Avid, Adobe and Apple NLEs: June 2013-June 2014 feature updates

If you are faithful user of a single video editing application, it is a good idea to keep up with improvements that other NLEs have made. In an ideal world competition would prompt features on one system to appear on others, but influence of each company on the other is unlike normal competitive markets.

I’ll use Final Cut Pro X terms in some cases (for example Premiere ‘sequences’ are Final Cut ‘projects’).

Avid Media Composer

v7.0 – June 2013

Dynamic Media Folders – Finder folders that ‘listen’ for new media content, when added MC creates new events using preset import settings
Camera-based (AMA) media is managed – All readable media on a drive can be imported
Files in the Finder can be dragged directly into Media Composer
Background transcoding and consolidation
Choose whether to relink audio, video or metadata tracks – after you’ve finished editing with proxies
Transcode or consolidate camera-based media only
Label which timeline clips were camera-based (AMA media)
Apply external LUTs to clips
Audio mixer elements can be configured
Audio plugins can be applied to whole tracks
Audio mixer master fader
Aspect ratio masks
Adjust audio level of clips using timeline window control
Buttons to switch library view between list, icon and script view
Export to AS-11
Markers with duration
Move marker from one track to another
QuickTime with alpha clips supported
XAVC support for 1080p projects
iXML metadata support
Timeline can scroll vertically
Mouse scroll wheel support
Editing and sync projects, libraries and clips stored on Avid Interplay servers
Send and receive messages between Interplay users

v7.0.2 – September 2013

Option to always keep at least one backup – To prevent deletion based on setting of the number of backups of all libraries
XDCAM EX 35 Capture
Rule-based naming of Dynamic Media Folders

v7.0.3 – December 2013

Effects browser buttons to show video or audio effects
Add markers at start and finish of marker with duration
24fps sound timecode support in non SD PAL projects
Option to warn when resolution of imported media is too low
Frame interpretation control when using retimed clips
Simplied AAF export – Option to create new clips with video and audio effects baked in and audio mixed down to less tracks
More proxy resolutions
RED Dragon 6K and Red Rocket card support

v7.0.4 – May 2014

New Sony LUT
New crash report log
New SMPTE HD colour bars

Media Composer | Software v8.0 – May 2014

New licensing options

Option to add NewsCutter features
Coloured borders around clips in event viewer that denote the kind of clip they are
Clip labels can show whether media is local or mixed resolution
Audio mix mode can now have a keyboard shortcut assigned to it
Option to choose the response to lasooing a transition: Enter trim mode or segment mode
For single viewer mode, you can switch between viewers with a button
Alternate edit replaces a timeline clip with a clip with a similar name from a special event
Auto tape import – when deck has servo-lock, footage is captured until tape is stopped
Satellite mode – ‘capture from multiple sources at the same time while recording to tape’
Voiceover record
Remove clips based on voiceover silence
Trim with J-K-L keys
Easier access to software licensing information

Adobe Premiere Pro

CC 7.0 – June 2013

Sync settings – Preferences, presets and settings stored in the Creative Cloud, so you can quickly set up a new machine with the same settings instantly
Adobe Anywhere integration – The ability to work with special PC servers that manage group collaboration and distributed rendering.
Retina display compatibility
Customizable track headers
Relinking offline media – Even if it has been renamed or transcoded
Duplicate frames – Show which frames have been used more than once in a timeline
Closed captioning – Import, edit retime and export subtitles that can be optionally displayed in video plaback devices and applications
Multicam auto-syncing – based on markers, timecode or audio
Track patching – Choose which tracks in event clips interact with which tracks in your timeline – with the option to store track patch combinations in presets which can be given keyboard shortcuts.
Edit unnested sequences into timelines
Join through edits
Razor tool and Playhead snapping option
Enhanced paste attributes – After copying attributes from a clip, choose which of its attributes are applied to the destination clip.
Namable nexted sequences
Trim-to-zero duration – Remove a timeline clip using trimming keyboard shortcuts
Playhead stays with edit point after a ripple delete
New clip audio mixer panel – for adjusting the audio of clips (in contrast with the track audio mixer panel)
Hierarchical audio plugin-assignment popup menu
Audio meter in track headers
Volume and pan controls in track headers
Assign audio tracks to multiple output tracks
Access to AU audio plugins
Access yo third-party VST plugins
Multichannel QuickTime export
External hardware mixer support
Improved colour – Apply LUTs (and Adobe Speedgrade .look files) using a colour browser
Adobe Story integration – Import screenplays into a panel. Jump to scenes, characters or locations. Select edit points in clips based on transcribed audio.
New keyboard shortcuts – Select previous/next clip in timeline, Select clip at playhead, Select all clips between in and out point, Move clip up/down one layer
CUDA processing – on systems with compatible GPU cards
New codecs within Premiere – MXF-wrapped DNxHD, ProRes, Sony XAVC, Panasonic AVCi200
Improved import and export within Avid and Final Cut Pro workflows using AAF and the new codecs
Export to tape – using third party SDI tape export devices
Switching between audio and video waveform display with one click

