Overwrite clip selection with expanding title

Pretty dumb question, but I don't want to start experimenting at this point (I am cutting to music). I want to dissolve from a tilt up to the sky into a title sequence without creating a ripple in the timeline. This will involve shortening the sky to accommodate a transition and a lengthened title placeholder, but I can't figure out how to do this perfectly. I have marked the sky out point and tried, using the position tool, to expand the title placeholder but it won't move. The Help pages only give instructions for overwriting using an selected event.

How do I overwrite precisely using the clip next door, rather than an event selection?

Also, I can't seem to find much info on how to use the frame count effectively and efficiently.

If I'm understanding you correctly, here is a method you might try. Select the sky clip and neighboring title clip (or is it a place holder?). Right-click, select Lift From Storyline. Remember a Lift edit is the opposite of a Ripple edit. Now they are connected clips, having been replaced with a Gap Clip, so no rippling happens anywhere. Now you can trim the two as you wish, getting the timing as you want it. Then when done, select both, right-click, chose Overwrite To Primary Storyline.

I may have the exact wording of the commads wrong, on my iPad at the moment. But you should be able to figure out what I'm getting at easily.

Thank you BenB for teaching me this trick - although I am not sure it would work, because my main concern was to replace frames keeping the exact length of the original (overwriting the sky with the title).

I did find a similar workaround by "copying" the title, replacing it with a gap and then appending/pasting the title. I was then allowed to extend the length of the title and add dissolves. I have left it appended.

Was it bcs it was a title placeholder that I couldn't use the position tool to extend it into the next clip while it was still part of the primary storyline?

I also found my experiments frustrating because the markers move with the clips - I was hoping I could mark the timecode so that any erroneous clip sliding could be reslid back to the original position.


Thanks again

To extend clips, you nee the arrow tool (A), or the Trim too (T), not the position tool (P).

What I explained would have been easy to experiment with, as you could adjust clips lengths and positions all you wanted, while nothing in the Primary Stroyline would have ever changed any durations. That was the point, to allow you to play around all you wanted without changing any timing in the Primary Storyline.

Yes, we need Timecode Ruler Markers, very much. Please fill out the feedback page and request it. You'll find a link to it inside FCP X in the Final Cut Pro menu.

A workaround I use is creating a Gap Clip as a Connected Clip that is the duration of my Timeline. Its stem is attached to the very start of the Primary Storyline. I can place markers in it, and they never move, whatever I may do with other clips anywhere (except the first clip, which it is connected to, of course).

My main concern was to replace frames keeping the exact length of the original (overwriting the sky with the title).

Sounds like a Roll edit to me. Select the trim tool (T) and select the edit point between Sky and title and drag to new position. Roll Tool will never change the overall duration of your sequence.

I am back! After FCP froze my entire machine.

Yes, I know how to extend in the normal fashion. The reason I felt inclined to use the Position tool was because I wanted to "push" the sky clip into a shorter duration, by repositioning the title clip, which seems to be what happens when you "pull" a gap using the P tool - ie the clip on the other side of the clip being P'd gets smaller.

I really don't "get" the timeline yet. Actually, I really don't get FCPX yet!

Thanks for the Gap/marker tip.

Have you done any formal training course, such as macProVideo or Ripple Training? That would save you hours and days and weeks of headaches.

I have watched quite a few tutorials and free online training videos. But I don't edit often enough for it to have all sunk in. And every time I start a new project, I run into a new challenge!

I think a book might suit me better than a course - I tend to do better teaching myself. Something that covers both the basics and advanced techniques.

I have: looked at the site's list of books, given Apple feedback and am in the process of updating from 10.0.5.


Feedback list for a newby cutting short docu/music vid/profile type of material : markers connected to timecode, way to filter events based on whether they are already in the timeline, transparent transitions (I have finally figured out how they work - it would be so helpful if I could SEE them working....).

Giving feedback requires version number - I have been working with 10.0.5. The automatic update from the App Store is for 10.0.7 - would anyone recommend I try to get 10.0.6 instead? Also, why on earth doesn't one get an Update alert???

Thank you everyone - this is a great site!

The official training text we trainers use just got updated to 10.0.7.
"Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro X Second Edition"

It comes with a DVD full of course material and projects, as it is step by step hands on training.

As for update alerts, if you have the App Store in your Dock, it will have a red dot with the number of updates available in it when they are released. You can also go into OS 10.8's system preferences, to "Software Update" and set that up as you with.

Thank you for the recommend, Ben. I'll look into it.

As for updates, it never occurs to me to LOOK for an update other than occasionally running "Software Update", which, btw, came up with nothing - most registered applications, in my experience, let you know when there is a free update available.

The App store turned out to have a few updates available to me. I guess I better put it in my dock - thank you for the red dot tip.

Oh, in the System prefs, you can set OS X to "ask" you what to do when there are new updates. That will pop up a message for you.

Yup! And I have checked off - please let me know, etc. But, according to Software Update, there was nothing updateable.

Because you're not on 10.8 yet. In 10.8 Software Update and App Store are combined to be both one and the same.