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Chapter markers not getting to FCP7 from DVDSP in Yosemite

I am running a Yosemite OS 10.10.3 environment with Final Cut 7.0.3 and DVDSP 4.2.2.

FCP and also DVDSP are working fine, except my chapter markers made in FCP will not transfer to DVDSP forcing me to add chapter markers in the DVDSP timeline. The DVDSP timeline is not nearly as accurate for marker placement at the exact place needed since the GOP is already built. Making the markers in FCP at the exact location, and then transferring them to DVDSP is much more accurate.

I have tried exporting to compressor from FCP, and also exporting a separate self-contained Quicktime, and then using that Quicktime in Compressor to make the mpeg.

The mpeg is made, except no chapter markers are transferred with either process.

All of this worked before, but doesn't now.

I originally tried my 3.5.3 version of Compressor, thought that perhaps an upgrade for compressor was the problem, but no.... I bought the newer version of Compressor at the app store and that didn't work either.

One of the forums here suggested a re-install of Compressor from the original discs, so I tried that as well... no dice....


I was wondering if anybody else ran into this issue and had any info.... otherwise it seems I might be stuck with making the chapter markers in DVDSP and have to live with the inaccuracy of the GOP availability to place only in certain points at the end of a GOP string.


Let me know if you have any helpful info or suggestions.... thanks...


***dave o.

Posted on Jul 10, 2015 12:36 AM

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Posted on Jul 10, 2015 11:16 AM

Other than to say that FCP 7 and DVD SP isn't supported on Yosemite, so all functions might not work they way they used to...I don't have anything to offer. But that does need to be said. 10.9 and 10.10 don't take FCP Studio into consideration as to funtioning. In fact, Compressor an Motion that are part of that bundle flat out don't work for me in 10.9. They do for some, but not for others. There are new versions of those, but not of DVD SP.

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Jul 10, 2015 11:16 AM in response to doliveguy

Other than to say that FCP 7 and DVD SP isn't supported on Yosemite, so all functions might not work they way they used to...I don't have anything to offer. But that does need to be said. 10.9 and 10.10 don't take FCP Studio into consideration as to funtioning. In fact, Compressor an Motion that are part of that bundle flat out don't work for me in 10.9. They do for some, but not for others. There are new versions of those, but not of DVD SP.

Jul 10, 2015 1:21 PM in response to Shane Ross

Thanks Shane....

I looked at the ProRes Quicktime I exported from FCP in QT7, and you can see the chapter markers imbedded in the quicktime, so it appears the export FROM FCP to the Quicktime did include the markers. The markers simply didn't make it into DVDSP.


I loaded the exported QT into another machine (powerPC Mac Pro 10.5.4), where I also run FCP7 to ingest media, and the DVDSP that I have in that machine did not read the chapters either.


Was finally considering bringing the entire project ad media to the other machine, and then try the export again and import to DVDSP in the older environment.


Difficult to tell the reason, so it's probably something in the Yosemite environment causing the miss....


Is it possible I might have missed a setting somewhere in that process? Otherwise I'll probably conclude as you have about the Yosemite incompatibility twist. Was hopeful I just missed some type of setting, either on export from FCP, or import to DVDSP. Any suggestions there?


Thanks for your reply...


***dave

Jul 15, 2015 3:09 PM in response to hyphen

Hello Hyphen......


As you have shown in your screen capture, I exported the ProRes 1920x1080 sequence from FCP7 to Quicktime using the QT save settings.


In the secondary QT save menu, I initially exported the ProRes QT with "All Markers". Although I could see the markers in the exported ProRes QT in QT7 when opened there, no markers were transferred to DVDSP when put into DVDSP, (for in-appliction rendering of the QT in DVDSP).


Also, when I took this ProRes QT into Compressor, the resultant mpeg2 stream made by Compressor did not have the markers either. I used both the older version 3.x and current version 4.2 of Compressor with the same result, no marker transfer.

So...

