Why doesn't cross-dissolve work?

Question

Level 1

23 points

Why doesn't cross-dissolve work?

Hi all.

I'm just trying to apply a fade-in to the beginning of a timeline event, and the normal tool for this in many editors is the cross-dissolve. I've read nothing to the contrary for FCP X.

When I attempt to drag a cross-dissolve from the transitions browser onto the head of my timeline event, first it complains at the lack of handles. I don't need any handles, because a want to cross-dissolve from nothing into my video clip.

So I confirm the warning dialog... and FCP still doesn't apply the dissolve. Thus I can find no way to do a simple fade-in or -out, which I would think is a fundamental effect in any editing program. Yes, I could keyframe the opacity, but that is ridiculous.

Here's the problem occurring: https://youtu.be/xkhypCv-kGk

Anyone have an insight here? Thanks!

Posted on Jan 22, 2019 2:46 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,022 points

Jan 22, 2019 3:06 AM in response to Stokestack

Not sure where you’re dragging it to. Select the edit point and press Cmd-T. Looks like there’s a gap clip in front of it. Do you have a very short handle? Double click the edit point to expand it and see what’s going on.

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Answer 2

Stokestack Author

Level 1

23 points

Jan 22, 2019 3:23 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks for the answer. Yes, there's a gap in front of it. I want the video to fade in, so there's no need for a handle. It's not a transition from other video, but rather from nothing (or, in this case, the underlying grey background).

I'm dragging it to the beginning of the clip, which I thought was apparent in the screen grab but maybe I need to take another look...

OK, I just tried the exact same action on the same spot in the same project, and it now mostly works; it may have been addressed in the 10.4.5 update. However, it's still pretty janky. The first time I added the dissolve, it added one to both ends of the event. All subsequent times, it only adds it to the end I drag it onto. I can't even reproduce the both-ends behavior.

And if you fiddle with its edit point enough, you can make it just suddenly disappear. But... I do have a fade-in finally.

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Answer 3

Stokestack Author

Level 1

23 points

Jan 22, 2019 3:29 AM in response to Stokestack

Well, spoke too soon. It's not fixed, it's just totally inconsistent. I tried it on the preceding event, and the original behavior happened: warning dialog, and then it didn't add the dissolve. On the second attempt of the identical action, it added the dissolve to the front of the event as expected... but under no circumstances will it add one to the end.

But I can add one to the end of the second event, no problem.

Egads.

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Answer 4

Stokestack Author

Level 1

23 points

Jan 22, 2019 4:55 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

OK. Command-T on the second timeline event added transitions to both ends, as my first drag attempt did yesterday. Command-T on the first one produced the warning about handles; and after I confirmed it, the dissolve was NOT added.

After trashing prefs, all of that behavior is the same... except I can now drag a dissolve onto the beginning of the first timeline event. There's still no way to apply one to the end of that event.

Clearly something is off here.

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