Twixtor Final Cut Pro Examples.

NOTE: You need Twixtor 4.5, FxPlug version installed (either the demo version or a registered version) for these examples. You also need Final Cut Pro 6.0.3, or later.

Important: These tutorials assume you have read the manual that was put on your disk with the plugin upon installation.

Before opening the project examples, make sure to move the movies from the SourceMovies folder into this folder (make sure the movies are in the same directory with the Final Cut Pro projects, otherwise F inal Cut Pro will have trouble finding them).

It is important to note that for Twixtor to work in FCP you need to:

- When processing footage with fields, make sure that the viewer is at 100% and that "Show as Square Pixels" is OFF.

1_Make4x This is a great starter example!

Shows you how to take footage and make the footage four times as long.

1. "Can't Do This" sequence. You might be tempted to just put Twixtor on the original footage. However, when you do this FCP does not create any frames past the length of the original footage. But we want a sequence that's twice as long!
2. Sequence 2a) and 2b). So you create an intermediate sequence that's twice as long, and put the intermediate sequence inside another sequence. However FCP still doesn't create frames past the original footage length because it sees that there are "empty" frames for the second half of the intermediate sequence.
3. Sequence 3a) and 3b). So the answer is to create an intermediate sequence that is twice as long and has a valid frame everywhere in the intermediate sequence. You might be tempted to use the "Slug" video generator, but FCP won't process the sequence with Twixtor at every frame because it knows that SLUG sequences don't change... so we use multiple copies of the original footage instead (so that the duration of the interim sequence is as long as the desire final retimed footage). We then include the intermediate sequence into another sequence and apply Twixtor. We then include the intermediate sequence into another sequence and apply Twixtor. Sequence 3b)'s Field Dominance setting set to Lower Field First (setting found in Settings...->General tab in FCP) so sequence 3b) creates interlaced material using Twixtor's interpolation methods to create each field. Sequence 3c) creates progressive material because the sequence settings in FCP for that sequence has Field Dominance set to None.
4. To see the Twixtor settings on an intermediate sequence (that is inside another sequence), you might be tempted to double-click on the intermediate sequence while viewing the parent's sequence timeline... but that simply jumps you to the intermediate sequence's timeline. To see the filters (and their settings) for the intermediate sequence, select the sequence in it's parent sequence, then select FCP's View->Sequence menu option.

2_KeyFrameRemap

This sample project shows how you might keyframe the time remapping for a more dynamic effect. Note that in the comp Twixtor Retimed, Soeed that the Time Remap Mode setting is set to Speed and we animate the Speed% setting. In the comp Twixtor Retimed, Frame Number note that the Time Remap Mode setting is sett to Frame Number and that the FrameNum setting has been animated.

3_WorkingWithEdits

This sample project has a piece of footage that is being slowed down by a factor of 5. Note that there is a hard cut in the source footage. In the comp ProblemShown you can see the problem of interpolating between the frames of the hard cut. Y It's "obvious" that this transition should be marked so that Twixtor does not interpolate inappropriately across the transition.

In the sequence MarkSegments you'll see that we've marked the start of the first cut by setting Twixtor's Src: Mark Segments to 1. Then we've placed another key at the end of the first segment with another key of '1'. We then set another key for Src: Mark Segments at the first and last frames of the second segment with a value of 2. In this way Twixtor can tell which frames are part of which segment. between the first and second segments. No motion interpolation or color blending between frames is used when Twixtor creates a retimed output frame that is between the two segments.

Note: To reinforce that Src: Mark Segmentsshould be set and animated in the original timing of the clip or composition being retimed, Src: Mark Segments should only be set when Twixtor's Display setting is set to Source.

4_TrackingProblem

This sample project shows how you might provide recover when there is a section where Twixtor performs poorly. We apply Twixtor to a sequence and time stretch it by a factor of 3.0. We show that at 100% Motion Sensitivity that the hand "pulls" the face around. Also, the hand is not tracked properly because of the face behind it and inappropriately stutters upon retiming. We then turn down the sensitivity by setting Motion Sensitivity to 20 (down from 70). This reduces the amount of movement each pixel can make (and it's influence on surrounding pixels), effectively eliminating the "gloop" (however, the background face and head does not track nearly as well).