I re-exported the QT as before from FCP7, but selected "Chapter markers" instead of "All Markers" and got the same result as the first try, both direct QT import to DVDSP, and encoding through Compressor 4.2 for mpeg2 files. No markers.


I'll give it a go again with a different piece of video exported through QT with "All" and "Chapters", and see if either one of them pops up in DVDSP.

Otherwise It may be a feature incompatibility with the OS upgrade to 10.10.3....

appreciate your response... bit of a head scratcher....

thanks...

**dave

Jul 22, 2015 9:32 AM in response to doliveguy

Hi doliveguy:


The chapter marker information is appended to the QuickTime file upon export and it's tied to the 32-bit version of QuickTime. As such, it's no surprise that under Mac OS X 10.10.3 that your markers are not exporting from FCP with the movie file and/or not being seen by DVDSP. Unfortunately, most of QuickTime's features were not ported to AV Foundation (for more on that, this PDF from an Apple WWDC 2013 conference: Session 606 Sam Bushell - Apple). From what you've posted, most likely whatever DVDSP needs to read the appended information isn't happening.


As far as chapter points being frame accurate, the DVD-Video specification doesn't allow for that. As you've noticed, the DVD chapter makers have to go on an i-frame. You can encode your MPEG2 stream to have a tighter GOP structure. (I think the lowest amount supported by the DVD spec is a 4-frame GOP. If I remember correctly, Compressor's presets use a 15-frame GOP.) I'm not sure it's worth the time and effort (unless, of course, your client is paying you by the hour 👿).


In FCP7, you could use File > Export > Markers List as Text (be sure that the " <CHAPTER>" flag is set in the Edit Marker dialog box) and then reformat the file for importing chapter markers into DVDSP from a text list (https://documentation.apple.com/en/dvdstudiopro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=17 %26section=22%26tasks=true). Be sure that the text editor that you use re-saves the files as ".txt".


Or, if you have both FCP7 and DVDSP open at the same time, just copy and paste the timecode value from your Sequence window or Canvas window in FCP to the Zero-Based timecode text field Marker Inspector window in DVDSP (if your FCP7 Sequence starts at the default 01:00:00;00, you'll have to manually change the "01" to "00" for DVDSP or set the Sequence TC to start at zero in FCP before you copy it). With keyboard shortcuts and one triple-click (shift m; tab; command c; command tab; triple-click Zero-based TC; command v; command tab; repeat), it's a pretty fast process.




-Warren

Jul 27, 2015 1:05 PM in response to Warren Heaton

Hi Warren, having used FCP in both 10.10.3 & 10.10.4 I daresay that your info may be inaccurate. Chapter markers do embed themselves in the quick time file, do survive a compressor conversion and finally import fine in DVDSP in 10.10.3 and 10.10.4. Additionally, as doliveguy posted in his original message he can see them when he opens the exported quick time file in quick time, which suggest the problem lies with either compressor or DVDSP. I would believe that it is DVDSP's fault in this case and maybe trashing its preferences in /User/username/Library/Preferences may help.

Jul 27, 2015 1:30 PM in response to hyphen

Hi hyphen:


Thanks for clarifying. I thought my including "or not being seen by DVDSP" covered that, but it probably wasn't clear. And a DVDSP preference reset is certainly worth a try.


For what it's worth, I keep a Mac OS X 10.7.5 boot volume around specifically for working in DVDSP. Mac OS X 10.8 should be fine as well as it still precedes any significant implementation of AV Foundation.




-Warren

Jul 28, 2015 12:47 AM in response to Warren Heaton

Hi Warren


I think that 10.8 was the last OS version that DVDSP worked without a hitch. With Mavericks onwards things started to get sketchy with small but annoying issues like not being able to see and manipulate colours in button states and not being able to adjust the shadow in the font menu. The entire suite has begun showing its age with Yosemite and I guess the more the OS is updated the more FCS will become obsolete. I am quite bothered that both Apple and Adobe decided that disc related distribution is now defunct, which resulted in both dropping their authoring applications.


Cheers

Chapter markers not getting to FCP7 from DVDSP in Yosemite

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