Move timelines between editors

Wabcut reads timelines from Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro, and from any app that writes OpenTimelineIO or EDL files, nested and multicam sequences included. It can also write a sequence back out for those editors. Each time, a report lists what came across exactly, what changed and what was left out.

Formats Wabcut reads#

Import a timeline from Premiere Pro#

1. In Premiere Pro, choose File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML.
2. On Wabcut's Home screen, drop the .xml file on "One-click import", or click "Import from Premiere Pro" and choose it.
3. Wabcut makes a new project, opens the first imported sequence and shows the import report.

Final Cut Pro XML is the most faithful route from Premiere: it carries effect values, speed and audio mapping.

A .prproj directly (experimental). You can also drop a Premiere .prproj file on "One-click import". Because the format isn't documented, Wabcut asks first: choose "Import with the experimental reader", or "Cancel". The reader brings in sequences, tracks, clips and cuts, links, transitions, speed, markers and nested sequences. It doesn't read effects, keyframes, clip properties, time-remapping curves, audio track mutes, channel routing, bins or proxies, and multicam clips play as nested clips without their angle switches. It has been checked against projects saved by Premiere 26.3 only, and a very large project needs a lot of memory.

Import a timeline from DaVinci Resolve#

1. In Resolve, choose File > Export > Timeline, and save the timeline as FCPXML (1.10) or OpenTimelineIO.
2. On the Home screen, drop the file on "One-click import", or click "Import from DaVinci Resolve". EDLs from Resolve work too.

Import a timeline from Final Cut Pro#

1. In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Export XML… (FCPXML 1.10 or later).
2. On the Home screen, drop the file on "One-click import", or click "Import from Final Cut Pro".

Final Cut Pro events become bins. Keyword collections become bins inside them, with each media file in the collection of its first keyword.

Import into the project you have open#

Choose File > "Import…" (Ctrl+I) and pick the timeline file. Its sequences and media go into the open project, in a new bin named after the file. Bins from the source (Premiere bins, Final Cut Pro events and keyword collections) become bins inside it.

Read the import report#

After an import, the report ("Imported" and the file name) counts what happened to every element of the file:

• "Carried": exactly as in the source.
• "Approximated": in the timeline, but changed. The reason says how; for example, a wipe becomes the closest built-in transition, or a transition without enough media is shortened to the media there is.
• "Dropped": left out. The reason says why, and names the effect or item.

Each entry also shows its kind (clip, transition, speed, effect, marker and so on), its sequence and where it is in the file (an XML path, or the event number in an EDL), so you can find it in the source. Media that weren't found are listed under "Offline (not found)".

Clips that overlap on one track, which OTIO, EDL and FCPXML lanes allow, are never lost: they move to an extra track, and the report says so.

Relink media#

When it imports a timeline, Wabcut looks for each media file in this order:

1. at the path written in the timeline file;
2. relative to the timeline file's folder (and the folder above it), keeping the last folders of the original path, so /Volumes/X/Show/Media/a.mov is found as Media/a.mov next to the timeline;
3. by file name, anywhere under the timeline file's folder.

A file whose size or length doesn't match is skipped. Media it can't find stay in the project as offline items with their original path. Wabcut only looks: it never opens, moves or changes your media while it searches.

To fix offline media, choose File > "Relink Offline Media…". In "Relink media", "Search folder…" finds the files by name in a folder you pick, and "Locate…" points one file at a time. If the file you pick seems to be a different file, Wabcut says why and offers "Use this file anyway".

Network paths (\\server\share\…) are checked like local ones. Wabcut never maps a drive or asks for a password; a share it can't reach leaves the media offline.

What carries over#

"Yes" means carried exactly, "Approx." means in the timeline but changed (the report says how), "Dropped" means left out (the report says why), and "—" means the format has no such thing.

In every format, wipes and other transition types become the closest built-in transition, reverse plays the same media backwards (the first frame may differ by one frame), and smooth speed-ramp keys come in with their curves worked out again. FCPXML keyframes come across for scale, rotation, opacity and volume. An EDL doesn't store its frame rate: Wabcut assumes 29.97 fps for a drop-frame EDL and 24 fps otherwise.

Send a timeline back to another editor#

Since 0.1.1 you can do this from the File menu:

1. Choose File > "Export Timeline…".
2. In "Format", choose:
   • "Premiere / Resolve XML" (Final Cut Pro 7 XML) for Premiere Pro. In Premiere, open it with File > Import.
   • "FCPXML" for Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
   • "OTIO" (OpenTimelineIO) for Resolve and other OTIO tools.
   • "EDL" (CMX 3600) for tools that take an EDL.
3. Under "Sequence", check the sequence; the current one is chosen.
4. Under "File", Wabcut suggests a file named after the sequence, next to the saved project. Click "Choose…" to save it somewhere else.
5. Click "Export". The export report ("Exported" and the file name) lists what was carried, approximated and dropped, like an import report.

The nested sequences and multicam sources the sequence uses go along. Media are written as full file paths, so the other editor finds them where they are on this computer.

Bins aren't written in any format. Eased (curved) keyframes and speed-ramp keys come out approximated in FCP7 XML and FCPXML.

From the command line#

wabcut-cli does the same for scripts:

# Premiere Pro: Final Cut Pro 7 XML (File > Import in Premiere)
& "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Wabcut\bin\wabcut-cli.exe" export-timeline "D:\Docs\film.wabcut" "D:\Docs\film.xml" --format fcp7-xml
# DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro: FCPXML (or --format otio for OpenTimelineIO)
& "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Wabcut\bin\wabcut-cli.exe" export-timeline "D:\Docs\film.wabcut" "D:\Docs\film.fcpxml" --format fcpxml

• --format is fcp7-xml, fcpxml, otio or edl.
• --sequence <name> picks a sequence, and --fcpxml-version 1.10 or 1.11 sets the FCPXML version.
• The report lists what was carried, approximated or dropped.
• In the portable ZIP, wabcut-cli.exe is in the bin folder.

Files Wabcut can't import#

When you drop one of these on "One-click import", Wabcut says what to export instead:

Known gaps#

• No AAF or OMF export, so a cut can't go to audio post that way, and AAF files can't be imported.
• Colour, EQ and compressor filters from other editors, FCPXML filters and OTIO effects other than speed changes are dropped (the report names them).
• Generators other than titles are dropped.
• Premiere's work area isn't carried.
• On Windows, wabcut-cli may not open file paths with characters outside plain ASCII (accents, Thai and so on).