RED APPLE WORKFLOW INSTALLER V18.0 (Apple Silicon support)

[Brian Timmons]

RED APPLE WORKFLOW INSTALLER V18.0
https://www.red.com/download/red-apple-workflow-installer


VERSION 18.0.0
Release Date:
3/4/2021
RELEASE NOTES

Changes in this release:
Added native support for Apple Silicon (requires FCP 10.5.2 or newer)
Removed RED QuickTime codec, FCP 7 and Color plugins
Copyright © 2004-2021 RED Digital Cinema, LLC. All rights reserved.





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POSTER'S NOTE: I'm not affiliated with RED other than a long time user of their cameras.
Just spreading the word of the release.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

So should we expect some fixes to the issues that some of us are experiencing with FCPX and RED R3D files. It has been enough of a hindrance that I have had to consider whether I can edit projects in FCPX if Red footage is involved. I know not everyone has experienced but some of us have and it's super annoying. Here's Apple's release:

New in Final Cut Pro 10.5.2
Released March 4, 2021
Adds support for a new Universal RED plugin enabling native RED RAW decoding and playback on both Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers.
Improves stability when playing back H.264 video files with corrupt data.
Fixes an issue in which text could disappear when double clicking a value field in the inspector.
Fixes an issue in which FCPXML files created from drop frame projects would import as non drop frame.
Fixes an issue that may prevent custom Motion titles stored inside the library from appearing in the Titles browser.
Improves stability when choosing the DPP/Editorial Services metadata view with MXF media.
Improves stability when using AirPlay with Final Cut Pro on a Mac computer with Apple silicon.

And here is RED's release:
Added native support for Apple Silicon (requires FCP 10.5.2 or newer)
Removed RED QuickTime codec, FCP 7 and Color plugins

Given my recent issues with FCPX and RED footage, I'd like to confirm that RED and Apple have addressed the issues. If not, that's unfortunate.

 

[Brian Timmons]

Given my recent issues with a FCPX and RED footage, I'd like to confirm that RED and Apple have addressed the issues. If not, that's unfortunate.

Absolutely agree and I'm also a RED/FCP X user that experienced issues similar to what you and others mentioned (i.e constant spinning beach balls, VERY slow imports, generally lagging performance) in other threads.

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?184881-Let-s-Discuss-Big-Sur
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?183061-RED-Apple-Workflow-Installer-V16-(08-25-2020)
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?183127-FCPX-Workdflow


Granted some bugs in these threads (blank frames, NVIDIA GPU issues) have been fixed but the other performance issues still seemed to exist.

Still on 10.4.8 to get through work.
Will try to audition this latest V.18 FCP. 10.5.2 combo but definitely gun shy after past experiences.

Hope people who experienced the above issue will share some reports with the update.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[Steve Sherrick]

Thanks Brian. About to do some tests. Will report what I find.

 

[Christian Fitzpatrick]

DO NOT UPDATE!

DO NOT UPDATE!

I have just installed FCPX 10.5.2 and the new V18 Apple Workflow plugin and it's not working as it should. . .

Editing on M1 Macbook Pro, i updated because I was always seeing my R3D's turn black in the timeline and browser after a short time. It required a restart of FPCX and I think it was also causing longer timelines (20Mins mixed 4K 10bit hevc and 8K r3d) to fail to export if it reached an R3D and it hard turned black whilst the machine was exporting the first part of the movie.

This new version has done something very weird to the decoder. When you have "Better performance" selected, which used to play back 8K (higher comp ratios) smoothly with minimal resolution loss, it's now dropping the res during playback to some ridiculous output. I've never seen it look so bad in FCPX ever. The recent metal engine enhancements did impact the way the footage was decoded and it looked as though you were getting 1/4 of the reslotion of your timeline, that was ok, it was still faster and scrubbing better.

But this new one? Well, in the attachments the crisper image is while the footage is paused, the pixelated image is when it's playing back. Doesn't even look like normal pixelation, very distorted and weird. That is also in a 8K timeline. It looks the same in a 4K timeline too. So no more 1/4? res of the active timeline.

I wish I could roll back, but don't know how at the moment. Surely this is not expected behavioiur? The previous version was running a lot better. I'd prefer the black clips and restarting to the bad res on playback.

Not sure what you guys have experienced. . .any ideas to fix this?

Hope you can help.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

Seems to be something fundamentally wrong going on with Apple on certain configurations. Just updated everything. Latest Mac OS, latest FCP and the new workflow installer. It might actually be worse than before. What I'm finding is that it's taking way longer to open a project than it should, then eventually settles down and might be okay after that. But this is behavior that was not there in older versions, so something has changed and it's really starting to frustrate me. I've also seen changes in other apps behavior too such as Affinity Photo/Designer where they take longer to open and get going but once they do load, they are okay for the most part but why behavior that is worse than an older OS such as Mojave and older versions of the apps. Such a mess this current state of software/hardware version chasing.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

The sad thing is that I was really starting to use FCPX for about 90% of my editing, but losing faith by the day and now have to look again at other options if this continues.

