Drag a number of slides to the timeline with transitions automatically inserted?

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Level 7

21,066 points

Drag a number of slides to the timeline with transitions automatically inserted?

This was easy in FCP 7.

I could import a number of slides of x seconds duration, select them all and drop them in the "Insert with transition" box in the Canvas.

A hundred slides of a selected duration could be made into a video complete with transitions in the time it takes to write this.

I can't find a way to do this in FCP X.

1. I can import the slides of a chosen duration but when I select them all and drag them to the timeline they all revert to 10 seconds.

2. I can find no way of adding transitions other than one at a time.

3. Nor can I find any way of adding the Ken Burns effect to multiple photos.

I know that for high quality presentations I need to treat each picture individually and lavish loving care and attention on it, but occasionally there are times when it is necessary to make a quick but moderately impressive presentation in minutes rather than hours, days, weeks . . . .

I could do all that in FCP 7.

Can it be done in FCP X or will I have to rely on the good old stalwart?

Posted on Sep 8, 2011 2:58 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,064 points

Sep 8, 2011 3:05 PM in response to Ian R. Brown

To add the transitions select them all and press Cmd-T just like FCP7.

You could apply Ken Burns to multiple images in FCP7? How'd you do that?

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Answer 2

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,064 points

Sep 8, 2011 3:18 PM in response to Ian R. Brown

Drop the stills in the timeline. Select the stills. Control-D. Dial in a number. Cmd-T to add the transitions. Select the clips and click crop. Select each clip with the transform function active and click Ken Burns. You'll probably want to adjust them or they'll all have the same zoom in.

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Answer 3

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Sep 9, 2011 12:26 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks Tom, I was trying to drag them manually.

"You could apply Ken Burns to multiple images in FCP7? How'd you do that?"

Apply the AutoPanZoom filter created by Piero ( http://web.mac.com/piero.fiorani/PieroF_FCE_Effect/Auto_Pan_Zoom.html ) to the first clip, copy it, select the remainder and Paste Attributes>Filters.

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Answer 4

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Sep 9, 2011 12:49 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

I am stuck on the Ctrl D and Dial in a number.

I just don't understand it?

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,064 points

Sep 9, 2011 1:00 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Select the items and press Control-D. The Dashboard will look like this.

Type in a value like 4 period or 400 for four seconds. Very similar to setting durations in FCP7.

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Answer 6

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Sep 9, 2011 1:21 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Sorry but my brain is being particularly thick this morning.

I put in the new duration (3 seconds) but nothing changes.

Cmd-T adds the transitions OK though the duration is still pretty much the same (around 10 seconds) though the transitions have slightly shortened the duration of the project (timeline).

The final instructions about "Select the clips and click crop. Select each clip with the transform function active and click Ken Burns" have me completely baffled.

There's obviously something simple that I am missing.

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Answer 7

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,064 points

Sep 9, 2011 3:34 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

You want to make all the stills three seconds. Select all the stills in the timeline. Open duration. Control-D. Type in the value. All the clip durations will change. Isn't that what you want?

Selec the clips. They're all selected. Turn on the transform crop function. It's turned on for all the clips. Click a clip. Clip the Ken Burns effect in the open crop controls.

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Answer 8

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Sep 9, 2011 3:54 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks Tom.

I'm getting closer. The reason I wasn't able to change the duration is because I did not hit Return after inputting the new time.

I'm still struggling with Ken Burns but I'll get there when I discover what I am doing wrong.

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Answer 9

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Sep 9, 2011 4:24 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Got it!

There was a slight ambiguity in your description and I was "reading" the incorrect way.

In case anyone else has my problem understanding, these are the steps I took.

Having altered the duration of the clips in the timeline and with all of them selected, I looked in the Inspector and in the Crop section I altered the "Type" from Trim to Ken Burns.

My mistakes were caused by fiddling with the Crop and Transform buttons at the bottom of the Viewer/Canvas window.

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Answer 10

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Sep 9, 2011 4:52 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

One minor problem has started occurring.

Whilst most of the clips zoom in, a few zoom out.

I have been able to get all the clips zooming in but now the odd zoom out has started. At one time it was alternate clips but now it seems random.

Any ideas what is causing this problem?

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Answer 11

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,064 points

Sep 9, 2011 5:53 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

When you activate crop you see these buttons across the top of the Viewer

The change is probably because of the content or the type of image.

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Answer 12

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Sep 9, 2011 8:02 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

If I select all the photos and use the button your picture shows, then click "Done", I just get one photo with the Ken Burns effect.

Using the setting below I get all of them but the odd ones have the zooming reversed.

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Answer 13

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,064 points

Sep 9, 2011 8:07 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

You don't have to click Done for each one. Just move on to the next one. Click to select. Click to set Ken Burns. Move on to the next. Click Done when you're finished with the transform functions.

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