Re: Photoshop CS6 Beta released, with magnetic timeline!

[Franz Bieberkopf] "This is sort of where I fail in understanding the two models - can't one say that the "absolute time" model essentially relates all clips back to the start time? Or to restate: in what way is the "absolute time" model not dependent on the first frame of the sequence?"

Have you read David Lawrence's excellent article The Magnetic Timeline -- Thoughts on Apple's New Paradigm [link]?

Basically, with FCP7's absolute time, time is defined by an external clock which clips are cut against, and which is unaffected by operations on clips in the edit.

With FCPX's relative time, the primary storyline drives the clock, and everything is relative to that. Change the primary storyline, you actually change the clock.

It's a question of frame of reference. With FCP7, since the frame of reference is external, it remains fixed during editorial operations. With FCPX, since the frame of reference is based on the material you're working with, your frame of reference itself changes during the edit.

An admittedly poor analogy that tries to make this a little more concrete: with FCP7, you are standing on the shore, observing a boat on a river, but independent of both. With FCPX, you're floating in the river along with the boat as you observe them both, governed by the same forces that are changing the things you're observing.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
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