Applied effects don't register in the timeline and canvas!

[Kelska]

I recently purchased Final Cut Express and have been slowly but steadily working my way through the steep learning curve with tutorials and experimenting. But there's no tutorial that tells me what to do if I know how to apply and adjust an effect/filter that won't respond! I can get filters to do the right things in the viewer, but when I double click on the clip in the timeline to do the ACTUAL application and edit, nothing makes a difference. None of the effects affect anything.

I have already tried repairing my disk permissions and trashing my preferences. No such luck. Help?

 

[arjen92]

I guess the thing you're doing wrong is applying the effect on to the wrong video. Could you try to open a file from the browser, drag an "obvious" effect onto the canvas. Now drag the changed picture from your canvas to your timeline.

Is the effect still gone? If this helped you probably placed a video into the timeline. Openend from the browser the same clip and applied the filter. Well, you didn't applied it to the clip in the timeline, but to the clip in the browser (yes they are different), make sure to double click the clip from your timeline.
How to be sure it's the clip from your timeline? when you see the clip in your canvas and there are dots on the scrub bar under the canvas (so not your timeline/sequence, but the one of the canvas), the clip is from your timeline/sequence. When the bar is smooth, the clip is from your browser.

 

[Kelska]

I guess the thing you're doing wrong is applying the effect on to the wrong video. Could you try to open a file from the browser, drag an "obvious" effect onto the canvas. Now drag the changed picture from your canvas to your timeline.

Is the effect still gone? If this helped you probably placed a video into the timeline. Openend from the browser the same clip and applied the filter. Well, you didn't applied it to the clip in the timeline, but to the clip in the browser (yes they are different), make sure to double click the clip from your timeline.
How to be sure it's the clip from your timeline? when you see the clip in your canvas and there are dots on the scrub bar under the canvas (so not your timeline/sequence, but the one of the canvas), the clip is from your timeline/sequence. When the bar is smooth, the clip is from your browser.

I think this may be my problem! But how do I fix it? I always remember to double click the clip in the timeline, and it APPEARS to be there even though no dots show up in the scrub bar under the canvas. (Though again, they do appear in the viewer)

 

[LethalWolfe]

A way to quickly check if you working w/a clip from the Browser or if you are working in the timeline is to read the label at the top of the Viewer's window. If you are working w/a clip from the Browser the label at the top of the Viewer window will say Viewer: Clip Name. If you are working from the timeline it will say Viewer: Sequence Name.


Lethal

 

[Kelska]

A way to quickly check if you working w/a clip from the Browser or if you are working in the timeline is to read the label at the top of the Viewer's window. If you are working w/a clip from the Browser the label at the top of the Viewer window will say Viewer: Clip Name. If you are working from the timeline it will say Viewer: Sequence Name.


Lethal

Yes, I understand how to find out whether or not I am working in the timeline. My question now is how do I fix it? I'm adding clips to the timeline like I normally do, they should be registering.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Real basic here, but just to make sure we are on the same page:

You place a clip in the timeline

Double click on the clip in the timeline and it appears in the viewer

W/the playhead sitting on the clip in the timeline you go to the menu and select Effects->Video Filters choose a filter and nothing happens. Correct?


Lethal

 

[Kelska]

Real basic here, but just to make sure we are on the same page:

You place a clip in the timeline

Double click on the clip in the timeline and it appears in the viewer

W/the playhead sitting on the clip in the timeline you go to the menu and select Effects->Video Filters choose a filter and nothing happens. Correct?


Lethal

Yup! That's it exactly.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I've only used FCP, not FCE, but I've never seen anything like that before. Does the filter show up in the Filters tab? What happens if you drag a filter from the Effects tab in the Browser instead of using the menu? Have you tried shutting everything down and rebooting?


Lethal

 

[Kelska]

I've only used FCP, not FCE, but I've never seen anything like that before. Does the filter show up in the Filters tab? What happens if you drag a filter from the Effects tab in the Browser instead of using the menu? Have you tried shutting everything down and rebooting?


Lethal

It does show up in the filters tab, but no changes occur when I try to adjust the sliders, either. I get the same effect from dragging it or selecting it in the menu. And I have rebooted the system as well. I can't figure it out. It isn't the files I'm using, either - they are DV files and those which I have successfully used before won't respond now.