FCP X 10.0.3 Hits the App Store

The latest free upgrade to FCP X, 10.0.3, has just arrived over at the App Store, bringing with it several functions the pro market has been hankering for, including multicam support, import from FCP X via third parties and broadcast monitor out.

Converting from FCP 7

10.0.3 sees the first Apple-approved application for converting your legacy projects to a FCP X-friendly format: 7toX from Intelligent Assist. The app converts FCP 7 Bins to FCPX Keyword Collections and Sequences to Compound Clips, all without dropping metadata or log notes. 7toX will also handle your Motion keyframes and settings, with support for over 20 transitions and 45 filters already in place, along with support for all your FCP 7 colour filters.

Media Relink

You can now exchange files with third-party apps and relink clips from the Event Browser or Project Timeline much as you would have done in older versions of Final Cut - with the added bonus that you can now make changes in one independently of the other.

Multicam

One of the most requested features in FCP X, multicam support has finally arrived. With support for up to 64 camera angles, automatic syncing of (and support for) different formats and frame rates, the new incarnation has already garnered positive reviews, with Final Cut demigod Larry Jordan no less proclaiming: "This feature is amazing. Far more flexible than the multicam in FCP 7, it simplifies multicam editing using either the Viewer or the keyboard. The ability to revise multicam clips even after they are edited to the Timeline is very, very slick."(Macworld's  Gary Adcock is similarly impressed.)

According to the release notes, you can now sync clips automatically using audio waveforms or manually based on timecode or markers, and resync, change and add or remove angles from inside a multicam clip. In line with Apple's efficiency-is-everything angle on FCP X, you can also switch between proxy and optimised clips to maximise hard disk throughput.

Broadcast monitor out

Or rather, Thunderbolt monitor out, as to get this working you'll need a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac and an AJA Io XT (or equivalent, once other vendors start shipping their conversion boxes). Apple are saying that this is technically a public beta, and that they're still in negotiation with third parties to get everything running smoothly.

XML 1.1

Probably inevitable given the number of third parties looking to get on board with FCP X, this new and improved XML support allows you to export basic colour grades to third-party apps, along with audio key frames and effects parameters.

...and the best of the rest

Aside from the marquee features, there have been a number of bug fixes and all-round tweaks. Our James Graham is particularly excited about the new, less laggy text editor for titles, as the old version was apparently slowing down his computer no end. Audio syncing and playback have also been streamlined, new transitions now use available media and maintain your existing project length, and your Inspector should now automatically add a key frame when you move to a new point in time and adjust a parameter. Lovely.

Got a favourite new feature? Let us know in the comments. For more info, get in touch with us on 03332 409 306 or at broadcast@Jigsaw24.com.

For all the latest media and entertainment news, follow @Jigsaw24Video on Twitter or 'Like' our Facebook page.