Peter Wiggins - My Top Ten Wish List for FCP in 2010

My Top Ten Wish List for FCP in 2010

What has 2010 got in store for Final Cut Pro? I thought I'd make up a quick wish list of things I'd like to see incorporated.

1.   Smart Folders
If FCP can notify you instantly when a file goes offline, why can't it notify you if a new movie has been placed into a ‘watched' folder. This would be a huge advantage when working in a shared storage environment; files would then appear in selected bins in the browser. If any third party manages to crack this using Apple Events, they would make a lot of money.

2.   Incorporate Quick Look
If you are working on Leopard or Snow Leopard and haven't tried Quick Look , then try this out after reading this article. Ever wondered where the progress bar on Quicktimes in Tiger went? Instead, highlight the movie or still and hit the space bar. Hit it again to hide. Why can't this be incorporated into FCP, it would make searching a clip for a shot much quicker without having to load it up into the viewer.

3.   Click to Next Clip in Bin
If I have a clip loaded in the viewer, why can't I move onto the next clip in the bin with a shortcut? This works really well in Quick Look. Also try selecting all the clips in a folder in the finder and hitting the space bar - that is how I want the browser to work!!!

4.   Timecode Window Display When Digitising & Laying Off
Oh come on Apple, as much as I like the new floating window when editing, you have done half a job! Please fix.

5.   Enter Data Whilst Digitising
This would be brilliant, name a clip and add markers whilst digitising. Then again we all love Facebook don't we?

6.   Redesigned Keyframing, It sucks.
There, I said it. Never have or never will like the current keyframing GUI in FCP. Apple have code libraries from Motion & Shake that they could knick, erhem, incorporate to improve this.

7.   Better Slomo
I have a trick to make fields into frames for a smooth 50% speed, but why should I have to have a workaround? I don't want a smooth 17.3 %, just a VT style 50%.

8.   Support of Image Well Media when using Media Manager
Well, if you haven't run off to check your firewire drives then yes, it is true. Any image or movie in a well used in a transition or filter doesn't get mangled. That goes for built in effects too, not just brilliant third party plugins.

9.   Proper Split Track Output
OK my client wants full mix on 1&2 and clean FX on 3&4. Not too happy when I say I have to layoff twice. Should be able to route any track pairs to any output pair. Somebody please tell me there is a way to do this already using a multichannel output.

10.   16:9 Title Safe Area Generator
I am almost in tears over this one, in fact can I just leave it here without having to type anymore?

11.   PPM Meters
In true Spinal Tap mode, I'd like large decent PPM meters instead of those tiny VU (Virtually Useless) meters. Please give them PPM ballistics and a scale of 1 to 7, not up to 11!

Well there you go, that's my quick top 10/11 what is yours?

Happy New Year!!

Comments (19)

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Ex Prod, Doolin Films
written by Michael Scully on December 30, 2009

Can we also have the Dynamic Guide yellow lines that exist in the Motion canvas to assure you of your centered object, in the viewer of Final Cut? I understand how to exactly place a thing with the entry fields in the motion tab, but a graphical cross hair while holding down would be great. Thanks to all Apple folks for a great program.

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written by Michael Scully on December 30, 2009

And, thank you, Peter.

watch folder
written by Scott Simmons on December 30, 2009

Ahh the watch folder, I would like this one too, in fact I dreamed of such a thing once:

http://www.scottsimmons.tv/blog/2007/05/10/software-from-the-future-watch-folder/

split tracks
written by Scott Simmons on December 30, 2009

As for Proper Split Track Output .. you can do that. In Sequence Settings add new outputs (stereo or mono) and then route them in the timeline patch bay via a right click over the padlocks or toggle light. Or do you mean something different than that? That's how I do it.

Split Track
written by Peter Wiggins on December 30, 2009

I will have to have another go at it, but I had trouble assigning a pair to more than one pair output. Anyway it is far too complicated for something that should be simple!

Peter

Chapter Markers
written by Paul on December 30, 2009

Can we get chapter markers to export in Batch mode?

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written by Scott Simmons on December 30, 2009

IT is way more complex and buried than it needs to be that's for sure but i've had decent success.

Tutorial
written by Peter Wiggins on December 30, 2009

Sound like good tutorial fodder to me smilies/grin.gif

Split tracks
written by Dan on December 30, 2009

Multi-channel outputs have been possible for a really long time. Open the settings for your sequence and choose the Audio Outputs tab. Under the drop-down for Outputs set the number you want. For a digi layoff choose 4. I usually set them to dual mono and set the down-mix at 0. Hit OK. Go back to your timeline and right click on each audio track and assign the output channel. Works flawlessly every time.

You can also save the audio output as a preset so that you don't have to do this over and over. You will only need to assign your tracks to an output channel for each new sequence.

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written by Tom Coster on December 31, 2009

PPM that would be pretty amazing, things I would perhaps add to the list:

I would really like to be able to scan though fonts instead of having to go though them 1 by 1.

A search function in the browser would be useful to find effects and clips quickly.

