OK, those are neat pictures, but this is a video application, I want to see it in action. What's it look like compared with the current Final Cut Pro? In its presentation, Apple said these were just a few of the new features that are part of the new software, with more to be unveiled closer to its release in June. Another edit feature, called "Auditions" lets users do A-B testing on two variations of an edit to see what each one would look like, without having to redo the work to re-create it. You can just dip into that source clip from the timeline, extend it and be done. This has been set up so if you realize you want an extra second or two from a clip, you don't have to go back and re-find it from your library, cut out one that's slightly longer, and switch it out. Other changes made to the edit side include an inline precision editor, which lets users adjust where cuts have been made on clips, right on the timeline. And because it's non-destructive, editors can go in and make changes to something in this cluster any time they want, then re-compound it to save space. These can be treated just like a finished clip, but de-clutter the timeline. To make specific clusters of edits less unwieldy, Apple has added a timeline feature called "Compound Clip" that can group together audio, video, transitions, and titles into single clips. Joining that is a feature Apple calls "Magnetic Timeline" which makes sure that these connected items that are dragged around on the timeline do not collide with one another. This way, if it's dragged to another part of the timeline, it won't lose the secondary audio that was added after the fact. On the timeline side, Apple has tweaked the connection between audio and video tracks with something it's calling "Clip Connections." This binds secondary audio tracks to the primary audio tracks that are attached to footage. To add to this, footage that's been imported can be organized with range-based keywording, which lets users apply tags to specific, or entire clips to search and pull out later. It can also run color management and stabilize video if it's shaky. And as footage is being imported, it can analyze shots to help editors sort them out, including tools that can tell what type of shot it is (close, medium, wide), and if there are people in it. The new library lets editors begin edits on media that's being imported, before it's fully transferred. This is something pros have told CNET they thought could be improved from older versions of the software, and it's something Apple has addressed in Final Cut Pro X. The media library tool, which is where clips are organized has been redesigned to do some of the heavy lifting with footage. Two of those areas: the media library tool and the timeline are where many of the most drastic changes can be found. This is managed with a new background-rendering feature that does the work behind the scenes each time a change is made.įinal Cut's interface has also been completely reworked, which Apple says puts the focus on the three areas video editors tend to need while making cuts: a preview area, a new media browser, and an editing timeline that's been given an overhaul. The application also makes use of some of the new low-level system features in OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard like Core Animation, OpenCL, and Grand Central Dispatch, which lets the software run on as many processing cores and as much of the graphical processing unit as it can get.Īs a result, Apple says the software has effectively done away with rendering times, giving editors a way to view changes they've made to content instantaneously. Such a cut raises some questions though, like "what's missing?" and "is this a downgrade for current Final Cut Studio users?" CNET is here to give you the answers with an FAQ.įinal Cut Pro X has a laundry list of new features and tweaks, but the really important thing is that the application is now 64-bit, meaning it can address more RAM. It also comes in at $700 less than the current version, which is available as part of Apple's pro video-editing suite. It does away with boxes and discs, instead being delivered as a direct download. The software, which arrives in June, comes off a two-year update hiatus and is a bold step for Apple. Apple this week unveiled the next major version of Final Cut Pro, the company's video-editing software that plays big brother to the more ubiquitous Mac pack-in iMovie.
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