Outputting to Final Cut

[myducksoup]

Hi

I have rendered my animation and saved uncompressed to use in Final Cut.

The image quality is not good when I import the .mov into Final Cut.

What is the best way to render and save as a .mov (or other) to use in Final Cut.

Also what do the render settings mean?

[Swedenhjelm]

Originally Posted by myducksoup

Hi

I have rendered my animation and saved uncompressed to use in Final Cut.

The image quality is not good when I import the .mov into Final Cut.

What is the best way to render and save as a .mov (or other) to use in Final Cut.

Also what do the render settings mean?

If you saved as uncompressed it should look just fine when opened in FCP, i don't understand that.

Many of the encoding options that were previously present in FCP 7 was skipped in FCP X. Most pros use Compressor anyway.

I would simply use Quicktime player app when render and exporting in FCP X, it works fine.
/Swe

[myducksoup]

I was also surprised at the result s I have used Final cut a lot and imported files other than movies I have shot. I wonder if the 4 x 4 sample rate in Cheetah is the problem.

[BillG]

What are you seeing that you don't like? Pixel noise or details?

Bill in MN

[myducksoup]

The finished .mov does not have the detail I expected. Is it the sample rate in rendering or just something I am doing wrong in creating the animation.

[podperson]

What codec did you use? Try PNG.

[xeen3d]

Hi
in FC (Pro, not in X see below) make copy of a Film Projekt in that Size and Codec you want produce maybe:

HDV 30 Frames 1920x1080

In Cheetah make same Render output Size and ! same frame rate 1 sec = 30 Frames.

If you will use other Format every time use in both Programs same Size and Resolution, render Output as tga sequence 32 Bit with Alpha Channel.

Now if you have Final Cut X open "Motion" go to your Image Sequence and open it than save and open in FC.

If you have FC Pro (The older one) you can import tga Sequences direct in FC but since FC x you must use first Motion save it and import a Motion Project to FC than all was ok and you can do anything with your render output you want do.

If you import a sequence to FC X you get only single images with 4 seconds per image you can switch in FcX settings down to 1 second duration but FCx can´t handle the sequence like FC Pro or Motion x .

Best

Andre


If you import your Sequence do that with

[podperson]

BillG -- sounds like you may be using an older version of Photoshop (the fact you mention ImageReady is a clue). I just saved out a PNG movie and loaded it into CS4 and it recognized the alpha channel.

Xeen -- I don't know why you'd go through the complicated procedure for FCP (Pro or X) when you can just load the movie. (I don't have FCP X, but I have Motion 5 which is the same engine and it works fine.)

[myducksoup]

Hi

I think I have solved my original problem. The project that I am working on is an animation for a FCE movie. I use 16:9 (anamorphic) and Cheetah outputs as 4:3. Thanks to the Forum I was shown how to change to 16:9.

In the Camera 'Output' panel change the values to width 1280 and height 720. This gives anamorphic proportions and better resolution when you render.

Martin also emailed me that you can set the render resolution at the camera object but I am not sure of which values to change.

Thanks everyone.

[xeen3d]

Hi
using a Movie is not optimal it is compressed, if you can every time use uncompressed Image Sequences.
Most renderings must be edited like putting 2d Film Material to 3d Image Sequence Material or Alpha channels or Keying all that is much better with a image sequence than with compressed Movie.

In a compressed Movie you can't key like with Image sequence hole keyed Material looks like ghosting and AA don't work .

If i use Vide Material every time i try to get highest quality Material like Beta Cam or dvc Pro or other "Film" Formats cutting with avchd is no option with such a material you can make films for video cd but lost quality at beginning of the hole process.
The right way is using high quality material and than lost quality at the end of the process you can never bring back information to Video that a compressor (Codec) has removed, never.

Thats why i never render Video out, that is a video you can´t bring back information the codec has removed, others a tga 32 bit image sequence here you hold all information in your hand .

The only Way to use Movie as output from Rendering is use yuv uncompressed codec but than you lost the alpha channel that are in tga sequences.

Using a codec is every time loosing quality and every cutter must be very interested to hold quality long as usual the best way to do that with 3d Material is using image sequences with alpha channel.

Best

Andre

Originally Posted by podperson

BillG -- sounds like you may be using an older version of Photoshop (the fact you mention ImageReady is a clue). I just saved out a PNG movie and loaded it into CS4 and it recognized the alpha channel.

Xeen -- I don't know why you'd go through the complicated procedure for FCP (Pro or X) when you can just load the movie. (I don't have FCP X, but I have Motion 5 which is the same engine and it works fine.)