More Photoshop layered file woes 10.4.4

Could someone kindly test this to see if this a bug, or something I'm doing wrong:

Import a simple two layer PS file into 10.4.4. Then in the Browser, drag that to a Projects Timeline. Double click the clip in the timeline, which should reveal the layered clip. Make a few changes to top layer, scale, add transition, etc.

Then in the top of the project window, click the Back arrow thing.

For me, the clip now longer has the little stacked symbol in the upper left corner of clip, and more concerning, I can't double click on that clip to revisit the layered contents.

Anyone else have this?

JL

It's the transition that does that. It's no longer a graphics file. You've gone into the clip container and altered what it is. It's just another clip now. To go into the clip use Clip>Open Clip.

It seems if you add a transition to say the top layer, it created a connected clip. Clicking the back arrow on project shows that the layer editing is no longer available. Little layered icon gone.

For whatever reason, the top layer of my layered PS clip shows that it is connected to the first layer. How do you get rid of a connection point in layered files?

Hi Tom.

Doesn't double clicking on the clip in the timeline do the same thing as Clip>Open Clip?

JL

Try it with a video or audio clip. It doesn't open it. It only opens PSDs, compounds, or multicams AFAIK.

What adding the transition does is make it no longer a layered Photoshop file. It's really not just the connection point that does it, but the transition and the secondary storyline you've created,

So what will remedy this? Something changed because at some point I was able to import a multi-layered PS file into FCP Browser, adding to Project, and the double click on clip in Project. This then usually opened up the expanded view of the layered PS image. I could then “shorten” reposition, add effects AND add a simple color fade to any layer I want.

Apparently that changed.

Thanks Tom.

One other thing: why is each layer in the expanded layer view mode show the layers as connected i.e connection point. Each layer should be just a layer. Somehow every layer needs to be “unconnected”.

Do you see this when you have not applied a transition?

Out of curiosity I went back to Sierra and 10.2.3 and found the same behavior. I could color change, transform, everything worked as you would expect with a layered PSD file. As soon as I applied a transition to a layer the clip stopped behaving as a layered PSD, lost the PSD badge, and could not be opened into the timeline by double clicking.

Jonathan Levin wrote: One other thing: why is each layer in the expanded layer view mode show the layers as connected i.e connection point. Each layer should be just a layer. Somehow every layer needs to be “unconnected”.

In any Timeline there is a primary storyline with connected clips. There's no such thing as floating lanes with nothing connected to the spinal cord (primary storyline).

I think I figured this out.

I was trying to add a transition, say Fade to Color, from the Transitions Browser in FCP. Adding that to my desired layer would create a secondary connected clip (I may be using the wrong term here).

This is where my clip in the Project went from Layered to, well, un-layered, meaning I could not re-open the clip by double clicking to reveal the PS layers.

The proper way to do this is to use the Show Video Animation command, then adjust Compositing Opacity for beginning and/or end of layer(s). The same thing can be achieved using the Inspector as well.

So far adding effects to a layer works to without destroying the "Layer Structure" of the clip in the Project.

The other mystery that I found the answer for today: even though I have my still import settings set to 3 seconds, my layered PS files were importing as one minute clips. According to Apple, this is the default for a layered image.

The preference in FCP is a selection preference, not an import preference. The three seconds is applied as a duration when you click on the clip in the browser.

Tom that is correct if it is a standard still image. I see the 3 second outline selection in the Browser after import. But a Layered file does not import that way, at least for me. Give it a try.

You're right, the selection is the whole clip. I don't think it's supposed to do that.

From Apple:

"By default, Final Cut Pro sets the duration of a layered graphics file to one minute. You can change the duration of the file in the Browser, so the file maintains that length when used in other libraries or projects."

support.apple.com/en-us/HT202409