Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2 User Guide

							 Chapter 6    Play back and skim media 81
Skim clips with editing tools
You can skim clips when you use the Blade, Trim, and Range Selection tools in the Timeline or in 
the Precision Editor. The tools behave as skimmers as you move the pointer over a clip.
 1 Select a clip in the Timeline or open the Precision Editor.
 2 Select either the Blade, Trim, or Range Selection tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar.
 3 Move the tool forward or backward over a clip.
When using an editing tool as a skimmer, you can skim and add markers to clips under 
connected clips in the Timeline.
Turn skimming on and off
 mTo turn all skimming on or off: Click the Skimming button, choose View > Skimming, or press S.
 mTo turn audio skimming on or off: Click the Audio Skimming button, choose View > Audio 
Skimming, or press Shift-S.
When skimming is turned on, the skimming buttons appear blue.
Audio skimming is turned off.
Skimming is turned on.
Note:  When skimming is turned off, you can still skim with the Blade, Trim, and Range Selection 
editing tools. 
Skim audio for individual clips or audio components
You can turn on clip skimming to limit audio skimming to an individual clip. This is useful if you 
have a connected clip in the Timeline and want to skim it without also hearing audio from the 
clip in the primary storyline. 
Important:  Audio skimming must also be turned on in order to use this feature.
You can also use clip skimming to skim and listen to an individual audio component when 
editing clips that show expanded audio components. If clip skimming is turned off, you hear 
combined audio for all components in the clip as you skim.
Tip:  To view expanded audio components, select the clip in the Timeline and choose Clip > 
Expand Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S).
 mTo turn clip skimming on or off, choose View > Clip Skimming (or press Option-Command-S).
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Play back and skim media in the Event View er
Sometimes, you may need two viewers so that you can play back and skim event clips separately 
from Timeline clips. The Event Viewer is a separate video display that appears next to the main 
Viewer. With the Event Viewer and the Viewer open, you can display two clips at the same time: 
one in the Browser and one in the Timeline.
Event ViewerViewer
You use the Event Viewer to play clips in the Browser only. As with the main Viewer, you can 
show video scopes, color channels, title and action safe zones, and multicam angles (with the 
Event Viewer set to show angles). Playback and adjustment controls are identical in the Viewer 
and the Event Viewer. Other viewer-related operations (including onscreen controls and built-in 
effects) are done with the main Viewer.
The dual-viewer interface is derived from linear tape-based systems, which included both source 
and record monitors. The source monitor was for previewing source clips and making selections 
in them. The record monitor was for playing back the edited program.
Open the Event Viewer
 mChoose Window > Show Event Viewer (or press Control-Command-3).
To close the Event Viewer, choose Window > Hide Event Viewer (or press Control-Command-3).
Note:  If you’re using video scopes with the Event Viewer, you may find it convenient to display 
the scopes below the video image rather than on the left side (the default). To display scopes 
below the video image, choose Vertical Layout from the Settings pop-up menu in the Event 
Viewer. For more information, see Use the video scopes
 on page 392 .
View playback on a second display
If you have a second display connected to your computer, you can show the Viewer on the 
second display to play video, or the Browser on the second display to view clips in an event, 
thereby expanding your workspace in the Final Cut Pro main window.
Show the Viewer on a second display
 1 Connect a second display (a second computer monitor connected to the PCI video card), and 
make sure it is connected to power and turned on.
 2 In Final Cut P ro, choose Window > S how Viewers on Second Display.
The Viewer appears on the second display. All Viewer features (including onscreen controls) are 
now available on the second display.
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Note:  If the Event Viewer is also visible, both viewers appear on the second display.
 3 To return the Viewer to the Final C ut P ro main window, choose Window > S how Viewers in the 
Main Window.
Show the Libraries list and the Browser on a second display
 1 Connect a second display (a second computer monitor connected to the PCI video card), and 
make sure it is connected to power and turned on.
 2 In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > S how Events on Second Display.
The Libraries list and the Browser appear on the second display. All event features (including 
selection capabilities, markers, keywords, and so on) are now available on the second display.
To return the Libraries list and Browser to the Final Cut Pro main window, choose Window > 
Show Events in the Main Window.
View playback on an external video monitor
Final Cut Pro includes an A/V Output option to send video and audio from your computer to 
an external video monitor. The A/V Output feature shows you how video and audio look and 
sound on an NTSC/PAL, HD, or 4K monitor. In addition, this feature allows you to test output with 
sophisticated external devices such as vectorscopes and waveform monitors. 
NTSC or PAL output requires compatible third-party video interface hardware and software. 
4K output requires a third-party video interface or a 4K-capable Mac with an HDMI output. 
FireWire DV devices are not supported. For more information about third-party devices and 
software, contact the device manufacturer or go to the Final Cut Pro X Resources webpage at 
http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/resources .
View playback on an external monitor using a third-party video interface
 1 Install the video int erface hardware and software according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
 2 Connect an external video monitor to the video interface, and make sure the monitor and all 
other external devices are connected to power and turned on.
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 3 To select an A/V output device, choose Final C ut P ro > P references (or press Command-Comma), 
click Playback, and choose the external monitor from the A/V Output pop-up menu.
