What this script does.
How to install ale2fcp.
How to use ale2fcp.
Settings.
Limitations & things to watch out for.
History.
ALE-log -> |
FCP Batch list |
|
| Name | Name | required |
| Start | In | required |
| End | Out | required |
| Tracks | Tracks | required |
| Tape | Reel | required |
| Take | Shot/take | optional |
| Scene | Scene | optional |
| Descript | Log Note | optional |
| Comments | Comment 1 | optional |
| Auxiliary tc1 | Comment 2 | optional |
| Auxiliary tc2 | Comment 3 | optional |
| Auxiliary tc3 | Comment 4 | optional |
Final Cut Pro does not, at least at the moment, support auxiliary timecodes to be set by a Batch list, hence the rather un-elegant change to the comment field. But at least you can copy and paste the values relatively easy within FCP's browser...
Most audio-settings suffer from the same inability to be set by a Batch list.
Effects settings and motion-clips are not exported to the ALE-log file
and are therefore not converted in ale2fcp.
Subclips are converted to ordinary clips when exported from Avid Media
Composer or Avid Media Log, and therefore treated as a normal clip in ale2fcp.
As the script doesn't do any timecode calculation, it works with any
framerate and regardless of DF/NDF timecode.
To be honest I don't know what the minimum system- or AppleScript
versions are. I wrote the script partly on my wife's powerbook running
MacOs 8.6. But what happens if you run the script on systems before that
I donít know... It has been tested on MacOs 9.0.4 and 9.1.
ale2fcp requires two AppleScript-extensions (osax) to work. These extensions provide extra functions to AppleScript. They are stored in the "scripting additions" folder inside the system folder, NOT in the extension folder.
The two osax are:
Akua Sweets 1.4.1 (or later)
and
Dialog Director 0.7
They are not a part of the standard system software, and you'll have to install these osax before using ale2fcp.
If they are not installed on your system, then use the script "OSAX Installer" to install the two Scripting Additions in the right place. Just double-click "OSAX Installer" and reboot after the script is finished.
If you want more information about Akua Sweets or Dialog Director then
look here:
http://www.akua.com/Software/AkuaSweets/index.html
http://www.hylight.demon.co.uk/DialogDirector.html
The script ale2fcp can go anywhere on your harddisk.
Basically, what you need to do is:
1. Export the bins from Avid Media Composer or Avid Media Log as ALE-logs.
2. Run the logs through ale2fcp.
3. Import the resulting FCP Batch files into Final Cut Pro bins.
Step 1
Open the bins you want to export in Avid Media Composer or Avid Media
Log. Select a bin view with the columns you want to export, at least "Name",
"Start", "End", "Tracks" and "Tape". If you want aux-timecode or comments
as well, make sure these columns are visible. An unaltered "Statistics
View" will do the job in most cases.
Select the clips within the bin you want to export, select menu File->Export->Ale
Log Exchange - Save the log in a nice folder and repeat for each bin you
want to export.
Step 2
Drop the ALE-log file(s), or the folder containing the ALE-log files,
on the ale2fcp icon. If it is the first time you run it, ale2fcp will politely
let you know and open the settings window.
Review the settings and click "Continue".
You will be asked to specify a folder where the FCP Batch lists should
be saved to.
The script will do its job, and you'll, hopefully, end up with some
FCP Batch lists.
Step 3
In Final Cut Pro, create a new bin, open it and make the window active.
Make sure all the columns/fields which is specified in the Batch list is
visible. If they are not, Control-Click on the header in the bin window
and select the columns you want to make visible. Choose menu File->Import->Batch
list... And if everything went well, the clips will appear in the bin.
Repeat for each Batch list you want to import.
When you double-click the ale2fcp icon the settings window opens.
Options are:
Copy contents of Name Field to Label Field
No surprise here...
Truncate contents of Name Field
When logging clips in FCP the usual limit for a clips name is 25 characters.
However, when you import a Batch list this limit does not apply. This option
will truncate the clips name to 25 characters which makes a relink much
easier later on. However if the "Copy contents of Name Field to Label Field"
option is turned on, the FULL un-truncated name is copied to the label
field.
Add leading numbers to Clipnames
This option adds a number in the format "001clipname","002clipname"
etc. The purpose of this is to keep clipnames unique in order to make relinking
easier. The contents of the label field is not affected.
Save without Dialog
Will use the ALE-logs filename as the base for the FCP Batch list name
and save the Batch list without asking for a filename. If the option is
turned of, ale2fcp will ask for a new filename for each log that is being
proccesed.
Open settings window at conversion startup
If turned on, the settings window will open when you drop ALE-logs
on the script icon. If turned off, ale2fcp will use the settings from last
conversion.
Batch list suffix
The suffix appended to FCP Batch list when saved without dialog.
The settings window will also open if you double-click the ale2fcp icon.
ale2fcp treats subclips as normal clips.
Most of the problems arise when the required columns in Avid Media Composer or Avid Media Log are not exported. Always export with at least the "Name", "Start", "End", "Tracks" and "Tape" columns visible.
When importing into Final Cut Pro, make sure the columns/fields specified
in the Batch list are visible in the bin-headings. Otherwise Final Cut
Pro will throw an error message at you.
ale2fcp version 2.0
Well, basically a complete rewrite. More fields are converted, Dialogs
using DD 0.7 introduced.
Future plans for ale2fcp v2.1 includes: Better error handling and ability to customize which fields from the ALE-log that will be converted to the different comments fields in Final Cut Pro.
I originally wrote ale2fcp for a production company in Copenhagen:
FreePort
Film, that I do some Free-lance editing work for. They have two Avid
suites and one Final Cut Pro suite, and wanted to log all their stuff in
Avid Media Log and, ideally, be able to shift the editing from Avid to
FCP (or back) in the middle of a job. Well, its possible but not my idea
of fun.......
05.03.2001 Peter Enggaard Reventlow