How I think the FCP X Color board should actually look, roughly.

How I think the FCP X Color board should actually look, very roughly.



If they only put the complimentary colors on the bottom, I think it would make much more since.

Ha ha. Genius.

It would teach users about colour theory that's for sure. Posted to feedback?

If you're looking for things to change about the Color Board, my vote for change would be minor and easy to implement:

Make the Exposure Tab the first one you see, not the last. I don't know about everyone else, but I always deal with Exposure before anything else. Then Color, then Saturation. It is rare that I don't deal with Exposure at all, but it is almost always always always first!

Oh... and I'd add CURVES!

PS: The Color Board, as such is fine (and reasonably intuitive) for me....

I agree exposure should be first. Problem is when you open the color board you would see a B&W screen, which would freak the punters out.

Proper color workflow is first do white balance. But with FCP X, there's no real tool for that besides the color board. Second is contract (Exposure). Then hue/sat adjustments. The order of the tabs don't really make sense either.

Yes, I've filled out the feedback page, and encouraging others to request complimentary colors be put in the lower half of the color board.

I agree that it's odd (or less than ideal) not to have a manual white balance method (or white, black and grey). Perhaps Apple thinks the "auto" balance is sufficient (it rarely works the way I'd want it to...). White balance deals with both contrast and color balance at the same time, but they've broken contrast, hue and saturation into three discrete tabs instead of having them all part of the same page, which I'd prefer (like Apple Color or Resolve, for example). Has anyone tried the White Balance plugin?

White balance and contrast are actually two separate operations. And yes, having to jump between the controls is pretty awkward. The whole color board is the only part of FCP X I absolutely hate. I know a few other very recognizable names in the FCP world I've spoken to personally who all feel the same. If enough folks complain, Apple may make minor tweaks to it. But I doubt they'll redo the whole thing completely.

Look at the parameters below the board, percentage from center to the top/bottom makes sense. But to measure your position horizontally along the center line as "degrees"? Really? Isn't that the measurement of a "circle"? How does that make sense?

I like it the way it is, I'm very happy with it showing the colour I'm removing or adding, I have the knowledge of light and colour and the board responds as to how I think.

What interests me here is that the proposed changes are cosmetic. I see how you (Ben) could prefer it as a teaching tool, I do get that. But I don't see how they could make someone who currently doesn't like it, and understands what they are doing, change to liking the colour board. It doesn't really make any difference to the operation.

If they did change it I think I'd like it to be optional, but I don't see them changing it and if they do I doubt it would be optional/switchable and I could work with it either way.

I don't have a problem with it being measured in degrees as I don't adjust colour mathematically, but one change I would "possibly" make is to change the position of the colours to run from blue to red according to the spectrum and have it measured in wavelength (nm) but that's just an initial thought.

Note: I'm going to find out how fast Apple do computer repairs this morning, so if I don't respond to anything posted in relation to this I'm not being rude, just needing a screen changed.

I like the color board in X--better the color wheels in 7. That said, yes, exposure tab first. Definitely. Should also have an option to have a user selected scope pop up as well automatically when you right arrow in the color board. That would speed things up a tad.

Why would anyone, newbie or seasoned pro, NOT want to see the complimentary color the pulling a controller down will introduce?

You say "I'm very happy with it showing the colour I'm removing or adding" But what color is "negative blue"? How do most editors know that? Why NOT show the complimentary color you're adding when you pull downwards? It would be more logical AND be more intuitive.

And what purpose doe "degrees" serve in a rectangle? Just more confusing, meaningless design.

Better than color wheels? In what way? How does a scheme that defies the science of color work better than a scheme that accurately represents the science of color? The board holds newbies back from really understanding what they're doing, and insults seasoned pros, IMHO.

I'll just add here that in personal conversations I've had with the top 3 people in the FCP world (all due respect to Tom, he and I haven't spoken about this in person) who are expert colorists, they also hate this board because it is not logical an misleads new editors, who are Apple's market for this product.

