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Final Cut Pro X - What's New

Final Cut Pro X is a revolutionary video editing application that re-imagines moviemaking and makes it possible for both beginners and seasoned professionals to achieve stunning results. Rebuilt from the ground up, FCP X takes full advantage of the latest Apple hardware and Mac OS to solve the most difficult technical challenges in video editing, allowing filmmakers to focus on creative storytelling.

New Interface

The application offers a completely new video editing interface, which is easy to use and learn while allowing you to get professional results – using all the power of your Mac.

64-Bit Support

64-bit support means FCP X can take full advantage of all the RAM in your system. No longer restricted to the 4 GB limit of 32-bit applications, FCP X can handle larger frame sizes and can keep more frames in memory.  And with the rebuilt 64-bit architecture in FCP X, you can work with larger projects while creating deeper and more interesting multi-layered graphics.

Cocoa

Built using the Apple Cocoa framework, FCP X is designed specifically as a Mac OS X native application. Using common interface elements that are familiar and easy to use, Cocoa also leverages technologies such as Core Animation to make the interface more responsive and interactive.

ColorSync-Managed Color Pipeline

FCP X takes full advantage of Apple’s ColorSync color management for display and processing, producing accurate and consistent color from import through render and export. Colors will look the same whether you are playing back media in FCP X, Motion, Compressor, or QuickTime. With highly accurate precision, the new background processing also computes effects at floating point precision. And by working in linear light color space, FCP X produces exceptional results for effects like blurs, scales and blends, just like high-end compositing software.

Increased Native Format Support

FCP X now supports more formats than ever including native AVCHD, H.264 from DSLRs and a range of professional formats. Resolution independence means you can mix and match formats and frame rates all the way up to 4K. Compressed audio formats — including MP3 and AAC — are also supported, making it easy to use iTunes as your built-in music library. For video blogging, you can now capture from the built-in iSight or FaceTime camera on your Mac.

GPU Utilization and Grand Central Dispatch

By using the GPU on the graphics board for effects preview and some rendering, you get the advantage of faster processing and superb realtime playback during the creative process. Then, once editing decisions have been made, processing moves to the background and utilizes Grand Central Dispatch in Snow Leopard and Lion to use all available CPU cores. FCP X is also optimized to take advantage of the new AVX capabilities of Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors.

Background Processing

Throughout the editing process, FCP X utilizes unused cycles in the background to execute a range of tasks, so you can be creative without interruption. Background processing includes rendering, transcoding, moving media, and exporting.

Content Auto-Analysis

Final Cut now includes a process called Content Auto-Analysis, where the computer does much of the organizing work for you. There are many places where this saves you time and helps you deal with lots of footage.

When you import your media from the original memory card or hard drive, FCP X can analyze and even improve your media in a wide range of smart ways. In today’s workflows we have more media than ever and there is a lot the Mac can do to help organize while you are importing. Start editing immediately while the system performs the Content Auto-Analysis in the background.

All metadata about the clip is analyzed and used by FCP X for media management. The import process detects frame size, frame rate and codec among many other important bits of information. And if you import directly from the camera, there is rich camera metadata that can be attached to the clip and used for organization.

Range-Based Keywords

While Content Auto-Analysis performs important organization tasks for you, range-based keywords allow you to add custom metadata to your media.

Select a range of time in your footage and assign a keyword or multiple keywords to any segment. Keyword shortcuts are assigned to your keyboard automatically and you can easily manage favorites using the Keyword Editor. Just the act of assigning a keyword sets up the Keyword Collection and places the shot inside, ready for use. Old-fashioned bins don’t come close to the dynamic capabilities of keyword-based organizing.

Smart Collections

With all of this new automatic and manually-generated metadata, we need a way to efficiently filter and organize the information.  So Apple created Smart Collections.

You can create Smart Collections to organize your media according to specific criteria, without moving or duplicating files. After creating a Smart Collection, newly-imported media matching the same criteria is automatically added to the Smart Collection. You can use metadata generated from Content Auto-Analysis, along with custom keywords, to set up a Smart Collection.

Clip Connections

Using the new concept of Clip Connections, it’s easy to place B-roll, titles, music and sound effects precisely, directly linked to reference clips throughout the project.  Establish a connection with a single keystroke. You can make changes at any point, and when moving clips around the timeline, all connected clips move as well.

Magnetic Timeline

The Magnetic Timeline is a revolutionary breakthrough in non-linear editing that eliminates the restrictions of traditional, track-based timelines. No more clip collisions or out-of-sync problems when working under pressure to assemble your story.  Using a visual simplicity that hides a highly functional set of tools, the Magnetic Timeline makes experimenting fast and fluid. It automatically tracks clip relationships when moving, trimming and adding effects, enabling easy changes even in complex sequences.

Compound Clips

Control complexity by collapsing many clips into one. The Compound Clip allows the editor to select a range of clips in the timeline or Event Browser and turn them into a single, simple clip. Apply an effect, like a speed change, to multiple clips at once, or reuse a montage in other projects by turning it into a Compound Clip. Dive in to the Compound Clip to make changes or expand it back out within the larger timeline.

