Vegas & FCP - EDL etc ?

fausseplanete wrote on 11/8/2008, 12:32 PM
Is there any way to get a Vegas edit (cuts-only, say) into FCP?

As far as I can tell (from threads on other forums):
1) There is an "Export EDL" script (2004 vintage) to generate a "CMX 3600" EDL, but when I (and some others) ran it, just got "Error: Object required". Some people say subclips can cause this but in my case all I had was a generated media (checkerboard) and a WAV file. So maybe it just doesn't like non-file media in general. In any case it can only handle a single track of video and a single track of audio, assumed stereo. I wonder if it could be modified to generate a separate EDL for each track then FCP (or some vb in Excel or whatever) could reassemble to a total project EDL.
2) There is a novel script ( at http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/880627) to convert from Vegas's EDL format to FCP's EDL format. I tried it on a "CMX 3600" EDL from "Export EDL" script and it generated a new EDL file without complaining, though I don't have FCP to verify it with at this time.
3) AAF is said to be a better alternative for most of the other main NLEs, but FCP misconstrues it (because it defines AAF differently).
4) I am not sure that Automatic Duck caters for Vegas. One guy suggested (not tested) using it to import an AAF that had been exported from Vegas.

Is there anything better than this, that can export all tracks from Vegas to FCP ?

Comments

farss wrote on 11/8/2008, 1:20 PM
By all accounts Automatic Duck is your best hope. However I haven't heard it mentioned in a long time around here. It does seem to have new owners and the price has doubled.
I have tried AAF from Vegas into Ppro / AE. It does seem to work although this was using as simple a project as possible.

Bob.
fausseplanete wrote on 11/9/2008, 2:06 AM
Automatic duck http://www.automaticduck.com/products/ does not appear to cater for Vegas, and at http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/116/855698#855700, of Aug 2007, it was declared that there were no plans to do so.

Regarding AAF, Douglas Spotted Eagle said(http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/879571, May 2008) that last time (some time ago) he tried AAF from Vegas to FCP it didn't go too well.

Others (eg http://dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=147300) simlarly wish they could use Vegas in combination with an FCP-centric project, but conclude it is not possible. Other attempts failed at http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/what-happens-vegas/127876-vegas-fcp.html, athough interestingly an attempt to do the reverse (FCP->Vegas) was partially successful in that "the FCP EDL was correct on every other shot in vegas ( so if this was A/B conforming - then Vegas could get the A track correct but not the B track ) ...".

If only there was a way to export/migrate multitrack with simple cuts plus a log of what was omitted (e.g. FX) or simplified (e.g. quantized to frame). Maybe there is potential for scripting to generate something like multiple EDLs (for each track) to be assembled into a single multirack EDL in FCP's EDL format? Just wildly guessing here. I wonder if the relevant (proprietary) EDL and XML and AAF formats are defined anywhere open to us mortals.

Or is there a simple workaround we're missing here, such as routing first through some other NLE (eg Adobe) to get to FCP? Using a steel factory with a steam-hammer to crack a walnut I know, but... Or is there some lateral-thought way such as copying out of Vegas's "Edit Details" and (after possible reformatting in spreadsheet etc) pasting straight into some kind of equivalent view in FCP (hence bypassing the use of any files)?
newhope wrote on 11/9/2008, 4:13 AM
Pro Converter, the new version of EDL Convert Pro now oowned by Solid State Logic can export an FCP XML file generated from a Vegas XML script.

The downside here is that is is only designed to export the audio tracks out of Vegas to the FCP XML with one track of video as it is specifically for convert between Audio NLEs.

I guess it may be possible to export one track at a time and re-import it into FCP.
I used to have a DOS EDL program that allowed you to import the EDL and convert it to conform to other EDL formats, Grass alley to CMX etc but I haven't needed a program like that since the early 90s so don't have it around anymore.

New Hope Media
farss wrote on 11/9/2008, 5:01 AM
The real problem isn't the format so much, as they're only text files the code to reformat it isn't that hard to write. The issue I've struck is getting the source TC out of Vegas. Vegas seems to only use time into file for its projects.

AAF seems to work OK into Adobe's products but I haven't tried doing a conform, I doubt that'd work at all.

Bob.
GlennChan wrote on 11/9/2008, 12:57 PM
Good luck with that :/ Hopefully you might find something that works, but I just assumed that it wouldn't. My solution was to simply use FCP, which I'm comfortable with.

2- Depending on what you're doing, usually it makes the most sense to condense everything into a single track when exporting an EDL.

e.g. If you are doing offline/online, it's easier conform-wise if the project were collapsed down into a single track.
fausseplanete wrote on 11/9/2008, 1:51 PM
Reasons:
1) Existing project in progress on Vegas with multiple camera footages synched (manually, by waveform etc). Project phase 1 will be completed in Vegas but Phase 2 will be in FCP, where it would be helpful to be able to reuse the multi-track Timeline from Phase 1.
2) There will inevitably be some things that each NLE does better (in some sense) than the other. Also, some already-purchased plugins I have are only for Vegas. It would be good to have the freedom to use the best tool for each joblet (of any given project).
3) Parallel working - migrating one NLE to a colleague's machine while working ones self on the other NLE, obviously to merge their results afterwards.

Greater interoperability would encourage greater loyalty.