You can now get 3D models right onto the timeline and manipulate them in FCPX with a new £55 plugin called Super Charger from I Love QC. Standby for a lot of creative possibilities!
At the moment there certainly aren't any true 3D objects built into FCPX or Motion. Things can be faked by building a scene in 3D in Motion, but it still operates in the 'postcards in space' sense. We are not too sure, but we even think the classic '3D goto plugin' ProAnimator won't work with FCPX.
Belfast based I Love QC has today released Super Charger, a £54.99 ($95) plugin that allows users to import 3D models directly into FCPX and manipulate them on the timeline. Based on Apple's Quartz Composer technology, the plugin uses models with the .dae format (digital asset exchange) which means apps such as 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D and even SketchUp should all be able to output models for use.
There are four filters available in the effect browser when you have run the installer. The 3D Spin And Zoom plugin should allow you to drag and drop a .dae model into the text window of the plugin of the inspector. We couldn't get this to work, so had to resort to loading our hastily Googled Batmobile model into the same directory path as the samples. (Update from Graham Robinson from I Love QC who says dropping the model into the Spotlight bar will give the full path)
So here is our half hour experimentation including the Batmobile @ 40 secs:
The textures haven't come across on the render and Batman's favourite method of transport looks soft, but not bad for 5 minutes of searching online and loading into the plugin. It proves the concept works. One immediate feature we would like to see is the ability to render the object on a transparent background so it could be composited onto other video layers in FCPX.
This is a first version from I Love QC and there are bound to be improvements on the product from the customer feedback that the plugin will get. We are not 3D artists and we're also not familiar with .dae files so we're sure that users with more knowledge will get better results than us.
We can however see the creative possibilities that this plugin will open up, so we are going to watch its development closely.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of FCP.co and have run the website since its inception ten years ago.
I have also worked as a broadcast and corporate editor for over 30 years, starting on one inch tape, working through many formats, right up to today's NLEs.
Under the name Idustrial Revolution, I have written and sold plugins for Final Cut Pro for 13 years.
I was made a Freeman of Lichfield through The Worshipful Company of Smiths (established 1601). Though I haven't yet tried to herd a flock of sheep through the city centre!
Current Editing
2020 has been busy, the beginning of the year was finishing off a new property series (cut on FCP) for Channel 4 called The Great House Giveaway. I also designed and built the majority of the graphics as Motion templates. It has been a great success and the shows grabbed more viewers in the 4pm weekday slot than any previous strand. It has been recommissioned by C4 for 60 episodes, including prime-time versions and five themed programmes. The shows have also been nominated for a 2021 BAFTA.
Although both were postponed to later in the year, I worked again on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and La Vuelta. 2020 was my 25th year of editing the TdF and my 20th year as lead editor. The Tour was the first broadcast show to adopt FCPX working for multiple editors on shared storage.
BBC's Snooker has played a big part in my life, I've been editing tournament coverage since 1997. I'm proud to be part of a very creative team that has pioneered many new ideas and workflows that are now industry standard in sports' production. This is currently an Adobe Premiere edit.
Covid cancelled some of the regular corporate events that I edit such as trade shows & events. I was lucky however to edit, from home, on projects for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Black Friday, Mastercard and very proud to have helped local charitable trust Kendall & Wall secure lottery funding.
As for software, my weapon of choice is Final Cut Pro and Motion, but I also have a good knowledge and broadcast credits with Adobe Premiere Pro, MOGRT design and Photoshop.
Plugin Design & Development
I'm the creative force behind Idustrial Revolution, one of the oldest Final Cut Pro plugin developers. It hosts a range of commercial and free plugins on the site. One free plugin was downloaded over a thousand times within 24 hours of release.
I also take on custom work, whether it is adapting an existing plugin for a special use or designing new plugins for clients from scratch. Having a good knowledge of editing allows me to build-in flexibility and more importantly, usability.
FCP.co
Now in its 10th year and 4th redesign, running FCP.co has given me knowledge on how to run a large CMS- you are currently reading my bio from the database! Although it sounds corny, I am pretty well up on social media trends & techniques, especially in the video sector. The recent Covid restrictions has enabled live FCP.co shows online. This involves managing a Zoom Webinar through Restream.io to YouTube and Facebook.
The Future
I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, so please get in touch at editor (at) fcp.co. I've judged film competitions, presented workflow techniques to international audiences and come up with ideas for TV shows and software programs!
