EDL TO REDCINE-X Applescript (beta)

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

EDL to REDCine-X Conform Tool (Mac only)
version 0.82 - Mikael Lubtchansky

http://foolcolor.net/EDL2RCX_0.82.zip
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Instructions :

1. Shoot some footage with a RED camera
2. Transcode offline files keeping original RED names for all your clips (or use Quicktime proxies).
3. Edit in FCP, Avid or Premiere (cut only edit points, no dissolves, no non-RED footage or graphics should be used at this point)
4. Export EDL
5. Launch EDL2RCX Script
6. Follow onscreen instructions

After answering a few questions about your project's frame rate and location of the original R3D files, you should get a LUA script file generated on your desktop. Launch REDCine-X, open file menu, choose 'Run script', select the LUA file and your edit will be recreated in the timeline.

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Changes from original release build :
- Detection of Edge TC when it is used against Absolute TC.
- Now works better with audio edits in the EDL.
- Will now let you add up to 10 source directories to search for your R3Ds
- Avid and Premiere support
- Support added for R3Ds created with cameras using pre 16 firmware
- fixed a bug that could cause re-link error with some R3D files
- fixed some permission errors when scanning full drives
- fixed an issue on Avid if clip names were changed.
- fixed an issue with some 'simple' RED16 Avid EDL
- fixed an issue with TC detection
- much much faster source folder scanning
- much faster processing when having a large R3D folder scanned

Known issues :
- 23.976 and 29.98 TC are not fully tested
- Any clip playing in reverse in your edit will be wrong once in RCX as standard EDLs don't export that info !
- Evaluation version will only export the first 10 edits of your EDL to REDCINE-X (Full version has no limits)


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If you encounter specific issue, please email me your EDL file.

If it works well on your system and you wish to unlock it beyond 10 first edit points, you can send a donation via Paypal to my email account (any amount over $15 will get you a code to unlock it). I'll do my best to keep it bug free and up to date :

mika at nerim.net

EDL has several limitations with reversed clips etc so I made an XML version offering much more features. A single donation unlocks both scripts, try it out here : http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42478

Thanks for any feedback.

Mikael

________________________________________________

This software is not affiliated with RED.com, Inc.
REDCINE-X, R3D are trademarks of RED.com, Inc.
Final Cut Pro is a trademark of Apple Inc.
Avid is a trademark of Avid Technology, Inc
Premiere is a trademark of of Adobe Systems Inc.

[Deanan]

Awesome. First one out!

[Bal Deo]

This is cool
You have just saved me hours of work. I'll try it on a 3 min video We shot on Friday.

[Gunleik Groven]

Cool

[IAN SUN]

Wow excellent, thanks will try.
Why the ten cut limit? Do you plan to commercialize the software soon?

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Well if it does work outside of my own computer and if there is some interest in such a script then maybe I could setup a paypal and propose the full version to those who donate 15 $ to support the project.

It sends 10 cuts to RCX but internaly it processes the whole EDL so you can try it and see if it can work for you, and evaluate the script's limitations. This first version wiill certainly have bugs so I will post updates here if I fix them or get it to work with more EDL formats. If you have Avid or CS4 example EDLs to send me it could help speed things up. I start working on a feature in 2 weeks for 2 months so I can work a bit on it this week...

Thanks to the braves who will try it out !

Mikael

[Bal Deo]

Hey mikael
I'll pay the $15 if you can send me a script that will send my 3 min timeline to rcx :)

[gbalaji]

been poking around in Applescript since REDCine-X lua scripts were posted friday... here's something to try... fresh from the oven.

________________________________________________

EDL to REDCine-X Conform Tool
beta 0.1 © Mikael Lubtchansky

Experimental software
Not suitable for production
________________________________________________

________________________________________________

This software is not affiliated with RED.com, Inc.
REDCine-X, R3D are trademarks of RED.com, Inc.
Final Cut Pro is a trademark of Apple Inc.

Mikael,

When I try to execute your script (6 cuts), I am able to play only one frame and not all frames. Attached my EDL, Lua Script and Screenshot of RedCine-X.

Thanks for the good work.

[Bal Deo]

Hey Mikael
Try using the script. Noticed if I have 4 cuts of the same clip it will only ref three in the edl and it repeats (complete) the same clip for the fourth cut.

