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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 :)

FCP-CF-RX worflow step by step

Luca Immesi

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Updated 28 March.
With the new release of Redcinex 183 and Clipfinder 2.5 beta 3 now it's possible to conform and go back to FCP.
My way:
1 Export an XML from FCP
2 In Clipfinder 2.5 b3 choose File>Import Clips from FCP XML
3 In the import window select the XML, check import subclips, choose all
4 In Clipfinder>Edit>Send to RedcineX>Timeline
RedcineX will start and in the timeline there will be all clips used in FCP XML
5 Grade the clips
6 In RedcineX>Window>export tool, click on the plus, in the export settings choose a name, choose a format, resolution and debayer settings (i.e. quicktime prores 4444 1920x1080 full), in output location choose "output with Clip filename to selected folder", click on "select an output folder" and choose a destination folder or make a new one on your system, hit ok, choose "Timeline (selected clips)", click on RX timeline and press "command-A" (select all) and in the export tool hit export. RX will start the render and it will put the files in the destination folder. You can see the render progress going to RedcineX>Window>batch list.
7 When RX finished the render open Clipfinder>Tools>Run conform on FCP XML file
8 In the conform settings window in the XML input put the path to the XML previously exported from FCP, in the output XML choose a name and file path. Check "use only 9 or 16 characters of filename in input xml", check adjust sequence width and insert the timeline resolution you need (i.e. 1920x1080), in clip directories put the path to the destination folder containing RX renders. Hit run conform.
9 Open or Import the new XML (output XML generated by Clipfinder) in FCP. Check the sequence settings. Check the timeline: all the clips should be in the right order with the right length.
10 Enjoy.

New video tutorial @ Digital Cinema lessons about this workflow.
http://www.digitalcinemalessons.com/...roducts_id=347
 
Variation to the workflow:
you need Clipfinder 2.2 that is free but I highly suggest to buy the full version (Clipfinder 2.5) and the new amazing little peace of software TP2 http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42464 that costs 27$.
I asked Ryota to insert the option to render the duplicated clips to whole clip and he did it brilliantly.
1 Export an XML from FCP
2 In TP2 check "Same clips to BIN only" and "Whole clip"
3 Choose GO and select the XML exported from FCP
4 Choose a name and save the lua file
5 Start RedcineX choose File>Run script>choose the lua file created with TP2
RX will import all the clips in the TIMELINE in the RIGHT order with correct In and Out for every clip and it will put in the BIN the duplicated clips with the full lenght
Now there's different options, this is what I do:
6 Grade the clips in the timeline and drag the clips from the BIN to the player and grade them also
7 In RedcineX>Window>export tool, click on the plus, in the export settings choose a name, choose a format, resolution and debayer settings (i.e. quicktime prores 4444 1920x1080 full), in output location choose "output with Clip filename to selected folder", click on "select an output folder" and choose a destination folder or make a new one on your system, hit ok, choose "Timeline (selected clips)", click on RX timeline, you have two options:
A Press "command-A" (select all) and in the export tool hit export.
B "Command-click" (add to selection) select only the non duplicated clips and in the export tool hit export.
RX will start the render and it will put the files in the destination folder.
You can see the render progress going to RedcineX>Window>batch list.
8 In the export settings choose "BIN (all clips)". RX will start the render and it will put the files in the destination folder. You can see the render progress going to RedcineX>Window>batch list.
9 When RX finished the render open Clipfinder>Tools>Run conform on FCP XML file
10 In the conform settings window in the XML input put the path to the XML previously exported from FCP, in the output XML choose a name and file path. Check "use only 9 or 16 characters of filename in input xml", check adjust sequence width and insert the timeline resolution you need (i.e. 1920x1080), in clip directories put the path to the destination folder containing RX renders. Hit run conform.
9 Open or Import the new XML (output XML generated by Clipfinder) in FCP. Check the sequence settings. Check the timeline: all the clips should be in the right order with the right length.
10 Enjoy.
 