CC 7.0.1 – July 2013

Duplicate timeline title by option-dragging
Lift or extract clips enhancement – works if only an in point or outpoint is selected
Cut/Copy/Clear works on in and out points
Enable or disable clips using a context menu
Match frame uses selected clip – superceding track trageting
Only relink media used in selected project
Enhanced EDL export – choose which video and audio layers are included in the EDL amognst other new options
Match frame in source monitor to event clip
Linked selection toggle – select associated audio and video clips with a single click, or select a clip without selecting its associated clips
Reveal source file in Finder
Set default project start timecode value
Preview source files from the Finder in the source window
Match frame enhancements – In source window match frame first goes to the multicam or compound clip, then to the source clip in the event.
Offline clips shown in unexpanded tracks
Tone generator – Generates bars and tones using different options
Open closed caption clip using caption panel
Access event clip settings using timeline shortcut
Smarter auto-save – Only saves when there arch changes, doesn’t skip saves when busy
Improved still image timelapse support – choose duration in frames for imported stills
Preference to prevent playing a clip again by pressing the space bar if playhead is on last frame
Preference to set window focus to timeline after editing clips from events to the timeline
Jump between edit points on clips in the event viewer window
Clear in and/or out points in multiple clips selected in an event
Toggle keyboard focus between event viewer and viewer using keyboard shortcut

CC 7.1 – October 2013

Round-tripping between Premiere and SpeedGrade – for colour correction
Render multiple projects – select multiple projects in an event and use a command to render them one after another
Ripple project markers option
Draggable project markers – showing selected frame in the viewer as you drag
Back button in library browser
Projects appear as thumbnail icon – which are skimmable
End of media indicator in viewers
Add edit command applies to selected clips – overriding track tragetting
J,K,L keyboard shortcuts in Edit to tape dialog
J,L shortcuts can playback at faster speeds
Using – in the speed dialog reverses the playback of the selected clip – No need to click the reverse speed check box
QuickTime exporting supports 5.1 and 8 channel export
New metadata columns in event browser list view – Sound timecode and sound roll
Clip name options – Each clip can be set to display its project name, event name or source file name
Timecode generator automatically uses project timebase
Paste a transition to multiple edit points
Reset parameter buttons for each parameter in the inspector
Metadata display for viewers – source timecode, edit points, media limits, marker comments, clip metadata, sequence timecode
Load embedded closed captions on import
Support of closed captions in MXF, DFXP and CEA-708 files and QuickTime movies using any codec
Display multicam camera angles as track names or clip names
Organize and select camera angles to view in multicam viewer
Multicam results play in viewer
Full multicam clip information from Final Cut Pro timelines
New import formats – ProRes 64-bit, Blackmagic Cinema DNG, Native MJPEGs (Canon 1DC), RED DRAGON with ROCKET-X, Panasonic AVC Ultra Long GOP, Phantom Cine, Sony RAW (F65, F55, F5, FS700), Sony XAVC Long GOP
New export formats – Panasonic AVCI-100 (50p, 60p), Panasonic AVCI-200, Sony XAVC Intra
Export QuickTime formats in 64-bit process
Preference to let current editing tool define which kind of edit will be applied to an edit – even if when last selected a different kind of edit was applied (such is ripple or roll)
New keyboard shortcut for preferences dialog

CC 7.2 – December 2013

Descriptive text in empty Project panel or Timeline panel – such as “Drop Media Here To Create Sequence”
Auto-save now saves even if you have recently manually saved
Create sequence by dragging clip to Timeline
Export markers as a list
Duplicate frame marking improvments – now detects if frames from two different clips using the same media on disk, or have the same tape name and metadata
Use Ripple-Delete command for In/Out range
Warning to prevent project overwriting – if another editor has opened the project after you and you then attempt to save your work over theirs
Multiple library browsers
Create new library from project – Using only clips used in the project timeline
When showing a multicam clip with one angle in the angle viewer, show it full size
In the timeline multicam clip names append the name of the video source angle clip
Record voiceovers directly into a project timeline
Mosaic effect is now GPU optimized
Support for GeForce GT 750M
MXF Importer for importing P2 and Canon XF files
Natively import AVCI-100 .mov files and smart render the files to MXF-wrapped AVCI-100 files
When using third-party transmit tools for SDI display, audio and video remain in sync