5_SmartBlend

This sample project shows the difference of using Smart Blend on a sequence with significant movement at the edges of a moving sequence. With Smart Blend turned off we see significant smearing at the edges when one of the frames is warped to match the other. With Smart Blend turned on we see this problem disappear.

Rule of thumb: turn Smart Blend on when there is significant motion at the edge of the frame.

Twixtor PRO examples

6_LayersExample

This sample project shows how, with Twixtor Pro, you can use a matte to separate foreground and background for even better results when an object in front passes other objects. Note that the matte has been dropped into the FG1 clipwell, without having to make an intermediate sequence first.

7_ThreeLayersExample

This sample project shows how, with Twixtor Pro, you can use multiple layer mattes to separate several foreground elements for even better results when an objects pass over each other.

This project exhibits how a better result can be obtained by supplying mattes for the two foreground objects.

For you to do and notice:

- Because we've separated the footage into layers, we get better results by expanding the default motion sensitivites of the layers from 70 to 100 (which lets the motion estimator search for greater movement).
- Switch the Display setting to FG1 Twixtored or FG2 Twixtor or BG Twixtored to see each layer Twixtored by itself.
- Note that the matte for FG2 is created for the whole object (the cat head) whether or not it is obscured, and not just for the part that is visible.

8_TrackPointExample

This sample project show how, with Twixtor Pro, you can get better results by guiding Twixtor the use of a few judicial Track Points.

The composition "Problem Shown" exhibits what happens with regular Twixtor with no manual tracking guidance. Note that the object on the left is ghosted in the Twixtored result.

The composition "Twixtor Pro w Tracking Pts" shows how you can guide Twixtor... in this case with 3 tracking points.

For you to do and notice:

- Note that the Use menu for for Track Points 1, 2 and 3 have been set to "Main_BG"
- Note that the bad tracking has been greatly enhanced
- To see the Twixtor's track points, set Display to Source. When in this mode you can see that Twixtor draws all of the points being used. Make sure to animate Track Points when Display is set to Source.
- Note that we've changed the Warping setting to Forward. We've done this because we've added tracking guidance, and Twixtor's retiming generally works better with this setting when tracking guidances has been given.
- Because we've helped with tracking guidance, we've set the Motion Sensitivities to 100.

9_TrackPointsAndLayerExample

This sample project show how, with Twixtor Pro, you can get better results by guiding Twixtor the use of a few judicial Track Points used in tandem with Twixtor's layer separation feature.

The composition "Problem Shown" exhibits what happens with regular Twixtor with no layer separation. Note that the result is very unsatisfactory.

The composition "Twixtor Pro w Tracking Pts" shows how you can guide Twixtor. in this case with 1 tracking point per layer.

For you to do and notice:

- Note that the Use menu for for Track Point 1 is set to "FG1"
- Note that the Use menu for for Track Points 2 and 3 is set to "Main_BG"
- Note that the "glooping" has been removed
- To see (or animate) the Twixtor's track points, set Display to Source. When in this mode you can see that Twixtor draws the mask being used to guide Twixtor.
- Note that we've changed the Warping setting to Forward. We've done this because we've added tracking guidance, and Twixtor's retiming generally works better with this setting when tracking guidances has been given.
- Because we've separated the image into layers, and because we've helped with tracking guidance, we've set all layers' Motion Sensitivities to 100.
- Is really important is to note the track point guiding the background: it guides the background movement while the foreground obscures it (particularly note where the track point is for the second source frame of the sequence). thus guiding the motion estimator through motion that is hidden.
- Note that the FG1 Inv Matte Choke has been set to 1. Set it to 0 and RAM preview the sequence; notice when set to 0 that a ring of the foreground is left on the background as it is Twixtored.

Copyright 2000-2008 RE:Vision Effects, Inc.