Just installed FCP 7 on one of our iMacs and if I try to do a ProRes Easy Setup, everything greys out and I can select anything. So I selected an HDV Easy Setup and manually went into the Audio / Video Settings to switch everything over.
We have the iMac networked to a SAN and we do all the capturing via our AJA Kona 3 systems, but we can also edit on the iMacs as needed. Guess Apple needs to fix this because what if you're working in a tapeless format that doesn't require a capture card for ingest? Need to be able to select a ProRes easy setup even without a capture card.
Yes, Jeremy, you can have FCP automatically change the first sequence when you drop in some footage, but then you have to do that for all of them.
And what about the Sequences where you build some graphical elements with no video? Well then you have to make sure you manually set the Sequence settings for each one.
Tape based workflow that requires setting up Capture / Sequence / Output settings in one shot are being replaced with tapeless workflows so we need the Easy Setups to adapt to that. Allow us to set up Easy Setups that have nothing to do with Capture but everything to do to ensure that all our Sequences and playback are set up correctly. For that you do not necessarily need a capture card, such as our iMac.
There's no easy setup for ProRes (save the HDV one) as you won't be able to capture to ProRes without a capture card. If using log and transfer of AVC-I (or other) material that you might convert to ProRes on ingest, then you simply slap the movie in a new sequence and hit yes when it asks to change the seq settings to match the clip. SInce you don't have an input or output to configure on an iMac or desktop computer without an i/o device, then there's really no reason for an easy setup, you could just create a custom sequence and away you go. Easy setups control capture settings, sequence, and device control.
yea im lucky, i only use one or two so it's not too bad, but if i knew how to "deactivate" the one's ill never use, it would help with the confusion...
We love the easy setups. You can always deactivate some if you have too many. I know with our Kona 3's we have a ton of easy setups, but first changing to the format (HD) and then the frame rate removes a tone of easy setups right there. I always encourage folks to just use the correct Easy Setup for whatever it is they're editing because it eliminates so many of the capture / playback issues we see everyday on the Cow.
Man, that is confusing. I have been changing the sequence setting cause I can't even find 4444 in easy setup with a tape system! But picking the codec (easy setup or not) has always confused the heck out of me. Too many choices in too many places! Why is it so hard? Cheers!
jigs
Professional Video Editor, Producer, Director since 1990.
Credits include multiple Emmys, Tellys, Aurora and CableAce Awards.
Owner / Operator of Biscardi Creative Media, a full service video and film production company with about 65% of our work in HDTV. The show you know us best for is "Good Eats" on the Food Network. I developed the HD Post workflow and we also create all the animations for the series.
Favorite pastime is cooking with pizza on the grill one of my specialties. Each Christmas Eve we serve the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional Italian seafood meal with approx. 30 items on the menu.
If I wasn't in video production I would either own a restaurant or a movie theater.