CC (2014 release) – June 2014

Video effect masks
Masks can track objects and features within clips
Edit text within titles created in After Effects
Apply and modify event clip effects – which change every instance of the clip in any timelines they are used in
Access to thousands of Typekit fonts
Autosave projects to online cloud
Settings from previous version synced to new version
Match from from event clip to frame on timeline where clip is used
Open timeline clip in event viewer showing frame where playhead is on timeline
Change sync of timeline clip, drag back to event to create new clip with new sync
Assign multiple keyboard shortcuts to a command
Option to use native pixels for stills
Viewer option checkerboard background to show transparency
Project context menu option to export event clip
Option to not display FX icons on clips in timeline with effects applied
Preference to set how many frames are moved when using shift-left arrow and shift-right arrow keyboard shortcuts
New tool to select clips on all tracks back from clip clicked to start of timeline
Named markers
Option when importing to create a new folder for new clips
Option to prevent importing duplicate media
Import Finder folder hierarchy as folders in library
Context menu option to make sequences offline
Browse After Effects projects and within projects using the media browser
Add media folders to list of favourites
Maintain audio pitch when scrubbing option
Voice-over recording enhancements – Specify pre-roll countdown and sound cues
Cross-platform consistency between OS X and Windows versions – video effects and transitions available on only one platform now cannot be applied in CC (2014) projects
Faster RED debayering using OpenCL and CUDA GPUs
Support for Intel Iris GPUs
ARRI AMIRA workflow
Blackmagic CinemaDNG metadata support
Export to AS-11 for broadcast, Quvis Wraptor DCP, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Progress bar for dock icon
Go Pro lens presets for Lens Distortion video effect
Preserve multicam source clip effects when flattening
Cross Dissolve transition can now be saved as a preset
Change duration on multiple transitions at once
Closed captions can be exported as .scc, .mcc, .xml or .stl sidecar files
Improved Red Giant Pluraleyes workflows
Ability to use Sound Roll and Sound Timecode in EDL export
Mosaic effect is now GPU optimized
12 more commands can have keyboard shortcuts assigned

Apple Final Cut Pro X

10.1 – December 2013

Support of multiple GPUs in 2013 Mac Pro
HDMI and Thunderbolt output at frame sizes up to 4K
Selected titles, effects, and other media content scaled for 4K projects
Libraries, a new way to organize multiple events and multiple projects in a single container
Project snapshots – backup projects with frozen disconnected compound clips
Media file storage on disk locations external to libraries
Direct importation of MTS/M2TS files
Used clip range indicators
Direct import of photos from iOS devices
Support for portrait/landscape metadata in still images
More retiming options
New clip stabilization method
Custom project resolutions
Viewer control to choose better playback quality or better playback performance
Viewer control to choose source or proxy media
Through edits
Trim to playhead
Trim to clip range selection
Video or audio only edits from multicam clips
Access to multicam audio for editing
Blade audio tracks in J and L cuts to get independent audio clips
Roll audio edits in open split edits
Share 4K finished videos directly to YouTube
New API for customizing Share operations
Send Apple Events to Asset Management applications during export
FXPlug 3 update to include custom inspector controls
Effect parameters, fonts, and text size information preserved in XML files
Hide browser option for more workspace
New title
Cut / Copy / Paste / Delete animation keyframes
Custom speeds
Option not to ripple the timeline when making clip speed changes
Show unused media only

10.1.2 – June 2014

More control over optimised media, proxy media and render files in libraries
Apply LUTs to HDR and wide-gamut media from high-end cameras
A new ProRes flavour: 4444 XQ
Faster export of cuts only XDCAM media
Fine-grained control over XML export – from individual clips, multiple clips, projects, events or whole libraries
Library metadata view
Automatically apply keywords based on tags assigned in the Finder
The ability to search for or create smart collections of used or unused media in the current project, compound clip, synchronized clip or multicam clip.
A ‘Share to Vimeo at 4K’ destination
Unused range indicators for compound clips, multicam clips and synced clips
Tools to support voiceover Audition clips
Adjust relaive as well as absolute audio volume of a clip or range within a clip
Option to sort events by date or name within libraries list
The ability to import a clip by dragging directly to the browser
New ‘Basic Surround’ audio preset
Break apart Auditions to see the individual clips on the timeline
Using the , and . keys to nudge clips in the timeline now acts as a slide edit
Updated version of Final Cut Pro X XML – so a wider variety of information can be exported to or imported from other workflow applications
More control of how synchronised clips are generated
Much better relinking of missing files
When importing from consumer devices choose whether to show photos or videos
New text format presets
37 new effects, transitions, titles and generators
Paste a copied transition to multiple clips

15th July 2014

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