Variation 3 to the workflow:
you need Clipfinder 2.2 that is free but I highly suggest to buy the full version (Clipfinder 2.5) and the new amazing little peace of software TP2 version 0.8 http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42464 that costs 27$.
I asked Ryota to insert the option to render the duplicated clips to whole clip also in the timeline and he did it brilliantly.
1 Export an XML from FCP
2 In TP2 check "All cips to timeline(merged)"
3 Choose GO and select the XML exported from FCP
4 Choose a name and save the lua file
5 Start RedcineX choose File>Run script>choose the lua file created with TP2
RX will import all the clips in the TIMELINE in the RIGHT order with correct In and Out for every clip except the duplicated clips with the full length.
6 Grade the clips in the timeline
7 In RedcineX>Window>export tool, click on the plus, in the export settings choose a name, choose a format, resolution and debayer settings (i.e. quicktime prores 4444 1920x1080 full), in output location choose "output with Clip filename to selected folder", click on "select an output folder" and choose a destination folder or make a new one on your system, hit ok, choose "Timeline (selected clips)", click on RX timeline, you have two options:
Press "command-A" (select all) and in the export tool hit export.
RX will start the render and it will put the files in the destination folder.
You can see the render progress going to RedcineX>Window>batch list.
8 When RX finished the render open Clipfinder>Tools>Run conform on FCP XML file
10 In the conform settings window in the XML input put the path to the XML previously exported from FCP, in the output XML choose a name and file path. Check "use only 9 or 16 characters of filename in input xml", check adjust sequence width and insert the timeline resolution you need (i.e. 1920x1080), in clip directories put the path to the destination folder containing RX renders. Hit run conform.
9 Open or Import the new XML (output XML generated by Clipfinder) in FCP. Check the sequence settings. Check the timeline: all the clips should be in the right order with the right length.
10 Enjoy.
 
Updated 28 March.
With the new release of Redcinex 183 and Clipfinder 2.5 beta 3 now it's possible to conform and go back to FCP.
My way:
1 Export an XML from FCP
2 In Clipfinder 2.5 b3 choose File>Import Clips from FCP XML
3 In the import window select the XML, check import subclips, choose all
4 In Clipfinder>Edit>Send to RedcineX>Timeline
RedcineX will start and in the timeline they will be all clips used in FCP XML
5 Grade the clips
6 In RedcineX>Window>export tool, click on the plus, in the export settings choose a name, choose a format, resolution and debayer settings (i.e. quicktime prores 4444 1920x1080 full), in output location choose "output with Clip filename to selected folder", click on "select an output folder" and choose a destination folder or make a new one on your system, hit ok, choose "Timeline (selected clips)", click on RX timeline and press "command-A" (select all) and in the export tool hit export. RX will start the render and it will put the files in the destination folder. You can see the render progress going to RedcineX>Window>batch list.
7 When RX finished the render open Clipfinder>Tools>Run conform on FCP XML file
8 In the conform settings window in the XML input put the path to the XML previously exported from FCP, in the output XML choose a name and file path. Check "use only 9 or 16 characters of filename in input xml", check adjust sequence width and insert the timeline resolution you need (i.e. 1920x1080), in clip directories put the path to the destination folder containing RX renders. Hit run conform.
9 Open or Import the new XML (output XML generated by Clipfinder) in FCP. Check the sequence settings. Check the timeline: all the clips should be in the right order with the right length.
10 Enjoy.
Updated. Consider post 1.
 
Hello Luca,

Thanks for posting this FCP-CF-RX workflow. I am trying this workflow and am having some problems with it and thought maybe you or anybody on reduser may be able to help me out.

I am using Clipfinder 2.5 and Redcine-x build 183.

I will outline the steps I am taking to conform the project. Here are the details of the workflow I have been following:

1) I export the xml out of Final Cut Pro.
2) I then import the .xml into Clipfinder by going to File-Import Clips from FCP XML.
3) Replace Mov with R3D, select the directories with original R3D files and click ok.
4) Send to redcine-x timeline
5) Files import successfully into the Redcine-X timeline. From there I export 2048 x 1024 .dpx files. For Output Location I select Output with Clip Filename to Selected Folder.
6) The dpx files are exported each in their individual subdirectory successfully. I then close Redcine-X and open clipfinder. I select Run Conform on FCP XML file. Under settings I select XML import and export locations, extract clip name from <name> tag, use only first 9 or 16 characters of the file name in input XML, I then select 2048 X 1024 for sequence width since this was shot 4K 2:1, I select the path to the rendered dpx files and click Run Conform.

This is where I run into problems. The window looks like it is trying to look for the files and then it comes up at the end:

replaced 0 of 61 clips
adjusted 1 of 1 sequences
completed processing XML

When I try to open the outputted XML from Clipfinder, the FCP sequence opens up and the whole timeline is empty with media missing. It does not import the dpx files into the sequence.