[Jean-Charles Wolfarth]

Mikael, is there a way to see the source ? I'm on PC, I could try to "translate" it to PHP to put it on a web page : people submit their EDL and get back an LUA script. Or maybe there's someone here who could write it in Javascript to make it more cross-platform.

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Mikael,

When I try to execute your script (6 cuts), I am able to play only one frame and not all frames. Attached my EDL, Lua Script and Screenshot of RedCine-X.

Thanks for the good work.

Looks like you exported your offlines and edited using Edge Code instead of the (hourly) TimeCode. Will work on making the script aware of this issue and will send a new version to deal with this once it is ready.

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Mikael, is there a way to see the source ? I'm on PC, I could try to "translate" it to PHP to put it on a web page : people submit their EDL and get back an LUA script. Or maybe there's someone here who could write it in Javascript to make it more cross-platform.

My script relies on a lot of Mac and applescript specific tricks so it wouldn't be possible to just translate it into another language. Also to be able to conform from an EDL the script needs to locate the original R3D files locally on your drives and read the source timecode of your clip in order to get the correct in/out points for RCX.

I'm not a PHP expert at all but I don't really see how this part could work from a webpage.

Best from Paris :-)

Mikael

[Jean-Charles Wolfarth]

My script relies on a lot of Mac and applescript specific tricks so it wouldn't be possible to just translate it into another language. Also to be able to conform from an EDL the script needs to locate the original R3D files locally on your drives and read the source timecode of your clip in order to get the correct in/out points for RCX.

I'm not a PHP expert at all but I don't really see how this part could work from a webpage.

Best from Paris :-)

Mikael

Thanks Mikael ! Too bad... Anyway, it would be great to meet each other one day !

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Hey Mikael
Try using the script. Noticed if I have 4 cuts of the same clip it will only ref three in the edl and it repeats (complete) the same clip for the fourth cut.

Can you private message me with the EDL and .lua file ?

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Mikael,

When I try to execute your script (6 cuts), I am able to play only one frame and not all frames. Attached my EDL, Lua Script and Screenshot of RedCine-X.


updated to version 0.15 (see first post) :

- should properly detect TimeCode when offlines are using Edge TC instead of Absolute TC
- should now work on snow leopard if it didn't previously
- should now deal with Audio better (audio is not sent to RCX in any way but could generate error before if some clips had synced audio). As a general rule, it's best to duplicate your edit, remove all audio before exporting a video only EDL.

[James Rayburn]

Here is a sample of an Avid EDL using the Avid "Red16" template. Essentially a CMX 3600 Avid EDL that allows 16 character tape names.

I'd love to see Avid compatibility!

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Here is a sample of an Avid EDL using the Avid "Red16" template. Essentially a CMX 3600 Avid EDL that allows 16 character tape names.

I'd love to see Avid compatibility!

Thanks James

EDL2RCX version 0.2 now has basic Avid support.
Please report here or by PM if it works... else send me your EDLs.

Mikael

[Brian_Obee]

2. Transcode offline files keeping original RED names for all your clips



Hi,

Does "transcode offline files" mean one cannot use, for editing, the quicktime files in the R3D folder that reference the R3D raw file? Do we have to convert the entire R3D raw file to self contained proxy quicktimes for editing to make this work?

Thanks,

Brian

[David Battistella]

Hey Kids,

You might want to look for the new version of CLIPFINDER. Which does all of this and more.

David

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Hi,

Does "transcode offline files" mean one cannot use, for editing, the quicktime files in the R3D folder that reference the R3D raw file? Do we have to convert the entire R3D raw file to self contained proxy quicktimes for editing to make this work?

Thanks,

Brian

It works well with proxys too, no need to convert if that is your preffered workflow.

I just posted a new version (0.25) that might work also with Premiere... (not fully tested yet)

Mikael

[Jonas Rejman]

Thanks for this tool!
It is fratin' awesome.

I would like to request functionality before B16...
I have a project shot on B15, that I would like to look at one more time with redcineX and the new algorithms.
B16 introduced a new naming structure, and the script does not find R3D file names for B15 footage and below.

I attached a short EDL made from B15 R3D's

Thank you!!

Jonas

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Thanks for this tool!
I would like to request functionality before B16...
I have a project shot on B15, that I would like to look at one more time with redcineX and the new algorithms.
B16 introduced a new naming structure, and the script does not find R3D file names for B15 footage and below.


