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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

foolcut_AE : FinalCutPro X to After Effects export with R3Ds conform !

Mikael Lubtchansky

Mikael Lubtchansky

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Location
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Website
www.foolcolor.net
Hello all

after a few weeks of had work, I'm happy to let you know about my new AppleScript app : foolcut_AE

You can now make proxies with REDCINE-X, edit in FCPX with all the great timeline tools available, then send the project to AfterEffects, with options to auto relink the R3Ds and change the resolution back to 2K, 4K etc

It of course also works without any RED files to just send an FCPX edit 'as is' to After Effects.

get all the infos on the website : http://foolcolor.net/foolcut and download the app from there.
It works in demo mode with the first 5 clips in your edit and can be fully unlocked for 65 € or 89 USD.

Let me know by email or on this thread if you try it and if you have any question.

enjoy !

Mikael

•v 0.7 first release
•v 0.71 fixed relinking files issue when Event/media was moved to another disk or machine
•v 0.80 added audio export to AE with keyframes for audio levels and audio fades
•fixed opacity keyframe positioning
•now supports FCPX broken apart clips with audio and video separated in timeline
•v 0.81 supports REDline from REDCINE-X PRO preview 2
•v 0.82 fixed some issue with setting audio levels to compound clip - added full feature list on website
•v 0.84 fixed an issue when a project name containing illegal characters could report an error in AE
•v 0.89 added time Markers. fixed error when Event folders or clip names had the character ' in their name
•v 0.90 fixed a nasty bug with localized versions of OS X (Europe mostly)
•v 0.92 fixed a small issue with anchored clips with broken apart audio
•v 0.95 more small fixes on audio clips
•v 0.97 adds support for FCP 10.0.1, audio Roles, and fixes several audio issues
•v 0.98 adds support for non-square pixel aspect ratio, adds timecode startime, fixed an issue with framerate conform with FCP-X non-english versions
•v 0.99 fixed a bug where clip start frame could be reset to first clip frame...
•v 1.01 fixed a case where attached audio was skipped if clips were anchored to a storyline clip
•v 1.10 fixed a retime issue where values could be out of range
•v 1.5 major speed upgrade with complex projects with lots of clips (x8 previous time) - also added a progression bar so you know foolcut is working and can monitor the progress while converting your project...
•v 1.51 fixed a crash issue at launch on OS X Lion. Sorry I’m still mainly working with snow leopard and didn’t test recent releases with Lion... was a 64bit vs 32bit issue.
 
Does this work with camera created "proxies" (QT wrappers) or just FCP generated proxies.
 
Yes it also works with QT wrappers proxies (not with EPIC as there are none yet). FCP-X doesn't support all frame sizes but as long as the ratio is the same you can edit with any proxy size and conform to full quality at 4K or 2K.

Not sure how good or bad FCPX is with QT wrappers performance wise but the export to AE R3D part works well

btwm I posted a 0.72 beta online with support for REDCINE-X PRO (the script uses the latest version of REDline available on your machine and the version coming with RCXPro is a bit different in how it outputs metadata)
 
i don't have FCPX - so I can't download the demo and try it - but if it really worked i very well might buy FCPX! Has it been pretty well tested enough that basic EDL's will work? This would be pretty major. I think it's only not getting as much notice as two other big red announcements just came out. But it does work and is accurate?
 
Thanks Mark
I will make a screencast demo video today and add it on the website to show the app in action.
I tested it as wide as I could with different framerates, mixing them in the same timeline, backward, forward, slowed down, using several compound clips and anchored items, animated properties etc
Doesn't mean there are no small bugs left (that I hope to iron out in the few coming days) but I did my best to make it as robust tool as possible.
 
Updated with audio export (with audio levels, audio fade, audio level keyframes)
now works with REDline from REDCINE-X PRO preview 2
tested today with EPIC footage, it conforms nicely at the correct size and aspect even for a 2:1 5K conform from 720p 16/9 offline in prores.

check it out the non registered version works with 5 edit points.

At last we can use FCPX to edit RED footage and finish with R3D files. I'm a bit late at posting the webcast but will do it asap...
 
Added a full list of features and know issues on the website, here it is for the latest version :

foolcut_AE v0.82 features :

⁃ reconstructs the primary storyline
⁃ reconstructs unlimited amount of secondary story lines
⁃ reconstructs unlimited amount of compound clips
⁃ reconstructs all anchored clips
⁃ reconstructs gaps as solids
⁃ reconstructs custom solid generators with correct color value
⁃ respect chosen variant in any audition clip
⁃ replaces any transition effect with an opacity fade and adds markers with name of the original transition used
⁃ recreates original lane order for all timeline elements
⁃ sets blending modes
⁃ ses clip name
⁃ sets opacity values (fix or animated) including clip's fade in and fade out
⁃ sets scale, position, anchor values (fix or animated) with correct interpretation of FCPX's spatial conform modes (Fill, Fit or None)
⁃ sets rotation values (fix or animated)
⁃ sets correct time temp values for retimed clips (forward, reverse, slow, fast, ramp etc)
⁃ sets correct audio dB levels (fix or animated) including clip's fade in and fade out
⁃ sets correct visibility values for disabled clips
⁃ sets the correct flip or flop value whenever the effect / distortion / flipped is applied to a clip
⁃ sets the correct frame rate conform values for clips with different rate from the timeline (interprets 24 at 25 etc)
⁃ offers the option to search and relink any R3D clips instead of original transcoded media (works with Epic, RED One clips at any resolution)
⁃ when conforming R3D clips, offers the option to conform the project at a new size (5K, 4K, 3K, 2K, fullHD etc) depending on the size / aspect ration of the original media. All geometric parameters (scale, position, anchor) will take the new size into account and keep their correct relative size/position.



known issues :

⁃ audio clips in 'Core Audio Format' (.caf) are not supported in AE so are ignored on export (if any are present it is signaled)
⁃ offline clips with non matching duration in the R3D (trimmed clips when offline were made) is not supported yet. such clips won't be relinked
⁃ any transition other than cross dissolve is replaced with opacity fade and a marker set to the original name
⁃ any generator other than custom solid color is replaced with a simple solid with the original generator name
⁃ text generators are not yet interpreted and fall into the generic generator category
⁃ stabilization, rolling shutter, color effects, distort and crop values are ignored for now
⁃ audio enhancement and pane values are ignored
⁃ any extra audio/video effect is ignored except for "flipped". Contact me to let me know which effects you'd like to see a translation for
⁃ any clip with retime effect applied won't be able to get keyframes for scale, position, rotation, anchor, opacity or audio levels. Only fixed values will be applied. This is due to how the 2 apps handle the retiming (AE does it first, FCPX does it last). I will work on a fix for this thru pre compositing in AE.
⁃ still images with exif orientation info (rotate 90 degrees from camera info) is not yet recognized in AE, so may appear at a wrong rotation / scale /position value. looking into this but it might be a bit tricky because AE does not handle the exif orientation


system requirements :

Intel Mac with OS X 10.6 or 10.7
Final Cut Pro X
After Effects CS 4 or higher (or CS5 with RED Epic importer to support Epic clips)
REDCINE-X or REDCINE-X PRO installed to read R3D metadatas using REDline
 
Detlev Eller said:
... sounds great (!)
Click to expand...

Today I tried to export a simple cut sequence from FCPX to AE. Then exported from AE to a Premiere project.

From there I was able to export :
- an EDL file. Just a simple cut EDL, no fade no nothing. It can then be translated to a RED16 EDL using my free script.
- an OMF file with the basic audio cuts (audio levels where lost from AE to Premiere)
- a FCP XML project file. If media is not relinked to R3D, the project can be opened back in FCP7 and if you export from there a sequence XML file and go into REDCINE-X PRO or DaVinci maybe

I still think about writing a script to export directly to FCP 7 XML with more parameters kept than going thru those many hoops and losing any transition, audiio levels, some effects etc. but it was fun to try...

