Here we are again with FCPX cutting stills in-between frames

OK, so I imported and edited a still image in a FCPX project, all is fine. Then I need to tweak the image in Photoshop say, I save the image and it's screwed-up back in FCPX Timeline.
I mean, sub-frame editing is fine and dandy with audio, but with image? There is no sub-frame images in a progressive 23.98 Project. And yes it is visible on playback = I can see an actual jump. And it stays that way unless I re-import the image. Not right!

An image cut in-between frames ???

ProTools Playback Engine, ProTools Aggregate I/O "forgets" Inputs/outputs when disconnecting/re-connecting audio interface

This is happening all too often and it's driving me a bit nuts: when disconnecting and re-connecting the audio interface (same device, native to macOs Sierra) onto my Mac, ProTools Aggregate in the Audio Devices of the Midi Setup goes south.

The output/input gets duplicated and ProTools Aggregate gets confused, acting as if there is no device. On launching ProTools, cahoots ensues:

Duh!

In the picture below, the PT Aggregate I/O is configured normally, and everything works.

Now if I move the computer to another job location, by necessity disconnecting and re-connecting the audio interface, often there is a DUPLICATE and GREYED OUT input/output that ProTools Aggregate I/O is stubbornly set onto. Like an invisible, non-existent device. Hence it produces the Playback engine message above.

I wonder why this behavior? Is it PT? Is it Audio/Midi Setup? Is it the Mac? Anyone of you having this problem on your setup and can share some light?

FCPX Missing Plug-in (Effect) difficult to track down - pt5 (X-FX Handler)

Couldn't hunt this missing Effect down, so I downloaded X-FX Handler from Spherico: http://www.spherico.com/filmtools/X-Files/X-FXHandler/

Exported an XML of the Project, loaded it into X-FX Handler, and Kaboom!

Look at this missing Hawaiki Effect! FASLE! That's right! But, but, hold on a second... That's fine and dandy, but WHERE CAN I FIND IT IN THE TIMELINE?

Ah! Ah! Here is the secret weapon: double click on the missing Effect and Kabaaahm!

It's enabled on CLIP0000180 - THAT I CAN SEARCH FOR IN THE INDEX.

Three Clip0000180 in my Timeline indeed, and the third one wins the missing Effect prize.
(It was actually OFF!) Delete. Good riddance.

Thank you Andreas Kiel, Spherico.

FCPX Missing Plug-in (Effect) difficult to track down - pt4

Here we are again at this topic: how to ID and find missing Effects, Titles and Transitions in FCPX? An ongoing battle.

See my two previous rants here:
http://humanuser.blogspot.com/2015/05/apple-has-to-make-it-easy-to-find.html
https://humanuser.blogspot.com/2017/02/missing-effects-and-titles-in-final-cut.html

Allright, so I discovered by inadvertence that FCPX (10.3.4) is giving SOME hints as to what is missing if you select the Project in the Browser, it will show SOME information.

Right, right, Hawaiki Color is missing, and Adjustment Layer is missing. That's progress.

It's better than showing this, right?

Unfortunately it doesn't help with finding the missing elements in the Timeline. I would like to jump to the actual place in the Timeline where this or these missing elements are being used and review and/or delete them. But I can't. Well for Titles, yes I can since I can isolate Titles in the Index.

So if there is already Titles listed in the Index, it's not too much asking that all other Effects, Generators and Transitions be added to the list, is it? And maybe it's not too much asking that any missing element be FLAGGED in the Index list, is it?

Thank you Apple.

How to render Apple Motion Projects by dropping them directly into Apple Compressor

I don't know if a lot of users are aware of this: you can render a Motion Project by dropping the file directly into Compressor.

I am working on a project with a really tight deadline and lots of graphics. To speed things up I am rendering graphics in Motion at Draft Quality settings, dropping them into the cut in order to expedite a screener for client approval.

For the final version though,  I want to re-render all my graphics at Better Quality settings, which is more time consuming.

Instead of loading each graphic into Motion, changing the settings to Best, and hitting Command+E, waiting for the render to complete, closing the project, opening the next one... There is a better option. It's kind of like "Send to Compressor", but better.

Open all Motion projects and switch the settings to Best and save them all. Then grab all the Motion Projects files and drop them into Compressor. Select the Preset, select the destination and let Compressor batch rendering! Much faster and streamlined.

Unfortunately, prior to batch rendering with Compressor, you must save each Motion project with the actual Render settings you want Compressor to render at. If the Project is set to render at Batch Quality inside Motion, that's what Compressor will render at. That's kind of a limitation.

There should be a way to override the Motion Render settings inside of Compressor, even better, since Compressor "understands" Motion project files, we should have access to all the Motion Render settings in the Job window inside Compressor. That would make this workflow more efficient, but I am not seeing anything of the sort.

 If you have a tip, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

FCPX 10.3.4 The operation couldn't be completed. Invalid argument

Getting the error message from FCPX 10.3.4: "The operation couldn't be completed. Invalid argument" when trying to move a clip between Events.

Well the culprit in this case is a filename containing a dot (in addition to the dot extension), something like: "clip.ver.mp4"

FCPX doesn't like the dot in the filename, so I renamed the clip: "clip_ver.mp4", relinked the file and all is good.

Apple Compressor still cannot deal with XAVC-S or MXF files from Sony A7RII and FS5

Compressor 4.3.2, the current one, cannot open A7RII MP4 files.

It has no clue with FS5 MXF footage either and transcodes to an all black/empty file.

OK, mmhm, how long has this Sony codec been out again? Is this another codec war Sony and Apple are waging?

Short of using Sony's Catalyst software, you have Adobe Media Encoder and EditReady that can transcode your Sony footage to Prores on a Mac.

Good luck.