as we all know dark magic is used when creating xmls in premiere.
scales come in as action nodes but there are 2 blockers here
if they did not edit with source res media but smaller proxies these scale values might not be relative to the source media size,
( see this ClickUp)
tlactions are corrupt if the source media has a different aspect ratio than the timeline
we can fix 1) by either using proper workflows in premiere or by using a resize node that matches the initial resize by premiere or use the xml fixer python script to scale the values if halfres proxies where used .
If we use a resize and then a tlaction however we double filter the image! which is bad
we cant fix 2) thats on autodesk.
So what we really want would be to somehow translate the xml so that the whole repo gets put into a resize node and not a action. there we could match any scale mode used in premiere and we dont have to deal with corrupt tlactions!
I wonder if thats possible, and we might have to go xml-> aaf or something - not sure how.
Anyone has a idea? doesnt look like adsk will fix the tlaction bug anytime soon…
here are some test-files for anyone that wants to follow along.
Graded files and premiere XML exports and converted XMLs from resolve, FCPX-XMLS and all that jazz
I have an action that interprets the lens info (which is actually the resolution of the source) then fit’s it to the timeline rez with an expression. I can then eyeball in the repo, or copy the Premier transforms and parent my auto-repo to that. One action, one filter. Note, it doesn’t always work as expected. I blame Premier. There is also a python script that does somewhat what you ask. I would love a better, more automated workflow, but in the meantime I’ll play the hand I’m dealt.
I’ve also been told by AD people that Adobe doesn’t play nice.
yes but the tool doesnt fix the broken action nodes it comes in as…
I just want a one click conform like resolve, the data is there but idk why it uses a axis node vs a resize , i suspect because there is a rotation in the premiere data?
Hmm, yeah corrupt actions is something the devs should look at and fix I feel.
Haven’t conformed in Resolve but if it works there then I believe Flame “must have” parody in this respect.
Could be a rotation or likely just some non-basic transform causing it. Majority of the time I get Actions and not Resize if there is any sort of move that isn’t linear I think. Not sure but generally I see Actions with a repo move.
I believe you get an action when there is a transform in the offline. You get resize when premier stays with the default size of the transcode. (Bear in mind, I get most of my stuff from Avid, so I may be confused about which does what.). Since there is no real standard for a timeline, it’s basically anarchy. My first go-to with premier is the aaf, then the xml. Neither is perfect. Thankfully, I’m almost all short form, so sometimes I just eyematch the shit and move on.
Premiere AAFs dont support timewarps , just static retimes, they do come as resize nodes but none ot my keyframes i set in Premiere translate at all.
FCPX-XML comes in with 2D transforms and a resize before that causing stuff to be cropped , so not very good either.
The only one that gives me a theoretical 1-click conform in resolve and flame with ALL repos and timewarps is the default premiere XML * once i clean it with the xml prep script .
Minus that pesky bug with the corrupt actions… like i am THIS close to getting a one click conform life with all that like it DOES WORK when you do proxys and timeline settings in a certain way so I dont think there is another way than to have autodesk fix it @hildebrandtbernd might remeber the ticket we filled with this a while ago.
*except for anamorphic footage in resolve these are differently treated between resolve and flame… resolve does it worse
and yes you do get an action on every repo - the problem here beign that most clips in premiere nowadays have a scale effect applied because the source and timeline resolutions never match anymore and you can only letterbox stuff without setting a scale effect in premiere.
So if you have opengate (3:2) footage in a 16:9 timeline you have to scale it no matter what, either letterbox then scale up or scale down with default center crop mode.
Only if the proxy res would be the same width as the timeline - then it would set no transform effect and fill the whole frame.
Which is impossible if you have 1080x1920 and 1920x1080 and god knows what else.
so pretty much every shot gets a transform effect by default even if nothing was scaled at all!!
Why edit in one good piece of software when you can make everyone’s life a misery in four?
Besides, you can burn money faster that way…
I should have taken up hairdressing or telephone sanitization - at least it would have been a free ride off the planet…
I’m writing under this post because I have an issue importing my XMLs into Flame, and I think point #2 corresponds to what I’m looking for, but I’m not sure. Let me explain:
I create XML files from Premiere and I always make sure to have clean timelines (organized tracks, unnecessary elements deleted, no “scale to frame size”). I have no issues when reading the XML files in Resolve, but it’s a different story with Flame.
To start, I fix the files with @john-geehreng 's script (thank you for the work ), I then relink them to my sources (same size as the proxies). This is where the problem occurs: when I scroll through my timeline, my image scales seem completely broken at first glance. However, when I manipulate the segments—for example, by dragging and dropping them onto a higher track—Flame reinterprets the scale, and it magically fits my offline reference.
This solves my issue, but I have to go through each segment individually. It’s time-consuming and frustrating because the scale information is correct, but it’s Flame’s initial interpretation that bugs.
I’m wondering if you’re talking about the same issue when you mention corrupted Actions?
Or do you familiar with this problem and may have a solution?
For context, I’m currently using Flame 2025, but I’ve had this issue since the Flame 2022 update (possibly earlier), and I’m on a Mac.
Yes this is the exact issue we all have , i would advice to log this as a Bug , do a quick video, and complain to autodesk, I have done that 3x now from different studios, and I will keep doing it until it finally becomes a priority for adsk to fix this
be aware that there is a SUPER HIGH chance that the corruption sneaks back in after the first fix, randomly.
Our only REAL solution right now is to recreate every scale with a Resize node or a brand new tlaction.
I am hoping that once larger studios start upgrading from flame 2021 or whatever, we finally see some movement here…
I assume that I’m considered “young blood” in the flame community since I’ve only been a flame artist for about 8 years , but I’ve never kept an action or timewarp from the conform. I usually throw them out first thing and re-create them from scratch. I only work with TVC so I’ts usually pretty quick to line everything up with the offline reference.
I’m not saying that this is a solution, it just dawned on me that I’ve never even considered a world where the flame conform works flawlessly. I usually have a problem linking clips with timewarps as well. “The clip is too short after consolidation” or something is a constant thing and I usually have to do a shot replace to get around that.
There’s a new thing in 2025.1 when doing conform on premiere xml:s that I noticed. If you choose to keep timeline resolution from the xml file, the timelines are having a strange interlacing thing going on that I’ve never seen before. Not sure if it’s 2025.1 or if there’s a new version of premiere causing this.
Anyways, does anybody have experience with OTIO? As far as I understand, this is what they’re trying to fix with standardization. I tried to look into it a while back but I never got my head around it.
Maybe the xmls can be converted into OTIO (they are supposed to have tools made for this) and imported into flame?
I’m out of my depth here so feel free to let me know why my thinking is off
Newest Premiere version has a bug , it writes 25p XMLs as 50i this is probably why you see interlacing, you can fix it by changing the XML file with a text editor.
What pisses me off the most is that AAF from avid works fine, but there is no way to convert a premiere XML into a PROPER avid AAF . (the AAf from premiere and resolve dont carry repo info) .
I generally toss out the premier resizes as well, and start from scratch (short form, not that many shots) but I still have the bug described by the OP when I do reformats. It’s annoying.
), I then relink them to my sources (same size as the proxies). This is where the problem occurs: when I scroll through my timeline, my image scales seem completely broken at first glance. However, when I manipulate the segments—for example, by dragging and dropping them onto a higher track—Flame reinterprets the scale, and it magically fits my offline reference.
, but I’ve never kept an action or timewarp from the conform. I usually throw them out first thing and re-create them from scratch. I only work with TVC so I’ts usually pretty quick to line everything up with the offline reference.