Studio Daily by Beth Marchant

FCPX's Multicam Features Auto Sync and Support for Mixed Formats, Frame Rates, and Up to 64 Camera Angles

This morning Apple announced Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3, an update that should close the gap on key features previously found in FCP7 but still missing in FCPX, notably multicam editing and video out support for broadcast video monitoring, both promised last September. The update went live in the Mac App Store this morning at 8:30 am ET/5:30 am PT. It is free to existing users and remains a $299.99 download for new users.

Apple's reimagining of multicam features automatic sync and can handle up to 64 different camera angles of varying formats, resolutions and frame rates at once. Other new features in 10.0.3, which follows a small bug fix last November, include a chroma keyer with advanced controls, the ability to manually relink projects and events to new media, and support for layered Photoshop files. Apple has also improved the functionality in FCPX's new version of XML, paving the way for several simultaneous third-party device, App and plug-in releases that take advantage of the NLE's new architecture.

One such App, a $9.99 XML translator from Intelligent Assistance called 7toX, will be a godsend to editors with existing FCP7 projects. Developed by Philip Hodgetts and also available today in the Mac App Store, the tool converts FCP 7 XML to the new flavor of XML in Final Cut Pro X—itself updated to version 1.1 in this release—letting you bring projects forward from Final Cut Pro 7 directly into Final Cut Pro X. "When we first released Final Cut Pro X, we talked openly about the fact that we were not going to attempt conversion between XML versions because we knew the fidelity wouldn't be perfect," Apple's Richard Townhill, senior director of applications product marketing, said yesterday. "We knew it would be impossible because of all the differences between 7 and X, from the fact that projects and the timeline are approached completely differently to the fact that we have a new and improved effects engine and completely different effects plug-ins. Phil Hodgetts really impressed me with the work that he's done. He's gotten astonishingly accurate conversion from FCP 7 XML to FCP X XML and we're very pleased to have that App available at the same time." read more...