Hi Jonas

EDL2RCX should now work with footage created on pre 16 camera firmware.

Check the updated 1st post...

[Bal Deo]

so clipfinder is able to generate a script from my edl or xml from fcp and open it RCX with the edits of my fcp timeline?
Or is the process some what different?

Hey Kids,

You might want to look for the new version of CLIPFINDER. Which does all of this and more.

David

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

so clipfinder is able to generate a script from my edl or xml from fcp and open it RCX with the edits of my fcp timeline?
Or is the process some what different?

Yes Clipfinder can do the same with xml files (not edls) and can also do MUCH more than this script (it will document your clips, reconform to proxies for color, set metadatas, control Rocketcine-X, make ALEs, render offlines etc).
My script is just a quick and simple EDL to RCX timeline conform tool.

I've updated the first post of this thread with information on how to obtain an unlock code : donate any amount over $15 to my email using paypal (mika at nerim.fr) and I'll send you back your unlock code via email. It will remove permanently the '10 first edits' limit from the evaluation version.

[Jonas Rejman]

in the last version, 0.25 and 0.26 I get a:
"edrc.plist of <script>" missing, and the script does not start.

Can someone point out, what is missing on my system?
the 0.2 version worked with no problems.

Thank you.

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

in the last version, 0.25 and 0.26 I get a:
"edrc.plist of <script>" missing, and the script does not start.
Can someone point out, what is missing on my system?
the 0.2 version worked with no problems.
Thank you.

fixed in 0.31, sorry guys.

Thanks Jonas for being an early tester of the unlocked version.

[Brian_Obee]

It works well with proxys too, no need to convert if that is your preffered workflow.

I just posted a new version (0.25) that might work also with Premiere... (not fully tested yet)

Mikael

Thanks. After I select the R3D file folder and click 'no' I don't have any more R3D files to look for, I get a pop up message that starts with 'Can't get text item 2 of "TITLE: CMX3...' and the script ends. Any clue as to what I'm doing wrong?

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Thanks. After I select the R3D file folder and click 'no' I don't have any more R3D files to look for, I get a pop up message that starts with 'Can't get text item 2 of "TITLE: CMX3...' and the script ends. Any clue as to what I'm doing wrong?

can you send me the EDL you're using ? It might be a 'new' flavor I haven't tested yet, I'll try to see what happened here and fix it.

thanks

[Brian_Obee]

can you send me the EDL you're using


thanks

Attached. Thanks!

[Brian_Obee]

Thanks. After I select the R3D file folder and click 'no' I don't have any more R3D files to look for, I get a pop up message that starts with 'Can't get text item 2 of "TITLE: CMX3...' and the script ends. Any clue as to what I'm doing wrong?

We got it to work by deleting all but one of the audio tracks in FCP prior to exporting the EDL.

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

We got it to work by deleting all but one of the audio tracks in FCP prior to exporting the EDL.

Yes I try to work around those audio issues but it's always safer to export an 'image only' EDL whenever possible.

0.35 fixed the error you ran into and a few other issues....

thanks for the feedback

[Brian_Obee]

Yes I try to work around those audio issues but it's always safer to export an 'image only' EDL whenever possible.

0.35 fixed the error you ran into and a few other issues....

thanks for the feedback

Thanks for your effort! We really appreciate it.

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Thanks for your effort! We really appreciate it.

Anyone had succes using my script with cs4 and Avid EDLs ? I can only test it in full with FCP right now but it should work in theory...

Thanks to report here if you had any specific issue

[James Rayburn]

I've used it successfully with an Avid EDL. Seems to work great.

Now if RCX158 would actually make MXF media properly, I'd have an actual workflow!

Thanks for your efforts, its great.

[Jonas Rejman]

I have two feature requests:

1.)
I often end up changing the speed of 120fps high-speed 2K material one shoots on the R1.
(its just too tempting not to give it a go on set...)

If I use the script on such a sequence, the conform does not work - the images are all over the place and the timeline falls apart.

I am not sure, if RCX already supports varispeed framerates, probably not.
What would help though, if the script pics up the sequences with changed speed,
and just reconstructs the timeline as if they were at normal speed.