 4 In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > A/V Output.
The Viewer contents appear on the broadcast monitor. Viewer features (such as onscreen 
controls and the title-safe and action-safe overlays) can be viewed only in Final Cut Pro.
Note:  Video and audio are synced at the video frame (not audio sample) level.
To turn off A/V output, choose Window > A/V Output.
View playback on an external monitor using HDMI
If you’re using Final Cut Pro 10.1 or later on a 4K-capable Mac with an HDMI port, you can play 4K 
or HD 1080 video on an external video monitor connected to the HDMI port.
For a list of compatible Mac computers, go to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6057 .
 1 Use an HDMI cable to connect the external (HDMI) video monitor to the HDMI port on your Mac, 
and make sure the monitor is connected to power and turned on.
 2 To configure the HDMI monitor, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and click Displays. 
 3 In Displays preferences, set the HDMI monitor to be a secondary display.
 4 Select Scaled, and in the list that appears, select 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160, 1080i, or 1080p.
Note:  You may need to press the Option key while you click Scaled to see additional resolutions 
for the HDMI monitor.
 5 To select the monitor in Final C ut P ro, choose Final C ut P ro > P references (or press Command-
Comma), click Playback, and choose the HDMI monitor from the A/V Output pop-up menu.
 6 In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > A/V Output.
The Viewer contents appear on the HDMI monitor. Viewer features (such as onscreen controls 
and the title-safe and action-safe overlays) can be viewed only in Final Cut Pro.
Note:  Video and audio are synced at the video frame (not audio sample) level.
To turn off A/V output, choose Window > A/V Output.
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Control playback quality and performance
There are two settings that affect visual quality and playback performance in the Viewer: the 
Quality setting and the Media setting. Both are found in the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the 
upper-right corner of the Viewer.
Set playback quality
In the Quality section of the Viewer Options pop-up menu, choose one of the following:
 mBetter Quality: Choose this option to display full-resolution video frames in the Viewer. This 
setting may decrease playback performance for high-quality, large-frame-size video.
 mBetter Performance: Choose this option to display video in the Viewer at reduced resolution. 
Decreasing the size of the media maintains playback performance even for very large media files.
Choose the type of playback media
In the Media section of the Viewer Options pop-up menu, choose one of the following:
 mOptimized/Original: Choose this option to use the optimized media (in the Apple ProRes 422 format) 
for playback. If optimized media is not available, Final Cut Pro uses the original media for playback. 
 mProxy:  Choose this option to use medium-quality proxy media (converted to one-half resolution) 
rather than full-resolution media for playback. Choosing this option increases playback 
performance but lowers the video quality. In Final Cut Pro, proxy media is in the Apple ProRes 
422 Proxy format.
You can use the Info inspector to determine whether optimized or proxy media files exist for a 
given clip. For more information, see  View a clip’s information
 on page 420. If you choose Proxy 
in the Viewer Options pop-up menu and no proxy media file exists, a Missing Proxy File alert icon 
appears in the Viewer.
Important:  If you use proxy media for playback, make sure to switch back to optimized/original 
media before sharing your project. This ensures the highest quality in the exported file. For more 
information, see Share projects, clips, and ranges
 on page 400. 
For more information about optimized and proxy media, see Manage optimized and proxy 
media files
 on page 425 .
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About background rendering
Rendering is the process of creating temporary video and audio render files for segments of your 
project that Final Cut Pro cannot play in real time. When you add effects, transitions, generators, 
titles, and other items that require rendering for playback at high quality, the render indicator (an 
orange bar) appears below the ruler at the top of the Timeline. 
Render indicator
By default, rendering begins in the background 5 seconds after you stop working and 
moving the pointer in Final Cut Pro. Background rendering continues while you work in 
a different application. You can turn off background rendering or adjust this setting in 
Final Cut Pro preferences.
You can also manually control rendering for a project or a portion of a project, and you can 
delete render files for one or more projects, events, or libraries to free up storage space. For more 
information, see Manage render files
 on page 429.
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Editing overview
The term video editing refers both to broader stages of a project workflow and to very specific 
manual tasks that you do with clips in a project Timeline.
 •Create a project: To create a movie in Final Cut Pro, you first create a project, which provides a 
record of your editing decisions and the media you use. See Create a new project
 on page 88. 
 •Make selections and add clips to the Timeline: Adding and arranging clips in your project is the 
fundamental step in creating a movie with Final Cut Pro. You move and reorder clips in the 
Timeline. See Adding clips overview on page 99, Arrange clips in the Timeline on page 11 7 , and 
Audio overview
 on page 15 6 . 
 •Cut and trim clips: Final Cut Pro provides a wide variety of tools for adjusting the start and 
end points of clips in the Timeline and for controlling pacing from one shot to the next. See 
Trimming overview
 on page 12 2. 
 •Further refine and adjust your project: Final Cut Pro provides many advanced editing tools to 
finish a highly polished movie with ease. See topics in the advanced editing section.
 •Add effects and color correction: Finishing touches include visual effects and color correction. 
