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macintologist · Apr 1, 2002, 07:05 AM

Im using Final Cut Pro 3 on OS X on the superdrive g4 imac but real-time rendering doesnt work as advertised. What gives?

Arcayx · Apr 1, 2002, 08:22 AM

I don't think anyone ever claimed that the G4 iMac would support real time rendering.
Consumer computer != professional features.
No L3 cache.
From http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/specs.html

Requirements

Macintosh computer with a 300-MHz or faster PowerPC G3 or G4 processor and built-in FireWire
�
500-MHz or faster single or
450-MHz dual processor Power Mac G4 or PowerBook G4 required for G4 realtime effects
�
667-MHz PowerBook G4
required for mobile G4 realtime effects in DV format

Mac OS 9.2.2 or Mac OS X
v10.1.1

QuickTime (included)

256MB of RAM (384MB

recommended for G4 realtime effects)

40MB of available disk space
required for installation

I don't think anyone ever said the real time stuff would work with an iMac.

Groovy · Apr 1, 2002, 09:19 AM

you can speed that up A TON. you need to find the hack that does that.
Not sure where i found it but i think i read how to do it here.

www.xlr8yourmac.com

tr · Apr 1, 2002, 02:16 PM

here's a more direct link:
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/tips/fina..._3_tweaks.html

i'll have to download the tweak and try it.

tr

ph@lmi.net · Apr 5, 2002, 02:02 AM

i think it should work out of the box. the script only looks for a fast enough g4 processor.

what may be holding you back is external viewing. turn off 'play frames through firewire,' and maybe the red line will go green.

what kind of effects or tweaks are you trying to see real-time?

this is the test that's run...

<BLOCKQUOTE>code:<HR><pre>
if ( CountComponents( "imdc", "dvc ", "KeyG" ) > 0 && (CountComponents( "imdc", "dvc ", "MAPL" ) + CountComponents( "imdc", "dvcp", "MAPL" )) == 0 && (cpuhasvector == 1))
float cpuclass

if (dictget("switches","realtimeVideoFX","cpuclass","value") == 42)
cpuclass = 42;
else if (cpucount > 1 && cpuspeed >= 800)
cpuclass = 4
else if (cpucount > 1)
cpuclass = 3
else if ((cpuspeed >= 500 && (l2cachesize + l3cachesize) >= 1024) || (cpuspeed >= 733))
cpuclass = 3
else if (cpuspeed >= 667)
cpuclass = 2
else if (cpuspeed >= 550)
cpuclass = 1
else
cpuclass = 0
end if
...[/code]

Jedd · Apr 6, 2002, 09:06 AM

but the new G4 iMac meets the processor requirements
except for the low end model which only has 128 mb ram.
what do u mean it's not supposed to run Final Cut?

tullamore · Apr 7, 2002, 07:03 PM

I have a dual 800 G4 and when I do work in Final Cut Pro, such as using the filter deinterlace, it makes no attempt to pre-render the video, I have to manual select render video, I don't think I have ever seen Final Cut Pro render anything except a transition when I am working with it.

I think the fact that you haven't seen real time rendering on your iMac is because it only works in certain situations.

nitram_at_work · Apr 7, 2002, 07:14 PM

It's not that it isn't going to run FCP, it's the real-time rendering that's at issue. Reading through the tweaking files on XLR8yourmac.com indicates that:

(1) FCP assigns a class number to your machine according to CPU speed, number of CPUs, presence/absence of L3 cache

(2) FCP assigns a 'maximum workload' for your machine class

(3) Real time effects are assigned a number of 'work units', varying depending on the effect being used. For each clip, FCP adds up the number of work units to calculate it's total CPU load.

(4) FCP will allow your Mac to perform real-time rendering on a clip as long as the maximum workload for the clip doesn't exceed what FCP calculated in (2).

That's how I read it anyway. I think.

nitram_at_work · Apr 7, 2002, 07:38 PM

From Apple's site. http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/effects.html
What you need for playback of software-based real-time effects
The only requirement for software-based, real-time effects playback is a 500MHz or faster Power Mac G4 or PowerBook G4 with 256MB of RAM � no extra hardware needed. You preview software real-time effects exactly the way you�d do using a real-time card in Final Cut Pro, so there�s nothing new to learn.

How many real-time effects can you play?
You can use varying combinations of real-time effects and still have real-time playback, depending on the speed and number of processors in your computer. However, computers with dual processors have significant performance advantages over those with single processors (a top-of-the-line dual processor Power Mac G4 being the ultimate system for both editing and rendering digital video). Each effects operation you apply to a clip makes greater or lesser demands on the processing capabilities of your computer, depending on the effect. When the total processing demands of all combined effects exceed the capabilities of your system, you�ll need to render before you can play back.

Available software-based real-time effects
Video transitions and filters appear in bold in the Effects tab (in the browser) and in the Effects menu to indicate they play back in real time. When using OfflineRT or DV, the following effects are available for real-time playback:

Real-time transitions and filters
� Cross Dissolve
� Iris transitions:
Diamond Iris
Oval Iris
Point Iris
Rectangle Iris
Star Iris
� Wipe transitions:
Center Wipe
Clock Wipe
Edge Wipe
Inset Wipe
V Wipe
� Color Corrector 3-way filter

Real-time motion effects
� Opacity
� Scale
� Center
� Offset
� Crop
� Aspect

jefferr29 · Apr 10, 2002, 12:59 PM

it works for me. do you have the 384 minimum ram requirement? also you can't view realtime through firewire devices, it's not dv.