The Popcorn Island Final Cut 2 After Effects Script is a simple way to move sequences in Final Cut into Compositions in After Effects. Not only does it allow you to work faster, it also saves storage space. The normal work flow of rendering out from Final Cut and opening in After Effects causes one to create temporary files to pass back and forth between the programs. The Final Cut 2 After Effects script will allow you to bypass that and simply use the footage that has already been imported into Final Cut.
NEWS: Gerard over at strypesinpost.com has put up a tutorial on using this script to move over project to windows! check it out
Links:
- Tutorial: Final Cut 2 After Effects Tutorial
- Download:
Features 1.0.9
- Marker Import
- Cross Dissolve Transitions (v1.05)
- Basic Editing Translation
- Segmented Clips
- Basic Keyframes
- Time Remapping
- Nested Sequences
- Multiple Frame Rates and Aspect Ratios
- Audio Channels
- Name Length Error Checking
- Support for PAL25 and 60
Version Info
- Version 1.09 Update
- Center Point bug Fix, footage of different sizes using center point effects now import properly
- setValueAtTime bug Fix, Rounding errors in speed changes addressed.
- NOTE: I could use any community help debugging
this problem, though I now have a fix in place, I cannot be sure of the 1:1 frame matching between FCP and After Effects when using speed changes,
if anyone can run tests it would be extremely helpful. thx!
- Version 1.07 Update
- Markers are now imported into a marker layer in after effects. Name is used for flash events, comment for comment (thanks @Guillaume)
- Version 1.06 Update
- Updated Frame Rate bug for 50fps (and other unknowns) thanks @daniel
- CS3 Version 1.05 Update
- There is an issue with scripts compiled for CS4 using Extendscript toolkit CS4 that causes problems in CS3, the script will fail instantly. So I have had to split this project into 2 scripts. You will now see a script built for CS4 and one for CS3, these have been been confirmed working. Thanks to Kevin Brock for going back and forth with us on a couple scripts as we don’t have a good CS3 work flow here. We hope this helps everyone out! Thanks!
- Version 1.05
- FIX: Rounding Error on 23.976 footage causing Single Frame difference from original.
- UPDATE: Top Level Folder will now follow XML Filename, and not “FCP_Import”.
Hi..!
It works for me in MAC but I can’t use it in my PC.
It says it can’t find the file in the current path. Is there anything I can do to solve it..?
Thanks..! Great script..!!
Super thank´s for that awesome script!
From Spain!!
GRACIAS!
On your PC? is this a separate computer? I am not sure how this would work, so I think I am a bit confused…
Have you generated the XML file on your mac, then simply trying to open the XML on another computer? If so this will not work
as the XML file stores local file paths which, even if your mac is on a network, will not translate when you open this in windows.
I guess it might be possible to copy all your production files over to your PC and do a find and replace in the XML file to change
all the path names. This does defeat the purpose of the script….
Maybe if all your footage is on an external harddrive you could move over to a PC, do a find and replace on all the paths in the XML file
then attempt to import it. Still it seems like a stretch!
hope that helps, if you have more info feel free to email us!
This is AWESOME! Thanks a ton.
What about when you go back to FCP? What’s the process for that?
OK, so I am in the middle of a MASSIVE dvd project – I’m midway through doing the same thing I’ve done for years and thinking, “Why the hell am I creating new files, new clips from old clips, porting into AE, re-rendering, trying to sync stuff in AE when it’s a compositing package not an editing one” .. I’m going off my head silly when I punch into google and BAM!! This remarkably simple solution smacks me in the mouth .. I race through the tutorial .. get halfway and too excited not to just try it .. get on it, EVERYTHING so far (!!) works like a dream – this sh%^t is magic! I owe you guys like … I dunno, at least 5 hours of my time … HUGE THANKS TO YOU ALL !! Woot.
Hi there,
Your script is wonderful, no doubt. But I have an issue due to editing Canon 5D material that is 30 fps mov.
I created a 30 fps timeline in FCP 6.0.6, edited 4 clips for a total duration of 00:01:00:00 and exported the XML.
When I open the XML in AE CS3, the composition is 00:01:00:02 and the frame rate is changed to 29,97 fps.
I made another timeline at 29,97 fps that is correctly interpreted through its XML in AE.
Any solution for a proper 30 fps export-import ?
Blaise
Oh – think maybe I spoke too soon – have tested with a few clips but as soon as I use my real one (32 mins) it bugs out – clips lose their position in time and some are missing altogether – disaster! Works great with smaller files and only difference for me is that there is more data on my FCP timeline ? Hmmm .. Any help appreciated …
Basically I reduced my timeline in FCP all the way back to one single layer of vision, pulled all the audio out even and tried inporting with both audio on and off in AE. All goes outta whack!
Tried also to use the kindasorta.jsx which allows us to sort layers by inPoint – which allowed me to identify what was going on with all the vision clips – they’re all scattered and everywhere – anyone else know anything about this?
Many thanks!!
JS.
Hi!, first thanks for this excelente post!!!!!!
