I've done something, don't know what, but when I add text to the timeline and render the text and the images behind all pixelate. I have changed and messed about with the setup and am now totally lost.
If any one can help, please.
iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.4), 3.2GHz/i3/4GB/1TB/ATI5670/FCS3
I guess all the mindreaders are off duty... could you maybe give a little bit of info on what it is you're doing, the resolution and format, whether is HD or SD, interlaced or progressive, that kind of thing? The list of things it could be is fairly long.
Sorry. I will do my best to give you as much information as possible.
I will try and take some screen shots.
I've got some screen shots. We filmed a friends band at the pub. we had two cameras mine a Sony HDR-HC9 and a mates big old thing. His in SD mine in HD. After recording and before capturing I set my camera to capture HD to SD. I thought this would solve any problem with the other cameras SD mode. I set everything to edit in SD.
Heres the screen captures.
Before redering.
This still does not show the pixelating but it is there in the vid.
I got myself confused and started from scratch but the same thing happened again.
Here is another screen capture, hopefully showing the pixelation.
The first thing I noticed was that you're viewing the footage at 165%... at that magnification it's going to look bad.
Second thing that comes to mind is the downconvert via your camera: does the field dominance match the SD footage? If not, capture it in its HD format and convert in Compressor.
You call to take everything to SD was wise, and if it matches in all details (from Browser info or Item Properties [cmd+9]) then you should be good.
I can see the artifacts in the "after" shot. I can't explain it but you may get a better result if you complete the edit, export as a self-contained clip and bring it back in for titling.
This isn't much... hope it works.
The first point, the viewer is 51% the canvas 165% but they look the same - they are fit to window- ah! is that because the camvas is on a separate screen? Also never noticed before but they both have Correct for Aspect Ratio checked.
Not sure how the field dominance works. I know if I go into Sequence Settings I can change it on both the camera clips. Then when I do change it the text becomes clear until I render and it becomes pixelated again.
Not sure what Properties [cmd+9] is but if you mean everything should be captured into the same settings then that was done. There was one thing I was not too sure about. When I started to capture the old camera tape using my camera the camera came up with a message asking if I wanted to set the tape.. but I was too quick in pressing OK so not sure what it said in full, the message never came up again.
I think what you are saying is capture again and I think you are right.
OK, on point one: it's not that the Canvas is on a different screen, it's that the image is being displayed way beyond ideal resolution and will (at a minimum) look mushy. I don't think it's not the cause of your problem but it does throw additional sh*t into the game...
Point two: All interlaced video has two fields (progressive video only had one) but the default dominance is different between SD and HD formats. SD uses lower field dominance while interlaced HD (like 1080i) usually uses upper field dominance. I say usually because it seems like every camera maker has their own version of HDV and some of the other formats. I'm not sure what happens to the field dominance when you downconvert HD to SD in camera, so that's the question mark.
Thirdly, Properties (Cmd +9) is just a keyboard shortcut to look at all the specifics of an item, in this case the video specs. I'm not saying that a recapture is necessary, just that you need to verify the clip specs to make sure they are the same.
Finally, I want to add that in order to really assess what you have, you need to view it in its intended manner. That is, you should be viewing the footage on a PAL production monitor. Viewing interlaced video on a progressive screen (pretty much everything out there except CRTs) will reveal some undesirable artifacts (and the opposite is true as well.) What bothers me here is that the video is interlaced raster images and the titling is progressive vector (pretty much the opposite) so something is going to have to give in the render. Your perception of what "gives" will be based on how you view it. That's why I suggested that you may want to pre-comp (export a completed edit and bring it back in for titling) the interlaced timeline. It is also possible to rasterize your titles (in Photoshop or a similar app) and see if that helps.
Good luck...
I've just copied your reply and printed it out. I'm going to start from scratch.
I've got my FCP book by Diana Weynand, I've got your printout and I am going to take it step by step. I need to know what I am doing. All this has made me realise I am doing things without understanding. I'm not saying I will understand everything but what you have said has made me understanding a little. This is what has prompted me a to go back to the beginning.
I will capture everything again and take it slowly and what a handy shortcut the Cmd+9 is. I have already deleted the problem edit but I have been practicing the Cmd+9 on other edits. It lets me see the whole picture which is what I like.
After reading and, I think understanding, your reply it has been me changing the settings after capturing and not understanding the interlaced/progressive aspect of video.
Thanks for your patients and understanding.
When I put text in FCP7 everything goes pixelated.
