Participating Frequently

Modify Clip >> Timecode >> Current Frame disabled since atleast earliest downloadable version

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
May 2, 2024
17 replies
2088 views

I have a workflow that is heavily dependent on setting media start time/alternate timecode of clips that do not start on a whole second and do not have generated XMP start or alternate timecode. When I go to Modify Clip >> Timecode and try to modify the timecode based on the current frame of my clip in the source monitor, the "Current Frame" selection is greyed out. I have my play head on the first frame of the first whole second so that it will adjust the timecode for the previous frames and I don't have to do the math for every clip. I have tried placing my play head on the frame, marking an in on the frame, all different file formats and CODECS that Premiere will accept and I put it out to the Premiere Pro Editors FB group where multiple editors confirmed the same issue when they tested it for me. Unfortunately, those frames in my use case are very important so I am not able to trim the files before import and make do with changing the beginning file timecode of the trimmed file. This new workflow I have devised is set to half the time of my old workflow but being able to use the Modify Clip>>Timecode>>Current Frame feature so I can use multi-cam sync is the key to the whole thing.

Also, when changing timecode using Modify Clip I have found if the file has an "irregular" frame rate (7, 10, 15) the tool usually defaults to drop frame. I can workaround this by interpreting footage to 25fps or 30fps, changing the timecode and then using interpret footage to revert back to the original frame rate....usually. Not as big of a deal at the current frame issue but if there was any way to have it default to non-drop as long as the frame rate is whole numbers it would also be great.

I am running the most recent PP version (24.3.0 Build 59) but I have checked all of the accessible versions on CC and they all contain this bug. A couple versions of 2024 ago there was an issue that when you changed the timecode with Modify Clip at the beginning of the file it would not show up as media stat time but that seems to be rectified. Hopefully enabling the current frame option is an easy fix and you would be able to make it happen sooner rather than later. If it is not a bug and anyone knows what I am doing wrong I would appreciate any advice.

Below are my hardware and OS specs but I use multiple computers with all different specs and run both Windows 10 and 11. They all contain the bugs mentioned above. No third-party plugins were installed while testing

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9850H CPU @ 2.60GHz 2.59 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.8 GB usable)
Device ID 43BA03AE-87F3-4FE8-8412-25338DB0691E
Product ID 00330-52880-57637-AAOEM
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 22H2
OS build 22621.3447
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22688.1000.0

J

JeffBIllings

Participant

So, apparently this can't be done from the Project panel with the right-click menu...

You've got to do it exactly like this to get Current Frame to not be grayed out:

1.

Double-click a clip in the Project bin to open it in the Source viewer

Find any frame with timecode numbers visible

2.

From the top menu select Clip > Modify > Timecode

3.

Type in the timecode from the slate
Select Current Frame

(Using Alternate Timecode protects the original file's timecode for a smooth offline/online workflow)

4.

Click OK.

5.

Sync cameras and audio by timecode as usual.

peterb97932907

Participant

CHANGING TIMECODE METADATA ON A CLIP. In Mac, to do this you need to select to the clip icon in the Project window, then right click the icon and select Modify>Timecode. The Modify Clip window opens with the Timecode tab selected. Then select Beginning of File, and can type in a timecode start point at any number you want. Note that this change only affects a new clip. In other words, after changing the timecode you must drag the clip into the Timeline. If an earlier versions of the clip is already on the Timeline, its timecode will not reflect your change (and it should probably be deleted). FYI - The"greyed out" problem that other people have described occurs when you first select a clip on the Timeline, then click the Clip pulldown menu (at the top of the screen) and selected Modify. When you do it that way, Timecode is grayed out.

Remote Index

"a lot of frame rates that are not typical (10, 15, 20) default to drop frame so you have to interpret footage to 30fps, set the timecode and then interpret footage back. I have even had it where a 30fps clip defaulted to drop frame. I interpreted footage to the same 30fps and it changed to non-drop."

It would be good to get clarity on this from Adobe (and clean up the interface choices) as, of course, there is no such thing as drop frame code for anything but 29.97fps.

I'd be interested to confirm, for example, if there really are dropped timecode values if drop frame is chosen for anything other than 29.97fps.

R.

krisc56526666Author

Participating Frequently

@Stan Jones

Thanks for linking the Best Practices Guide. I was trying to find any reference to current frame and I couldn't. I feel kind of stupid now because I was right-clicking in the project panel all this time, thinking it would see where my play head was in the source monitor. It doesn't really matter though because you are right, when you try and set the current frame while the source monitor is open and you do Clip>Modify >> Timecode> Current frame it does not set the current frame as the time that you entered it sets the start of the file at that time. @Bruce Bullis @Kevin-Monahan , sorry I think my bug report needs a bit of an update based on this. In my office we say P.I.C.N.I.C (problem in chair not in computer) but this was both. lol

As for the issue with not being able to enter timecode even at the start of the clip so that it showed as media start, I was dealing with this in all 24 versions until the latest update. I was running 23.0 to do my modify timecode and then taking the files and importing them into 24. It seems like they have that issue sorted now as I was able to do a bunch of them in the new version of 24 last night. The other issue that is still in 24 in addition to the current frame issue is that other that most a lot of frame rates that are not typical (10, 15, 20) default to drop frame so you have to interpret footage to 30fps, set the timecode and then interpret footage back. I have even had it where a 30fps clip defaulted to drop frame. I interpreted footage to the same 30fps and it changed to non-drop. I work a lot with CCTV so I have a lot of nontypical frame rates.

Thanks again for all of the info and for correcting my mistake. Hopefully, Adobe can get the Modify Timecode fully sorted sooner than later. A lot of time is wasted trying to work around these bugs. I hate doing timecode math.

bbb_999

Community Manager

Many factors influence the timeline for addressing a given issue.

Stan Jones

Community Expert

@krisc56526666,

This is not my expertise, but I'm interested because I'm tracking this bug:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-bugs/modifying-timecode-in-2023-6/idi-p/14075545

User guide, under "Set clip timecode manually," does not mention it specifically. "Choose Clip > Modify > Timecode, specify options as needed, and select OK."

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/timecode.html

The Best practices guide, page 83, in a section on Multicamera edting and syncing clips, says, "If the timecode from one source is off, open the clip in the Source Monitor and find the sync point. Most often this will be a clapper. Click Clip > Modify > Timecode. Choose Current Frame and enter the correct timecode that matches the other clip."

https://www.postmagazine.com/documents/AdobePremiereProBestPracticesGuide.pdf

> When I go to Modify Clip >> Timecode and try to modify the timecode based on the current frame of my clip in the source monitor, the "Current Frame" selection is greyed out.

Open the clip from the Project Panel. Select the Source Monitor as the focus (NOT the Project Panel). There is no right-click option, so Clip -> Modify -> Timecode and the Current Frame is not greyed out.

But how is this now supposed to work? If I type in a number, selecting current frame, it appears to simply make that the starting point of the clip.

@mattchristensen

Stan

krisc56526666Author

Participating Frequently

@Bruce Bullis @Kevin-Monahan does the fact that it is not just in the Beta but in all official releases going back to 23.0 change the timeline at all?

krisc56526666Author

Participating Frequently

@Bruce Bullis @Kevin-Monahan Just to clarify this is not a bug that has been introduced or worsened in the Beta builds. I checked every available official release of PP on CC and they all contain this bug. If I had access to more official releases I would have gone back until I found the first version where the bug didn't exist.