That way, one can at least export the in and outs to ProRez, and re-do the speedups in the finishing system.

2.)
Add the ability for handles please.


Thanks!

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Jonas,

RCX doesn't handle any speed change at the moment and it son't think it is coming soon... not really the philosophy of the app as it's more a dailies tool than a finishing tool (same goes for secondary grading i think)...

What I can still do is upon detection of any speed change, calculate in/out points for all clips and send to the RCX bin instead of timeline.

adding handles on the way to a RCX bin is also possible (makes little sense to make a timeline with handles) BUT :

Sometimes handles cannot be created to the desired length (if you edited a clip from frame 0 or from frame 5 while asking for a 10 frames handle) so we need a way to be aware of this before the edit can be re-constructed back once each clip was re-exported out of RCX... so adding handles would also require to recreate a new EDL, or more probably an XML file so you keep frame accuracy all the way back and forth. Will see what can be done but don't hold your breath on this one yet...

....

Another feature that maybe could be useful once each R3Ds was identified from the EDL is an option to duplicate all clips to a separate directory and make a LUA file linking to those clips instead of the original ones. It would reduce the overall file size needed to move the project around to other machines and still be able to reopen the edit in RCX. But I would have to work around some AppleScript limitations as it cannot display any progress window or any dialog while doing the copy so you'd have no way to know if everything is going OK while staring for several minutes at the spinning ball... I could use growl to notify of copy progress or launch a secondary script just to display some info. Would such a copy feature be useful ?

[Jonas Rejman]

1.
Well, picking up the right in and outs, and placing them in the timeline would be a good start.

2.
This is a typical handle-problem, but I wonder how often this one comes up. Having 20 frames handles is usually more then enough for a slate and a after "cut" pan, so this might be not an issue when shooting shorts.
It might be critical for documentaries and run&gun or similar.
The easiest solution for now might be, to just ignore the handle command, if such event occurs, and log it into a file.

3.
Copying only what is in EDL will surely be incredible useful. Clipfinder has this option with a little workaround and it works well.
I suggest however to create a rsynch terminal batch command, that the user has to launch separately. This way you can follow the process in the terminal, it will be parity-checked for data errors and will not hang up the apple script.

[James Rayburn]

I've had success with a couple EDL's, and not so much with others.

First, does the "CLIP NAME" in the EDL matter? Because in the original EDL I sent you, my "CLIP NAME" were the same as my Tape Name. (both 16 character R3D naming).

Second, is there a limit to the number of folders this will search? I have a folder with lots of R3Ds, and your script seems to search the whole thing. (finding 171 total clips). But for whatever reason 1 of my 10 clips from my EDL isn't found.

Here is the screenshot of the shot which isn't found:

http://i41.tinypic.com/zir348.png

But as you can see, its in the same folder structure as the rest of my files:

http://i43.tinypic.com/35c2xis.png

I've attached my EDL.

Thanks.

-James @ charlieuniformtango

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

James

as I couldn't reproduce the error here with your EDL, I have to send you a special version that will write a log file with the content of the scan folder and will log any error to a text file.

Re-run your EDL thru this version and send me the log file please.

[LaChris]

HI!, I have successfully used EDL2RCX_0.35 - and it is super - but where can I obtain REDCine-X B158? On red.com / support / is only Build 104th ...
Thanks
Christina

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Christina :

Get REDCINE-X B158 and manual from here :

http://reduser.net/forum/showpost.php?p=539913&postcount=11

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

1.
Well, picking up the right in and outs, and placing them in the timeline would be a good start.


The slow down and speed up calculation are doable but I've ran into a wall trying to implement that along with reversed clips (playing at -100 speed or any negative speed) : standard EDLs format (and FCP ones) have no support at all for those reversed clips and I just have no way of detecting their presence in your edit from reading the EDL. So if anyone used a reversed clip it will make a bogus timeline in RCX without any warning... which isn't really good.

Instead of losing more time on this antediluvian format I've started writing an XML parser and will make a new XML2RCX script that will be able to replicate what EDL2RCX was doing and offer much more options down the road... once ready it will work unlocked with the same license code as the EDL version, so will be a free update for all registered users.

I'll still post a EDL2RCX 0.4 version soon (fixing the issue James discovered with some specific R3D files) and will continue to fix bugs as they appear but I'd rather move on to XML for any additional feature.

