Final Cut Pro's Interface Part 2 - the Log and Capture Window
In order to get material from your videotape into Final Cut you need to 'capture' it. This is done via the Log and Capture window which is accessible under File>Log and Capture... or can be opened using the keyboard shortcut Apple-8
- 1. Video Source Preview
- This window shows you the video that's currently playing from your VCR or camera source.
- 2. Deck Controls
- These allow you to control your external deck or camera from the computer. You have standard play, stop, fast forward and rewind controls, but also a the jog and shuttle controls just like in the Viewer and Canvas windows. Below the controls is a status message telling you the deck is online and ready to go - VTR OK. If your deck is powered off or not connected this will say NO COMMUNICATION.
- 3. IN point
- This is the timecode for the point on the tape that you have marked as the beginning of the clip you are going to log or capture. You can set this by clicking the slanted arrow button to the left of the timecode window or by pressing "i" when you reach the point in the video you want to start from. You can also type a value directly in the window if you know the exact timecode you want.
- 4. OUT point
- Just like the In point but this is the timecode at which you want the current clip to end. Set with the slanted arrow button to the right of the field or press 'o' when you reach the point at which you want the clip to end.
- 5. Clip Duration
- This tells you the duration of the clip beginning at the IN point you set and ending at the OUT point.
- 6. Current Timecode
- This shows you the current timecode of the video that is playing in the capture window.
- 7. Disk Space Info
- To the left you can see the amount of disk space left on the current capture drive. On the right this is translated into the number of minutes of video you can capture before running out of space.
- 8. Logging/Clip Settings/Capture Settings Tabs
- These tabs are a shortcut to the capture settings - these are usually set when you create your project based on a standard preset for DV or whatever format you are using. Occasionally you may encounter a situation where you need to change them for a particular clip or capture session and can do so from here.
- 9. Clip logging Info
- This is where you can add some info to the clip you are logging or capturing. The top button sets where the clips you are logging will go - they can go into your main browser window or you can create a new bin for them to go into. Below this are the fields for clip info. The reel name is required - this is the name of the tape itself that you are capturing from. It is important that every tape have a unique name and that you label the tape with the same name that you use here - otherwise, when it comes time to batch capture or re-capture your media FCP will ask you to insert the tape and you may have trouble finding the right tape. The clip name is also required, simply because you have to name each clip so you can identify it. The rest of the fields are optional and just there to help you organize your clips more efficiently.
- 10. Log Clip Button
- This button creates an 'offline' clip in your browser or logging bin which has all the info you entered here but doesn't actually have any video in it yet. You can also use the keyboard shortcut F2.
- 11. Capture Buttons
- These give you three different ways of capturing the actual media. The first, "Clip" simply captures one clip based on the most recent in and out points you set in the capture window. The second, "Now", just starts capturing immediately whatever is playing on your deck, and it will continue capturing until you press escape, the tape ends or your drive runs out of space. The last button, "Batch", will capture all the offline clips in your current logging bin.
Generally the process of logging and capturing is fairly simple - you play your tape, mark an in point, mark an out point, log the clip, then repeat until the tape is done. You don't ever need to clear in and out points - if you want to change them, just set a new one. Once you've logged your whole tape you can hit the batch capture button and take a break while the computer does the work of downloading the actual clips to the hard drive.
