to that, but it's not the worst thing I could have to do.

Best way to work between Motion and FCP

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