See  Transitions, titles, effects, and generators overview
 on page 210 and Color correction 
overview
 on page 376 .
Toolbar: Perform common tasks by 
clicking a button.Connected clips: Add titles and cutaway shots. In the Magnetic 
Timeline, everything stays in sync.
Audio clips: Add music 
and sound effects as 
connected clips.Primary storyline: Add  and 
arrange clips to construct 
your movie.
Edit your project
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							 Chapter 7    Edit your project 88
Create and manage projects
Create a new project
To create a movie in Final Cut Pro, you first create a project, which provides a record of your 
editing decisions and the media you use. Then you add clips to the Timeline and edit them.
When you create a new Final Cut Pro project, you do the following:
 •Name the project.
 •Specify the event where the project is stored.
Often, you store projects in events that contain the media used to create the project. When 
you drag media from the Finder or a Final Cut Pro media browser to the Timeline, that media 
is automatically located in the same event as the project.
Optionally, you can also set the starting timecode and define the video, audio, and render 
properties for the project.
After creating your project, you add clips to it from an event in the library.
Note:  If you’re creating a project and you haven’t yet imported media into Final Cut Pro, you 
should do so. For more information, see Importing overview on page 23 .
Start a project
 1 If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser.
 2 In the Libraries list, select the event where you want to create the project. 
 3 Choose File > N ew Project (or press Command-N).
 4 In the window tha t appears, type a name for the project in the Name field.
 5 If you want to store the project in an event other than the selected event, choose a different 
event from the In Event pop-up menu. 
If you drag any media files from the Finder directly to the project in the Timeline, or add media 
to the project from one of the media browsers, that media is automatically stored in the same 
event with the project.
 6 If you want to further customize settings for your project, click Use Custom Settings.
Note:  Final Cut Pro shows the Automatic Settings by default, but it retains the settings you used 
last, so this step may be unnecessary.
 7 If you want your project’s timecode to start at a value other than 00:00:00:00, type a starting 
timecode value in the Starting Timecode field.
 8 If you want to make any changes to the project’s video or audio properties, select Custom and 
use the pop-up menus.
Unless you have a specific requirement for the project you’re creating, it’s best to leave “Set 
automatically based on first video clip” selected. For information about project settings, see 
Modify a project’s settings
 on page 89.
 9 Click OK.
The new project appears in the Browser with the name you gave it in step 4.
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							 Chapter 7    Edit your project 89
You can now add clips from the Browser and begin to edit your project in other ways, adding 
titles, special effects, background music, sound effects, and more.
You can change a project’s properties at any time. For more information, see  Modify a project’s 
settings
 on page 89 .
Open an existing project
You can open an existing project at any time.
Open a project
 1 If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser.
 2 In the Libraries list, select the event containing the project you want to open.
 3 Locate the project you want to open and double-click it.
Note:  You may have to scroll up to the top of the event to see the project.
Modify a project’s settings
As your project evolves, you may decide you want to change its settings.
In most cases, Final Cut Pro manages project settings automatically based on the properties of 
the first clip you add to a project, but you can change almost all settings of an existing project. 
If you must modify the project settings, choose video and audio project settings based on how 
you intend to share your final movie with your audience.
Change a project’s settings
 1 In the Libraries list, select the event that contains the project you want to modify, and select the 
project (or double-click it to open it in the Timeline).
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose Window > Project Properties (or press Command-J).
 •Click the Inspector button in the toolbar.
 3 Click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears.
Info button
 4 Click the Modify Settings button.
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 5 In the window that appears, change the settings as appropriate.
Change the project’s 
video, audio, and 
render properties.
Project Name
 •Project Name: Type a name for the project.
Starting Timecode
 •Starting Timecode:  If you want your project’s timecode to start at a value other than 
00:00:00:00, type a starting timecode value.
Drop Frame Timecode
 •Drop Frame: Select the checkbox to turn on drop frame timecode (this option appears only for 
29.97 and 59.94 fps media). 
In non-drop frame timecode, the timecode counter counts at a consistent rate without 
dropping any numbers from the count. Non-drop frame timecode is available as a display 
option for every frame rate.
In drop frame timecode, frames 0 and 1 are skipped the first second of every minute, unless 
the minute number is exactly divisible by 10.
Video Properties
 •Format: Choose the video format (a specific method of encoding the video).
 •Resolution: Choose the frame size of the video. Available frame sizes are dependent on the 
format. To enter an arbitrary frame size, choose Custom in the Format pop-up menu.
 •Rate: Choose the frames per second (fps).
Note:  Unless the Timeline is completely empty, you cannot change the frame rate of an 
existing project.
Audio and Render Properties
 •Audio Channels: Choose whether to present the audio as multichannel surround sound or 
as stereo.
 •Audio Sample Rate: Choose the audio sample rate for your project (the number of times a 
signal is measured—or sampled—per second). A higher sample rate produces higher-quality 
audio and larger file sizes, and a lower sample rate produces lower-quality audio and smaller 
file sizes. The sample rate you choose depends on the source material you’re working with and 
the final destination of your audio.
 •Render Format: Choose the codec to use for your project’s background rendering.
 6 Click OK.
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