Problems roundtripping back to FCP in a FCP7+CF2.5+RCX workflow

[Nick Gallegos]

I wasn't sure whether this post would be more appropriate in the Redcine-X forum, but here it goes...

Basically, I'm using Clipfinder 2.5b3 to conform my off-line edits to the R3D footage to run through Redcine-X for grading and then (attempting) to re-conform back to the FCP timeline. Re-conforming back to FCP is where I keep running into snags. These are the steps I took:

1. Exported an XML of the off-line sequence (ProRes 422 QT movies) from FCP.

2. Conformed to H proxies using Clipfinder's "Run Conform on FCP XML File" tool.

3. Imported the resulting XML file from Clipfinder into FCP. Exported a new XML from FCP.

4. I used Clipfinder's "Import Clips from FCP XML" tool to bring in the clips with 48-frame handles (I actually need these handles for some of the transitions that exist in the edit).

5. Finally, I sent to RCX using Clipfinder's "Send to REDcineX" tool. I have found that this works fine using RCX Build 258, but on later builds, either nothing happens or a bunch of blank slugs appear in the RCX timeline. But Build 258 seems to work fine, so I guess I'll stick with that.

6. I graded the sequence in RCX and proceeded to export. I kept overwriting turned off and told it to render using the "Output with Clip Filename to Selected Folder" option. I'm rendering to QT, using the ProRes 422 HQ codec. This works fine.

7. Now, here's where I run into problems. In Hans's instructions for re-conforming the clips rendered in RCX back to FCP, he mentions that you need to use the latest interim build of CF 2.5 (Beta 4e). I'm following the instructions EXACTLY to do this. I'm using the last XML file output from FCP (the one that has everything connected to the proxy footage), but every time I try, it says "Clip file "" not found. Used original clip file in new XML file" for each clip and doesn't replace anything. And yes, I'm pointing CF to the directory containing the rendered clips.

There must be something I'm doing wrong. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Ido Karilla]

Haven't use this workflow for quite a while but it rings a bell!

When doing the conform on the XML in CF you can choose path-rule or name-rule in your case I think you need name rull.

Hope it helps.

 

[Nick Gallegos]

Using name rule doesn't make a difference. Same problem.

I'm starting to think that this has something to do with the way the subclips are being handled. When RCX renders subclips (i.e. portions of the same clip being used more than once), it adds a _S000, S_001, etc. suffix to the file name. I'm not sure exactly how CF 2.5 handles these during a re-conform.

 

[Joe Kocsis]

Ido,
what workflow are you using instead?

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

I think the latest version of ClipFinder should work well with this workflow and is aware of the '_S00x' clip name when a shot is used twice or more in the edit... hopefully Hans will chime in and give you proper instructions.

In the mean time (sorry to hijack the thread)... I developed some small applescripts that could be handy in your particular workflow (it did work for others) :

XML2RCX to send your edit to REDCINE-X timeline
RCX2XML to roundtrip back to FCP (works with the '_S00x' renamed clips too)

check them out below in my signature

 

[Nick Gallegos]

I've actually been going back and forth with Hans via email regarding this issue. It seems that there's something weird going on with the clip timecode in the FCP XML that's preventing CF from finding the rendered clips during a conform. Hopefully, we'll get this straightened out soon...

I'll give your scripts a try as well, Michael.

 

[Nick Gallegos]

Mikael -

I just tried out the demos of your scripts. Using the same 3 clip test I've been trying to run through CF 2.5, they work perfectly. Very nice!

 

[Nick Gallegos]

UPDATES

1. I solved the problem I was having sending a sequence to an RCX timeline from Clipfinder on the newer build of RCX (326). I was using the 64-bit version of Build 326, but I tried the 32-bit version and it works fine. Perhaps this might be an incompatibility between the 64-bit version and Clipfinder. Hard to say.

2. I'm still absolutely stumped on the whole roundtrip process back to FCP from Clipfinder. I've been going back and forth with Hans over email and I'm still in the same spot. No matter what I do, I always get the "Clip file "" not found" error. This is the exact process I'm taking:

- I export an XML of the sequence from FCP.

- I bring the FCP XML into Clipfinder using the "Import Clips from FCP XML" tool. I'm selecting "import subclips" and setting merge mode to "none". Everything populates fine in the project window.

- I use the "Replace MOV with R3D" tool to connect the off-line QTs to the R3Ds. This works fine. I click the Sequence header to order the clips correctly for an RCX timeline.

- I send the Clipfinder project to RCX using the "Send to REDCINE-X timeline" tool. It generates and imports the LUA script into RCX just fine and all my trimmed clips show up on the timeline.

- I grade and render the RCX timeline to ProRes422 HQ at full debayer. I make sure that the "overwrite files" option is not checked prior to export. RCX correctly renders the subclips with _S000, _S001, etc. as needed.

- Now, I open Clipfinder 2.5b4 (per Hans's instructions for roundtripping the XML). I use the "Run Conform on FCP XML File" tool and point CF to the directory containing the RCX renders. "Enable subclip conform" is checked, as well as "use only first 9 or 16 characters of file name in input XML" and "use only first 9 or 16 characters of file name in clip directories". I click the Run Conform button, and still I get the "Clip file "" not found" error on every single clip.

It doesn't seem to matter whether I specify handles on the clips or not in CF, either. This is frustrating.

 

[Nick Gallegos]

UPDATE:

The problem has officially been solved, thanks to Hans!

It turned out that there was a bug in Clipfinder that was causing it to incorrectly calculate timecode for NTSC users (like me). Because of this, the conform would fail due to a timecode mismatch. This would explain why others like Luca Immesi (PAL) have gotten it to work fine but not me.

Hans compiled a new beta version of Clipfinder for me and now everything works perfectly. If anyone else is experiencing the same issue I was, I would suggest getting in contact with Hans for a fixed version.

Cheers all!

- Nick