White screen Motion projects in FCP

I have created a Motion Project on my father in-laws Powerbook, my old machine, and used it in a FCP project everything was fine and as it should be.
Saved the files, and brought everything to my new machine.
On this new machine it has the crossgrade version of FCP,(5.1.4) and Motion (2.1.2) on it, and when I bring the Motion file into FCP I get a white screen. Nothing else. Just 10 seconds of white. The project plays fine in Motion. I have tried to resave and re-import. Nothing. Plays perfectly fine in Motion.
I made a new project in Motion, assuming it had to do with the old files. Imported it into FCP, white screen for 10 seconds! This is a huge issue, but not sure what to do if I can't import my Motion projects into FCP.
Now this is something to considerI will throw this into the mix.......the Motion Projects do open up in my DVDSP 4.1.2.
So it opens in Motion, opens in DVDSP, but not in FCP. So its the import into FCP, not the file itself.
What gives? Any clues......
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
OS 10.5.4, MacBook Pro 2.4, 4 gig RAM

OK, so I've been importing motion projects into FCP (for a while now) and rendering them each time they're changed...and finally wondered: why? If I click "open in editor", change something and go back to FCP, I should only have to re-connect it, right?
Unfortunately for us, whenever the source media - a video clip, still image, Motion or LiveType project file - changes, FCP trashes the associated render files. As far as I am aware, it's a hardwired 'housekeeping' thing within FCP.
The usual advice is to render only as a last resort, but I take it your workflow doesn't allow for that?
I busted open the FCP manual and it only said that LiveType and Motion clips must be rendered (red render bar)...but not why. Is it because they are inherently motion effects/graphics intensive?
It's because Motion or LiveType files typically do not match the codec - what FCP terms 'Compressor' in your Sequence Settings - that you're working in. Sure, the files may match the frame size and rate - for instance, 720x480 at 29.97 fps - but Motion and LiveType files are 'interpreted' as Animation codec files. If you're working in DV, for instance, you'll have to render files that are not DV. Another issue is that no machine/setup I've ever worked on can do Animation files - at Full Quality - without rendering (they are simply too data intensive). However, beefier machines can get some amount of RT playback, depending on the settings and number of tracks being composited.
Or did I misread your questions?

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Motion projects in FCP

OK, so I've been importing motion projects into FCP (for a while now) and rendering them each time they're changed...and finally wondered: why? If I click "open in editor", change something and go back to FCP, I should only have to re-connect it, right? That's what I do in DVDSP if I need to change something on a menu I did with After Effects...export it from AE with same file name, then the file in DVDSP automatically updates (sometimes I gotta re-connect the file...).
I busted open the FCP manual and it only said that LiveType and Motion clips must be rendered (red render bar)...but not why. Is it because they are inherently motion effects/graphics intensive? I know the answer is probably just that simple, I'm just looking for some re-assurance that I'm understanding this correctly...
I'm not a noob...just trying to understand the tech side of things. That way I can be happier with my software.
Thanks
Jonathan

OK, so I've been importing motion projects into FCP (for a while now) and rendering them each time they're changed...and finally wondered: why? If I click "open in editor", change something and go back to FCP, I should only have to re-connect it, right?
Unfortunately for us, whenever the source media - a video clip, still image, Motion or LiveType project file - changes, FCP trashes the associated render files. As far as I am aware, it's a hardwired 'housekeeping' thing within FCP.
The usual advice is to render only as a last resort, but I take it your workflow doesn't allow for that?
I busted open the FCP manual and it only said that LiveType and Motion clips must be rendered (red render bar)...but not why. Is it because they are inherently motion effects/graphics intensive?
It's because Motion or LiveType files typically do not match the codec - what FCP terms 'Compressor' in your Sequence Settings - that you're working in. Sure, the files may match the frame size and rate - for instance, 720x480 at 29.97 fps - but Motion and LiveType files are 'interpreted' as Animation codec files. If you're working in DV, for instance, you'll have to render files that are not DV. Another issue is that no machine/setup I've ever worked on can do Animation files - at Full Quality - without rendering (they are simply too data intensive). However, beefier machines can get some amount of RT playback, depending on the settings and number of tracks being composited.
Or did I misread your questions?

