TOPIC:

What's new page updated-

www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/whats-new/

Supplies some info on ProRes444QX

And a new addition to the IN ACTION page-

www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/in-action/scripps/

ProRes 4444 XQ? Wow, wtf is that?

Some nice updates, though! I'd call this a major feature update. VERY worth the wait.

I wonder if this is in essence a ProRes Raw? This is in the white paper:

"Apple ProRes 4444 XQ preserves dynamic ranges several times greater than the dynamic range of Rec. 709 imagery—even against the rigors of extreme visual effects processing, in which tone-scale blacks or highlights are stretched significantly."

Looks like the update is not a delta but almost a whole new download. Mine is 2.28 GB. Perhaps we are going to get some under the hood surprises (i.e. UI speed in the timeline) in there too.

Final Cut Pro X version 10.1.2 adds these features.

• Support for Apple ProRes 4444 XQ
• Optimized, proxy, and rendered media can be stored at any location outside of the library
• View and set storage locations for each of your libraries using the Library Properties inspector
• Easily delete optimized, proxy, and rendered media from within Final Cut Pro X Used media indicators for Compound, Multicam, and Synced clips
• Option to show only unused media in the Browser
• Apply a standard (Rec. 709) look in real time to high dynamic range and wide color gamut video from ARRI, Blackmagic Design, Canon, and Sony cameras
• Automatically apply an ARRI embedded 3D LUT from the new AMIRA camera
• Improved speed and accuracy when synchronizing clips
• Audio recording improvements including countdown and automatic Audition creation from multiple takes
• Fast export of cuts-only projects containing XDCAM media
• Export entire library as a single XML file
• Selecting a library displays key metadata in the Inspector
• Adjust relative and absolute volume of a clip or range selection
• Create keywords from Finder Tags when importing media
• Option to sort events by date or name in the Libraries list
• Import a clip by dragging directly into the Browser
• Share 4K video to Vimeo

Final Cut Pro version 10.1.2 also addresses the following issues

• Faster opening, closing, copying, and overall performance when working with large libraries
• Linear and smooth motion interpolation between keyframes applies to both time and distance

Motion version 5.1.1 update adds the following features:

• Support for Apple ProRes 4444 XQ
• Improved Sequence Text behavior for animating characters, words, lines
• Enhanced Contrast filter parameters for refined adjustments

Compressor version 4.1.2 update adds the following features:

• Support for Apple ProRes 4444 XQ
• Status display and improved responsiveness when using "Send To Compressor" from Final Cut Pro X and Motion
• Improved performance and color accuracy when encoding H.264 source files from GoPro cameras
• Fixes issues transcoding alpha channels to image sequences
• Includes general stability improvements

Hooray for keyframe fixes, I can only hope they are actually true.

Has anyone had any issues updating? Is it safe...

Editing a 156 scene feature narrative, 1700 clip library, 2 hour timeline. Extremely visible and marked improvements in speed. Very pleased.

• Audio recording improvements including countdown and automatic Audition creation from multiple takes

Nice! Multiple take recording in Sountdrack Pro was always great. This is one way I can see using Auditions more. The addition of the countdown is welcome too.

tpayton wrote:

Looks like the update is not a delta but almost a whole new download. Mine is 2.28 GB. Perhaps we are going to get some under the hood surprises (i.e. UI speed in the timeline) in there too.

Interesting, mine is only 303MB.

Looks like I'm going to have to wait on this one.

Since I need to deliver AAF files via X2Pro, I'll have to wait for them to update.

Looks like it's time to start the 10.1.3 Pre-Release Discussion

I think the standard cooling off period is probably healthy...

Who knows, 10.1.3 could be another quick turnaround maintenance update. We never got to a 10.1.1 PRE RELEASE THREAD.

Very true.

I want to cry! STILL not able to remove select attributes/effects from a range of clips! Why is this so difficult? Everything else in this update to me is just fluff, I am so, so disappointed in this: a lovely simple feature in FCP7, yet still absent from FCPX. NO, selecting it in Inspector does NOT work if you have a range of other effects/attributes in some of the clips you have selected!! I really am furious about this, I have lost count how many times I've put this feature request in my feedback!

Arsecati wrote:

I want to cry! STILL not able to remove select attributes/effects from a range of clips! Why is this so difficult? Everything else in this update to me is just fluff, I am so, so disappointed in this: a lovely simple feature in FCP7, yet still absent from FCPX. NO, selecting it in Inspector does NOT work if you have a range of other effects/attributes in some of the clips you have selected!! I really am furious about this, I have lost count how many times I've put this feature request in my feedback!

Totally with you on this. Just had a situation today where I needed to remove noise reduction from around 25 clips and it took forever to do due to system lag. Once removed everything was awesome again. PLEASE APPLE - I've requested this too.... please please pretty please...

