Need to remove timecode counter from video

Hatone wrote:

Or buy a plug-in from Core Melt called 'Slice X powered by Mocha' - Has a dedicated 'object' remover with a roto tool. Roto it out then use X/Y/Invert sliders to get the result you want. Free to use for 15 days.

If you want absolute perfect results (not that the OP does), use the auto scene dectector from http://www.scene-detector.com then use the above method for each scene. Would take forever if a long film.

Me personally? I don't spend a single cent on "other people's" effects. I roll all my own -- and -- I distribute most of them for free* (just ask that the youtube video they're attached to is played [not even necessarily watched]). I might still do this one. Shouldn't be that big a deal... I mean, to do basically as I outlined above. I should have also suggested applying a "watermark" to cover the TC (just depends on where it is.)

I just thought it would be quicker to handle it in FCPX. The Mask effect can be copied from the first clip and pasted across multiple selected clips in one action and assuming the timecode overlay is in exactly the same place throughout all clips taken with the same camera... All selected (under storyline) clips can be transformed at the same time... I just figured the 2 1/2 minutes it would take (if it would even take that long) doing this manually would be a whole lot better than the 80-150 bucks or so one would have to shell out (for one or both you mentioned) to have some other software take a lot longer to do—"automatically." But since I will not buy the other software, nor bother to try the free trials, I'll never know if the expensive software is "the way to go." I'm just *hard-headed* that way... plus... I know Motion—very well.

Try this out:

http://sight-creations.com/fxexchange/TCWmarkRemover.zip [free - license]

It does exactly what I described, with some extra optional enhancement tools.

To start with, don't stray too far from the default settings.

There's an onscreen control so you can drag the effect over the timecode (or watermark). Use the Size Height and Size Width sliders to cover the TC area. The rest can be used to "blend" pieces of the surrounding video into the space (but blur should still be used.)

Brief explanation of parameters:

Offset Distance: there are 2 copies of the video used to fill the masked area. This parmater controls sliding the copies, one from above and one from below into the space. They are blended together.

(I consider all the following "expert" settings)

Max Stretch Horizontal/Vertical: These controls scale the copies. It is not recommended that you go below 85%, just because when the mask is close to an edge of the canvas, you'll not have enough material to fill the space.

Mode: How the two copies are blended together. There are two. Lighten and Darken. They're both about the same except that in lighter video (surrounding the mask) Lighter will match better than Darker, and vice versa. It's not overwhelmingly important which you pick (there's more! see below)

Blur: applies a Gaussian Blur. Zero blur is available... recommended range: 200-400.

Feather: helps smooth the effect into the surrounding video... sometimes (it can create a kind of border effect OR a kind of "lens" effect.) You can do some interesting and/or weird stuff by abusing this parameter 😉 [along with Scale Height -- if you need > 400%, click and drag up on the number value.]

Roundness: lets you taper the corners

Saturation/Value: These two parameters let you try to match the surrounding video a little better and can be used to enhance or override the Mode you picked somewhat. Typically, use the "lightest" touch on Saturation. Value is the parameter you'll use the most. Left of 1.0 is darker. Right is lighter. 1.0 is no change/default.

Center: this is the location of the Onscreen Control. Typically, a watermark or timecode is NOT going to move over the course of a clip. That said, who says you have to use this just for those two things 😉 You might want to keyframe this to follow something...

All parameters, except the Mode, can be keyframed, so if you really want to work at it, you have the ability to minimize the visual effect that a portion of the screen is blurred out/obscured.

Duplicate the clip(s) and place the matching copies underneath the originals in the storyline.

Use the Keying > Mask effect on the top/original copies, and drag the corner points so that the edges align around the timecode area and check Invert Mask. (Use a slight amount of feathering to help blend the edges with what you will do with the under copies.)

Select the underneath clips and Transform to offset the original timecode out of its occupied space (any direction that makes the "best fit") [experiment with "stretching" / scaling to match the content in the "originals"]

Use a Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur on the underneath clips if necessary to smooth them out a little...and help blend them in with the feather of the mask.

HTH

Or buy a plug-in from Core Melt called 'Slice X powered by Mocha' - Has a dedicated 'object' remover with a roto tool. Roto it out then use X/Y/Invert sliders to get the result you want. Free to use for 15 days.

If you want absolute perfect results (not that the OP does), use the auto scene dectector from http://www.scene-detector.com then use the above method for each scene. Would take forever if a long film.