change transition duration not working

Question

Level 1

6 points

change transition duration not working

I am not able to change transitions duration when I insert it between two clips already on the time line. When I drop the transition it gets automatically a 10 to 12 fractions of a second duration, even if my default is set at 2 seconds in Preferences.

Tried several transitions, tried 10.0.3, 10.0.4, no luck.

If I add a transition after the last clip on the time line, everything works okay, I can change the duration, but in my work flow I generally insert the transitions at the second step, after I laid all the movie clips in the time line.

I tried iMovie and is no problem, only in FCPX.

I am missing something here? Thanks

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.1)

Posted on Apr 11, 2012 8:20 AM

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Answer 1

mishmumken

Level 5

4,000 points

Apr 11, 2012 9:18 AM in response to vp@apple

You probably don't have enough media available (read: handles), therefore FCP X cannot make your transitions longer.

You can, however, make FCP X behave like iMovie (overlapping clips in order to create transitions): http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/managing-transition-behavior-in-final-cut-pro-x/

Just remember that this behavior will always shorten the clips.

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Answer 2

vp@apple Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 11, 2012 12:17 PM in response to mishmumken

No, it doesn't seems to be "not enough media", I have at lest 10 seconds of video clip each side of the transition, and I am trying to make a 2 seconds transition, 1 second on each side. And I get this behavior on all transitions I added between clips on the time line, about 12 transitions in a 20 minutes project.

I know that if there is not enough media, FCPX shows an error window, but in my case I don't get any error or message, duration just doesn't change.

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Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,944 points

Apr 11, 2012 12:30 PM in response to vp@apple

You don't understand the concept of handles. The length of the **** is not relevant. What matters is how much media you have beyond the marked edit points. You need at least one second beyond the edit point to make a two second transition. If there isn't enough FCP will make as long a transition as it can. If there is no extra media, no handles, then you will get an error message.

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Answer 4

vp@apple Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 12, 2012 7:47 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

You right, I didn't get the concept, I was just trying the logical, natural way, not the apple way. If can fly from New York to LA via Paris... why don't do it?!

But now works, thanks for pointing this out.

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,944 points

Apr 12, 2012 8:26 AM in response to vp@apple

This is not the Apple way. This is the way near every editing application has worked, legacy FCP, Premiere, Avid, Edius, on and on.

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Answer 6

mishmumken

Level 5

4,000 points

Apr 12, 2012 8:43 AM in response to vp@apple

vp@apple wrote:

If can fly from New York to LA via Paris... why don't do it?

Editing is about storytelling so that is what you primarily do in a timeline. Transitions that overlap clips (and get stuff out of sync) are messing with your storytelling. That's why no serious NLE will apply a transition without having handles - because it messes with your edit.

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