MacMost Now 599: Using Final Cut Pro X Transitions
Learn how to use transitions in Final Cut Pro X. There are several ways to apply transitions between clips, and many ways to adjust the end and start points of the two clips. You can also customize each transition.
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Related Subjects: Final Cut (12 videos), Video (61 videos)
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Comments: 28 Responses to “MacMost Now 599: Using Final Cut Pro X Transitions”
Huk
13 years ago
Thanks, very good. I'm still thinking of buying it.Please tell me if this soft is much better than iMovie.
Final Cut Pro X is much much more powerful than iMovie. As for "better" -- that's subjective. I think it is.
Wiz
13 years ago
Hi Gary.
I am a musician who records his own original songs. I am getting into video production to produce film clips for my songs. I am very familiar with all things audio but video, is another matter. I want to be able to shoot say 5 takes of the band running through the song. I will play the song on a PA system, the band will play the song, miming their parts. The camera will record the audio, that is playing through the PA system. I will then use the audio , recorded on the camera, to sync the 5 takes, so that the performances are linked to the final mix of the song (which is what is playing through the PA). Now, what I would like to do, is to be able to import these five takes, into a video editor, and then select portions of one video then the other etc, to make up the final band performance. Doing this in audio land is very easily accomplished with something like LOGIC 9s auto comping. Is this kind of thing do-able with final cut pro X? I can see that its not really feasible to do in iMOVIE 11. Basically I want to be able to see all 5 takes laid out at once, and just select portions from whatever one, and be able to change it at anytime...thanks in advance....great videos by the way....8)
I believe so, but I have never tried something like that. I would consult with a Final Cut expert, or perhaps on a Final Cut board and find someone who has done it before.
BJ
12 years ago
In Final Cut X it's called Multi-cam editing. Pretty neat.
Elisha
13 years ago
Hey Gary,
I'm new to fcpx, and I appreciate your video. I'm having trouble dragging transitions between clips, whenever I do, my cursor becomes a 'do not enter' sign, and sometimes it becomes a green plus, but when I release the transition, it disappears and nothing happens. I'm certain that the clips I'm using are long enough to have a transition.
Perhaps you are not allowing for enough lead and trailing extra video to compensate for the transition. To avoid this completely, switch your "Transitions: Apply Transitions Using" setting in the preferences.
Elisha
13 years ago
By lead and trail space do you mean the two clips have to be long enough?
I've tried that, also in the preferences, apply transitions to full overlap or avail. media? Both don't work, but could you explain to me what they mean?
The video clips can be long enough, but if you don't have some unused space at the start of the second clip and the end of the first clip, then there won't be any to overlap. But that only works in one of the two settings. The other will provide that overlap by changing the start and end.
So I'm not sure why it isn't working for you. Hard to tell without seeing exactly what you are doing.
Joel C
12 years ago
Im having the same problem with transitions not working in FCP X...any solutions???
Dan F
12 years ago
I am having the same exact issue. I cannot add transitions to any track except the main storyboard track. If I try to add it to anything else on other tracks it just disappears and then adds that transition to the beginning of the main storyboard track. So frustrating. Please help.. I don't understand what you mean by "switch your "transitions: apply transitions using" setting in the preferences? I went to preferences in Final Cut menu and there is no option, I don't know where else I should be looking.
That particular option was removed in 10.0.3. Now it just prompts you with a dialog each time you drop a transition in between clips with no extra space.
haley
12 years ago
Speaking of items on other "tracks", when applying a transition to/from black, how can you re-center it? You used to be able to do this in FC7 (as though it was using the black as one of the clips), and I can't figure out how to do it in FCX.
haley
12 years ago
PS. I guess a better way to explain what I'm talking about, is the feature that allowed you align transitions at the start, finish or middle of an edit.
Not sure. I didn't use FCS7 so I don't know what you are trying to do. Just remember it is a completely new interface, so not all functionality is duplicated in the same way.