 

[Christian Fitzpatrick]

I use FCPX for everything. And dislike the other platforms immensely. . .I hope they can release a quick fix for this.

 

[Jon Dishler]

I am not impressed. I have an M1 silicon MAC, installed the new V18.0 workflow installer and rebooted, also upgraded to the current version FCP X 10.5.2.

I reported the following over 6 months ago and Red put it on their known issues list and said it would be fixed with the next release, it is not. The setting of a LUT in camera should be imported with the IPP2 settings but it is not and used to be. https://support.red.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058370373-Clip-LUT-Not-Loading-in-Final-Cut-Pro-X

Also, when playing 8k footage (Helium) in viewer under better performance it looks totally wonky like some weird blocky interlaced look. Switching to better quality makes the image look good, but it stutters badly (as sort of expected but thought the optomization to M1 might help).

Finally, comparing the image with the exact same settings in FCP, DaVinci Resolve, and Red Cine-X I find that the latter two look exactly alike, whereas the FCP image looks less saturated, flatter, and about a stop more exposed. [UPDATE, WHEN I LOWER THE ISO IN THE RED SETTINGS WITHIN FCP BY 2 STOPS IT CLOSELY MATCHES THE OTHERS, WHICH MEANS THAT APPLE IS PERHAPS STILL INTERPRETING ISO BASED ON THE "OLD SETTINGS?]. Since I take it that the Red Cine-X should be the gold standard for image processing, from now on I am going to stick with Resolve. Even without any manipulation straight out of the camera, it looks much better than FCP-X and although that has been my main editor for years now, it is time to make a change.

 

[Christian Fitzpatrick]

.....Also, when playing 8k footage (Helium) in viewer under better performance it looks totally wonky like some weird blocky interlaced look. Switching to better quality makes the image look good, but it stutters badly (as sort of expected but thought the optomization to M1 might help)

Yes, I have that exact same phenomena. Currently on phone to Apple to see if I can get a download link for 10.5.1 and rollback.

FYI - Even this new version still have clips turning black in FCPX after a little bit. That looks unresolved.

 

[Brian Timmons]

Commend you all for installing the the updates and sharing your experiences.
I also sent a FCP X Feedback form to Apple regarding the
issues and also included a link to this thread so FCP X engineers will be aware.

For the RED team, please look even deeper into this issue.
Perhaps consider having some of us to Beta test future RED Apple Installer bug fixes and updates.

These problems are very real and have been going on for 6 months and counting.

Let's all commit to getting these R3D/FCP X issues figured out.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[Christian Fitzpatrick]

I don't suppose that anybody can host a copy of 10.5.1 somewhere can they!? Apple cannot provide a download link to a previous version of Final Cut apparently. I'd read somewhere they could.
\

 

[Brian Timmons]

Apple cannot provide a download link to a previous version of Final Cut apparently. I'd read somewhere they could.
\

What? Why?...... That's crazy. Could be an unfortunate Apple store issue.
Do you have a Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner Backup?
I think you just need the app itself.

Maybe try Apple's tech support or perhaps a Genius bar at the Apple store.

In the future, try to make a backup of your FCP X app before updating.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203010

Hope that can get figured out.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[Christian Fitzpatrick]

I managed to get 10.5.1 by sheer stroke of luck if anybody needs.

 

[Robert Hofmeyr]

Started another thread about this but thought I'd ask here as well. Currently using FCP 10.5.1, Apple workflow 17.1 on an M1 Mac. Had to turn off GPU decoding in the REDcode prefs because I was getting corrupted frames in H.264 proxies generated by FCP from Dragon footage. Does anyone know if GPU decode works properly in the new version of FCP and Apple Workflow?

 

[Robert Hofmeyr]

Tried FCPX 10.5.2 with Apple workflow 18 and it is quite badly broken. With "better performance" ON the following happens:

GPU decode ON: Helium footage plays fine. Dragon footage blocky and unusable on playback, okay when paused.
GPU decode OFF: Both Helium and Dragon blocky.

And it is not just better performance playback - proxies created by FCP come out blocky as well. See attached screenshot. This happens when GPU Decode is OFF in Redcode prefs. Turning it ON fixes the problem but increases the transcode time dramatically.

Red should post a warning telling people to avoid this update for now.

 

[Mike P.]

Has anyone tried the v18 with a 10.4.x version on FCPX? Is it just as bug-filled?

 

[Robert Hofmeyr]

According to the release notes: "Added native support for Apple Silicon (requires FCP 10.5.2 or newer)" so I'm not sure it will work but worth a shot.

 

[Rob Lohman]

Can everyone please detail the exact hardware they're on (even with M1), how much memory, and which exact version of macOS you're on?

We've gotten some reports that upgrading to macOS 11.2.2 (because of updated GPU drivers) resolves certain graphical glitches.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

Thanks Rob! Here are my specs

Late 2015 iMac 5K 3.3ghz
32GB RAM
AMD Radeon R9 M395X with 4GB of GDDR5
Mac OS 11.2.2
FCP 10.5.2
RED Workflow V18