Turning off the magnetic timeline?

Question

Level 1

23 points

Turning off the magnetic timeline?

Where the **** is the off switch?!?!?! I hope there's an option to turn it off occasionally. I don't always want things sliding around on their own, especially when I'm trying to time something to music!!!! I've been a FCP editor since day one and a professional editor for 15 years, I see how the magnetic timeline can be useful, but if I have to have it constantly engaged I have a feeling I'll be jumping off a bridge very soon!

Final Cut Pro X-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.5.2), mac pro 2 x 2.66 Dual-Core Intel Xeon - Memory: 4 GB 667 MHz

Posted on Jun 21, 2011 8:50 AM

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Answer 1

jpjd Author

Level 1

23 points

Jun 21, 2011 9:31 AM in response to axis360

Thanks for the response John! I think you're getting confused. SNAPPING butts clips together when they are close so there is no gap...like you mentioned (magnetic properties, but not the new magnetic timeline). The new MAGNETIC TIMELINE feature in FCP X is something very different and new. As far as I can tell you can't turn it off. But it appears Apple has incorporated a tool called POSITION which lets you move clips around without fear of bumping everything out of sync. I guess that's the solution?

Something else I've noticed about this Magnetic Timeline that I find problematic is if you add a dissolve between two clips, the back end of the edit seems to slide forward to compensate! This will get annoying fast for music video editors who have clips further down the timeline they don't want to have slip and slide around!

Anyone have a work around?

Thanks!

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Answer 2

Jun 23, 2011 1:16 PM in response to jpjd

jpjd wrote:

Hey Daniel. That link doesn't work.

If it says to use the "P" key to move things or to just avoid cutting on the main STORYLINE track (use above tracks) than that's cool because that's what I figured out. I think Apple should bring back the track labels!!! V1 V2 V3. I don't mind if the tracks are created on their own but I would love if I could say that clip is on track V6 or whatever. Like before. This new way is problematic.

Also why can't I create a dissolve on upper tracks?? It appears that I have to have my clips on the STORYLINE track to create a dissolve...and than when I create the dissolve it absorbs part of the clips and shifts the clips after the dissolve!!! ***?

You have to right click on the upper track and turn it into a Storyline then you can dissolved (a useless step as far as I can see, but it is necessary now).

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Answer 3

syntax_r

Level 1

4 points

Jun 23, 2011 1:48 PM in response to jpjd

Trying to edit a music video now, and am about to go crazy with the magnetic timeline. Everytime I add a transition it moves all clips out of sync with the music!!

The "P" mode is no solution to this.

Hope someone comes up with a solution to this soon.

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Answer 4

jpjd Author

Level 1

23 points

Jun 23, 2011 8:16 PM in response to daniel fiori editor

Daniel. I feel the same as you! I really hate the idea of going back to AVID. I really enjoyed the past 10 years on FCP. I feel like I'm morning a dying friend. Using FCP 7.0.8 to cut a series as we speak.

That youtube clip is funny. I love how the guys like, look you can select all these clips and delete them and magically the timeline fixes itself by magnetically attracting all the clips back together! HELLO, when is that ever useful!!!!! If you take something out you usually want to put something back in because you'll have a jump cut or some strange edit. I like the space between when removing a clip. LEAVE MY GAPS ALONE APPLE!!!! I like them so can easily find where I am in a cut so I can drop in a replacement clip with ease. Bottom line this product is not for serious cutters! I've been editing for fifteen years on everything from music vids to features and FCP X needs a lot of attention to make it whole again! There are some silver-lining features, but overall it's a mess!

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Answer 5

jpjd Author

Level 1

23 points

Jun 23, 2011 8:29 PM in response to Stefan B.

Ya I noticed that about the "P" position tool. I also prefer cutting above on the upper tracks because it mimics what works for me. I just wish that Apple would let me turn off the STORYLINE layer completely in the prefs. Doesn't seem like an unfair request, especially for something that's so radically different for people to get use to!

Glad you like it though. It's just not for all editors.

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Answer 6

Jun 23, 2011 8:55 PM in response to daniel fiori editor

daniel fiori editor wrote:

I used to hate Avid JPJD. I've spent hours talking (fighting) to people how Final Cut was better than Avid. But now we got to come back to AVID and that 80's software design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT8Wc8g9tH0 This guy is very happy with the new Final Cut Vista, I think he was the The Bourne Ultimatum editor.... No? Maybe I'm confused....