Todd Fletcher
12 years ago
I have the transition problem too. I have to restart FCPX and even sometimes my whole system so that it will allow me to drag and drop a transition onto the timeline. Otherwise I doesn't respond to drag and drop action. It seems very short-sighted to not have an alternate menu command for applying a selected effect/transition. :(
Have you tried simply double-clicking to add transitions? It works if you have the end of one clip, or the beginning of the other selected, so it knows where the transition goes. Much faster than dragging anyway.
FCPX User
12 years ago
@Wiz you could do that kind of 'comp' editing. Only in FCPX it's called Multicam editing. With this option you can see al the clips how they look like and put them simply into your timeline by tapping on a video to choose which camera angle you would like to use. Succes!
FPCX10
12 years ago
I'd need to put many clips on top of each other, so I'd have a video of multiple me. I did record the video every time from the exact same spot, so the background will be the same all the time. I also managed to put those clips on top of each other so that there was kinda like three ghosts of me, but the light of the clips went really dark. How to do this stuff properly?
Juan Tamayo
12 years ago
There is an option in menu final cut pro/preferences where you can choose from two different ways to overlap the transitions. I saw that in one tutorial, but in my menu, that merging menu it´s missing. Why is that? how can i change the settings, so i can see that option? thanks for the help
That option was removed in a subsequent version. It isn't there anymore.
Henry
12 years ago
Gary, as I lay a clip down on the timeline, I end it with a dissolve transition. When I put the next clip next to it, the transition automatically combines the 2 clips. I don't want that to happen. How can I keep the "fade to black" dissolve transition ONLY on the previous clip?
Henry
12 years ago
NEVERMIND, I found a solution from andynick on another forum. Here is what he says:
"An alternative way is to select the clip in the timeline, then press Ctrl+V to show Video Animation.
At the bottom of the list of options is Compositing: Opacity.
Click the dark rectangle on the right of this option and it opens up to show a black opacity bar immediately beneath the text. Mouse over the ends of this bar and some little handles appear at each end of the clip. You can grab these and adjust your fade precisely.
Sounds more complex than it is - when you get used to it.
Press Ctrl+V again to close the Video Animation thingy down again!"
Or, you could put a few seconds of a black background between the two clips.
Henry
12 years ago
I tried that, but the black clip gets transitioned automatically with the previous clip as soon as it butts up against it. I want it to leave my previous transition alone when it butts up against it.
I guess I'm not understanding what you are trying to do then.
David Sewell
11 years ago
I followed your instructions re applying transitions however when i went into preferences there is not an option at the bottom of the drop down where I can change to using available media. the last choice box is for duration. I am using FCPX version 10.0.7
Want to know more about how to use Final Cut Pro on your Mac?
Thanks, very good. I'm still thinking of buying it.Please tell me if this soft is much better than iMovie.
Final Cut Pro X is much much more powerful than iMovie. As for "better" -- that's subjective. I think it is.
Hi Gary.
I am a musician who records his own original songs. I am getting into video production to produce film clips for my songs. I am very familiar with all things audio but video, is another matter. I want to be able to shoot say 5 takes of the band running through the song. I will play the song on a PA system, the band will play the song, miming their parts. The camera will record the audio, that is playing through the PA system. I will then use the audio , recorded on the camera, to sync the 5 takes, so that the performances are linked to the final mix of the song (which is what is playing through the PA). Now, what I would like to do, is to be able to import these five takes, into a video editor, and then select portions of one video then the other etc, to make up the final band performance. Doing this in audio land is very easily accomplished with something like LOGIC 9s auto comping. Is this kind of thing do-able with final cut pro X? I can see that its not really feasible to do in iMOVIE 11. Basically I want to be able to see all 5 takes laid out at once, and just select portions from whatever one, and be able to change it at anytime...thanks in advance....great videos by the way....8)
I believe so, but I have never tried something like that. I would consult with a Final Cut expert, or perhaps on a Final Cut board and find someone who has done it before.
In Final Cut X it's called Multi-cam editing. Pretty neat.
Hey Gary,
I'm new to fcpx, and I appreciate your video. I'm having trouble dragging transitions between clips, whenever I do, my cursor becomes a 'do not enter' sign, and sometimes it becomes a green plus, but when I release the transition, it disappears and nothing happens. I'm certain that the clips I'm using are long enough to have a transition.
Any ideas?