Inline Precision Editor

When you need that extra level of control, just double-click any edit point to reveal the Inline Precision Editor. Skim over all available material in the timeline, eliminating shot length guesswork. A single mouse click chooses the frame or audio sample for the fine art of perfect timing.

Auditions

Deciding which shot to use in a particular place is an essential part of the editing process.  Auditions let you easily try out alternate shots — right in the timeline.  Here I have a group of B-roll shots and can’t decide which one to use.  With Auditions, I can simply select multiple clips and then turn them into an Audition. Then I can easily cycle through all the shot choices and play them back in context. Use Auditions to see the same clip with different effects applied, try different performances of the same line or try out completely different montages in the same location.

Motion 5

Motion 5 is a significant upgrade to Motion. The motion graphics companion to Final Cut Pro X lets you enhance your projects with powerful, professional text and motion graphics effects.

Motion is implemented on the same modern foundations as Final Cut Pro so you can get the most from your Mac.

• Motion 5 is a 64-bit application from the ground up, made to maximize performance of memory-intensive computing tasks.
• A ColorSync-managed color pipeline guarantees a consistent look across the motions graphics workflow.
• A resolution independent engine supports clips and images of any size.
• Motion 5 leverages Grand Central Dispatch to maximize performance on multi-core machines.
• A Shared Render Engine with Final Cut Pro and Compressor providing high performance and color consistency across all applications.

The Motion interface has been redesigned from the ground up.

• Motion 5 is built as a Mac OS X-native application using Apple’s Cocoa framework for a more responsive and interactive feel.
• A dark interface allows you to focus on your motion graphics and makes it easy to switch between Motion 5 and Final Cut Pro X.
• A new single-window layout puts all the tools you need at your fingertips.
• Redesigned icons make it easy to identify options at glance.
• Keyframe editing is much more accessible thanks to a new view that displays the Keyframe editor below the timeline.

New Smart Motion Templates let you work quickly and flexibly with high-quality effects, titles, transitions, and generators as you edit in Final Cut Pro.

• Publish templates to Final Cut Pro simply by saving them.
• Smart Motion Templates can include Parameter rigs to save steps when working with a large number of parameters.
• For titles, define fixed durations for intro and outro sections, and Final Cut Pro adjusts the title body to fit the timing in the middle.
• Set up templates with multiple aspect ratios to have Final Cut Pro automatically use the correct layout based on the frame size of your footage.

Parameter rigs let you save steps when working with a large number of parameters.

• Adjust related parameters with a single control.
• Control options include a slider, pop-up menu, or checkbox.
• Drag and drop any parameter onto a rig to add it to a control.
• Modify a rig at any time by changing controlled parameters or adding a new control.
• Because rigs let you switch quickly among options in real time, they are ideal for Smart Motion Templates used in Final Cut Pro.

Creating chroma keys has never been easier.

• Just drag and drop the Keying filter in one-step for an instant chroma key that is accurate for most projects.
• Use onscreen controls and a simple slider to adjust the key color and edge softness.
• For additional adjustments, instantly access advanced controls.
• Advanced controls include an intuitive color wheel for adjusting the chroma key.

Easy animated texts and titles

Instantly see words fly, swoop, or slide through the frame, using drag-and-drop behaviors and intuitive text animation tools. Dynamic, real-time feedback makes it easy to experiment freely.

• Text creation tools allow you to adjust a wide variety of text parameters, including position, opacity, rotation, format, style, and layout — with new support for right-to-left and vertical text for languages such as Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic.
• Text animations let you quickly animate text on or off the screen by choosing from more than 100 behaviors, including Type On and Blur Out.
• Motion lets you set up a credit roll in just a few steps — even for long lists of production credits.
• Text generators automate common tasks that otherwise would take hours to complete by hand; for example, a number countdown or a time-and-date sequence.

Stunning effects

Just drag and drop to assemble impressive animations, with a choice of more than 200 filters and effects built into Motion. Then fine-tune your work with precise controls.

• Motion ships with more than 230 behaviors to let you quickly build eye-catching animations.
• New FxPlug 2 lets third-party developers build effects that can support 64-bit processing and GPU acceleration and offer onscreen and dashboard controls.
• Motion lets you quickly create a motion path that tracks a moving object in a video clip and suggests the best potential tracking points.
• Slow down or speed up your footage with stunning quality, thanks to the optical flow processing in Motion.
• You can quickly create a mask by using the alpha, luminance, or RGB values of an image, then fine-tune the edges using spline controls. For complex masking tasks, just combine and blend shapes.
• Particles are used to create real-world effects such as smoke and sparkles, replicators let you set up mesmerizing, repeating patterns and you can create a unique look for your project by setting up your own paintbrushes and 3D strokes.

Effortless 3D

Video editors can use Motion to create beautiful 3D animations without programming. The 3D environment offers familiar, intuitive tools, with real-time results as you work.

