Canvas and time line on final cut express disappearing

hi,
i was sorting recently captured video into clips when my canvas and timeline mysteriously disappeared. i think i might have pressed something but i can't remember what. now they are gray on my options window, witch is where the timeline, canvas, viewer, and browser options are.
can any body help?
thanks

http://www.fcpbook.com/Misc7.html

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Joining and moving tracks in Final Cut Express

Hi,
I have a project where I am using up to four videos/photo images on the screen at one time. Obviously much of the problem is in the alignment of images as they do differ in size.
The biggest problem is that I have cut the main piece of the video into clips with gaps.
When I use garageband for podcasting there is an option to join clips together to form one track. Even if there are gaps inbetween clips. Does anyone know if this is possible in Final Cut Express? Also as I have problems in aligning overlays. Does anyone know how you can move a track in its above another in terms of it’s priority on the screen. ie. move v5 above v4 become v3. If I could do the former then this would merely be a case of copying and pasting but all my clips are separated in the tracks so it would help to be able to move the tracks.
This may be staring me in the face but I guess these things are always easy when you know them.

Thankyou both for the reply. I’l be honest and say that I was an imovie user who has picked up FCE over the last fortnight to do this project. If I did it again I’d prepare it totally different. I have nine tracks and each of them contains clips, separated by gaps and linked to audio. As there are overlays the gaps are important as I have the canvas screen split into four (each showing a different video or image. It’s all a bit tricky now but I really thought I’d be able to join up the clips as you can in imovie and garageband. I also expected to be able to move a track above another track as you can rearrange tracks in garageband even though it solves no real purpose. As track v1 shows above track v2 in the canvas it means I have a lot of fine editing to align the footage. If I did it all again I would prioritise what tracks will be most important before starting the project.
It’s been a fun but time consuming learning curve. If you know the limitations of software you can work around them whilst planning but now it would be a case of doing much of it again.

HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!! Sony HDR SR-11 and connecting it to final cut express

I just got this new Sony HDR SR-11. I recorded a short clip and wanted to put it in my computer. I have Final Cut Express 4.0. So when I got the camera hooked up and went into the cameras files, not with final cut yet, tried to look for the files. Confused I went to a sony support site and it told me how to get to them , for a mac. I found the video file and copied it to my desktop. It was in that wierd black and grey shinney box format and said excu on the top , i think. I clicked it...Nothing. I opend it with quick time....Nothing. So I called up sony and after a long discussion the operator said that I needed to buy the MPEG-2 codec for quick time. which I did and...Nothing. So I called up again this new guy says i need Final Cut Pro to read HD files. Which Im pretty sure I dont. So I open final cut, i go to capture and...Nothing. PLEASE HELP ME. IM SOME WHAT NEW TO MACS AND I HOPE SO ONE OUT THERE CAN HELP ME
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

I have been trying for three days to the same thing.
I did get the video content off my camera via imovie 08 but the quality is very poor.
Haven't worked out how to improve the quality yet, I also tried importing the video
via ADVC 110 analog conversion device but that doesn't improve the quality.
I do have Final Cut Pro & MPEG-2 Codec and have been searching for the video in the camera's
hard drive but can not find it.
Can you tell me where Sony told you to find the video files so that I can try & import it to Final Cut Pro.
Thanks
KGovey

Saving files and copying data into final cut express

I have read that you can create duplicate copies of your I movie project and work between them so ou can make changes but always have a master file.
but I have not been able to figure out how to do that. And after I am finishend with my project I can export it to final cut express for some additional editing and video layering is that true? can I do the sme with final cut pro or just final cut express? Also is there any quality loss in this method? Thanks in advance

Hi tnt,
you write on a piece of paper; you copy that paper; you continue to write on the first one... how does the copy "know", what you've written..???
sorry, who gave you that advice of copying projects? backup frequently, yepp, that makes sense with ANY data on a computer... but with a backup you allways go back in time.....
FCE is able to open iMovie project directly (don't know about FCP, don't own, $$$); BUT then the file structure is broken, you can NOT re-import project to iM, BUT the movie...
you know the difference? a movie is one single block, a project makes it possible to edit transitions, to edit titles etc...
for sure, you can export and import from and to iM and FCE/P without loss of quality as long as you stay with "dv stream" (native file format of both/all three apps). I'm, doing this a lot, using iM for editing and FCE "just" for "special effects", advanced titles etc.-
hope I could be helpful

Real-Time Capture in Final Cut Express

Hi All -
I own a music venue, and we're considering adding video recording services (current we just offer audio). To reduce labor, I'm planning on a fixed mounted camera (brand/model TBD) from one of our lighting trusses (on the ceiling). We'd like to stream the video footage into a PowerMac and/or PowerBook in real time (presumably via a long firewire cable), thus avoiding the use of tapes, etc... So two questions:
1- Can Final Cut Express handle direct capture of video in Real Time? If so, are there any constraints, such as 7200 RPM harddrive, no HD, etc..., that I need to be aware of?
2- We plan to capture audio separately so that we can mix it in 16-track format in our ProTools HD studio. Will FCE work with a time code (SMTPE, etc...), or are there other prefer methods of keeping the sources in synch?
Any other thoughts from concert film masters would be appreciated! We're a small venue (150 person capacity) and will be using this mostly for student recitals and local bands - thus we need to be frugal and minimize the number of people needed to run it.
Thanks!
Raja
Red House Studios
www.redhouselive.com

1. There are limitations to the length of FireWire cable data can be streamed. You might want to check up on this. FCE captures DV in realtime. You'll need a fast drive either in the computer or an external FW drive at least 7200rpm with 8MB cache.
2. No.

