Using files captured with FCP in Vegas 6.
 

Hi, I have some files captured with FCP sitting on a Lacie drive. I want to edit them in Vegas. I though that all DV files had the same structure, so I added the .avi extension (fcp files don't have extension at all) and vegas is now able to read them. However, it seem to have to do some sort of decompression to play them. Usually, when I put a file on the timeline without any effect, or in the trimmer, I can play it in realtime. With the FCP file, I have a lot of "stuttering", like playing at 10 fps or less...

When I open the same file in WMP, the video play smooth as expected.

Is there a way to edit these files in vegas? Or should I recapture the files using the Vegas or microsoft DV codec?

Try giving the FCP files a .MOV extension and see if Vegas will recognize them that way. If so, it should help since AVI files are Audio Video Interleave and MOV files don't have the audio and video interleaved.

-gb-

Thanks for the quick reply Greg,

But I already tryed the .mov extension and the result is exactly the same as with the .avi .

By the way, I am not sure to understand correctly what you mean by audio and video interleaved, but the audio seem to be present IN the file, either in its .avi or .mov form.

So? Nobody have any idea? Perhaps I should post my question in the FCP forum as well?

On method that should ALWAYS work:

Do a Print To Tape in FCP. Capture the tape in Vegas.

Doh(slaps forehead)! It was just too simple to think of. Great idea, Ed.

That's what AVI stands for. The audio and video streams are interleaved with each other in the file structure. With .MOV they are separate from each other.

-gb-

AVI type 1 are interleaved, AVI type 2 are not interleaved. (although technically they are, but by definition, they're not)

Quicktime seems to be slower in Vegas than AVI.

Maybe export an XML, a EDL and a ?AAF? file from Final Cut and see if Vegas will take that so you have timecodes to batch capture from.

Edward does have a good suggestion with printing to tape. EDL, XML, AAF all have a tendency of not working.

Thank you for your suggestions, I will most likely recapture the files with Vegas (does sony plan to support some EDL format in the future like FCP?).

Now I know that DV in MOV and AVI aren't the same :)

It would seem that you can already do this.
A user on another Vegas forum said, when asked about FCP EDLs:
" I've done it before with a 5-minute program with a lot of complicated cuts and effects.
You can output an EDL which Vegas can import....you just lose effects. Fortunately applying effects in Vegas takes a fraction of the time it does in FCP, so rebuilding the whole thing shouldn't be very difficult."

Mike