Rendering question

Hi guys,

Noticed something weird on my macbookpro, maybe its just a software glitch. I have a potential client hoping that I can upload some clips to their ftp site, straight forward operation, so that they can view. OK so I have the clips on a HDV timeline. I instruct FCP to export at current settings with no audio. There is a very noticeable pause before the progress render bar comes on to the screen. It takes a minute or so to render a 25 second clip. When I then open the rendered file with QT all I get is a white screen!! Anyone ever had this and found a solution? If I export as an aic file no problem but it should be like this eh?

Any suggestions welcomed.

Cheers,

Mark.

Mark,

Set in and out points of your sequence or clip on the timeline. Make sure there are no markers, you can clear them from the modify menu if memory serves me. Go to File>Export> Quicktime movie. Check the 'Make Movie Self Contained' so there is no loss of quality. Markers pop up menu should be set to 'none'. Make sure that the 'Recompress All Frames' is deselected.

Hope this helps.

Steve B)

Agree with Steve. This is usually related to in/out points. There are some wierd glitches with FCP and export when in/outs are not defined or markers are set. Also, try creating a new empty sequence. Copy and past all media from the existing sequence to the new one. Export desired in/out. Let us know what happens.

Shawn

Nothing doing guys!! Getting a bit concerned, may have to take the machine back if it continues.

I opened a new sequence. Laid a clip on that. Set the in and out points, same as I have done for years, then selected File>Export>Quicktime Movie

I selected Current Settings (going from a HDV 1080i/60 time line) Video Only, Make movie self contained and then exported

Strange thing is, and I noticed this between posting first and now, is that when I export as a QT file I get this issue. If I export as an AIC60i or DVCPROHD Codec file then I have no problem. Leads me to think it is probably a Quicktime software issue??

Thoughts,

Mark.

Maybe try updating QT Mark? Also you could export via Compressor as an HDV file or whatever other format you wanted (I've had no problems that way).

I'm (still) getting to grips with FCS2 so I'd probably rely on others knowledge more than mine, but just an idea.

Cheers, Simon

Hey Mark,

hope I'm not too late with any help -

what sequence settings are using for your project? I have sometimes seen issues with Animation codec exporting at millions+ colours for some bizarre reason....

It may be that in your Sequence Settings you have unknowingly setup Animation to be the default compression setting - if you then exported as a linked QT reference file with current settings then it would come out encoded with Animation Codec.... which is definitely not ideal...... If you have this Codec setup, and would like to keep it that way, then simply drop the quality down from millions+ colours down to only million colours (with no plus sign)......

if you catch my drift....

any probs please don't hesitate to contact me (phone / email) and I'll do all I can to pull you through this moment of stickiness.......

All the best for now,

Chris

Hi Chris,

Funny thing is that I can export files as AIC60i files no problem. It only comes when trying to export a native QT file. I´ve been a dumbass as I tried doing this with the new laptiop Óut of the Box´but it didn´t have QuickTime Pro version. Duhhhhhhhh, will install the Pro Version and try again. Big air travel at the mo so will let you know how it goes soon. Thanks for the offer.

Looked at the web page, when will it be finished?

Thanks for the advice.

Mark.

Hey Mark,

Congrats on the new gig! Rock on!

RE the website - the last year's been a long slog that flashed by in a trice! At the minute, though, I've gotta 15th October deadline for version 2007/8 of an old client's promo vid due for release at DEMA... Have spent the last year tied up between work and learning loadsa new presentational tricks (all will be revealed in a demoreel soon) and have promised myself some "personal" time to now push out a whole new promotional campaign of my own!

Should be looking for beginning of November or so kickoff. Will have the last couple of clients' HD promo vids on their, a Sipadan special, and - of course - the demoreel... I still owe MaryLynn a video from a year ago! If you're reading this, ML, gimme til new year, yeah?!?!? Anyway, watch this space!

With your FC predicament, I'm still wondering whether or not there's some freaky-deaky setting inside it all that's creating this conundrum...

What path are you following when selecting Export?

The first choice - "Quicktime Movie" - will create only a linked reference file which uses the data from your timeline to locate all of the raw clips and rendered transitions / effects in their folder somewhere on the harddrive. It is only a wee file as it is literally reference code. If you were to drag it to a thumb drive and take it to your mate's computer, it wouldn't open because it wouldn't have all the raw files etc to read from...

The second choice - "Using Compressor - does literally that, opens compressor where you will then setup your compression. Something I only bother to use when needing to batch process a whole load of clips / videos....

The third choice - "Using Quicktime Conversion" - creates a fully standalone Quicktime file which - for

argument's sake is in DVPAL format - will have a DV bitrate and, therefore, reflect your normal expected file size of DV footage.

So... When you say "exporting files as AIC60i files" I presume that you're creating the standalone QT file by using the third choice or when you say "a native QT file" is that when you're creating the standalone?