Mikael

[Michael Thornton]

My script is just a quick and simple EDL to RCX timeline conform tool.

Great Work.

I will donate.

Please keep working on this.

I really need a tool like this.

RED RUSHES was a life saver.

I am sure this one will be one also.

I like tool that does one thing and does it better than any things else.

Thanks

Michael T.

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Beta 0.4 posted

fixes bug reported by James (a pretty rare issue that could occur with some R3Ds), plus a few other small fixes... including an optional logging feature to help better track bugs in future versions.

[LaChris]

HI Mikael; Thank you for the great work!!

I have now used EDL2RCX_0.35 with a EDL from FCP; and everything is working excellent!!
If I was asked was my only wish to have a possibility to adding handels (just 20 frames or so).

Yours,
Christina

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

I have now used EDL2RCX_0.35 with a EDL from FCP; and everything is working excellent!!
If I was asked was my only wish to have a possibility to adding handels (just 20 frames or so).


I've just posted the XML version of my script here :

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?p=567717

You can specify handles, it will also work with retimed clips and should offer more options than this EDL version in the future.

No Avid support yet in the XML version but I'll work on it asap.

Same license will unlock both EDL and XML scripts to unlimited mode so no need to donate for both... unless you really want too :-)

Thanks for the feedback.

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

new 0.41 beta (get it on thread's 1st post)

fixed a bug when scanning full disk instead of specific folders while relinking R3Ds

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

version 0.45 fixes an issue on Avid EDLs if filenames were changed.
Script should now get the correct RED16 name from REEL

XML version has much more features... I will see if I can add retiming detection to this EDL version but it won't be able to work with reversed clips anyway so... better work with XML2RCX for those kind of conform...

Mikael

[gbalaji]

Attached the snapshot what I get has an error when I try to use Avid RED 16 EDL and also attached the EDL itself for your reference.

Using EDL2RCX_0.45 version.

[MichaelP]

Might be an issue of absolute or edgecode for timecode and whether the script or REDCINE-X supports either timecode. Avid supports and tracks both timecodes all the time - it is up to the user to select which one is needed in the EDL.

Michael

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

G.Balaji, you can try with new version 0.5
should work with your EDL... thanks for feedback.

re time code, it's always best to use Absolute timecode with my script (whenever possible) as there might be a rare issue with edge TC I haven't fixed yet

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

FYI version 0.7 will no longer work with the bogus name/serial floating around...

I received so far 7 donations (thanks guys) for my 2 scripts and even if I didn't wrote them to make any money I was surprised to discover someone was interested in using the full version without supporting future development... and save 15$ !!

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

0.71 Bugfix, previous update broke the script header... thanks James !
0.72 bugfix with generic red16 EDL type detection (the script detects if the EDL is a RED16 avid one, or FCP8 then acts accordingly but something got broken in recent versions with plain simple avid red16 files... thanks jeff)

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

much much faster source folder scanning
Avid EDL can now have custom clip names

[lenin leon]

hi there

[lenin leon]

hi there
i been testing the edl2rcx and it works perfect,
how can i do to get the full vertion

[lenin leon]

where can i get the full v of edl2rcx

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Hello

to get the full version you need to send me 15 USD (or more) via paypal

Code will unlock EDL2RCX, XML2RCX and the new (still buggy for now) RCX2XML roundtrip app...

Mikael

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

version 0.82 now is MUCH faster when working with large R3D file collection.

http://foolcolor.net/EDL2RCX_0.82.zip

(thanks Alex)

Mikael

[Editor_Al]

This worked great! I had a nightmare situation where the colorist of the feature film I cut decided he wanted to recolor the entire project 1 year later. Not a problem except he requested to use Apple's Color when I cut in Avid. Color doesn't except Red16 edl's and the CMX 3600 of course cuts off the reel name. So when I tried to get it into Color it just linked to the completely wrong files. I then tried redcine-x build 487 which has the import edl function. That failed more than Color. It couldn't find the clips either. Enter edl2rcx I ran the program, and it found all the files, created a script file, and I ran it in redcine-x. Now it didn't work in build 487 but I tried it on a the previous build I had on the system 261, and it worked perfectly. Timeline conformed, and now I'm rendering out the ProRes quicktimes necessary to get into color.