Does X work with RED footage natively or does it transcode?

[Joe Riggs]

Might be jumping into FCPx for a project.

I never understood if X is able to edit RED files natively (like Premiere), specially RED DRAGON files or does it need to transcode them? Is there an option to lower the playback quality (1/4, 1/8, 1/16) without going to proxies.

 

[Bob Gundu]

Yes natively. And yes you can edit with lower quality for better performance.

 

[Scot Yount]

Might be jumping into FCPx for a project.

I never understood if X is able to edit RED files natively (like Premiere), specially RED DRAGON files or does it need to transcode them? Is there an option to lower the playback quality (1/4, 1/8, 1/16) without going to proxies.

I edit natively on FCPX with all the file sizes available from my little Scarlet MX. I rarely need to go to better performance, but I am using a fully kitted NMP. You need the RED plug in, but it works very well. I also recommend getting Denver Riddle's Color Finale. A fabulous edit of some of Chris Mckecknie's Epic-MX footage using Color Finale and some pretty sweet LUTs can be seen here.

https://vimeo.com/120481520

Color Finale
http://try.colorgradingcentral.com/colorfinale/

 

[Joe Riggs]

I'm still on 10.8.5 and don't want to upgrade unless there's some speed benefit to the two main programs I use, FCP7 and Premiere.

The last version of X to work on 8.5, I think is 10.0.9. Am I missing major features with that release or will I be okay?

 

[Matthew B]

Cutting on an 08 mac pro with FCPX and r3ds - still works well.

However, the newer GPU enabled plugin can be "slower" on playback than version 5 of the plugin (which matched redcine playback speeds) - BUT version 6 of the plugin renders crazy fast - and FCPX has a great/smart render system that makes proxies kind of a waste of time -

If you need efficient playback for fine tuning, just ctrl-R render clips and it is really good about using those rendered assets as the "optimized" version of the clip.

By all means go to FCPX 10.2 - speed improvements galore.

note on r3d/rmd integration.
Create your RMD files in redcine BEFORE importing to fcpx. Then you can grade in redcine and see changes immediately in fcpx - if you import before making RMDs, FCPX will make their own buried in the library original media folder, and it gets tricky to find those to edit the grades from redcine in that scenario.

 

[Christian Schmitt]

note on r3d/rmd integration.
Create your RMD files in redcine BEFORE importing to fcpx. Then you can grade in redcine and see changes immediately in fcpx - if you import before making RMDs, FCPX will make their own buried in the library original media folder, and it gets tricky to find those to edit the grades from redcine in that scenario.

So you check "create RMD", color correct, then import to FCX, then edit - and if you go back and open up the r3d in redcine again and change CC, FCX will see the nee CC?
So you uncheck, create "optimize media" when importing to FCX?
Sorry, not really an editor, but trying to learn...

 

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

I'm still on 10.8.5 and don't want to upgrade unless there's some speed benefit to the two main programs I use, FCP7 and Premiere.

The last version of X to work on 8.5, I think is 10.0.9. Am I missing major features with that release or will I be okay?

Well, I think you are missing a lot. You still have the seperate Events/Projects structure versus the unified Library model (which I think is huge), 10.2 has a GPU enabled way of working with native files for quicker exports and renders, and you are missing some very nice media management features and other features (general stuff + effects workflow stuff + 3D titles + ... ...)
I would *really* try to work with the latest version. At least not without the Library stuff, which was introduced with FCPX 10.1.
This is an overview of the release notes:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201237

So you check "create RMD", color correct, then import to FCX, then edit - and if you go back and open up the r3d in redcine again and change CC, FCX will see the nee CC?
So you uncheck, create "optimize media" when importing to FCX?
Sorry, not really an editor, but trying to learn...

Yes, that's it. Also I would advise the very handy feature (in preferences) of having Finder folders import as keyword collections OFF instead of on, before you import it, because R3D's are all in seperate folders, and you'll get hundreds (or however many shots you have) of keyword collections.
Optimizing = FCPX making Prores 444 versions or RED Footage. (with non-RED material this defaults to Apple Prores 422 instead of 444).
Proxy Media = FCPX making Prores Proxy files 1/4th the resolution of the original footage. All resizing adjustments and relinking is done automatically in FCPX with the click of one button. Very handy and I think none of the big NLE's make it so simple.

And of course, making an adjustment to the RED RAW settings of a shot AFTER you made an optimized or Proxy version of the file, will need the program to re-render that version.

 

[Scot Yount]

Well, I think you are missing a lot. You still have the seperate Events/Projects structure versus the unified Library model (which I think is huge), 10.2 has a GPU enabled way of working with native files for quicker exports and renders, and you are missing some very nice media management features and other features (general stuff + effects workflow stuff + 3D titles + ... ...)
I would *really* try to work with the latest version. At least not without the Library stuff, which was introduced with FCPX 10.1.
This is an overview of the release notes:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201237




Yes, that's it. Also I would advise the very handy feature (in preferences) of having Finder folders import as keyword collections OFF instead of on, before you import it, because R3D's are all in seperate folders, and you'll get hundreds (or however many shots you have) of keyword collections.
Optimizing = FCPX making Prores 444 versions or RED Footage. (with non-RED material this defaults to Apple Prores 422 instead of 444).
Proxy Media = FCPX making Prores Proxy files 1/4th the resolution of the original footage. All resizing adjustments and relinking is done automatically in FCPX with the click of one button. Very handy and I think none of the big NLE's make it so simple.

And of course, making an adjustment to the RED RAW settings of a shot AFTER you made an optimized or Proxy version of the file, will need the program to re-render that version.

+1 on all points. I turn off everything when I import .r3d files except for "copy to Library"....