Show source clip timestamp in frames?

[zewt]

How can I show the current frame of source clips?

The only thing I can find that shows clip timestamps is the program window overlay, but that only wants to show a timecode.  Everything else that shows a timestamp I can switch to frames, but the overlay only seems to want to show timecodes, even if the entire project is set to frames.

[MyerPj]

I gave it a try, couldn't get it. I tried the timecode effect also on an adjustment layer, that did seem to display frames but the number didn't seem to be relevant to anything? Then black video. That was closer but it covered everything. Finally I put a new layer on above everything else of Transparent Video, and dropped the Timecode effect on it, and it was displaying and acting correctly. It's a work around. You'd need to turn off that track when Outputting, but it seems to work OK.

[zewt]

Hmm.  That works, but it's hard to maintain, having to add it to every clip and disable them all each render.  I guess I could write a script to make it easier...

It actually seems to work on an adjustment layer if I set "Source Track" to the track number, and then I can create one for each track to get a display like the overlay. That wasn't obvious, since when I tried to do that when the effect was on a clip it didn't work, so I assumed it meant something else (source track within a clip or something like that).  It's actually a bit better than the overlay, since it only shows up when there's something there, so it doesn't always show a bunch of useless empty "V2 V3 V4" lines when only one track is in use.

It still needs to be disabled, but at least it's just one layer to disable.  I'm definitely going to forget 50% of the time though, hopefully there are pre- and post-render scripts so I can automate that.  Wonder if there's something like guide layers in After Effects which do that automatically.

[MyerPj]

Ah... no. Basically no maintenace at all. 

Right click the project and create a New Item, a transparent video. Put that on it's own track above all the other tracks and stretch it out to cover your entire timeline. Drop a timecode effect on it and set it as it is in my screenshot.

Only one clip to maintain, and you'd have to turn off the track (one-click on the track eyeball) when exporting if you don't want the frame numbers.

[zewt]

Huh, that's what I said.  I put it on an adjustment layer so I only have to do it in one place.

[MyerPj]

?

Again, no. The post start with this sentence:

"Hmm.  That works, but it's hard to maintain, having to add it to every clip and disable them all each render."

I couldn't get the Adjustment layer to show the right time-code, it was starting on some huge number and I couldn't enter a big enough 'offset' in the effects control to set it to 0 on the first frame. So, Transparent Video instead of and Adjustment later is what I ended up with.

[zewt]

I said I'm putting it on an adjustment layer, in one place.  Not sure why every discussion on the Internet has to turn into an argument.  Thanks for the help, but I'm moving on.

[MyerPj]

You're welcome, I'm glad my solution worked for you! 🙂

I only ever said use it on one clip, and you can always turn it off and on using the try eyeball.

The Adjustment layer was the first thing I tried as I mentioned, it works but the numbers were wrong when I tried it here. 

This is at the beginning (first frame) of the sequence when I use an Adjustment Layer: