99 Requests for Final Cut Pro X
Of course your list may be different

September 17th

Final Cut Pro X is my NLE of choice after editing with and teaching FCP for over ten years. I really like FCPX's unique editing paradigm and for the most part find it a refreshing joy to use. It has new original features that other NLE's don't have yet, but FCPX itself is missing some necessary features of traditional NLEs, including FCP7, that pros require.

At this point there hasn't been any new features added to FCPX for over 7 months. Previous FCPX feature updates were 3 months and 4 months apart so this next one is way over due. Hopefully that means that the FCPX team have had the time to add lots of new features to the next updates (10.0.6 - 10.1) in addition to the ones that Apple has already pre-announced for 2012:

Multichannel Audio Editing Tools
Dual Viewers
MXF Plug-in Support
RED camera support.

The top 30 or so items on this list have been influenced by repeated requests I've read online and email requests that I have received from professionals. (I could make a similar list for Avid MC or Premiere if I were so inclined but I'm not). Apple says they are listening to professionals.

Here's my 99 Requests for improving FCPX

• 01 Number one and still the champ. A Scrolling Timeline option
where the Timeline scrolls behind a stationary Playhead. This glaring feature ommision is baffling. I have a hard time believing that a new 64 bit application built from the ground up with modern foundations and leveraging all processors and unlimited memory still has a playhead that scrolls off the screen when it gets to the end of the Timeline. Watch the movie below to see it in action. This movie's been viewed over 5,000 times.

FCPX Playhead scrolls off the screen.
 

Other non-linear video editors have had a scrolling timeline for years.
Even iMovie for iPad and Avid Studio for iPad have one.

Motion's Scrolling timeline! Is FCPX next?

"I like that you have scrolling timeline as the first on the list. It’s the Susan Lucci of feature requests.
It’s been on every list since 1999 and it’s still not made it to the show." -Tom Wolsky

• 02 Improved Pro Audio features: Audio Mixer with Master Fader, AU plugin inserts, keyframe recording,
assignable Roles submixes that output to discreet audio track files and hardware channels, more precise audio waveform editing, improved audio tools, etc.

• 03 Attach a clip to an attached clip or secondary storyline
rather than only attaching to the main storyline as FCPX does now.

• 04 Save and recall customized Window Layouts with moveable individual window panes.
I use different window layouts for color correcting, Timeline editing, Multicam, Viewer keyframing, etc. Now, every window layout has to be manually configured every time. This is a huge time waster.

• 05 True Roundtripping/integration with Motion
and the ability to use Motion projects in an FCPX timeline. Open the Motion Project from the FCPX timeline, modify in Motion and save, Motion clip is updated in the FCPX timeline.

• 06 Copy, Paste and remove individual clip attributes, effects, etc.
rather than the shotgun all or nothing way it is done now. Also allow audio only and video only paste and remove attributes.

• 07 Update duplicate Event option.
Once you duplicate an Event, there should be an option that checks and updates/synchronizes media, keyword collections, favorites, smart collections and compound clips in the duplicate Event if they are not the same as the original Event.

• 08 Multiple Color Correction scopes windows open at the same time
Now only one scope window is viewable at a time. Clicking back and forth between different scopes is very inefficient.

• 09 Keyframeable color correction parameters.
The official training manual says to use a cross dissolve to transition between different color corrected parts of a clip. You've got to be kidding me!

• 10 Further Optimization and less freezing, hesitation, crashes and spinning beach balls.
Even with a 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5 iMac, 1 GB GPU memory and 12 Gigs of Ram, sometimes FCPX slows to a crawl, the skimmer disappears, there is hesitation between selections, it takes seconds to refresh the screen, etc.


• 11 Add ProRes LT for importing and transcoding media.
Right now the very popular ProRes LT is missing in action in FCPX.

• 12 Adjustable parameters in the Inspector for Secondary Storylines.
For some reason, there are no adjustable master parameters currently for Storylines. Audio level, scale, X-Y position, opacity, crop and enable/disable are a few that would be beneficial.

• 13 Manual Project saves and restores with a History window.
Duplicate Project is an awkward option that can add dozens of unnecessary duplicate folders. I'd like something quicker that doesn't interrupt my workflow with multiple steps and creating a completely new folder each time. Saving multipe time stamped Project files in a single master project folder would be much better. Also saving a single backup project copy every 15 minutes is not enough. I like to autosave every 5 minutes with multiple copies saved.

• 14 All Background process are truly background.
What does background mean? It means in the background. If a Background Task prevents a foreground task then it is not a Background Task. Tame the background processes such as rendering or making thumbnails. Background processes are not useful if they degrade the performance of the foreground processes such as editing or even preventing another process.

• 15 User selectable default transition and default title.
Now the Cross Dissolve and a basic title are the only choices. Even better yet, multiple favorite titles and transitions with 
Command - T - 1, Command - T - 2, Command - T - 3, etc.

• 16 Selecting Roles in the Timeline Index actually selects the clips
and allows applying effects or making adjustments to multiple clips at once.

• 17 Remember in and out points in an Event Browser clip selection
in case we forget to save the selection as a Favorite or Keyword and move on to something else. FCPX remembers the in/out selection in the Timeline when you match frame, why not also allow it in the Event Browser?

• 18 True ramp speed effects.
Continuous gradual keyframed ramp speed timing changes rather than the four segment method that FCPX uses now.

• 19 Join Through Edit command with Through Edit indicators
like the ones that are now available in the in the Multiclip Editor.

• 20 A better dedicated keyframe editor and keyframe options.
The current implementation of keyframing in FCPX is spartan at best. It's like keyframing on an Etch A Sketch. Keyframing is important so give us something more robust.

• 21 Playhead to Playhead FCP7 style Replace edit.
This edit matches the playhead of a clip in the Browser to the playhead of a clip in the Timeline and extends in both directions to either fill a Timeline selection or the length of the Timeline clip.

• 22 Open Text documents and pdfs natively in FCPX
to copy & paste titles, credits etc. without having to switch appliations

• 23 Add a project to another project as a single clip.

• 24 Multiple editors working on the same SAN at the same time.
If Final Cut Pro X is going to be used in a professional multiuser environment, this has to be implemented.

• 25 Add Referenced Media + Handles Only option to Duplicate Project + Used Clips Only
and when Consolidating, add only referenced media + Handles to "Copy Used Clips Only". Right now the entire referenced clip will be included. If you want 30 seconds plus handles of a 30 minute clip duplicated, you can't do it. You'll get the entire 30 minute clip using this option.

• 26 A Tabbed project name timeline rather than backward- forward arrows
so you can directly choose your project rather than doing the back, back, forward, forward dance. You can click and hold on a forward or backward arrow to see available projects but always visible individually named tabs would be quicker.

• 27 Custom frame sizes and custom frame rates.

• 28 Launching FCPX with option key held down
creates a new Event and ignores loading all other Events and Projects for troubleshooting.

• 29 Renaming a clip in the Event Browser, renames the clip in the Finder option
just like renaming an Event, Project or folder in FCPX does now and like the option to rename Finder media like FCP7 has. I never use the default names that FCPX uses because I want to be able to search for clips with meaningful names across multiple hard drives. Also give us an option to name a clip before importing it in the Import window.

• 30 Reveal Affiliated clips in the Timeline.
This selection would allow you to apply a single effect, color correction, etc. to all clips from the same source file

• 31 Effects packs
to reapply multiple Effects to a clip or clips in a specific order.

• 32 Add Aux Timecode option for individual clips
that writes the aux timecode back to the media file.

• 33 Option to move or drag a main storyline clip, create a slug in its place
and leave all attached clips in place attached to the replacement slug.

• 34 Better and easier Titles such as modifing Title text directly in the timeline.
All of this clunky clicking back and forth - selecting a clip in the Timeline, going to the Viewer and Inspector to modify the title, Inspector text not auto-highlighting, scrolling, waiting, opening and closing Inspector menus is wearing out my mouse.

• 35 Fit-to-fill edit w speed change if necessary.

• 36 Two Up Display option.
FCPX has a two up display for Mulicam, trimming, etc. Give us an on/off switch.

• 37 Select all clips forwards or backwards in a primary or secondary storyline command.
If you want to select all of the clips in a long timeline you have to select them all with a lasso first.

• 38 Drag an Effect or Effects from the Inspector
to a clip or selected clips in the Timeline or Event Browser.

• 39 On/Off master switch or enable/disable for the Primary and Secondary Storylines.

• 40 Individually drag-adjustable Timeline lane heights.

• 41 Zebra bars and excessive luma warning.

• 42 More customizable DVD templates.
Since DVDSP is end of life and DVDs are not, give us more options.

• 43 The ability to lock a clip in place in the Timeline
and to lock the primary and secondary storylines to prevent any editing.

• 44 An FCPX crash report and error messages that give helpful real world information.

• 45 Proper Dynamic Trimming.

• 46 Record Audio automatically creates an Audition clip in the Timeline option
and each pass is added to the Audition.

• 47 Save Transitions, Effects, Generators and Titles as a Favorite.
And save and recall presets as well.

• 48 Buttons and customizable Button Bars

• 49 Timeline markers, chapter markers and extend markers.
export marker lists and custom multi-colored markers.

• 50 Normalize Audio Gain Effect
that can use either peak volume or average volume.

• 51 Make Save Current Frame available immediately in the Event
without having to export and then locate it and import it.

• 52 An easy and quick way to enable/disable video only and audio only
without having to detach audio first.

• 53 Recallable Timeline Zoom levels.
Maybe even a few zoom buttons in the top of Timeline.

• 54 Easy quick option to create freeze frames of both sides of an edit point
that has no handles to add handle frames to use for a transition .

• 55 Move an attached clip down and below another attached clip in the Timeline shortcut command.

• 56 Resizable floating Timecode Reader.
The one in the Timeline is very small. I'd like one that I could position where I wanted.

• 57 Bars and Tone Generator.

• 58 Reveal All, Hide All drop down parameter menus in the Inspector
rather than the clunky opening and closing each individual drop down menu one at a time.

59 Open sync and Lock gang sync modes.
Timeline playhead matches the corresponding Event Browser clip frame and syncs/locks the Timeline playhead to the matched Event Browser clip Playhead.

• 60 Allow a master Timeline selection between in/out points, markers or a range across all lanes
for exporting, editing or rendering just that selection.

• 61 Close selected Projects in the Timeline Queue.
Sometimes I'd like to close some of my open Projects so I don't have so many open. Give us an easy way to close selected Projects in the Timeline queue.

• 62 Duplicate/Copy/Move Project duplicates everything that is used in the Project
including all FCPX and Motion Titles. I've duplicated a project on to an external hard drive and found out that FCPX did not bring Titles that were used in the project. What kind of media management is that?

• 63 Select more than one project at a time when moving projects into a folder.

• 64 Roundtripping with LogicPro X.

• 65 Match Frame/Reveal clip from Event Browser to Timeline.
Also match frame a compound clip from the timeline to the Event Browser

• 66 Option to write metadata and keywords back to my media files,
so metadata and keywords can be searched across hard drives and not limited to only mounted FCPX Events. I have dozens of hard drives and will have hundreds of FCP events. I want to search for clips across my hard drives instead of only mounted FCPX Events.

• 67 Do not throw the original clip in the trash when relinking media.
Let me decide when I want clips placed in the trash. An option pop up window would suffice.

• 68 Batch Export of Projects, Event Browser clips, Favorites, Keywords etc.

• 69 Playhead centered Timeline zooming, gesture zooming, and horizontal Timeline scroll to Playhead commands.

• 70 Drop Shadow and 3D effects.
Currently available via 3rd party courtesy of Ripple Training.

• 71 iChat Theater.

• 72 Selectable odd - even field order and pixel aspect ratio for Anamorphic sources.

• 73 Consolidate Events, Projects and project Titles in to a single folder structure
for easy one folder backup.

• 74 Multiple edit point selection on different lanes
to perform trimming on more than one lane at a time. For example, selecting the ends of all clips on multiple lanes at the end of the Timeline and Extend Editing them to all end together in one step.

• 75 Add used media indicator to clips
to show that the media has been used in the project.

• 76 Make moving the playhead of an Event Browser clip numerically a simple intuitive process
rather than the convoluted process it is now.

• 77 Contextual menu audio level adjustment in the Timeline.
Right clicking on an audio clip reveals a long vertical slider for easier and more precise audio level adjustments or the ability to enter a numeric value.

• 78 Match frame Auditions back to Event Browser and/or source clips.

• 79 Copy/paste keyframes and add a keyframe with values from previous or next keyframe.
And when a keyframe is under another keyframe in the Viewer, give us easy access to it to choose a linear or smooth path without having to drag the top keyframe out of the way. How clumsy.

• 80 Update Compressor's interface.
At least make one unified window instead of the messy 1990's style multiple windows.

• 81 Automator Actions for sequencing multiple steps into a button or single click.

• 82 Deleting a clip from an Event does not put the media file in the trash option.
Sometimes you don't want a clip in your Event but don't want it in the trash either.

• 83 Memory & Cache preference like Motion has
to prevent FCPX from using all of your Mac's available memory and bringing the system to a crawl.

• 84 Relinking media improvement.
The current method of relinking media doesn't always work as expected or give you the relinking options that you need.

• 85 Toggle a clip effect on/off in the Timeline via a keyboard shortcut
to compare a clip with and without an effect without having to constantly go back and forth to the Effect Info panel menu to check and uncheck a checkbox.

• 86 Select the Primary Storyline as a single track container that has adjustable master parameters,
like audio levels, X-Y position, opacity, cropping, etc. and that you can move horizontally with position tool.

• 87 Rulers and Guides for aligning objects and text.
Something so basic that is still missing after 5 updates.

• 88 Airplay!

• 89 Mark to Markers command.
A section of a clip will be selected from one marker to to the next marker when the skimmer/playhead is betwwen two markers and a keyboard command is executed.

• 90 Add on and off button for the Graphic Equalizer and for all effects,
to quickly compare with and without EQ/effect.

• 91 Transition alignment - start, middle or end of an edit point
select from a right click on the edit in the timeline drop down menu.

• 92 Color labels for video clips, audio clips, Events, Projects, storylines and folders.

• 93 Adjustable Color Corrector shape control points for custom shapes
besides just rectangles and circles.

• 94 Edit a Compound Clip's Settings by right clicking on it in the Event Browser
instead of the three step process it is now.

• 95 Manual white balance control in the color board
The auto white balance works some of the time but not all of the time. Let us select the white point that we want to use for color balancing.

• 96 Create auditions from clips stacked over each other in the timeline.

• 97 Go to next video edit point or next audio edit point command.

• 98 Timeline overview navigation track with timeline selection highlighted in a moveable view bubble.

• 99 Make object scaling linear based on the size of the object and not it's scale percentage.

• 100 Coming soon....