Streamlined Clip Replacement

Hello,

I have done as much research as I can on this topic, and am aware the answer to this question might be: "Yeah Final Cut can't do that, you should be using XYZ program". Let me describe my situation.

I build a lot of files for live events, and I fully admit I did not train for this. It's similar enough to the operation of the video servers we have, and apparently I have a good eye for it. I do the final edit down on lots of files created in after effects. The client is constantly changing little parameters in the files, and I am constantly having to rebuild them.

Now obviously, I have learned a lot about the replace function, having maybe 10 versions a day of some clips. While the effects copy and paste feature is great, I still end up losing a lot of work. Let me preface this by saying that nearly everything we edit together is joined by cross fades, it's just the nature of things. So I have a the following sequence: Video, Transform Keyframed Image, Video, Transform Keyframed Image... x20+. The timings must be exact, and never vary. So after painstakingly create the transitions, which have keyframes that overlap to the other clips dominant side of the fade, I need to change all of the videos and images for ones of identical size (images), and identical lengths (video).

I have not found a non-destructive way to do this. So I have a video where the transition point (into the next image), is sooner than the end of the clip, I am applying a scale transform with keyframes beyond the bounds of the transitions on both sides, and the video is accelerated by 2X. Now, the client has changed the color of something, and I have a new video from the animator with an identical number of frames. I copy the clip (to store the effects), and replace the clip. Now here is where it becomes destructive...

I can either select (replace and retime), but it will time it faster since I haven't used some of the end of the clip. So this is unacceptable. I understand that I can simply paste the effects, however, when I do that, my keyframes are pushed to the mid-point of the transitions!!!

And because of our company IT structure, we keep the media files elsewhere, so I don't even have a central location that I can just delete the old files, replace with the new ones with an identical name! What i need, is to learn where the non destructive replace feature is. I need to be able to replace clips with newer versions without changing timing, effects, edit points, or keyframes. Because when I have gigantic files with corporate logos for miles, I need to be able to drag and drop quickly. Hell, the only reason I don't just use After Effects, is because timelines that big are too hard to navigate, but if anyone is familiar, I just need to do a crap ton of option dragging clips over old ones.

Thanks

Tricky one.

One thought. Say you have clip A, B & C. You will receive clip A1, B1 & C1 with the exact same length but changed content.

Before you build your project make a separate compound clip for A, B & C. Do not change the speed or apply any transformation.
Now use the new compounds Ac, Bc & Cc as your source clips to build the project. Change speed and what else you want to do.
Now you get the new clip versions. Open the original compounds and replace the clip inside with the new version e.g. Ac content changes from A to A1.

I can't try this right now but the project should just update the compounds and because all speed changes and keyframes are applied to the compound rather than the original clips, the project should look the same but with new content of clips A1, B1 & C1.

Maybe worth a try.
Happy editing
Carsten

The compound clip idea is very good and should work for you. Another way to do it, given that your new clips will always be exactly the same except for the content, is to simply select the ones that need to be changed and relink them to the new ones. Select them, go to Files->Relink Files, check the 'All' radio button, and relink to the new versions.

The drawback to this is that if you need to go to the old versions, you will have to relink to the old clips. I'm not sure if snapshots will preserve older versions when you relink clips. The compound clip method should work with snapshots.

A agree that compound clips would be way to handle this most efficiently. You can also just stack the clips and disable the old versions in the compound clip.

However, you can also just right click a clip and choose "open in timeline" and then do the replacing there. Once you close the timeline, you clip will be updated.

I showed this in a old tutorial (2011) here, starting at about 5:30:

Ah Brilliant. I was thinking about the 'open in timeline' too but was thinking about doing it in the event rather than the project. And then it wouldn't update in the project because the clip becomes independent once in the project. But of course doing it in the project works perfectly for saabstory88 problem.

Thanks TPayton!