This discussion is locked
omney
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Images sequences

Hello forum,

I'm thinking about buying FCS, and in the absence of a trial I am left with a few little questions I was hoping to get some insights on.

Just finished writing and it turns out they're not that little! Just one question then, save the rest for another time...

It regards the way in which FCS deals with image sequences. I know it can, but I would very much like to know how well it can. We deal with hundreds of sequences every month, each containing around 3000 files. These are currently loaded into Motion (into groups with predefined position and scale settings), and saved, then the Motion project is brought into FCP, rendered, edited down slightly and rendered out as Apple Pro Res (HQ). Only real problem here is that Motion takes a few minutes to load each sequence in the viewer, which adds up after 100 sequences, and if there is a single image missing Motion will split the sequence in two, so everything has to be renamed before it gets to Motion. It also just feels pretty messy.

Do you think FCS could provide a better option?

Do you know how fast it deals with big sequences? (Images are around 2000x2000. We have 3x Mac Pros with lots of RAM and power). Could it take a root folder containing a number of different image sequences (in separate folders), and render them out as proxies (or full size clips) which could be edited down, put back into FCS and converted up to full size, and even converted down to web formats? Could the process be set up to automatically generate a render from a predefined folder each month?!

In similar situations AE works about as well, QT is disastrous and Silverstack might be great when it finishes with its beta phase.

Sorry for such a long post. Any help or thoughts here would be so useful right now.

Thanks

Posted on Oct 12, 2010 9:07 AM

Close
omney

Q: Images sequences

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by BenB,

    BenB BenB Nov 9, 2010 10:02 PM in response to omney
    Level 6 (10,041 points)
    Audio
    Nov 9, 2010 10:02 PM in response to omney
    FCSvr 1.5 handles image sequences just fine. If you have to edit them, then you have to do that first. You're Motion to FCP workflow seems very redundant, though. What are you doing in Motion you can't do in FCP? Anyway...

    If you simply want to load up a folder of images (an image sequence), you drag & drop the folder into FSCvr, it will ask you if you want to make them all independent assets, a bundled asset, or an Image Sequence (yes, it automatically recognizes IS's). It will basically create a proxy QT movie of the video they create, and that's what you see in the catalog. In the background, it's actually a special type of bundled asset. When you check it out, it will download to your local workstation as the original folder and original images.