Importing Video Files from DVD and the net onto final cut express 4

2 questions:
1st: Ive imported a video file downloaded from the net to practice editing, but once I have done that, the video file has no audio? how do I get the audio for those files?
2nd: I had ripped some video files from my university film project onto my laptop, but I cant Import the files into final cut express to further edit it (because it was a group project), because its the wrong format and stuff. How do I fix this and allow it to be imported?
Any help is greatly appreciated
Cheers

ohk cool, wat about my first problem with the sound not being imported?
Most likely the file is multiplexed. That means the audio and video are rolled into one. Same thing applies as the other post, the file needs to be in a format that FCE recognizes. Streamclip may do it, depending on the type of file of course.
Al

Piero's time code generator/ FINAL CUT EXPRESS

Does anyone know how to use Piero's time code program? I cannot get the numbers to move once I place the effect on the clip. They just stay at 00:00:00. Using FINAL CUT EXPRESS

Getting the same problem. No numbers rolling over.
Using: FCE 4.0.1, PF's TC Gen. v4.2
Plugin used in: FCE
Filter is applied to a slug being composited over other clips (so I can apply PF's TC Gen. over a range of cuts, rather than each underlying cut)
Timecodes: FCE TimeCode
CURRENT TC: Checked, others unchecked.
Some font and size options tailored.
Easy Setup:
Format: HD, RATE: 25.00fps
Use: HDV-Apple Intermediate Codec 720p25
Tips?

Resetting the browser, viewer, canvas and time line to standard sizes

Beginners Qs
Q.1. What is the simple keyboard command (or other method) to reset the window sizes to normal after the have been manually adjusted. I moved the size of the canvas and can't seem to get it back to the snug fit showing full image?
Q.2 What is the command to review Canvas in full screen and what is the command to revert to editing mode?

1. Control-U
2. Cmd-F12, but you have to set it up first in the View menu. Escape to revert to the interface.

Use of DV and HDV cameras with Final Cut Express

I have both a DV and HDV camera. How do I switch between one and the other in FCE?
Somehow I was able to change FCE to work with my HDV camera but now, when I want to work with my DV camera (to print an edited piece to video tape, for example) FCE keep telling me it cannot find the HDV camera.

Thanks for your response. Dumb question. I edited a piece while FCE was set to HDV (although the original video was not HDV -- it was a transfer from 8 mm home movies) so I assume FCE thinks the video is HDV. Just how, then, do I put the edited sequence into a new DV sequence? As you can see, I'm fuzzy about the finer points of FCE. Thanks.

How do I add a title to a video clip w/ LiveType 2 and Final Cut Express 4

I have Final Cut Express 4 & LiveType 2.1.4, I'm not sure how to add titles or test to a video clip, and the tutorials for Final Cut Express 4 don't say how to get started in LiveType. How do I simply add text? The tutorials say how to add effects to the text they just don't say how to add it to the clip or how to get the clip into LiveType.

Well, you don't actually _add text_ to a video clip, you _create a text clip_ and add that clip to your timeline, either adjacent to an existing clip or on the next higher track if you want to layer the text with an existing video clip.
The very simplest way to add text is to use one of the *text generators* built into FCE. Lower Third, Text, Scrolling Text, etc. allow you to create various text clips and give you basic controls over fonts, positioning, size, color, etc. You can find the text generators in the Effects tab in the FCE Browser.
LiveType is a separate and more sophisticated application that enables you to do all sorts of things with text (much more than can be done with the FCE text generators). The basic process is - create your title in a LiveType project. Save the LiveType project. Then in FCE, import the LiveType project; from there, you can treat it just the same as any other clip.

Final Cut Express and HVX200P - Best Possible Format?

From reading all the posts I think FCE wasn't a good use of money paired with my HVX200P.
In a pinch (the pinch is today) what is the best quality I can get out of my HVX200P and still edit in Final Cut Express?
If I wanted to shoot HD and convert it to something FCE could see what would you suggest? Format to shoot/Converter.
Thx

Capturing with Firewire from the camera, the best you can do is DV25,
in other words, the twentieth-century miniDV standard-definition format.
So it's like you have a DVX100.
Sorry about that.

