An FCPX exported frame vs FCPXImageExporter frame

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Level 1

8 points

An FCPX exported frame vs FCPXImageExporter frame

I downloaded FCPXImageExporter, as I need to save hundreds of frames.

A frame exported directly from within FCPX is a Photoshop image 3840 x 2160 color space: RGB color profile: Rec. ITU-R BT.709-5, and is 105.8 MB in size.

The same frame exported using ImageExporter is a PNG 3840 x 2160 color space: RGB color profile: HDTV, and is 14.9 MB in size.
Despite listing a different format, color profile, and weighing in at 10% of the size, when opened and enlarged in photoshop, the ImageExporter-generated file looks indistinguishable from the FCPX generated frame.

After modification, these frames will be reimported to the timeline. I expect the different color profile could look slightly different on import and require a color balance. But-

Question: would the ImageExporter generated (easily all at once) frames be of equal quality to the frames generated (painfully one by one) directly from FCPX, once reimported to the timeline (and ultimately exported for display), despite the vastly smaller file size?

Thanks very much for any help / info.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS Sierra (10.12.6)

Posted on Oct 25, 2017 4:41 PM

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Answer 1

atom400 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 25, 2017 5:27 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

When reimported to the timeline, the .psd, .png, .jpg, and .tiff frames all look exactly the same as one another. But none of them are of equal quality to the original frame- all are softer. I thought the .psd (if not the others) were exported pixel-for-pixel, but apparently not.

Question - is it possible to export still frames with zero quality loss?

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Answer 2

atom400 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 25, 2017 5:39 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

sorry, after rendering (which I forgot i'd turned off):
all 3 formats from ImageExporter, the tiff, jpg, and png are indistinguishable from the original frame at 400%.
the .psd, directly exported from FCPX, is the only one that looks less sharp.

exactly the opposite of what i expected.

Thank you for the reminder to render before evaluating!

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Answer 3

atom400 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 25, 2017 5:42 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

sorry, after rendering (which I forgot i'd turned off):

all 3 formats from ImageExporter, the tiff, jpg, and png are indistinguishable from the original frame at 400%.
the .psd, directly exported from FCPX, is the only one that looks less sharp.

exactly the opposite of what i expected.

Thank you for the reminder to render before evaluating!

*** Specs: 3840x2160 29.97p Rec 709 (?)

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Answer 4

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,378 points

Oct 25, 2017 4:47 PM in response to atom400

A frame exported from FCP does not have to be in Photoshop format. You can select JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and others.

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Answer 5

atom400 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 25, 2017 4:49 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks Tom
The exported frames will be modified in Photoshop, then reimported to the timeline.
Which export format is best to preserve final video image quality?