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Hours and minutes count up displayed on screen (Set end time) FCPX is this possible?

Hi there

I'm editing a "Making of" a video that took about 7 hours to film. What I would like to be able to do is have hour/minutes displayed on the bottom right corner of the screen counting up from 0Hhs 0Mins at the start of the film to end at the end of the film showing 7Hrs 00 Mins.


Is there anyway of doing this please?

I guess I could use the COUNTING Generator, but there isn't an hours/mins option on it (So I would have to use Format:Number and say its showing minutes. So it would end on 420 minutes).

Or I could use the TIMECODE Generator, but thats not adjustable to what you want it to end on and just timecodes what time is in the film.


Is there anyway of doing this please?


Thanks

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Nov 17, 2011 4:37 AM

Reply
27 replies

Nov 17, 2011 7:20 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Apologies but I dont think I have explained this too well. I will try again.


It took 7 hours of the day to film the footage.

The amount of actual footage is approx 2 hours.

The footage has been edited down to 3mins and 35 seconds.


I want the first frame of the film to show 0 Hours and 0 Minutes, then for it to count up in minutes, into hours and minutes to then end on the final frame so it says 7 Hours and 0 Minutes.


There is NOT 7 hours worth of footage, before or after edit.

Nov 17, 2011 10:13 AM in response to shippo_uk

In my FCP I have a generator called Date & Time. Though it does not come with FCP, it is something easily created in Motion (just create an effect, add the Time Date object and set the parameters that you wish to publish - you will at least want to be able to set the start and end times, so you must publish those).


In FCP, I would just add the generator and set it up.

Since one can set the time for the start and the end of the generator, if you want to show a 7 hour span over your 3 minute 35s video, just:

- add the generator, connected at the start of your main storyline,

- drag to set its duration to the whole 3min35sec,

- in the inspector, set the start and end time that should be displayed.

It will do the rest by itself.

Nov 17, 2011 10:31 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:


In my FCP I have a generator called Date & Time. Though it does not come with FCP, it is something easily created in Motion (just create an effect, add the Time Date object and set the parameters that you wish to publish - you will at least want to be able to set the start and end times, so you must publish those).


In FCP, I would just add the generator and set it up.

Since one can set the time for the start and the end of the generator, if you want to show a 7 hour span over your 3 minute 35s video, just:

- add the generator, connected at the start of your main storyline,

- drag to set its duration to the whole 3min35sec,

- in the inspector, set the start and end time that should be displayed.

It will do the rest by itself.

Hey

OK thanks for the info. I guess I will have to have a look when I have saved up a bit more money to purchase Motion.

But I dont suppose you fancy sharing your generator though do you?
🙂

Nov 17, 2011 10:49 AM in response to BBeu

It's possible, but you'll have to export using ProRes 4444, and that will make an absolutely ginormous file. My trusty AJA Data Calc app says if it's 1080i it's going to be about 1.2T.


The other option is to make a small size file, export it in ProRes, bring it back in and apply the Screen blend mode to it. That'll be only 153G according to Mr. AJA. Plus a whole lot of rendering time of course.

Nov 17, 2011 11:20 AM in response to shippo_uk

you can create your own 'time stamp' or 'TC Generator' or '24'-title in Motion5 (50€) …


This one is done in 5 minutes…


User uploaded file


• choose in M5 Project Browser a 'New FCPX Title'

• choose from Library 'Date' (sorry, my screenshots are German)

• add to title template, erase the pre-choosen one


Now, for usage in FCPX, the trick is Publish parameters:

• publish Parameter/Font Selection

• publish Parameter/Position

• publish Parameter/Date&Time

• save it, give a clever name (Date and Time?)


In FCPX you'll notice a new 'title':


User uploaded file


due to published parameters, you can easiely select font, size, position and time - in FCPX!


using a different generator allows a 'ticking' clock, adding backgrounds etc adds 'eyecandy'.


producing of this Title costs less time than creating this illustrated post 😁

Nov 17, 2011 9:59 PM in response to Ken Hart

Ken Hart wrote:

.... Any way for it to synchronize with the timecode in the video?


hmmm ... I tried the 'Timecode' Generator from the M5-Lib ... it is with my videos (=AVCHD) just a 'counter' ... but it allows a manual 'shift'/setting of the TC's base....


so, I don't know it's because my videos don't contain any, for FCPX readable TC, or it's the generator ... (?)


my answer to your question:

possible, but with some manual work 😉

(sounds like an answer from The Mythbusters …)

Nov 17, 2011 11:58 PM in response to shippo_uk

The generator I mentioned I did in Motion was created much like Karsten described in his post. I did it just for fun and to try out Motion, following someone else's instructions on the web. I would gladly share it, but I don't have an easily accessible way to post it on the web, right now. It is not large (just a few KB), so I could e-mail it.

Nov 18, 2011 12:50 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:


The generator I mentioned I did in Motion was created much like Karsten described in his post. I did it just for fun and to try out Motion, following someone else's instructions on the web. I would gladly share it, but I don't have an easily accessible way to post it on the web, right now. It is not large (just a few KB), so I could e-mail it.

Hi

I cant see how to Private Message another member here and I dont want to put my email address on here.

Does anyone know how to do this?

Thanks

Nov 18, 2011 2:15 AM in response to shippo_uk

Ok, I think I found a way to post it. Bear in mind that it is just a quick and dirty hack, not tested other than in a few examples, but it should work.


I placed it in a shared folder using yousendit. It should be accessible here:


https://www.yousendit.com/sharedFolder?phi_action=app/orchestrateSharedFolder&id =_6RnMb8p6E4m5nPEiuhk3TH9_OJ0Vfz9cP4YUltqriM

Hours and minutes count up displayed on screen (Set end time) FCPX is this possible?

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