Palmer291
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: No preview or scopes information in Apple Color

This is the second time I've had this issue in around 3 months. I had initially solved the issue but had to do a full clean install of OSX and also my Final Cut Studio package. It's occured again for no apparent reason and to be honest I don't want to waste another few days doing a clean install of both my operating system and editing package again.

 

The issue is, my project in FCP 7 is ready for grading and when I click 'Send To > Apple Color', it brings the project over into Color and every clip can be scrubbed through on the timeline. However there are no previews showing up of the clips in the preview window, as well as no colour information/data showing up in the scopes. It's as if there is not video within my project even though there is a good 9 or 10 minutes of footage that needs to be graded!

 

I want to sort this problem as soon as possible due to this being a project that is of utmost value!

 

I've attached an image of the issue to this post. Thanks in advance.

 

/___sbsstatic___/migration-images/migration-img-not-avail.png

iMac, 1TB HDD, Late 2009, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Sep 13, 2012 2:53 PM

by Palmer291,Solvedanswer
Palmer291 Palmer291
Level 1 (0 points)
A:

Ladies and gents I'd just like to let you know I've solved this issue! It was a bit of a eureka moment but it seemed to do the trick. I'll explain below.

 

Basically I have a short section of the film that was shot on Super 8mm film. The Telecine I had meant the footage came back as a perfect 4:3 square, but I wanted a more traditional smooth/feathered/curved/rounded frame over the footage, so I'd created a PNG file with a black border and transparent centre to overlay on top.

 

For no apparent reason I decided to delete this image file and try sending the project to Color. Low and behold it's worked no problem and I can now finally see my video in the video preview section, as well as the colour data and information in the scopes.

 

A massive thank you to everyone who commented on this thread! Thanks for your time.

Posted on Sep 18, 2012 1:13 PM

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Palmer291

Q: No preview or scopes information in Apple Color

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Michael Grenadier,

    Michael Grenadier Michael Grenadier Sep 13, 2012 3:16 PM in response to Palmer291
    Level 7 (20,362 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 13, 2012 3:16 PM in response to Palmer291

    what format are your sources and what are your sequence settings?  Have you tried deleting your preferences?

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2491

     

    Frankly, reinstalling OS and Apps rarely solves problems.  There are many simpler steps to take before you undertake that.

  • by Palmer291,

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 13, 2012 3:27 PM in response to Michael Grenadier
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 13, 2012 3:27 PM in response to Michael Grenadier

    Preferences have been trashed many times with no luck I'm afraid. File format was a 10bit Uncompressed QT converted to ProRes 422 for editing. Sequence in FCP was matched to that and then sent straight to Color from there without adjusting anything.

     

    The clean install was a last resort effort as I couldn't find a solution last time. Strange that it's now happened twice without any tweaking of software settings etc on my part.

  • by Studio X,

    Studio X Studio X Sep 13, 2012 5:31 PM in response to Palmer291
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Sep 13, 2012 5:31 PM in response to Palmer291

    Are you running Color on an iMac? Do you have enough VRAM for a second monitor?

     

    How are you sending the graded image to an external monitor?

     

    FWIW - Color is not like the other apps in the FCS suite. Its UNIX Final Touch roots are obvious - which means trashing prefs does little.

     

    x

  • by Palmer291,

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 13, 2012 5:37 PM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 13, 2012 5:37 PM in response to Studio X

    Running Color on a late 2009 iMac. There is a second monitor running which is connected via HDMI. It's worked fine in this setup in the past but sporadically has decided not to work twice now for no apparent reason as previously mentioned. Nothing has been altered in this setup and no settings have been changed in the software preferences.

  • by Palmer291,

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 15, 2012 4:49 AM in response to Palmer291
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 15, 2012 4:49 AM in response to Palmer291

    Just bumping this up the thread as the problem is still occuring and I cannot find a fix anywhere!?

  • by Studio X,

    Studio X Studio X Sep 15, 2012 12:37 PM in response to Palmer291
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Sep 15, 2012 12:37 PM in response to Palmer291

    It could be that the video card is working at the limit.

     

    Try reducing the video resolution and see what happens.

     

    x

  • by Palmer291,

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 16, 2012 2:11 PM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2012 2:11 PM in response to Studio X

    Apologies, but reducing the quality at which end? Through FCP or in Color? And whichever one you mean, how would I go about doing so as it's not something I've had to do before?

  • by Studio X,Helpful

    Studio X Studio X Sep 16, 2012 2:19 PM in response to Palmer291
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Sep 16, 2012 2:19 PM in response to Palmer291

    In your iMac's system prefrences, change the video resolution to something lower (in pixel dimensions). If your video RAM is going funky, this change will demand less of it.

     

    Keep in mind, you must keep both your iMac and your second screen at Color's minimum dimensions.

     

    x

  • by Palmer291,

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 16, 2012 3:33 PM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2012 3:33 PM in response to Studio X

    Gave it a go with no luck. It's as if there's no actual data in the clip, even though I've graded this project once before in the past. Resend it to Color and it doesn't work. I'll see if the original project file works (although that would do no good as there have been alterations in the edit since then)

     

     

    EDIT//

     

    Opened the first Color project file from the original edit and the footage is visible in the preview and the scopes are supplying me with information, meaning that I can grade. However this isn't the edit that I need to grade. Somewhere along the way the project is losing something going from FCP to Color. Not sure how or why though :/

     

    Message was edited by: Palmer291

  • by Studio X,Helpful

    Studio X Studio X Sep 17, 2012 5:31 AM in response to Palmer291
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Sep 17, 2012 5:31 AM in response to Palmer291

    Good test. Sounds like your sequence was corrupted somehow. Good to know the problem is not specifically with Color.

     

    Have you tried creating a new project in FCP, copying in the edited material then sending it to Color?

     

    x

  • by Palmer291,

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 17, 2012 9:42 AM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 17, 2012 9:42 AM in response to Studio X

    Yeah just tried that with no luck yet again. Copied it over into a new FCP file (even trashed FCP prefs before hand in case that had anything to do with it) but yet again when it's sent to Color nothing shows up.

     

    Really starting to annoy me now as I really need to get this project finished ASAP. Can't understand why it's not working!!??

  • by Palmer291,

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 17, 2012 10:19 AM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 17, 2012 10:19 AM in response to Studio X

    Just opened a seperate project file in FCP and sent that sequence to Color. Low and behold the footage and information shows up in Color no problem, so it's definitely something to do with the FCP file for the project i'm currently editing but I can't see why it isn't working!?

  • by Palmer291,Solvedanswer

    Palmer291 Palmer291 Sep 18, 2012 1:13 PM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 18, 2012 1:13 PM in response to Studio X

    Ladies and gents I'd just like to let you know I've solved this issue! It was a bit of a eureka moment but it seemed to do the trick. I'll explain below.

     

    Basically I have a short section of the film that was shot on Super 8mm film. The Telecine I had meant the footage came back as a perfect 4:3 square, but I wanted a more traditional smooth/feathered/curved/rounded frame over the footage, so I'd created a PNG file with a black border and transparent centre to overlay on top.

     

    For no apparent reason I decided to delete this image file and try sending the project to Color. Low and behold it's worked no problem and I can now finally see my video in the video preview section, as well as the colour data and information in the scopes.

     

    A massive thank you to everyone who commented on this thread! Thanks for your time.

  • by Studio X,

    Studio X Studio X Sep 19, 2012 7:45 PM in response to Palmer291
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Sep 19, 2012 7:45 PM in response to Palmer291

    Color HATES anything that is not pure video. Composite images are a definite NO-NO.

     

    Good for you to sort it out.

     

    x