FCPX: Unable to fade to 3 seconds of black from one clip, then fade back in to new clip

Are the clips on the primary storyline? What happens when you put a three second gap between the clips? Are you using the Insert Generator function in the Edit menu? Can you then apply cross dissolves to the gap and the adjacent clips?

Place the playhead where you want the gap.

Press Option+W to insert a Gap Clip.

Press C to select the Gap clip and press Ctrl+D.

The Toolbar should show the duration as 3.00.

If it doesn't, type 3. (the figure 3 with a full-stop after it) then press Return.

The Gap Clip is now three seconds long.

Make sure the Gap Clip is still selected and press Cmd+T.

This should add dissolve transitions to either end of the Gap Clip.

How does that look?

Andy

Question Andy - I notice that Control - D on clip in the timeline is one duration without transtions, and then a longer duration with transitions applied. What is a way to get around this, or to make the part of the clip without the transitions to the length you want, without taking off transitions first?

Thanks.

You grab the end of the clip with the tab on the bar at the top of the transition.

Hi Tom,

I wasn't clear. I know about rippling at the end as you so beautifully showed with a picture. I am interested in doing it with a keyboard by doing Control-D, knowing how long the part of the clip is without the dissolve on the ends, and then typing in a new number. Right now, to do that, I have to control-d the two transitions, and do the math to figure it out. I do it this way, since when zoomed way out, getting the ripple icon as you have in the picure to show up is a pain in the butt if not impossible.

Rather than useing three clips to do the transition, the two clips and the gap between them, try using the fade to color transition. It allows you to control the duration and how long the hold between the clips is and even to alter the midpoint so the two sides of the transition are different.

Hi Tom.

I think I'm not being clear. My interest in the question is not related to a working with a transition. I just want to know length of a clip with Control-D. It is not the same result in the Dashboard when there are a transition on a clips end edit points and when there isn't. I would like the dashboard to show the same time lenth of the clip whether there are or aren't transitions on the edit points. 10 seconds with a straight cut between two clips, and then also ten seconds when there are two 1 second dissolves on each end between two clips. Just dissapointing.

Bmann.

You can't. A clip with a transition has a different duration from a clip without a transition. The only way to do what you want is to make a range selection.

Thanks, that answers my quesiton. Range selection is a great idea. No place here in box to mark solved.

Tom Wolsky wrote:

You can't. A clip with a transition has a different duration from a clip without a transition. The only way to do what you want is to make a range selection.