FM Clips
- Login to post comments
I have a clip transition that I've set-up as a macro on our 8000G. The macro essentially recalls and cues the clip (using FM7 and FM8), plays it, inserts the key, does the undercut, loses the key and calls-up another pair (just a still) for FM7 & FM8.
Here's the trouble ... if I have been working in the FM menu, and leave any other pair of FMs selected, recalling this macro will take whatever selected pair of FM channels to black, but correctly execute the clip playback on FM7 & FM8 and the rest of the macro, too. So, I inserted a menu macro as the first event to always select FM7 & FM8 in the menu before running this particular clip, and it seems to do the trick.
Has anyone else seen this? Am I missing something? Just seems like it shouldn't do that, when there aren't any references to any other FM channels in my macro. Thank you in advance...
Hi Bill ... I'm calling up the named clip in the macro menu offline area. I couldn't get the clip to recall as a regular user snap, which was my first choice.
If you are only talking to those channels in the macro I don't see why this would happen. Clip recall, FM 7, pair, name, and then play those channels along with the keying and undercutting, should work fine, I have done it many times. Possible reboot? Otherwise unless you are accidently somehow do a clip transition as part of the ME, not sure what is happening.
Thank you, Bill. I did triple and quadruple check my macro, and there are no references to any other FM channels. Also, I did a reboot (panel and switcher), and still have the same result. I am using version 8.10.2 ... since you can do exactly what I'm trying to do without a problem, what software version are you on?
I'll ask the guys at Sony if they've seen this, and will pass along my macro and clip to see if maybe they can reproduce it in the lab.
Matt,
I'm running 8.10.2 over here and I can't seem to duplicate the problem. Can you write out the macro (step by step) for me? I'll rebuild it here the same way you're doing it there and see if it happens.
-Allan
Thank you for taking a look, Allan (and sorry it to me a while to post the macro). I talked with Curt Bose the other night, and after telling him what I was seeing, he also gave it a shot on his new installation of 8.10.2 ... he came upon the same thing.
Here are the steps in my macro:
Event 1 MEXpt PP Key3 61 Video
Event 2 ClipRecall FrameMemory7Clip Pair C005
Event 3 Pause 2
Event 4 KeyAutoTransition PP Key3 7 ToOn
Event 5 Pause 2
Event 6 Play FrameMemory7Clip Normal
Event 7 Play FrameMemory8Clip Normal
Event 8 Pause 5
Event 9 MEAutoTransition PP 4 Current Current
Continue MEAutoTransition PP 10 Current Current
Event 10 Pause 30
Event 11 KeyAutoTransition PP Key3 7 ToOff
Event 12 Pause 15
Event 13 MEXpt PP Key3 40 Video
Event 14 SnapShot User4 81 Off Current
Matt,
I think I figured it out. The reason it dumps the channels to black is because you don't have a paired still in there. You have two different stills (one in each channel). As soon as you select the pair button, it dumps the channels to black. I've always noticed it does that and Sony does know about it. I just don't know if they know it's a "problem". I'm looking at the manual for version 7.2 and they write:
With a pair file recalled, it is possible to set [Pair] to Off and carry out a single file operation, but if you then set [Pair] to on again, the output of frame memory may be black. In such cases, it is necessary to recall the pair file once more.
If the menu macro works, I'd say keep it. Otherwise, you can just recombine the two stills you're recalling as one in the Pair Recombination menu (pg. 2541) or record the clip as two single channel clips (fill/key) and recall them unpaired.
Hope that helps,
Allan
Thanks, Allan. I appreciate the time and the help.
I guess my confusion is that I'm instructing the switcher to call-up a pair on FM7/8, but it will take other FM outputs to black while doing what I asked it to (cue up and play on FM7/8). My clip is a paired clip, and while I can recall a paired clip as a macro event, it looked like I had to play each side of it independently (that's why the play command for FM7 and FM8).
The menu macro eliminates the trouble that I was having. I would have expected the FM channels I was working with to go to black, just not other channels that weren't part of my programmed sequence.
You do need the seperate play commands, I am not aware of a offline macro that will play the clips in a pair mode. I do usually make it a continued event rather then 2 seperate events so that they play in sync. I haven't tried to re-create this yet. Have you tried another pair of channels? Also tried hacking off the rest of the macro after the recall and see what happens. Work around for now could be to build a user snapshot to recall the clip and then go from there.
I was able to recreate the issue you were having.
It seems to be ( as Allan pointed out) related to the "pair" mode.
When the macro hits that portion of the recall, it basically wants to put the FM in Pair mode.
Based on this, here is what I saw.( assuming you are looking at FM 1/2, and 3/4 are playing the trans.)
As Allan mentioned...when you put two random stills that don't have a f/k association...you get bonked to black
Here is where it is interseting...put a "fill still" in FM1, and black or whatever in FM2...run the macro...FM1 stays..and the associated key of FM1 is recalled, eventhough it is no where in the macro to do so...interesting.
Having a key in Fm2...does not recall the cooresponding fill in 1
Having clips in Fm1 and FM2 does not bonk you to black...although I thought when I tried this they other day it did..and if they were looping it just restarted your clip..Today it doesn't seem to be doing it..but may be operator error..or the sequence I was doing things.
The work around I tried the other day was the same idea as Allan said..
I unpaired the clip I recorded as a f/k pair for the trans...and recalled and played separately and recalled in "single mode"..clip type
Bill...interesting thing...when playing back a paired clip..I only had to play one channel of FM..like FM 3/4 were ganged. When I recalled as a pair, I was able to play as a pair by only playing one channel.
Curt
- Login to post comments
How are you recalling the clips through the macro, are you using the clip trans snapshot, regular user snap, or calling up the clip names in the macro menu offline area?