Flickering black bars going from embedded Motion project to FCP

hi. i'm working on a green screen project. i'm assembling timelines in FCP then sending them straight to motion to do the keying and other work. I'm notincing that in some spots, when i round trip back to Motion, there is a flickering black bar on the right hand side of the screen. The flikcer doens't exist when i view it in motion, just in FCP, even when i render it.
any suggestions

I'm with Mark - change the alpha to Pre-Mult Black and see how it looks...
Patrick

Problem with importing a Motion project into FCP if it uses a Boris filter

Had an odd and highly frustrating experience. Was using a Boris Continuum filter (the posterizing one) on the background of a Motion project (was using it to age a background of a brick wall to age it and give it a more 'nighttime' look).
When I imported the file into FCP to use as an intro there, the background disappeared entirely. After an hour of troubleshooting, finally figured out that it was the Boris filter that was causing the problem (it also was probably responsible for the random crashing of FCP I was experiencing), as when I disabled the filter and re-saved the project, it worked beautifully.
Is this a 'normal' problem when using Boris filters? Do I have to export every Motion project into a Quicktime file before importing it to FCP (and possibly DVDSP) if it uses a Boris filter?

Thanks! Now the frustrating thing is that the client doesn't want to use what I created after all...bah humbug
It's not the RAM (which is either 8GB or 16....not sure on that computer). Got an e-mail from Boris Support that implied that this will happen all the time...that you have to export all projects before you use them in FCP or DVDSP or the Continuum filters won't work (loved how the support person suggested that I just use the filter in FCP...which defeats the purpose of creating something in Motion! But I digress...) Told me I had to buy a $500 program called Automatic Duck to get things to import properly...and that Boris filters won't work with the latest upgrade of FCP, btw.

Importing a matted Motion project into FCP

I did a bunch of work on a shot in motion, maskes, etc.
The shot was greenscreened so I use Primatte to Key in motion.
When I try to import this motion file in FCP for coloring it does not display correctly. I'm sure it has to do with the Key. I regularly move projects back and forth with no issues.
Is there some different I need to do to deal with the Alpha channel, or is it not possible?
Thanks
steve

I think I am viewing only the alpha channel when imported to FCP. It has a light blue hue - as if I was was looking at a channel view in Photoshop.
Also, I created multiple layers in Motion as I did masks. I believe only the top mask is translating. Very weird.
Must be a setting somewhere.
Thanks

Rendering issues with imported Motion project in FCP

I have various titles for a DVD prepared in Motion that are imported as project files into Final Cut Pro.
When playing back the rendered timeline in FCP to a TV, the animation on these titles (scaling and moving of text and untextured, 100% opaque rectangles) looks fine. When I render the timeline to a QuickTime (DV PAL) they still look fine on a monitor, though obviously not a great test on a progressive display.
After using Compressor (and a suitable preset for PAL content) and burning to a disc from DVD Studio Pro, the animation is jumpy. Some elements in the project with a Fade In/Fade Out behaviour with Fade Out duration set to 0 suddenly disappear for a short period (looks like one frame) - these objects end on the timeline in the same frame that their Fade In/Fade Out behaviour also ends.
If I render the Motion project to a QuickTime file with transparency and overlay that in FCP then follow the same route through Compressor and DVD Studio Pro everything looks as I expected... smooth motion and no disappearing elements.
Any ideas? Should I just keep rendering Motion projects out to separate files to overlay in FCP? That seems a bit of a waste of the integration between FCP and Motion.

This gives me pause: AEManager::scanForPluginsInDirectory(PCString) + 1011
I'd check for any third party plugins...
Patrick

Using motion projects in FCP and having problems...

