Clip Name effect not updating when sequence name changes

[Hanna Hildebrandt]

A bug that's officially driving me insane.

I have a transparent clip on top of my edit with the Clip Name effect rendering on it, set to display the sequence clip name. The problem is, if I change the clip name in the sequence, the effect doesn't update to display the new name.

For a while, in CC 2015.3 I could toggle the effect layer's visibility and it would update, but that stopped working a while back. I was hoping that CC 2017 would fix it, but I'm still seeing the bug in all of my projects, and I can't find a reliable way to work around it, or any information on the bug online. The problem seems to be in how the clip is reporting its name, rather than the effect itself, since even if I move the clip to a new layer and point the effect to that layer, it'll still show the layer's old name. Same goes for moving the effect to a new layer. No matter what I do, it still shows the old clip name.

The only workaround I've found:

1. Update the clip names

2. Create a second Clip Name effect on the effects layer, pointing to a new, empty layer

3. Put a transparent clip on the new layer

4. Point that new Clip Name at the new layer, rendering that new layer's name (the name itself is irrelevant, we're just trying to trigger a re-render)

5. Disable the new Clip Name, and hopefully the clip names on the other effect have updated

... but even that doesn't work reliably.

Does anyone know a fix for this, or a decent workaround?

[Jim_Simon]

Does anyone know a decent workaround?

Add the effect last, just before export, after all editing (and renaming) is done.

[Hanna Hildebrandt]

Not an option, sadly. Things can change around quite a bit, and we need to see the clip names in each edit.

[Jim_Simon]

Have you tried Overlays?

[Hanna Hildebrandt]

Tried overlays, and they're showing the correct clip names, but as far as I know there's no way to render with the overlay burnt in, so it's a non-starter.

[Jim_Simon]

OK.

What happens when you use an Adjustment Layer instead of a Transparent Layer?

[Hanna Hildebrandt]

Same thing, though if I make a new adjustment layer, copy the effects from the transparent layer, delete it, add the adjustment layer to the timeline, and then paste the effects, they'll all properly update. But it doesn't update when I change a clip's name.

Ah, it revealed a (so far) reliable workaround, though. If I copy all the effects, delete the adjustment layer, drop it back in, resize it to the correct length, and paste the effects, they'll have updated. Still...a painful problem to be dealing with.

[Jim_Simon]

OK.

Where are you renaming the clip, in the bin or in the sequence?

[Hanna Hildebrandt]

Sequence, but I checked and the same thing happens if I set the Clip Name display to Project Clip Name and change the name in the bin. It won't update.

Found another workaround, though -- if you create a new video track at the top of the project and add a title card to that layer, toggling that track's visibility forces an update across the whole sequence, and the Clip Name effects will update to the new names. It has to be a title card, but as far as I can tell it can be placed anywhere in the track and be of any length, as long as it's above the layer with the Clip Name effect. <-- I take it back, this is not reliable.

[Stefan Gruenwedel]

Please submit this bug: Feature Request/Bug Report Form

[mike96]

Is there a reason you have the name & label instances link option disabled? With that on you can use Project Clip Name for the Clip Name effect... that's what we do.

[Hanna Hildebrandt]

I specifically need the sequence clip name, not project. Footage can be used multiple times under different names, or change names completely, so I can't rely on the project clip name.

[Jim_Simon]

What happens if you delete the Transparent Layer, then change the name and reapply the effect?

[Hanna Hildebrandt]

Well, now, that depends.

If the track above the transparent layer is empty, nothing changes. It still shows the old clip name when you reapply the effect.

But if there's a title card in a track above the transparent layer, the clip name updates.

[Jim_Simon]

Very odd, indeed.

[Meg The Dog]

On my system, Overlays behave the same as the Clip Name effect on a transparent clip - both do not update to reflect the updated name.

MtD

[Lourde Belle 28584999lqlh]

I know this post is from 2016 but the problem is still prevailant in future versions. I am currently using the latest Premiere (2023), I have a solution but it is the only thing that worked for me in this circumstance. Unfortunately it is tedious but fullproof. The only solution (so far) is to nest your sequences, only then the clip name effect can be functioning as it should. To all future readers facing the same dillemma, I sympathise with you and wish you great luck in future endeavours.