Arsecati, your reclaim is a really good point. I know developing software is slow and this update was apparently good mostly regarding bug fixing, but I don't understand why the take so much time to bring some features back to FCPX. They are not even new - revolutionary tools. Remove Effects was already in FCP7

Another question I have. Is it too hard to activate / program the function that lets editors move markers on the timeline with a single click? How many functions are there which are not activated? Alex4D could activate it, what is FCPX dev team waiting for?

I entirely agree this would be a great feature, and there are many more on the request list.

But this was not primarily a feature update. It was a huge bug-fix and performance-increase update before anything else, and I am very happy with this because it was badly needed. So keep submitting those requests for a next release. If we keep doing this I am sure that "Remove Attributes" and "Move Markers" will be high on the priority list or the next feature update.

- Ronny

JPM wrote:

I have the feeling that 10.1.2 will bring feature updates as well as bug fixes. Based on what? Just my intuition and the imminent release of DaVinci Resolve 11.

Think about it. After NAB 2014, all the buzz is around wether "Resolve 11 is what FCPX should have been", "the track based version of FCPX" that some people are still wishing for, and a new competitor to the more established NLEs for creative editing.

My bet is that right around the time BlackMagic releases Resolve 11 (the anticipated date is June, right around the corner), Apple will release an impressive update to FCPX in order to change the conversation entirely. Then people will see Resolve 11 as it is, a great online editor and color corrector, and an ideal companion to FCPX with seamless integration.

People will then talk about how much FCPX has improved as a creative cutting tool, how Apple is committed to develop this exciting new way of editing... and how far away from that is still DaVinci Resolve (and maybe even its direct competitors: Premiere Pro and Avid).

At least that's what I'm hoping for! I guess we'll see about that in the coming weeks.

BenB wrote:

Well I know for certain that 10.1.2 will be released when those people do that stuff and then those things at that place and stuff and junk. So we now know the exact release date. Plus, it is reviled in a secret code embedded in the Mayan calendar, too. I mean, duh! Everybody know that! Right? Damn, can't remember if I took my meds today... Anyway, that is the exact date, it's so obvious.

Well, I don't know about the Mayan calendar, but in all fairness I think my prediction was pretty much spot on, wasn't it? Don't I get credit for that?

Disproportionate wrote:

I don't think application development happens as fast as you're thinking it does. For any piece of software like this, the roadmap stretches out for years with varying levels of detail. Apple can't (and shouldn't) be crafting releases based on what Blackmagic did in April.

Whatever Apple has planned for 10.1.2 was already nailed down months ago. Maybe many months.

Apple isn't typically a reactionary company. It's going to do it's own thing regardless what people are saying.

I agree with you on that, but I wasn't implying that Apple was reacting to what its competitor are announcing these days. You see, I didn't say they were going to respond to Adobe's new Cloud update, nor to the release of Lightworks for the Mac platform.

What I meant is precisely that Apple and Blackmagic Design are not seeing each other as competitors, more like the opposite. I think it's obvious that they have something stronger than a partnership going on, and that they are moving forward together almost in a coordinated fashion. So yes, Apple probably had this release planned many months ago, but I'm sure Blackmagic's announcement was 'in a way' part of that plan or common strategy. The fact that the DaVinci Resolve 11 beta already included the new version of FCPXML (1.4) like Alex Gollner found out , proves that in my opinion. Although, for the record, I made my prediction prior to Alex's discovery!

Otherwise, Apple should sue Blackmagic for completely ripping off FCPX user interface and functionality in Resolve 11. And of course, that is never going to happen!

Because this teamwork between Apple and Blackmagic goes in both direction, I believe. I don't know if they are sharing resources or something, but sometimes I wonder if Blackmagic's could be behind some of the color tools in FCPX, like the gorgeous scopes, or the way the color board looks like the "Hue vs Sat" interface in Resolve. Again, just pure speculation on my part.

Anyway, back to the 10.1.2 update, I probably was expecting different features to be implemented. But now I think this update makes all the sense in the world. I agree with Ronny on that. I think most of us agree that FCPX has already reached a mature point as a tool and the big issues have been addressed already. So the next logical step is to empower new workflows (better collaboration and media management, support for new formats) so that more people can start using the software at all levels. This update will expand FCPX user base for sure! Then, they can keep on finessing the toolset. Although, it's fair to say that we also got some of that in this release too: better audio (absolute and relative volume adjustments) and better animation (improved key frames) are probably the two most important additions in this regard.

What I meant is precisely that Apple and Blackmagic Design are not seeing each other as competitors, more like the opposite.

I have no inside information at all, but I agree this was the thing that came to my mind when I first saw Resolve 11. As a track-based NLE Resolve is still a work in progress but it already has a very solid foundation. The way it looks now I can indeed see FCP X and Resolve growing into a powerful combination that could appeal to a vast range of editors.

- Ronny