Even when I try to manually click on a file in the timeline and hit reconnect to media and point it to the correct location, I have to unclick Matched Name and Reel Only and then continue even though it says there are conflicts. When I get the file finally into the timeline it says that it needs to be rendered. When I copy the sequence into a new sequence with the correct dpx sequence settings it still displays that it needs to be rendered.

What can I be doing wrong with the process? What step am I missing to go from the dpx files exported out of Redcine-X into FCP timeline successfully.

If you or anybody could help me out would be greatly appreciated as I am on a deadline.

Thanks,

Tom
 
I'm sorry Tom, FCP doesn't accept DPX files natively. ProRes4444 @ 2K is best bet for this workflow. NOTE - You will no longer be in DPX world with ProRes4444. Generally DPX is reserved for a finish that DOESN'T happen in FCP so they never bothered having it accept DPX.
 
Hi Tom, you can't import DPX sequences into Final Cut - it only imports Quicktimes (you can use third party plugins like Glue Tools - though I think this still just wraps the DPX's in a quicktime file or creates a reference or something.)

You MAY be able to import the sequence into Color using the same XML though, as Color does support DPX sequences - though I am not sure if the workflow will work that way.
 
Thanks for the response guys. I'm sorry I should have mentioned this before. I am using Glue Tools, so this allows import of DPX sequnces into FCP. I also tried with Quicktime (rendered out of RedCineX) files as well, and it still does not work. Any other suggestions? Thanks again
 
Hi Tom, why do you use replace mov with r3d? Did you use transcoded offline files for the editing?
Where did you put the dpx files? All inside one folder or separated in different folders?
 
Hi Luca,

Thanks for your quick reply, the original workflow I had started was the FCP to Color workflow which is outlined in the FCP whitepaper where the R3D footage is transcoded through the log and transfer window to 2k Prores 422. Now there is a need to go the .dpx route as I have to do an online for filmout. The reason that I am using replace mov with R3D is to go back to the original R3D files in order to output the best quality on Redcine-X for 2K dpx files. Should I not be doing this step?

The output from Redcine-X is onto my raid 0 (4TB) drive and AJA system disk test reports over 300MB/s. Each clip (series of DPX files) is exported into a seperate folder, so they each have a different folder.

Thanks again for your help and any suggestions on what I am doing wrong are greatly appreciated.
 
No problem. When you choose replace mov with r3d does the icon change from mov to r3d in clipfinder window? Let's try this: when you Run Conform try to give to clipfinder not only the "main" directory but also some of the folders containing the dpx. Let's see if Clipfinder replaces correctly that files.
 
Having trouble

Having trouble

Everything works fine until i go to import the xml into FCP, than all fails. It does not connect to any files, and i am unable to even manaully reconnect media after this step. Any clues as to where I went wrong?
 
Everything works fine until i go to import the xml into FCP, than all fails. It does not connect to any files, and i am unable to even manaully reconnect media after this step. Any clues as to where I went wrong?
It's strange, this workflow works well with quicktime files.
A workaround can be drag the folder with the dpx folders in fcp timeline...
 
Hi Luca, thanks again for your reply I have been testing again and I am still working on figuring this out. When I choose replace mov with R3D option it does change the files successfully to R3D and the mov icon changes to R3D. I have also tried to pick the folders directly with the DPX files but it doesn't seem to work either.

Hi Dave, you wrote "Everything works fine until i go to import the xml into FCP, than all fails. It does not connect to any files, and i am unable to even manaully reconnect media after this step. Any clues as to where I went wrong?"

I am having the same issue. I get the red bar over the timeline as well. I thought this had to do with the base frame rate being 23.94 rather than 24 when I import a DPX sequence into FCP but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

I have emailed Hans at Clipfinder but if anybody else has a workaround would be good to hear. Thanks again.

Does TP2 handle DPX files?
 
Also, when I import into RCX, the clips I am using in my project come over, but they are not playing at the right point in RCX. Basically, it seems my edit is not being transferred over to RCX properly. Any suggestions?
 
hey luca.....this sounds like it would be an AWESOME video for Digital Cinema Lessons. Any chance you have the time to make it? It seems perfect for a video.....good solution by the way.
Hi Chris, I've already told Jesse about that, if I have a little bit of time this week...
 
Ok, if you use AJA DPXToQTTranslator it works with dpx, you have to wrap every clips manually :-(someone maybe can make an automator workflow? Is it possible?). About timecode and cuts: when you send the files to RCX the files WON'T be in the right order and the duplicated clips will have the whole lenght, this is normal but when you import the new xml into FCP everything should be fine.
 
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