A co-worker of mine is having an issue with a motion project that is being placed into FCP. Every time he imports it, the contrast is diminished and the color gets washed out making the image look VERY washed out and flat. He has even tried to export the movie with various codecs and settings, but the same thing still happens. We are cutting a movie shot on the new Sony XDCam cameras. It was shot in 720p 24FPS @ 35mbits Everything looks great except this particular motion file. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks for any help.

hi,
It probably is faster but you just dont know it yet! If you had a day free you could time the two different methods.
Of course the second workflow comes into its own when you need to make changes. Open up the motion project and tweak. The changes automatically update in FCP. yes you have to watch in fcp, but your not outputting and reimporting etc. Also you dont have to render in fcp you can simply export.
thanks
adam

Importing Motion projects in FCP

I am importing a motion project in to FCP, the motion project is a NTSC anamorfic project in 8 bit. When i import it into the FCP project witch matches the motion project, the render for ten seconds of video says it takes 1 hour. why does this render take so long, it DV video, the things in my motion project are only to CAMP FIRE partical Emiter and one tiff photo. WHY SUCH A LONG RENDER?

I encounter the same thing every now and then. And that is pretty much only with dv projects. The biggest factor I've seen is a graphic file that is much too high resolution. But often that is not the problem. At that point I export a quicktime and edit that into FCP. Sure it negates roundtripping but at that point it's usually just getting the job out the door.

Motion project in FCP

I have imported a project from Motion to FCP then rendered it. The project plays smooth except four of the objects within the motion project have been distorted - streached, fliped upsidedown and faied to crop. Project plays smooth in Motion and when exported into a quicktime from motion all plays smooth as well. I think I have checked that all settings are the same in both brograms, is there something I'm overlooking?

Sounds like a field order problem, what many people today call a field dominance problem.
Search here for 'field dominance' and see what turns up.

Problem importing Motion project into FCP (images 'wobbly' and 'jaggedy')

I'm at wit's end here. I did a short 10 second intro for a press reel in Motion that is pretty basic and looks good in Motion (it's just images from the show flying across the screen, with a cloud emitter as background). The problem is that when I import it into Final Cut Pro, the images get all jittery and wobbly. It looks as if they are going in and out of different interlacing stages, which makes no sense.
The images were taken from the theater's website, and I have have tried them both in JPG and PSD formats. They are all being scaled down from the original size a touch after I import them into Motion (would that be the problem? Didn't think to try that...). As I said, they look fine and clear in Motion, but when I export into a Quicktime movie or render it and play it back in Final Cut Pro, they get all jaggedy/wobbly (for lack of a better technical term). Stills exported from the Motion file look fantastic in Photoshop (and in Final Cut Pro when I use them as background) but a paused image in Final Cut Pro looks very jagged.
I've tried everything I can think of, and even upped all the render settings in the project, to no avail. Any ideas/suggestions?

Sure. I'm uploading two files. One at www.jonathanfrank.com/FCPTest.mov, contains two 10 second movies back to back. The first clip is the project I created from scratch, the second clip is a test I did using a Motion template that I was 'inspired' by. Both were exported from Motion w/Field set to 'none' and export settings set to 'animation' Both looked pretty good when the exported file was opened in Quicktime. I imported the files and rendered them in FCP (and noticed that Field got set to Low/Even along the way somehow) and then exported them into Quicktime via FCP.
I also am uploading the original file of my project that I exported from Motion to see the difference at www.jonathanfrank.com/poetintro1.mov
Due to the size, it's not as easy to see the 'jitter' It was really noticeable when I imported the Travel template sans photos (so you just saw the grey "replace here" images with the circles and grids). It looks passable in the movies, but when Printed to Video, played in FCP (or played in the full-sized format in Quicktime) it's a lot more obvious what I'm talking about.
Basically, the motion just isn't smooth. It's very jagged and jittery, and the definition is dreadful.
Thanks for all your help and interest, by the way. And hope this