I don't remember us speaking Ben:)

As a Color user, after my initial disdain for the color board, I think that the color board is incredibly brilliant and have had no trouble teaching it to others, especially those new to editing. My suggestion would be to increase the size of the neutral horizontal "lane" between adding a color on the top, or removing a color on the bottom section.


Also, there is precedent for a rectangular representation of color in a standard view of the visible light spectrum. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Computer_color_spectrum.svg

However, I understand that everyone does not share my feelings. My feature request would be to add a toggle to show either the board or a color wheel. I think it could be just a single wheel with the 4 pucks on it.

But yes we definitely need RGB and Luma curves.

In general, I like the functionality of the current board. I have no problem with your suggestion of showing the opposite colors below the horizon—although wouldn't it have to more of a gradation to accurately reflect the gradual shift from, say, Green to Red?

In any case, allowing for customization would be a great thing for AAPL to add in an update. Or for a nice third party plug ing.

Payton, that is a good graphic to show the limitations of a device, but not for working artistically with color, in which complimentary colors are a necessity. The board is great for amateurs who don't know or care to know real, professional color grading. The board helps make FCP X a consumer product, and not one for a professional work environment.

I will ask again, what color is "negative blue"? No one has an answer for that based on the color board.

In my macProVideo tutorial about crafting FX for FCP, in one lesson I talk about complimenting and contrasting color schemes in design. The color wheel is essential for making those decisions, because it works according to the science of how the color spectrum works. The board in no manner at all reflects that.

If you love the "Squeel" (square color wheel) that's great. But let's admit it is not a professional colorist tool, is overly simplified, and offers no avenue for beginners to advance their color grading skills. You're never allowed to remove the training wheels with this tool as it is. It is a consumer tool, nothing more. But Apple insists FCP X is a professional NLE. There's a huge conflict there.

Let me ask this, how am I supposed to grade between red hues? I can't, I have to jump from one side of the board to the other, or work in a "negative" space that does not visually show red where it actually exists. How is that intuitive?

Love it? Great, be happy with it.
Is it a professional tool? Not by any stretch of the imagination.

You make good points Ben.

Yeah the squeel sucks. It's also a pain if you want to shift mids highs and lows to the same area.

My only issue with this suggestion is the negative marker which in reality shouldn't be there as you are not subtracting the complimentary colours you're adding them.

So this to me is just as confusing as Apple's mess.

Exactly how is showing a complimentary color confusing?

I personally don't care too much about the wheel/rectangle but thats because the work I do, I tend to shoot myself.
I light and shoot as I want it to be. Pushing colours around is so slight a task in my own workflow that I saw the rectangle and just thought 'well ok', shrugged and got back to work.
I think negative blue is a misnomer. I do find that I only really visit the exposure tab and won't think about colour on a clip by clip basis more on a compound clip (representing a section in the edit) or full story line and thinking about keeping it legal.
I like to keep colour work subtle and in the service of the mood and the rectangle is fine too emphasise/play-down 'mood' colour space.
Good discussion, thanks

If ou guys are looking for descent color tool.

There is DaVinci Resolve! :woohoo:

I'm just starting to have time to look into Resolve LITE. But I have issues with it needing a CUDA card, and FCP X needing an OpenCL card, and Motion/FCP freaking out with multiple GPUs.

Still doesn't excuse Apple from stating this is an professional NLE, and giving us non-pro tools. Crossing my fingers for something big to be announced on Thursday.

OK, some of us love the Squeel, some of us hate the Squeel, whatever, I think we all made our points. Good to see so many opinions all over the map about it

To learn "professional" color grading, get Alexis book, it's the bible of grading.
www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321713117

Let's kill this thread here and move on to the announcement at LAFCPUG Thursday and hope for the best.

I'm actually pretty excited. Hope they talk about more than just what's already posted on the FCP web site as future features. Either way, it's nice to see them being more public now.

Follow and contribute to the thread here:
www.fcp.co/forum/4-final-cut-pro-x-fcpx/...27?limit=20&start=20