File Compatibility between Final Cut Express and iMovie '09

I am in the process of converting some old VHS tapes to DVD so I can import and edit them in Final Cut Express or iMovie '09 (I'm upgrading from iMovie '08). I would like to transfer them to a file format that I can use in either application.
Are the file formats the same in both applications or is there one in particular that I should use? I know that it is possible to open a video move created in iMovie '09 in Final Cut Express, but there some situations where I want to go in the other direction. i.e. Import the raw file that was created to be imported by Final Cut Express by iMovie '09 instead.
Bob

It would be better if you did not get them transfered to DVD. This is a highly compressed format. If you can get the material transfered directly to QuickTime using the DV NTSC codec you would be better off.
The file formats in iMovie and FCE are not the same. iMovie uses DV Stream. FCE uses QuickTime.

Final Cut Express Tutorials

Before buying Final Cut Express I want to know how to use the program to see If it is worth it. I looked at it at the apple store and I was totally lost. Is there any free overlook at this application or any free tutorials. iMovie is fine for me until I want to use more than one camera angle and add cool titles, animations, and transitions.
Thanks

There is not nearly as much FCE learning material out there as there is for FCP. That being said, most of the the FCP relates directly to anything you will do in FCE and if you are just interested in the "look and feel" of non-linear editing at this level, anything Final Cut will probably help out.
Personally, while I was trying to get a handle on FCE I found the following resources invaluable:
Ken Stone's Final Cut Pro website has hundreds of free tutorials on all aspects of digital video;
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/fcp_homepageindex.html
For a few dollars a month Lynda.com does about a good a job as anyone in explaining FCE. At least give the sample tutorials a look, they are free;
http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=371
While not all of us learn well from books, there are a few out there that by themselves or in concert with each other can answer most questions and guide a novice along. I have used all of these and can recommend same;
Final Cut Express For Dummies by Helmut Kobler
Final Cut Express HD 3.5 Editing Workshop, Third Edition by Tom Wolsky
Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Express HD by Diana Weynand
A couple of commercial houses that create training for FCE have websites offering free tutorials that can give you a feel for non-linear editing;
DV Creators have some free tutorials as well as offering "Final Cut Express Foundations" for $50.
http://dvcreators.net/
Ripple Training offers some on-line tutorials for FCE as well as FCP that are well worth taking a look at.
http://www.rippletraining.com/
Despite all of the above I would suggest that FCE is not for everyone. There is a certain investment in time, energy and some money to use this program, but for those willing to make the investment it can generate some very rewarding results.

Final Cut Express 4.0 - BEST export for...

Good evening everyone!
I've finished up the first phase of a project I've been working on.
I'll be now exporting my final cut video ( using Final Cut Express 4.0 ) to a DVD for transport to the client. They will be taking the video and loading it onto some TV displays and they'll be converting it for some web usage.
I'm wondering the BEST quality to export my video from Final Cut Express 4.0 and the BEST file format to use in doing this.
Any one have any comments/suggestions around this?
thank you for your time in advance!
cheers,
Dean

Just testing now... and verified that the .mov files ( quick time files from Final Cut Express 4.0) plays very bad on my Windows machine.
This is the data dvd I burned. I'm accessing the files on the DVD in windows using quicktime player.
the playback is very choppy and at long periods of there there is not video at all. I don't get green lines at the bottom, this is only an iDVD burned DVD for playback in DVD players.
ON my Mac Book Pro ( where I'm doing all of this work ), it plays fine from the storage DVD using quicktime!!!
Hmm... could some issues with my dvd storage software I'm using to burn the data. It's, it's called Toast.
I'm currently moving the exported files from Final Cut Express 4.0 directly to m windows machine to burn. I'll test a DVD burn on the windows machine using Recordnow and get back to you guys.
thanks.
cheers,Dean

Final Cut Express 4 keeps crashing while exporting large project

I have an Imac and I'm using final cut express 4. I keep having a problem when exporting project to quicktime conversion for youtube. The software just keeps crashing and giving me an error. I normally only have this proble with projects that have alot of editing or just long files. Sometimes it crashes and then ends up going thru without crashing but I can't seem to get it to work this time. The project I'm trying to export is about 20 minutes. Please help me.
Imac hardware info:
Model Name:          iMac
Model Identifier:          iMac7,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          4 MB
Memory:          1 GB
Bus Speed:          800 MHz

It's not clear to me what you're describing about the upload process. It could be a problem of YT's uploader.
trakaddict wrote:
My final mov. file is 6 GB does that have anything to do with it?
Possibly. If you follow YT's guidelines for a 1080 res video @ 8 Mbps, your file should be more like 1.2 GB.
Your AIC sequence shoud be exported from FCE with current settings. That means it's still an AIC file when you bring that into MPEG Streamclip. Choose Export to Quick Time and in the dialogue window choose h.264 as your compresssion. Check the Limit Data Rate and enter 8000. If your video is interlaced, check the de-interlaced box.
Good luck.
Russ

Canvas and time line on final cut express disappearing

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