Loss of Audio when opening Motion project in FCP

I have a 2 minute video I put together in Motion. When I then open the file with FCP the video looks great but the audio is not exported. When I save the file I state to save both audio and video. Any suggestions?
Thanks

Oh dear, I feel like such a noob now
EDIT Figured out what CTI and Match Frame is
and how do I check for .pek files?
Thank you for your time

FCP wont open motion projects on tileline anymore

I have been using the FCP suite by creating motion projects and imoporting the project file onto my fcp timeline, I really like doing this it cuts out allot of wasted time. However I just installed the new itunes and the new quicktime update and suddenly whe i try to change a motion project in fcp via "open in editor" teh OS crashes. says I need to restart...AHHHH.
Any ideas?
I use FCP 5.0.4 and Motion 2.0.1

Ouch. The OS crashes? Kernel panic? Also read what TheXlab has to say about kernel panics.
It sounds like the QuickTime update might be the source of your problems. I don't know if FCP 5.0.4 and Motion 2.0.1 are friends with QuickTime 7.1.3.
I would take advantage of the $99 crosscrade offer while it's still there
http://www.apple.com/universal/crossgrade/

Motion Project does not look good in FCP

I am using FCP 5.0 and Motion2. I made a lower third title graphic in Motion. When I embed the clips back into FCP they look pixalated. They do not look as good as they did originally. Does anyone have a solution?

Hey,
Here's the result from last night. The quicktime file is good. It seems that Motion projects in FCP, even from rendered QT files, don't display their true image.
My output this morning for my project is flawless. Even though the timeline looks horrible.
The reason this seems to come up in this forum again and again, is probably that Boris 3D, FCP's titles, even LiveType, all display their true clean rendered image in FCP. Motion, however, doesn't seem to do that.
My guess is that it hangs on to a thumbnail representation for FCP of the rough draught render that motion must create so you can place your motion project in your FCP timeline live. (you know, you can switch back and forth and update a motion project and it updates it in FCP. )
It just doesn't say that anywhere that I was looking.
So, if anyone else is creating Motion projects and importing them into Final Cut, be aware that what you see in Final Cut is not what is going to render in your output. It will be full resolution and without the alising that appears in FCP's timeline.
Whew!
Gord
G5 Dual 2.3Ghz Power PC 3GB RAM, 2x120HDD, & 15" Powerbook Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Motion project imported into FCP looks different...

I have a Motion project that moves 17 magazine covers across a background. When I preview it in Motion it looks great, but when I import it into FCP the mags overlap and run into each other. What could be happening during import and is there a fix??

I'm posting in response to my own question because this may actually be a bug. When I import the Motion project into FCP with the Motion layers locked, the animation is altered. When I go back into Motion and unlock all the layers and import into FCP, the animation is perfect. No kidding, locked tracks and the animation is funky, unlocked and it's fine. Anyone ever stumble on this??

Motion projects look like VHS junk in a FCP timeline

Pro Res 422 sd FCP sequence, field dominance none. This is viewed through a Kona LHe on a Sony PVM-14M4U.
I have a bunch of Motion animations with particles and text. Video processing is set to 16-bit float to avoid banding on a bunch of gradients. When I edit the project into an FCP timeline, the result is a stair-stepping mess on every element much like VHS. If I export a self-contained movie from Motion, it looks like it should in the FCP timeline.
So the obvious answer is to export a movie for each animation from Motion and while I'm not adverse to that as an answer, I'd really like to know why a Motion project is looking so awful in FCP considering the project interchange capabilities that are supposed to be within FC Studio 2.
I am most likely missing something very simple as I am the King of User Error.
z.

Peter Wiggins wrote:
There are quite a few things that don't happen when rendering a Motion project within FCP.
Such as? Gotta link to anything as I'd really like to know. Perhaps my impression of sticking a Motion project into FCP is just faulty?

White screen Motion projects in FCP

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