ArtMetic - How to compose a simple drawing in Final Cut Pro

How to compose a simple drawing in Final Cut Pro
Although Final cut Pro does not contain a painter (unfortunately), it is possible to compose simple drawings in it. Simple drawings in FCP are made of generic shapes (like oval and rectangle). The shapes are placed on different tracks in the timeline. The drawing results from shapes’ composition.
* It is recommended to use ArtMetic shapes since they contain alpha channel, which means that only the shape is opaque while the rest of the frame is transparent.

Example - creating the shape of house:
- Choose ArtMetic basic shapes from the generator menu.
- Press the control tab.
- Choose rectangle from the shape menu, and white color.
- Drag the shape into the timeline.
- Choose ArtMetic basic shapes again.
- Choose triangle shape, and red color.
- Drag the triangle shape on top of the rectangle clip in the timeline (by using the superimpose command).
- Move the triangle shape in the canvas (with the center button in the control tab) so it is placed on the top of the rectangle shape. Then resize the triangle to make it look like a roof on the top of a house.
* It is recommended to control the perspective of a shape by the "image + wireframe" function.

- Use more basic shapes to create other details of the house (like doors, chimneys etc.). Lay each new shape on a new track in the timeline. Change the size/ place / perspective of a shape, till you get the house that you desire.

- After completing the house, you should nest all the tracks (details) of the house into a “nested sequence”, by using the “nest items” command in the sequence menu. In this way you can treat all the elements of the house as a single clip.

How to modify the default setting of effect
When applying FCP Effect it will appear with its default setting. For example: when applying “Gaussian Blur” filter - the radius of blur is 2. When pressing the reset button (after modifying an effect’s setting), the settings will return to their default state.
In some cases, modifying the default setting of effects, simplifies editing. By modifying default setting, editors can apply effects with the setting that suite their needs.
There are two methods to modify default setting of effect. The first method is to save an effect as “favorite”, using the “Make Favorite Effect” command from Modify menu. After saving effect as favorite, it will appear in the favorite bin in the effect tab, and in the browser. This method is very simple, and it allows saving Key Frames. Its main weakness is that it limited to the system you work with. Furthermore, a favorite effect can be deleted from the project.
The second method is to save the effect with its new setting using the FXBuilder:
- Adjust an effect’s setting till you get the result you want.
- Write the new setting on a piece of paper.
- Open the effect in the FXBuilder using the “Filter in editor” command from the View menu. The script of the effect is prompt
- In the script find the lines that start with INPUT.
- Find the lines that correspond with the parameters that you changed.

Parameter’s name

Parameter’s name

Default state’s number

- Change the default state’s number, with the new number.
- Test the effect using the “Run” command from the FXBuilder Menu.
- Give the effect new name (like My + the effect’s name).
- Save the effect using the “Export Text” command from the FXBuilder”. You should save the effect in the following path: Final Cut Pro/ Plugins/ FXScript.
- Quit FCP, and start it over.
- Use the effect.

Recommendations for default setting
Some FCP effects make more sense after their setting have been modified. Other filters can perform new task when their setting are modified. Here are some recommendations for a new default setting:

Flicker:	Use these setting for flatbed appearance- On Duration - 3, Off Duration - 1, Opacity - 95.
Lens Flare:	Lens flare effect cannot be open in FXBuilder. Modified parameters: INTENSITY>Flare Center {- 400, -400}, SPOT INFO>Size 0.1, position 1, SPOT GROUP>Count 20, Seed 200.
Luma Key:	Use these setting for making the Luma key as Threshold effect: View - final (3), key mode - key out darker (2), matte - Copy to RGB (2), Threshold - 50, Tolerance - 50.
Color Key:	for white (See next article) View - final (3), color - white (255, 255, 255), tolerance - 1, Edge Thin - 0, Edge Feather - 1.

The numbers between parentheses are equal to the suggested setting in FXBuilder

The “White Issue” - compositing with “one layer” format
In a single layer format picture (such as pict, JPEG, BMP) there is no alpha channel. The transparent regions of the graphic transform to white color. When layering a single layer graphic above a clip, the graphic will cover the entire frame. In order to vanish the transparent regions of the graphic - the white regions - use a key filter (unfortunately none of the compositing modes do this job). After finding the best setting to vanish white - save the setting of the effect.

Expanding the scale of effect settings.
One of the simplest methods to enhance an effect is to expand the scale of it’s setting. For instant, the limit of the border width in the “Basic Border” filter is a bit narrow. Expanding the scale border setting enables the use of a wider border.

An example - expending softness in “Edge Wipe” transition:

Edge wipe (from the wipe sub-bin in the transition bin) is one of my favorite transitions. By checking the “Feather Edges” check box, and increasing the border width, the first clip will softly merge with second one. As much as the border is wider, the transition between the clips is softer. Expanding the border’s width, gives the effect a dissolve appearance.

Edge wipe transition

Instruction
- Open the edge wipe transition in the FXBuilder using the “Transition in editor” command from the View menu. The script of the effect is prompt
- In the script find the lines that start with “input borderWidth”.
- Increase border width

Max number

- Change the maximum number to 200 instead of 100.
- Test the effect using the “Run” command from the FXBuilder Menu. (Before you run the effect, press “FXBuilder Input Controls” tab, and drag two clips into Source 1 and Source 2 rectangles).
- Give the effect a new name (like “My edge Wipe”)
- Save the effect using the “Export Text” command from the FXBuilder”. You should save the effect in the following path: Final Cut Pro/ Plugins/ FXScript.
- Quit FCP, and start it over.
- Use the effect.

How to focus on part of the scale
Focusing on part of the setting’s scale is exactly the opposite of “expanding the scale of the setting. By focusing on a specific part of the scale the editor has more control over this part. For example when the scale of a setting is 1 to 100, the smallest increment of the slider is 1, when the scale of a setting is 1 to 10, the smallest increment of the slider is 0.1.
An example - Focusing on the “clear part” of “Gaussian Blur” filter:
* Some effect (like text) might look pixilated after rendering. Using very soft blur (between 1 to 3 at the blur scale), help to smooth the rough edge of effect (like anti-aliasing).
Instruction
- Open the Gaussian Blur filter in the FXBuilder using the “filter in editor” command from the View menu. The script of the effect is prompt
- In the script find the lines that start with input Radius, "Radius”.
- Change the maximum number to 3 instead of 100.
- Test the effect using the “Run” command from the FXBuilder Menu. (Before you run the effect, press “FXBuilder Input Controls” tab, and drag a clip into the Source 1 rectangle).
- Give the effect new name (like “My Gaussian Blur”)
- Save the effect using the “Export Text” command from the FXBuilder”. You should save the effect in the following path: Final Cut Pro/ Plugins/ FXScript.
- Quit FCP, and start it over.
- Test the effect.