I’ve a problem with the cross dissolve transition on the OUT of each clip, ae don’t recognize it!… the IN transition works perfectly.
Thanks for your comment about this little but expensive problem
Sergio
AE 9.02 / Final Cut 7.0.1 / PI to AE script 1.0.7.
Tried bringing in the original FC demo called ‘The Lindy Hop’. It uses a layered Photoshop file for some of the graphics. When importing the XML file I get a dialog for the photoshop file. My choice are /Footage/Select Layer (guessing the correct layer to try and get the order right/Layer size. This imports everything, but get an error (Unable to execute script at line 201. Function marker.name.split is undefined.
The photoshop layers show up in the wrong order, and they are out of position, but of have the pan and scale animation applied.
One of the video layers is not in sync. It sits at frame 0. It is meant to be used further down in the piece which involves a wipe transition. This transition does not exist in AE, and the final rotating box wipe is also missing.
I have always kept this iconic clip sequence around just to check for correct installs.
Can you help?
Thanks,
Russ
[...] por excelencia. Algunas comerciales, como las de Automatic Duck, y otras gratuítas, como el script Final Cut 2 After Effects, del que hablaremos en [...]
If you value your time Automatic Duck is still the way to go. The bugs have already been worked out. But if you have lots of time to spare and trouble-shoot, looks like something to toy with.
[...] Final Cut 2 After Effects « Popcorn Island – De fcp à AE [...]
[...] Final Cut 2 After Effects Filed under Filters Comment (RSS) | Trackback | Permalink [...]
Hi there
First of all, congratulations and thanks for this amazing script and second I am having a bit of a problem here, because when I do the import everything seems ok until I start playing the video…Every thing is up side down, meaning that the last part of the secuence is now the start……Is that normal???
Nope, that’s not normal at all. go ahead and shoot us an email contact [at] popcornisland (dot) com and we will try to figure out whats going on!
thanks
Thx gys for this great script, i’m student in Chile and i work a lot with FCP and AE, so no I can save plenty of time. Really great. Keep working… you’re the greatest. Saludos desde Santiago
Woohoo…. and to think I was just about to buy the Automatic Duck AE IMPORT plug…
super script !!!
unable to execute script at line 546. After Effects error: Unable to call “setValueAtTime” because of parameter 2. Value 692.79 out of range 0 to 692.73
I get this message when I am trying to import an xml. Does using interchange version 4 or 5 matter? Any ideas?
as per Elther’s post above (#18)
the script has been working GREAT, but now i get the UNABLE TO CALL “setValueAtTime” error too, and only one clip gets imported into AE.
FYI: Same result if I use interchange 4 o 5.
Any assistance or insight would be so greatly appreciated
THANKYOU
MUCHAS GRACIAS DE TODA LA POSTPO URUGUAYA!!!
tnx!!!
same problem as in posts #18 / #19 here
same here like in posts 18,19 and 22
[...] jasondiamond RT @5tu: Final Cut to After Effects conversion script: http://www.popcornisland.com/after-effects/final-cut-2-after-effects/ [...]
THIS IS AWESOME THANK YOU.
had an issue on one transfer. my footage imported correctly for me. however all the sound was out of sync. i went back to final cut to look for syncing there and all my audio had gone unrendered.
how to move back to FCP?
hey awesome script, you guys are amazing! question is there another way to get this back to final cut pro 7 without rendering it?
Hi
It works in FCP 6. Thanks a lot.
same problem as in posts #18 #19 #22 #23
it do not work in FCP 7. Why? It’s a greate script… Do something … ))) Please…
is there a way to get back into fcp without rendering and getting all the info you did in ae and does it work for fcp7. i just got fcp 7 and installed it it would really suck if it doesn’t work cause this script was great. in fcp6. i’m not the most technically sound in these areas
oh by the way i have got that same error b4 was it because of a time adjustment that it couldn’t handle? It happened to me when my time remap was extreme i guess?!!!
@devin Sorry to hear about that error, I thought we had that all fixed up. If you actually can still reproduce us please shoot us an email contact [at] popcornisland . com and maybe we can get an exmaple to get this fixed up for sure!!! thanks!
@devin As of right now there is no way to get back into final cut. Mainly because we wouldn’t use that much in our workflow the things we do in after effects cannot be recreated in FC, or we would of done them there to begin with
As for FCP7 We are using that here, and have had no problems. Please let us know if you come across anything!
Ok, it was my mistake. in AE CS4 check in preference>general
line —Allow scripts to write a files ……—— It have to be swith on! Thanks for a grate script…)))))
[...] voila, a free solution. A media group called Popcorn Island wrote a script (available for download here) for After Effects CS3 and CS4 that allows you to import XML files generated by Final Cut and [...]
[...] me imagino que a muchos de ustedes también). Qué como es??? En el sitio web de PopCornIsland te regalan un Script que lo hace todo a la perfección. En adelanto les digo que se llama [...]
don’t have automatic duck and doing a free greenscreen music video project… in short. <3 you