Also tried exporting from FCPX to R3D conformed 16bit sequence in AE then to Premiere, it worked too but somehow the R3D clips had to be relinked in Premiere while they were OK in AE... anyhow I'm not sure who'd want to do such a workflow he he he
 
new version 0.90 fixed a nasty bug with some localized versions of OS X (mostly in Europe). It was related to how decimal numbers are wrote and read by the system and using a comma instead of a dot (0,5 instead of the expected 0.5) and could produce several calculation problems down the script.

If your country uses a comma for decimal you probably had weird errors with previous versions so I encourage you to try again with this one.
 
Anyone tried the demo and successfully relinked R3D here ?

Seems to work well outside my machines for others but haven't got much feedback yet from people who tried it with red clips... or maybe no one cares for FCPX...
 
Mikael Lubtchansky said:
Anyone tried the demo and successfully relinked R3D here ?

Seems to work well outside my machines for others but haven't got much feedback yet from people who tried it with red clips... or maybe no one cares for FCPX...
Click to expand...

:) Nobody seems to care for FCPX in the circles I travel in. Just yesterday the post house I freelance for bought 10 new copies of FCP7. I returned my FCPX license within hours of playing with it... no matter what Apple change in future updates the timeline and media management in FCPX is just crap.

But kudo's to you on your impressive script! :)
 
I have tried this and it works rally well.

THis is what I did.

720P media in FCP X 12-15 shots
followed the steps within foolcut.
Opend in AE
Sent to P Pro
exported FCP 7 XML
Ran FCP 7 XML though Clipfinder.
Opened in FCP 7
Sent to Color
Opened and graded r3d in Apple Color.

It's the long, long long way round but it really works.

The eval is too short though 5 shots?

the other problem is that I don't get a great sense of how well you will support the product. After donating to clipfinder the development basically stopped so 89 might be a bit high considering a release in the next three weeks might make this obsolete.

I have to say it is a really great piece of work, I just would have to "real world it" to see where it can break.

I tip my hat to you though. Nice work.

David


PS: FCP X is not dead. Do not think that for a minute.
 
David Battistella said:
PS: FCP X is not dead. Do not think that for a minute.
Click to expand...
Not dead here either :) Havent posted in awhile concerning FCPX. Amazing the negative feedback. I have a few myself but honestly not enough to call it a waste. Call me old school but I love to learn new things and not get stuck in the rut of the same boring workflow ;)
 
Mikael Lubtchansky said:
Anyone tried the demo and successfully relinked R3D here ?

Seems to work well outside my machines for others but haven't got much feedback yet from people who tried it with red clips... or maybe no one cares for FCPX...
Click to expand...

If I understand correctly, its purpose is to move from FCP-X to AE then relink to R3Ds. Personally, I'd like to link back to the R3Ds without using AE. Is this possible? Am I missing something? Thnx.
 
Thanks all for the feedback. I'm shooting with our RED in India this week so I'm not much online, will reply in detail when I'm back

Terry I'm working on a FCPX to FCP7 xml app that will allow you to relink R3Ds if needed (using clipfinder for example) without going to AE
 
Mikael Lubtchansky said:
Anyone tried the demo and successfully relinked R3D here ?

Seems to work well outside my machines for others but haven't got much feedback yet from people who tried it with red clips... or maybe no one cares for FCPX...
Click to expand...

Mikael, your script seems awesome. I love what you're doing. You're a smart guy!

It makes me wish I used FCPX just because your script is so cool. But FCPX lacks so many things that I use every day, so it's not for me yet.

Personally, I wish you would just apply your coding smarts to something that Adobe / Avid / FCP7 / DaVinci folks could use too.

Like, for instance, a script where you could CONFORM an After Effects project to changes in the edit.

You feed the script the old EDL and the new EDL and the script looks for the difference between the EDLs and moves stuff around in the After Effects comp to match as best it can. There are scripts like this for Pro Tools and they are quite useful.

But for sure, keep updating us with the FCPX stuff! And congrats again.

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
 
I think not only you are a smart man but a very funny one. I loved your video tutorial. I think I might copy you on that computer voice, because I did few video tutorials in the past and I hate my voice! :-)

Same here, don't want to use Final Cut X yet. i was so excited before they released it and completely debastated afterwords. But it is great to know this script in case some time I end up using Finalcut-X
 
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