Hey I have a stupid question. What if I WANT dead space? Believe it or not, I don't want my editing program to fight me by assuming that it knows what I want. There are times that I use dead space, and I might want to delete a clip and not have it throw off my entire timeline.

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Answer 7

syntax_r

Level 1

4 points

Jun 24, 2011 2:40 AM in response to jpjd

Thanks for the suggestion, but I tried that already and it's a no go. Certain edits are only possible to do in the storyline layer, like transitions. Maybe there's a way, but haven't found it.

Can see that @InMotion have seen the same behavior, and thinks it's a bug. I don't know. Fits in with how the magnetic timeline works in general; not so good.

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Answer 8

jpjd Author

Level 1

23 points

Jun 23, 2011 7:58 PM in response to syntax_r

Hey Syntax,

AVOID editing on that middle layer (STORYLINE LAYER...the cursed magnetic layer). Create a gap on that layer and stretch the heck out of it so you have lots of space to work with ...than just work above that track. I find working on the upper video layers makes life a lot easier. Starts feeling more like it should. Just grab and drag clips around without fear of other clips slipping out of sync with the lower audio track! Hope that helps you.

I really love that you can expand the clips when they have audio and independently grab and lengthen audio independently from the video and visa versa. Also I like the tracks come and go as necessary. And clips get out of the way when they need to as well by bumping above to a higher or lower layer. That's VERY cool IMO!

We need Apple to get rid of that middle STORYLINE layer..IT'S ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!

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Answer 9

syntax_r

Level 1

4 points

Jun 24, 2011 6:09 AM in response to JohnSpirou

The storyline's beginning isn't shifted, it's the internal clip structure of the (secondary) storyline that is shifted when applying transitions. Even with the Position tool selected.

To me it seems like the Position tool doesn't apply to transitions.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong. This should be an incredibly simple operation, so I can't understand where I make the mistake.

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Answer 10

axis360

Level 1

139 points

Jun 21, 2011 9:17 AM in response to jpjd

Final Cut Pro defaults to having the snapping feature turned on. In the upper right corner of the timeline window you will find the snapping icon.

The magnetic property of the timeline is called snapping. Without it, you would more than likely have small gaps between edits where you attempted to match clips together.

Snapping can be turned on and off by clicking on the snapping icon, or by pressing the N key on the keyboard. You may find it may be easier to press the N key instead of trying to navigate to the small snap icon in the upper right corner of the timeline window.

Hope that helps John

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Answer 11

axis360

Level 1

139 points

Jun 21, 2011 10:51 AM in response to jpjd

My bad sorry- I will look and will look forward to an answer! Didn't know of this problem!

Is this the very newest of FCP-299 version. If so I am wondering if they are working on or unlocking it with updates-paid or not?

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Answer 12

Jun 21, 2011 11:01 AM in response to jpjd

I agree 100%. There is no way I'm going to edit on this if you can't turn that magnetic timeline OFF!!!

I've got clips jumping all over the place with no reasoning what so ever. So far.... not impressed at all!!!

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Answer 13

jpjd Author

Level 1

23 points

Jun 23, 2011 12:42 PM in response to danielfrommilton

Hey Daniel. That link doesn't work.

If it says to use the "P" key to move things or to just avoid cutting on the main STORYLINE track (use above tracks) than that's cool because that's what I figured out. I think Apple should bring back the track labels!!! V1 V2 V3. I don't mind if the tracks are created on their own but I would love if I could say that clip is on track V6 or whatever. Like before. This new way is problematic.

Also why can't I create a dissolve on upper tracks?? It appears that I have to have my clips on the STORYLINE track to create a dissolve...and than when I create the dissolve it absorbs part of the clips and shifts the clips after the dissolve!!! ***?

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Answer 14

Jun 23, 2011 8:05 PM in response to jpjd

I used to hate Avid JPJD. I've spent hours talking (fighting) to people how Final Cut was better than Avid. But now we got to come back to AVID and that 80's software design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT8Wc8g9tH0 This guy is very happy with the new Final Cut Vista, I think he was the The Bourne Ultimatum editor.... No? Maybe I'm confused....

Reply

Answer 15

jpjd Author

Level 1

23 points

Jun 23, 2011 9:00 PM in response to Joshua Irwin

Hey Joshua. You can insert a gap and stretch it as needed. Not ideal but it works. Also if you hang out on the tracks above the STORYLINE you can leave gaps simply by grabbing and moving a clip, as long as you have a nice long gap inserted on the STORYLINE layer for those **** clip connectors to latch into. Hope that helps.

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