• Motion’s 3D Environment lets you animate cameras to create breathtaking movement in 3D space and give 3D objects a realistic look with controls for depth of field, shadows, and reflections.
• Set up point lights and spot lights to cast a realistic 3D shadow, then select the objects that will receive the shadow.
• Turn any object into a reflective surface, add blur to soften reflections, and use the Falloff feature to fade reflections.
• Use Depth of Field to selectively define focus as an object moves in 3D space.
• Track objects or groups of objects with drag-and-drop ease by applying the Camera Framing behavior.

Fast, High-Quality Output

Save time without compromising quality by using preconfigured output settings and the efficient ProRes codec.

• Export projects in formats for iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, DVD, or Blu-ray discs,* publish directly to destinations such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook or ProRes 422, ProRes 4444 or H.264.
• Export in ProRes 4444 with an alpha channel for output that matches the quality of uncompressed formats at a fraction of the file size.
• You can send a project to Compressor or create custom output settings for reuse in Motion.

*Blu-ray recorder required for burning Blu-ray discs.

Compressor 4

Compressor is designed to work hand in hand with Final Cut Pro to expand your export options.

• Export to any Compressor setting installed on your Mac directly from the Share menu in Final Cut Pro.
• For custom export options, send your Final Cut Pro project directly to Compressor and choose from a wide array of codecs, sizes, frame rates, and other parameters.
• You can share custom settings with other Final Cut Pro editors, even if they don’t have Compressor installed on their workstations.
• When using the Send to Compressor features, projects are exported using the same Shared Render Engine as Final Cut Pro X.

Built-in Distributed Encoding

Distributed encoding uses available capacity in other cores and other computers to make encoding go faster.

• Cluster set up is built into Compressor.
• You no longer any need to install a separate Apple Qmaster application to enable distributed encoding.
• Activate any Mac as a node for distributed encoding by installing Compressor on it.
• You can specify any available cluster for exporting in Final Cut Pro or Compressor.

HTTP Live Streaming

Compressor now supports HTTP live streaming.

• New export settings that let you encode your media in a single step for streaming web playback on Apple devices and Mac computers.
• All required output files are delivered in a single folder ready for upload to your website.
• Multiple output files are delivered for different bandwidth situations, such as broadband, Wi-Fi, and cellular.

Streamlined Settings Library

Find the preconfigured settings you need in just a few clicks in the new streamlined settings library.

• The simplified organization lets you choose from folders including Apple Devices, Disc Burning, HTTP Live Streaming, and more.
• Standardized plain-English labels and descriptions let you identify the setting you need at a glance.
• It’s easier than ever to browse and search your settings library to find exactly what you need.

Time-saving Encoding Workflow

It’s easier than ever to customize and share Final Cut Pro output settings — or to create completely original settings for specialized encoding jobs.

• Compressor’s intuitive interface lets you experiment with encoding options. The dynamic Preview window shows results in real time as you prepare your footage for encoding.
• Eliminate repetitive work with a wide array of time-saving features built into Compressor such as batch processes that streamline the encoding of large numbers of files and self-contained encoding Droplets for drag-and-drop convenience on the desktop.
• Batch templates let you combine an existing encoding setting with a job action, which automates tasks such as emailing, moving, or copying files or executing a custom script.
• Final Cut Pro lets you access the complete library of export settings available in Compressor including any custom settings.

Industry-standard Format Support

With support for a wide range of popular device formats as well as professional video and audio formats, Compressor expands on the encoding options built into Final Cut Pro.

• Choose from a set of menu templates to create basic Blu-ray discs or DVDs.* Add chapter markers for discs or for podcasts distributed on iPad, iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV or upload files directly to the web.
• You can select from a broad range of formats including MPEG-2, H.264, ProRes and other QuickTime codecs.  You can also deliver in the HTTP live streaming format for web delivery, and you can even convert surround audio stems into Dolby Digital Professional AC-3 for DVD projects.
• Import Targa, DPX, TIFF, PSD, or PNG image sequences and transcode them with any Compressor setting with an optional audio track.
• Use the advanced features of Compressor to add closed-captioning files to MPEG and QuickTime files. You can also add metadata such as keywords, copyright information, and annotations to files as you encode them.

*Blu-ray recorder required for burning Blu-ray discs.

Pristine Format Conversions

Compressor uses optical flow processing to produce format and standards conversions at exceptional quality. Use Compressor to efficiently convert or retime large numbers of clips.

• Convert from NTSC to PAL, SD to HD, or progressive to interlaced video. Or choose Reverse Telecine to convert 29.97-fps video to 23.98 fps.
• Choose from a wide array of image filters including timecode overlay, animated watermarks, color correction, noise reduction, brightness, and contrast  — without leaving Compressor.
• Speed up video, slow it down, or adjust the frame rate to make the duration match a specific runtime with automatic pitch adjustment for audio.

Distributed Encoding

With Apple Qmaster features now built into Compressor, you can quickly use available cores in your Mac — as well as other Mac computers on your network — to speed up encoding jobs.

• Distributed encoding features from Apple Qmaster are now built into Compressor, with no need for a separate application.
• QuickCluster sets up clusters of encoding nodes based on the availability of designated computers.
• Advanced settings for cluster setup enables management of networking and shared cluster storage.