Create a timeline with custom frame rates

I have an Edgertronic camera that shoots in variable frame rates at variable resolutions. I have recently filmed events at 494 frames per second with a 1280x1024 resolution. I want to play this footage back at "real time" speed.

I know that I can create a 30p timeline and apply a retime of 1646.66% to my clip. The clip will now play back in 30 frames per second. However, it will not play all 494 frames that I recorded. Approximately 16 frames will be skipped for every frame that is played. I do not want this to happen or I wouldn't have bothered spending $8,000 on a camera and lens.

My question is this:

Is there a way to retime my footage without skipping frames? The only workaround I have been able to think of is to somehow create a 494p custom timeline instead of the stock 30p, 60p, etc. options fcpx offers. This way, when I drop my clip into the timeline it will play in "real time" while preserving all of the frames.

I am well aware that the human eye cannot perceive frame rates this high and blah blah blah. However, I still need all of the information to be preserved.

Rather than retiming try using the automatic speed function.

I have tried this as well. It still skips frames and the maximum frame rate i can end up with is 60 if I create a 60p timeline.

I have tried that. It still skips frames to get the footage to play at real time instead of increasing the number of frames displayed per second to get the footage to play in real time.

If you used automatic speed you should get slomo in the timeline, which is the point of shooting high frame rate media.

Or are you trying to make a high frame rate project? Why? What's going to play it back?

I've never tried this but you could open the high frane rate clip into the timeline and edit other material into it. No idea if it will work for output or what result you'll get,

Right. If I use automatic speed I get slow mo. I'm trying to get rid of the slow mo and play the clip at full speed but not skip frames to do this. I tried creating a quicktime movie with a custom frame rate of 494 frames per second and the custom resolution of my video. I then opened that clip into the timeline. Then I dumped my clip into the timeline. It appeared to have worked as when I zoomed in on the timeline I could see 494 frames before the timecode read 1 second. If i scrolled with the playhead I could see each frame but as soon as I tried using the arrow key to advance to the next frame it skipped about 8 frames. To me that indicated that the timeline was still stuck at 60 frames per second as 494/60 is 8.23. Is fcpx not able to make a timeline of greater than 60p?

FCP can only create projects in standardized frame rates used for video distribution. I assume the clip plays correctly when you play it in the browser. I assume it plays correctly when you play it opened into the timeline. You cannot make a 494fps project. What are you going to do with a 494fps project?

Tom Wolsky wrote: .... What are you going to do with a 494fps project?

… a movie for flies?
SCNR!!! :woohoo:

<creeping back under my stone>

Your method is correct - editing a high frame rate movie in its timeline works for me.

I just opened a 1500 frames per second clip in its timeline and added a title at frame 139.

Although the left and right keys don't move frame by frame, you can add clips and other content at actual frame boundaries.

Moving clips and edit points using < and > works at frame precision.

When the frame rate is very high, you can use 'move subframe left and right' keyboard shortcuts: Command-Left and Command-Right. In my 1500fps timeline, pressing Command-Left twice moves me to the next frame.


@Alex4D

PS: