100 Requests for Final Cut Pro X
Of course your list may be different
Send your requests or feedback to the FCPX team here.
 

There hasn't been any feature update for Final Cut Pro X for over six months. These are some of the requests that should be fulfilled in the next feature update.

Final Cut Pro X is my NLE of choice after editing with and teaching FCP for over ten years. FCPX has original features that other NLE's don't have (yet). But FCPX itself is missing some important features of traditional NLEs, including FCP7, that video professionals require.

This list includes repeated requests I've read online and email requests that I have received. I get inquiries that ask if Apple has seen this list. They have seen it. (I could make a top 100 list for Avid MC or Premiere if I were so inclined - I'm not).
Apple says they are listening to professionals. Here is a list of requests from professionals.

FCPX in 2013 article

• 01 Number one and still the champ. A Scrolling Timeline option
where the Timeline scrolls behind a stationary Playhead. 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. Motion 5 has one. Logic Pro has one. Every other pro NLE and DAW has one. Why not FCPX? Watch the movie below to see it in action. This movie's been viewed over 7,500 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 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, etc.

• 03 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.

• 04 True Roundtripping/integration with Motion
and the ability to use and modify 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.

• 05 Dual Monitor improvement.
The Event Viewer, as a second monitor, should have a skimable clip filmstrip. And in addition to displaying Event clips should display timeline clips and clips in the multiclip angle editor with a color correction and effects on/off button. You would then to be able to compare it side by side with another clip in main viewer. Right click on timeline or angle editor clip and choose "Open in Event Viewer". Also allow selection of any keywords, favorites and selections applied to a clip.

• 06 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. For example you can't get a true linear motion path. FCPX insists that you use ease in ease out. Keyframing is important so give us something more robust

• 07 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.

• 08 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.

• 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 with much faster audio waveforms, less freezing, hesitation, crashes, spinning beach balls.
Sometimes there is hesitation between selections, it takes seconds to refresh the screen, audio waveforms re-draw really slowly etc..
.

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

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

• 13 More efficient Project and Event 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 doesn't create a completely new folder each time you use it (such as Project/Event versioning). Saving multipe time stamped Project files in a single master Project/Event folder would be much better. Also saving a single backup Project file 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 Save Transitions, Effects, Generators and Titles as Favorites.
And save and recall presets as well.

• 16 Selectable copy and paste attributes for transitions, titles, generators and effects.

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

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

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

• 20 Manual white balance control and access to "Match Color" parameters in the color board
Let us select the white point that we want to use and have access to the now hidden "Match Color" parameters.

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

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

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

• 25 Add Referenced Media + Handles 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 Name tabs in the project 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 convoluted 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 timeline 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 Proper timecode reader with metadata option and aux timecode option for individual clips
that writes the aux timecode back to the media file.

• 33 Transition alignment - start, middle or end of an edit point
can be selected from a drop down menu by right clicking on the transition in the timeline.

• 34 Better and easier Titles.
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 On/Off master switch or enable/disable for the Primary and Secondary Storylines.

• 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 Adjust Color Correction and other parameters of Event Browser clips.
You can adjust a selected Event Browser clip's audio parameters, why not their video parameters?

• 40 Individually drag-adjustable Timeline lane heights.

• 41 Zebra bars and excessive luma warning.

• 42 Buttons and customizable Button Bars

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

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

• 49 Timeline markers, 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 Adjustable Color Corrector mask control points for custom shapes
besides just rectangles and circles.

• 52 Timeline overview navigation track with timeline selection highlighted in a moveable view bubble,
where you can jump to a timeline position by clicking on it (like Soundtrack Pro has).

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

• 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, Keyword collections etc.

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

• 70 3D parameters for all video clips.

• 71 iChat Theater.

• 72 Clipboard manager to remember all copied and pasted items for reuse.

• 73 Audio only crossfade effect

• 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 Keyframable Opacity parameter for a color correction mask
so you can fade the mask in and out.

• 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 and Compound clips 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 all keyframes to choose a linear or smooth path without having to drag the top keyframe out of the way.

• 80 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 between two markers and a keyboard command is executed.

• 81 Automator Actions for sequencing multiple steps and keystroke sequences 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.
Create an "Unused Media" folder and place it there.

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

• 87 Rulers and Guides for aligning objects and text.
Something so basic that is still missing after 8 updates.

• 88 Airplay and AirDrop support.

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

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

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

• 92 Title build in and build out adjustment controls in a timeline title.

• 93 Option of using proxy media on a per project basis rather than globally.
And having an option to choose original, optimized or proxy media for sharing. Also an option to choose original, optimized or proxy media while editing when sharing in the background.

• 94 Fit To Window Layout command
for automatically resizing window layouts to fit various screen resolutions. Now this has to be done manually.

• 95 Fix compound clip issues
such as proper media management and relinking when they are used in a project.

• 96 Add insert at beginning of timeline edit
the opposite of the append edit.

• 97 Add Rename Clip as a keyboard shortcut or to the Command Editor
so we can use a keyboard shortcut instead of right-clicking over and over when renaming clips in the timeline.

• 98 A quick-fix short audio cross fade via keyboard shortcut
to fix abrupt audio edit points on selected clips.

• 99 Highlight Favorite name in Event Browser when making a Favorite,
so the Favorite name field is ready for text input.

• 100 Add copy & paste overwrite edit in addition to paste insert and paste connect.

FCPX 10.0.6 implemented about 14 items from this list.
I have posted an article on the implemented requests. Kudos to the FCPX team