3D???
written by Mark Raudonis on January 02, 2010

I'd vote for the ability to handle "Stereoscopic" or 3D editing. I know there are some interesting workarounds and external methods for editing 3D (Cineform) , but there will come a time (soon) where working in 3D is the rule, not the exception. I'd like to see FCP handle this workflow as well as the competition.

Mark Raudonis

punchtime
written by Tony Vazques on January 04, 2010

My rank 1#: Punching someones moron face at Apple HQ

the fuck i'd pay for updating to a shitty and buggy FC7 Version!

Proper Split Track Output
written by Martin Baker on January 04, 2010

As you say, the problem remains that you can only assign a track to a single output which doesn't make it easy to do playouts that need different mixes. It would definitely be good to see this restriction lifted.

From memory, on TOTP I needed to playout inserts with full mix (inc vo) on 1&2 and M&E on 3&4 (no vo). The way I worked around it was by nesting the final sequence for playout that then allows you to duplicate the submix clip on another track.

So I'd have my final sequence 1 with something like this:
A1: sync: to A1/A2 stereo output
A2: sync: to A1/A2 stereo output
A3: fx: to A1/A2 stereo output
A4: fx: to A1/A2 stereo output
A5: music L: to A1/A2 stereo output
A6: music R: to A1/A2 stereo output
A7: music L: to A1/A2 stereo output
A8: music R: to A1/A2 stereo output
A9: vo: to A3/A4 stereo output

In this sequence 1, I'd dip the levels on the music clips as I edited but NOT dip levels for vo (doable because I had a monitoring mixer in the suite). Then I'd nest this entire sequence into a new one (sequence 2), which would be set up like this:

A1: M&E L: to A1/A2 stereo output
A2: M&E R: to A1/A2 stereo output
A3: vo: to A1/A2 stereo output
A4: vo: to A1/A2 stereo output
A5: M&E L: to A3/A4 stereo output
A6: M&E R: to A3/A4 stereo output

the clip on A5/A6 tracks was the A1/A2 clip duplicated. Then on the A1/A2 tracks I'd go through and dip the M&E for the vo. This left the A5/A6 clip at full level.

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written by Philip Hodgetts on January 11, 2010

At least half of those feature requests can only be implemented in Cocoa code. Most of FCP is still Carbon code and can't implement, for example, QuickLook, without jumping through coding hoops (leading to less stability.)

Philip

better slomo
written by Ricardo Guerreiro on January 12, 2010

Hi, I'm happy to have found your site as you seem to have your own ideas (many people with whom I debate are such Apple fans that they cannot step back for a minute and admit there are completly silly things that are easy to solve and Apple does nothing about it). So regarding slomo in FCP, I also would like it to have a better control and specially when dealing with over-cranked footage, to be able to load (for example) a 50fps shot to a 25fps timeline and "see" all the original frames at half the speed. Motion is able to do this so why would not the editing app of the suite? I have had this discussion in Creative Cow but folks there seem to think it is acceptable to workaround it by launching other apps (Motion or Cinema Tools). I mean, I don't write code but would this be a great deal to incorporate to FCP? If you can, could you please check my post there and let me know what you think? Thanks:

http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1069626#1069626

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written by Michael Heldman on January 15, 2010

1. ditto on keyframing. Copy and paste parameters at the very least.

2. better matting tools (a la Animatte) IN THE APP. I know I can roundtrip to Motion and I do it all the time, but it's such a common editing task that it should be in the app itself.

3. better GUI. The grey type on grey background is killing my eyes. A little more contrast would help tremendously. This seems to have improved somewhat in FCP7, but more could be done. How about the ability to color and name tracks, following the model of STP?

4. As for title safe marks, there's always Andy's Guides.

More feature request
written by David Chai on January 24, 2010

1. Scaling engine that looks good with different scaling algorithms to choose from
2. Ability to change text parameters in all title generators at once, like in DVD STUDIO PRO.
3. Audio plugins interface like in Soundtrack pro, and improved audio mixing engine quality.
4. Color correction mode in FCP so you don't have to go to Color.
5. Audio edit mode in FCP, so you don't need sountrack.
6. Motion Graphics mode so you don't need Motion.
7. 64bit, Grand Central, Open CL goodness.
8. True render in background that does not bring your machine to a halt.
9. Better kerning control in text generators.
10. Ability to edit movies as they are being captured.

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written by mike burton on January 25, 2010

I have been asking for an audio keyframe selection tool forever! How many times have you adjusted audio keyframes in a timeline, made a change and had to move those keyframes one by one to the new destination point? One time is too many and this should be a no brainer. I wish FCP belonged to a company that actually cared about what their users want.

64-bit
written by Floris on February 19, 2010

The main thing I would like to see is a 64-bit update like the ones for Aperture and Logic Studio. A new, more modern looking interface (goodbye brushed metal look) would also be a welcome change. Something like Aperture / Logic Pro would be fine. And also for all studio applications. I don't like it that every Final Cut Studio applications looks and operates differently.

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