Workflow Question

[Chris Smith <chris(at)sugarfilmproduction.com>]

reminder: noob in training.

It seems that when I start to do effects with a clip I just go for a clip effect added in the top timeline.  But as soon as I have more than 3 or 4 effects or need to pipe things in multiple branches, it becomes clear it should live as an effects tree.  Well, obviously there is the right-clickable option to 'convert to effects tree', however now it is one clip effect.  So to modify it, you have to click on that effect, then hit the expand button, then have a floating window covering your workspace.  Then I made my own user toolbar with all the effects I want in a specific order which I built in to the main 'compositing' timeline.  So now I have to open it as a separate floater.  Then when I actually change a node, a parameter editor has to pop as a floater.  So now I'm basically in what should be my compositing mode but with all these windows floating over my editing mode.

Like many of you, I re-did the 'compositing' layout to work beautifully for what I need (I simulated Shake for mine).  So it seems ridiculous that I should be doing my effects tree work on the top timeline in floating windows.

So the question is:  Is there a way to take a clip with effects and with one function, turn the clip into a composite container AND convert the effects to an effects tree piped into that layer within the 'composite' layout?  So you basically can just jump over to composite mode and have your effects rebuild into a tree in that mode.

Right now I am collapsing the effects into a effects tree on the timeline.  Then turning the clip into a composite container.  Then opening said effects tree.  lassoing all the nodes.  Hitting COPY.  Then pasting them into the layer's effect tree in the composite layout.  Kind of a hassle.

Chris Smith

Partner/Film Director

Sugar Film Production

3699 McKinney #222

Dallas 75204

214.655.2662

http://www.sugarfilmproduction.com