Assisted Editing 7 to X: FCP7 to X XML export...FINALLY!
Started by Drew ·
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Assisted Editing 7 to X: FCP7 to X XML export...FINALLY!
12 posts
One of the biggest flaws of FCX was the inability to import older FCP7 projects. Greg Clarke and Phil Hodgetts from Assisted Editing finally came up with a way for Final Cut X 10.0.3 update, announced today. The product is called 7toX. It uses the XML export of FCP7 and translates to XML FCX understands. XML was a standard until FCX renamed many functions and killed XML compatibility.
The app is now available in the App Store of Apple.
Final Cut X 10.0.3 is also available for update @ the app store.
Looks like a significant upgrade for serious editors. FCPX may not be for high end editors who feel it's a move downward, but it sure is great for someone like me trying to move up from iMovie. So much more intuitive and easy to learn than the old versions.
One of the biggest flaws of FCX was the inability to import older FCP7 projects. Greg Clarke and Phil Hodgetts from Assisted Editing finally came up with a way for Final Cut X 10.0.3 update, announced today. The product is called 7toX. It uses the XML export of FCP7 and translates to XML FCX understands. XML was a standard until FCX renamed many functions and killed XML compatibility.
The app is now available in the App Store of Apple.
Final Cut X 10.0.3 is also available for update @ the app store.
Hey, I said it first LOL.
But it is good news, though the update is still not working for me.
If you have not updated to the Lion OS, you will need to do so to take advantage of some of the new features in the latest FCP update.
Steve
I just plugging Phil's plug in... don't really care about FCX
Hmmm just tried it on an old multicam project.
It's not nearly a perfect import to X. Simple to use. Just drop the xml file on the icon and it does the rest. But lotsa things missing, animations/grading from AEFX/Motion/Color aren't there, unless you have the movie rendered and imported. Forget plug-ins. Titling is there but some settings changed as well like opacity etc. There are to do markers for some things that have changed and need re-doing, so it beats reediting an entire project!
Basically, it imports the basic edit with titles and transitions and a few other elements. I think there may be translation errors that need updates but anyhow, just gave Phil/Apple the 10 bucks to support pro-app 3rd party development.
Just got off the phone with Intelligent Media and apparantely there are some bugs in the 7toX that beta testers did not find. They are still working on it and I will try to keep people posted on this. In the meantime, for anyone using X, their Event Manager X will be a must have as you build your event and project libraries up in number. Very impressed with it.
Steve
I've transferred one of my old videos using 7-X. Worked perfectly. This opens up all sorts of possibilities. Could be a game changer.
Eric
Did your XML include plug-ins, multi-cam, settings for Motion Control (opacity etc) transfer over from the original 7 project? With mine, the basic edit transfered (timeline, clips and media etc), but some of the settings for the image layers etc. came in screwy, and the filters and plugs-ins weren't complete either.
What kind of project was it?
Both Red Giant Looks and Gen Arts Sapphire Edge have released updated plug ins for X. Drew, as I said, Intelligent Media is aware of certain issues with 7toX and they are working on an update/fix.
Steve
Here are a list of known issues as of 2/2/12:
Known issues
Offline media cannot be imported.
Photoshop files aren't added to the Event browser.
Multiple mono audio clips, where some tracks have been removed, will translate without those tracks and show only the active audio tracks.
Video crossfade also adds audio crossfade to A/V clips.
Audio-only transitions on A/V clips are not applied.
Audio files with an odd number of tracks display an incorrect Channel Configuration.
Split mono clips with different audio levels or keyframes on each channel have only the first channel’s audio levels or keyframes applied.
Speed changed clips may have their in/out points slipped by a frame or two.
On Snow Leopard, Final Cut Pro X should be running before sending the translation to Final Cut Pro X or double-clicking a .fcpxml file. If not you may get an error message that the “Event is already open with the same identifier as Event, so the second document cannot be opened.”
Also this is a list of what isn't translated into XML from FCP7:
What doesn’t get translated?
Motion Project clips become a solid black custom generator named after the Motion clip. See the note under Enhancing the Translation on bringing Motion Projects forward.
If Media is offline the clip is replaced with a black custom generator and marked with a "Media Offline" to-do marker and the clip is not added to the Event. The to-do marker has the file path to the offline media added to the marker's name.
Sequence markers are ignored as there is no equivalent in Final Cut Pro X.
Freeze frames (see Before exporting XML for 7toX).
Boris Calligraphy titles become a solid black custom generator named after its original item name.
Transition settings.
Filter Settings.
Motion tab Drop Shadow and Motion Blur adjustments are ignored because there is no equivalent in Final Cut Pro X.
Here is the list of things that get "Lost in Translation":
Custom sequence frame sizes are changed to 1920 x 1080 pixels (and a to-do marker is added to the first video clip)
Text and Outline Text titles becomes Custom; Lower Third becomes Middle; Scrolling Text becomes Scrolling; Crawl becomes Ticker; and Typewriter becomes Typewriter. Font, size and color information does not transfer.
Surround sound clips will import with multiple mono audio tracks. (See note on converting Multiple Mono to Surround Sound under the Enhancing the Translation heading.)
Variable speed changes (keyframed speed changes) are converted to a constant speed change that maintains the duration of the original clip and uses the average speed of the clip.
Generators (other than Color, Color Solid, Gradient, Circle, Oval, Rectangle and Square generators) become a solid black custom generator named after the Final Cut Pro 7 generator.
As long as the old project does not include the above in the edit, it should transfer well.
Here is an update list of bug fixes:
Offline media cannot be imported.
Importing media using XML obeys the Import preference setting. If you don’t want media files added to the new Event, turn off the Copy files to Final Cut Events folder checkbox in the Import panel of Final Cut Pro X’s Preferences.
Photoshop files aren't added to the Event browser.
Multiple mono audio clips, where some tracks have been removed, will translate without those tracks and show only the active audio tracks.
Video crossfade also adds audio crossfade to A/V clips.
Audio-only transitions on A/V clips are not applied.
Audio files with an odd number of tracks display an incorrect Channel Configuration.
Split mono clips with different audio levels or keyframes on each channel have only the first channel’s audio levels or keyframes applied.
Speed changed clips may have their in/out points slipped by a frame or two.
On Snow Leopard, Final Cut Pro X should be running before sending the translation to Final Cut Pro X or double-clicking a .fcpxml file. If not you may get an error message that the “Event is already open with the same identifier as Event, so the second document cannot be opened.”
LOL.