Sorry to be finickety but I reckon if I can actually visualise your workflow then we can crack this one in no time....

If you've been exporting from FC for a long time, and I've just patronised the hell out of you by giving you some layman's explanations above then I apologise.......

Anyhows, spell out your workflow and I'll see if I can get you on track again...

TaDa for now,

Chris

Chris, you may or may not be patronising Mark, but it was usefull information for me!

Cheers, Simon

Chris,

I would really be surprised if it was the animation codec because of the millions of colors+ setting. All the + really does is allow for an alpha channel and would not interfere with an export. If you are right, I would love an explanation.

Steve

Guys,

Still have that issue. To make the clips to archive or desktop I set in and out points on the clip on the timeline.

Once clip is set with In and Out points:

File>Export>Quicktime Movie> Set parameters normally HDV60i

Then set file location Video only and OK

Keep getting that white screen.

Cheers,

Mark.

Mark,

While you do not show your sequence settings, I think you at least need to try to export directly to Compressor. You are doing this only to see if you get an export instead of white. The same thing goes with trying to export with QT conversion. Again, just to see if you are getting an export. The white tells me that for whatever reason, your media files are somehow not connected, not online. Does this present sequence access the HD that your media is on? I also assume that you are exporting as a self contained movie and not a reference movie, tho that really shouldn't make any difference. Let me know.

Steve B)

Hi Steve,

The master slide is on my hard drive of the MacBookPro so there should not be a Media Offline issue once I've imported that to the project.

I'm doing this because normally at the end of an edit I consolidate the whole project to a single file. Same as when archiving if I have a clip that needs to be added to a stock folder or whatever then I like to archive in the same way, per clip. It is this process since owning the new laptop which has not been possible. This is what I am trying to accomplish.

Below is the Timeline summary from User Preferences

Cheers,

Mark.

Hi guys,

Noticed something weird on my macbookpro, maybe its just a software glitch. I have a potential client hoping that I can upload some clips to their ftp site, straight forward operation, so that they can view. OK so I have the clips on a HDV timeline. I instruct FCP to export at current settings with no audio. There is a very noticeable pause before the progress render bar comes on to the screen. It takes a minute or so to render a 25 second clip. When I then open the rendered file with QT all I get is a white screen!! Anyone ever had this and found a solution? If I export as an aic file no problem but it should be like this eh?

 

Any suggestions welcomed.

 

Cheers,

Mark.

Anytime you get the white screen means the codec isn't there to playback. What version of QT and FCP are you running? Reinstall QT and then reactivate QT Pro. Confirm you have the AppleHDV codec in the ~/library/Quicktime folder.

If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say you have FCP 5 still in your system somewhere.

Hi Drew,

FCP 5.0.4

QT 7.2

Codecs listed in attached.

Cheers,

Mark.

Mark,

I don't know why I didn't think of this first. Close FCP and trash your preferences. Don't dump your preferences from the trash until you restart FCP. Then try to export. This probably should have been the very first thing to attempt. Do you know how to do it, if not, I will post instructions. Don't confuse trashing preferences with repairing permissions which I do every week as a habit.

Steve B)

Hey Steve,

This is a great option for everyone to learn, myself included so please post those instructions here.

Cheers,

Mark.

Here you go:

Trashing Preferences - FCP 5 and FCP 6

Quit FCP.

Open your Hard Drive.

Set to Column View.

Follow the path: Users > Name > Library > Preferences.

In the Preferences Pane look for "com.apple.FinalCutPro.plist", shown below in Yellow. Drag the FCP plist to the Trash.

In the same Preference Pane, look for the Final Cut Pro User Data Folder.

From inside the Data Folder, drag 'Final Cut Pro 5 Prefs', 'Final Cut Pro Obj Cache' and 'Final Cut Pro Prof Cache', all three shown below in green, to the Trash.

Do NOT empty the Trash.

Launch FCP and check all your settings. All FCP setting will have reverted to default. Don't forget to reset your Scratch Disk settings.

Once FCP is up and running, empty the Trash.

To restore any previous transitions, filters or specific settings you can use FCP Rescue which is a free download. Use it to back up your settings, favorites et al. Otherwise you will have to do that manually which, if you don't have much in your favorites folder, is no big deal. I also use Mac Janitor which is also a free download. I use it once every week or so and repair permissions at least once a week. If I am downloading something, an upgrade, or new app, I repair permissions both before and after the install.

Hope this helps,

Steve

See attached. I only have two of the three mentioned in your post.

Mark,

The top of your screen grab says com.apple.text edit. These are in alphabetical order. Scroll way up until you see com.apple.FinalCutPro.plist

Steve B)

Mark, Remember that I said that trashing preferences should have been the first thing to do, no guarantee that this will work. Hope it does.