Exporting to Apple Final Cut Pro 7
In PluralEyes 3.5, you can export a synchronized timeline as an XML file that can be imported into Final Cut Pro 6 or 7. To access this feature, click the Export Timeline button, then choose the Final Cut Pro tab.
What is XML? The XML file is a small text file that references your media files, and indicates the order and spacing of the media files relative to each other. When you import the XML file, Final Cut Pro creates a new sequence in which the audio and video clips are synchronized.
TIP: By the way, you always have the option of exporting the timeline as video/audio files, rather than exporting an XML file. To learn about this, see Export Timeline> Media Files.
Using the Final Cut Pro tab
Here are the steps:
- (Optional) Save your project with a meaningful name. This will make it easier to locate and manage your exported files later.
- Click the Export Timeline button in the toolbar, OR choose File> Export.
- In the Final Cut Pro tab, select the top checkbox, Final Cut Pro XML.
- Choose from the options described below, then click Export.
- In the Exports window, you will see a row titled “<project name>_FCP.xml”.
- Do one of the following:
- Right-click this row and choose Import into Final Cut Pro. OR
- Drag the file from the PluralEyes 3.5 export window into the Project window of Final Cut Pro. OR
- In Final Cut Pro, choose File> Import> XML, and browse for the file that you just created in the ~Documents/PluralEyes/Exports folder.
- When you import the XML file into FCP, one or more sequences will be added to the project that is active. If no project is open, a new one will be created.
OPTION: Create multiclips
This option tells PluralEyes to create a multiclip, which lets you play footage from multiple cameras at once, in a multi-angle display. This option is useful only in multi-camera productions.
PluralEyes attempts to group clips into as few multiclips as possible. However, if your video clips fall into distinct non-overlapping groups, with distinct breaks in between footage items, then PluralEyes will create several multiclips.
Things to know about this option:
- The PluralEyes 3.5 project must have two or more video tracks, identical to each other in terms of frame rate, codec and image size.
- The PluralEyes 3.5 project cannot have any audio-only tracks. If your project has an audio-only track, you will need to make multiclips with audio-only tracks.
- If your video clips fall into distinct non-overlapping groups, then PluralEyes 3.5 creates several multiclips and sequences.
- Final Cut Pro treats each clip as its own angle in a multiclip, whereas you usually want to have each track treated as its own angle.
PluralEyes 2 users: The Create a Single Output Sequence option is not included in PluralEyes 3.5. Now PluralEyes always creates a single output sequence, and its new capabilities for touching up unsynced clips make sure that all clips are synced within the sequence.
OPTION: Create a sequence with audio content replaced in video clips
In this option, the audio content that was recorded in your original video clips is replaced in the synced timeline. Now no further effort is required to keep these clips in sync during the editing process. This is useful if you have one or more audio-only tracks containing your “good” audio, and you no longer need the “bad” audio from the original video clips.
In the Final Cut Pro project created by PluralEyes, there are two sequences:
- A sequence whose name ends with “replaced.” This includes new audio clips trimmed to match the length of corresponding video clips.
- A sequence whose name ends with “synced.” This is a backup of all of your original audio content, in case you want to use audio content that was recorded on your video cameras.
Things to know about this option:
- None of the audio content from the original video clips is included.
- If there are two or more audio-only tracks in your PluralEyes project, only the uppermost audio clip that overlaps with a given video clip is included.
- Selecting this option does not require additional disk space. The original media files are not modified in any way, and no additional media files are generated.
OPTION: Create merged clips
This option allows you to turn on/off the view of “merged clips,” which are video clips linked to trimmed versions of audio clips. It useful if you have one or more audio-only tracks containing your “good” audio, and you want to keep your video in sync with that audio during the editing process.
Here is how this option works:
- If you select this option, a folder named “Synced Sequence (Merged Clips)” is created in the Final Cut Pro Browser. It consists of merged clips. These merged clips are also displayed in the Timeline.
- If you deselect this option, the merged clips are displayed in the Timeline, but the Browser shows only the separate video and audio clips.
- Regardless of whether you select this option, all your original video and audio clips are always displayed in the FCP Browser.
OPTION: Import sequence(s) automatically into Final Cut Pro
If this option is selected, and Final Cut Pro is running when you initiate the export, the XML file will automatically import into FCP.
