Final Cut Pro default still image duration

Search can use any part of the file name, including the extension.

Note: you may need to widen the part of the window containing the index (by dragging the vertical separator) to

see more of the names; and, depending on each file's setting, the extension may be hidden (as in the "Untitled" file below).

Here is a dummy example of a timeline, with some jpg files, some heic files and a video:

If type "heic" in the search box of the timeline index, only heic files appear, so I can quickly select them all in there (and they become selected in the timeline, of course).

What Tom is saying is that if you click on a newly imported still image in the browser it will set the selection (yellow bounding box) to be whatever you have set in your settings (e.g. 2 seconds). Then when you add it to your timeline it will be that duration.

I can perhaps see your dilemma- if you have hundreds of photos then clicking each one is going to take ages.

If you can elaborate on what you are trying to do then maybe there is a solution.

Tom is correct and clear, as always.

There seems to be a confusion between the “duration” in the browser and the actual duration when added to a timeline. The latter can be anything you like. The 10 seconds duration in the browser is pretty much irrelevant.

Just import the files you want.

If you add them to a project timeline you can just select them in the timeline, press control-D type 2. and press enter.

The import length is always 10 seconds. The preference sets the selection amount. If you click the filmstrip of a still image it selects two seconds off its 10 seconds duration.

If you import all of your images into the same Event, you can select them all, type Control-D and then '2.' (2 plus period) as Luis suggested for clips in the storyline, and all the play range selections of your stills in the Event will be set to 2 seconds. When you individually select them, or group-select them, they will retain the 2 second play range settings.

BTW, if you simply click on the new image imports individually, a play range of your Preference settings length will automatically be created. You can also "clear" (option-X) previous play ranges and click back on the image to create a new Preference Setting play range.

You can further make this easier if you import all your images into a Keyword Collection (just drag them straight from the finder onto a keyword collection in your Event.) This will make selecting all of JUST the images even easier when using Command-A to Select All.

(In case you didn't know)

The timecode clock shortcuts, like '2.' "understands" the implied "0" values, like 1.0.20.12 is 1 hour, zero minutes, 20 seconds and 12 frames can be shortened to '1..20.12' — and any "leading zeroes" (and their associated periods) like zero hours, and zero minutes, are unnecessary. If you type a straight number, no periods, then the time will be interpreted/translated as frames only and typing 42 in a 30fps project will result in 1:12 (one second twelve frames)... and so on...

My old version of FCP allowed me to drag direct from Photos to time line with settings set for 2 seconds and that is how they appear in the time line. Stills 2 sec duration and video full length.

It still works the same way, if you drag any photos from the Finder to FCP directly to the timeline.

However, dragging from Photos directly to the timeline makes all photos 10 seconds, regardless.

One way around it is to use the wonderful Timeline Index. Since you want to change the timing of only the photos and not the videos, open the Timeline Index, enter a search (like jpeg or heic, whatever form the still images are), select all the results and then apply the Control-D followed by the duration.

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:

One way around it is to use the wonderful Timeline Index. Since you want to change the timing of only the photos and not the videos, open the Timeline Index, enter a search (like jpeg or heic, whatever form the still images are), select all the results and then apply the Control-D followed by the duration.

That's a great idea Luis. However, I can't find any way to search the index using file extension or file type. I can search by the text in the file name but not the extension. Am I missing something?

A workaround if that doesn't work would be to rename the stills files and add a text identifier that would easily distinguish the stills from the video clips.

OK I'm not seeing the file extensions in FCP although I have them set to always show in the Finder. I can't see how to change this in FCP (nothing in Settings that I can see) but that is why I can't search in the Timeline Index for file extensions. Any idea on how to change that so file extensions show?

I don't have file extensions in FCP either!

You can search Tags in the Timeline Index... if you use a keyword collection, then search for the keyword in Tags. However, I find I have to make a selection in the timeline index, then double-click the timecode clock to set the play ranges of the selected media... using Control-D doesn't work in my setup from the TI.

I can’t check right now because I am away from my mac. I believe that FCP will honor the Finder setting regarding hiding extensions - at the time of import. It won’t update clip names after that, which makes sense to me, because clip names, once defined, are separate from file names.

It may be feasible to alter clip names systematically though. My thought is that if the clip retains information in its metadata about the image format (and it must), then one may create a Smart Collection with, say, all jpeg clips, and use the clip renaming feature to “add back” a file extension. I will experiment later (maybe not today - different time zones…) and will report back.

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:

I believe that FCP will honor the Finder setting regarding hiding extensions - at the time of import.

No it can't be that as I always have file extensions turned on in the Finder. It's a bit mysterious how the file extensions are showing for you and not for me or fox. There does not seem to be any way of changing this in FCP.

One simple solution would be to add a stills identifier in the file name as even partial file names are searchable. I would do this outside of FCP as I never like having different extrenal and internal file names. Or add a keyword to all stills as already suggested.