Perhaps you are not allowing for enough lead and trailing extra video to compensate for the transition. To avoid this completely, switch your "Transitions: Apply Transitions Using" setting in the preferences.
By lead and trail space do you mean the two clips have to be long enough?
I've tried that, also in the preferences, apply transitions to full overlap or avail. media? Both don't work, but could you explain to me what they mean?
The video clips can be long enough, but if you don't have some unused space at the start of the second clip and the end of the first clip, then there won't be any to overlap. But that only works in one of the two settings. The other will provide that overlap by changing the start and end.
So I'm not sure why it isn't working for you. Hard to tell without seeing exactly what you are doing.
Im having the same problem with transitions not working in FCP X...any solutions???
I am having the same exact issue. I cannot add transitions to any track except the main storyboard track. If I try to add it to anything else on other tracks it just disappears and then adds that transition to the beginning of the main storyboard track. So frustrating. Please help.. I don't understand what you mean by "switch your "transitions: apply transitions using" setting in the preferences? I went to preferences in Final Cut menu and there is no option, I don't know where else I should be looking.
That particular option was removed in 10.0.3. Now it just prompts you with a dialog each time you drop a transition in between clips with no extra space.
Speaking of items on other "tracks", when applying a transition to/from black, how can you re-center it? You used to be able to do this in FC7 (as though it was using the black as one of the clips), and I can't figure out how to do it in FCX.
PS. I guess a better way to explain what I'm talking about, is the feature that allowed you align transitions at the start, finish or middle of an edit.
Not sure. I didn't use FCS7 so I don't know what you are trying to do. Just remember it is a completely new interface, so not all functionality is duplicated in the same way.
I have the transition problem too. I have to restart FCPX and even sometimes my whole system so that it will allow me to drag and drop a transition onto the timeline. Otherwise I doesn't respond to drag and drop action. It seems very short-sighted to not have an alternate menu command for applying a selected effect/transition. :(
Have you tried simply double-clicking to add transitions? It works if you have the end of one clip, or the beginning of the other selected, so it knows where the transition goes. Much faster than dragging anyway.
@Wiz you could do that kind of 'comp' editing. Only in FCPX it's called Multicam editing. With this option you can see al the clips how they look like and put them simply into your timeline by tapping on a video to choose which camera angle you would like to use. Succes!
I'd need to put many clips on top of each other, so I'd have a video of multiple me. I did record the video every time from the exact same spot, so the background will be the same all the time. I also managed to put those clips on top of each other so that there was kinda like three ghosts of me, but the light of the clips went really dark. How to do this stuff properly?
There is an option in menu final cut pro/preferences where you can choose from two different ways to overlap the transitions. I saw that in one tutorial, but in my menu, that merging menu it´s missing. Why is that? how can i change the settings, so i can see that option? thanks for the help
That option was removed in a subsequent version. It isn't there anymore.
Gary, as I lay a clip down on the timeline, I end it with a dissolve transition. When I put the next clip next to it, the transition automatically combines the 2 clips. I don't want that to happen. How can I keep the "fade to black" dissolve transition ONLY on the previous clip?
NEVERMIND, I found a solution from andynick on another forum. Here is what he says:
"An alternative way is to select the clip in the timeline, then press Ctrl+V to show Video Animation.
At the bottom of the list of options is Compositing: Opacity.
Click the dark rectangle on the right of this option and it opens up to show a black opacity bar immediately beneath the text. Mouse over the ends of this bar and some little handles appear at each end of the clip. You can grab these and adjust your fade precisely.
Sounds more complex than it is - when you get used to it.
Press Ctrl+V again to close the Video Animation thingy down again!"
Or, you could put a few seconds of a black background between the two clips.
I tried that, but the black clip gets transitioned automatically with the previous clip as soon as it butts up against it. I want it to leave my previous transition alone when it butts up against it.
I guess I'm not understanding what you are trying to do then.
I followed your instructions re applying transitions however when i went into preferences there is not an option at the bottom of the drop down where I can change to using available media. the last choice box is for duration. I am using FCPX version 10.0.7
That was a few versions ago. Not sure where it is now, but you can still change the duration on a case-by-case.