Final Cut Pro + Dropbox

I just want to be able to import media from dropbox. No, I don't want to download it first. This worked fine up until I upgraded to a stupid new operating system that is ultimately worse than the old one. Why can't I see the dropbox folder? You're not getting along with the folks over at dropbox? You don't seem to have an issue with Adobe doing it. Maybe I should switch to Premiere?

Yes, the library and media have to be stored locally for use with FCP. You can use Dropbox with FCP for storing and moving files, but not while you're working on them. There are other collaborative solutions like PostLab.

Just to support the OP and other comments about encountering this issue, I'm having exactly the same thing on my end. Have been using FCP with DB seamlessly for well over a year. I recently replaced my old MBP with a new MBA M2 running Ventura 13.2.1. Everything still worked seamlessly when I setup the new machine via Time Machine. This morning, I was working happily on FCP projects stored on DB. DB then asked me to update, which I stupidly did. Immediately after doing so I could not longer open my FCP library files.

Also, I tried reinstalling earlier version of DB, but this didn't change the location of the DB library, and FCP still won't load my libraries.

And even when I copy the files onto my local drive manually from DB, I get the same error. Super frustrating. I guess I'll rebuild the libraries and projects, but what a hassle, and it completely screws up my workflow.

Hope either DB or Apple figures out how to fix this, I'm sure this is a problem for a lot of users.

How did you solve this problem? This is a huge PIA. I have had dropbox working great for FCP for years now. Move entire projects off the server to my dropbox, and then I can edit on either my laptop or my home computer and as long as I close the FCP file before I start to edit it's all worked fine. I did have to keep my proxies external to the FCP Library, but once I figured that out it's worked perfectly. As a very mobile user, editing one three different system almost every day, this has been vital to my workflow. Have you tried sync.com?

I saw that Dropbox fired 16% of its staff to make room for staff to work on AI.... sounds like a dying company to me, because AI is not their main business. Echoes of Facebook deciding that VR is their future...

I've got a work around. Rather than storing the fcp.bundle on Dropbox, just store the footage there, Create a new Library on your computer using the footage on Dropbox. When the edit is completed, export the Final Cut Pro Library as an XML back to Dropbox. When another user opens a new library on their computer using the XML it accesses all the Dropbox footage. If changes are made to the Library re-export an XML to replace the one on Dropbox. (example: a full sized library on Dropbox at 39 GB is 2mb as an XML.) You will need some traffic light system to warn users when the XML is being modified.

Another workaround would be to use sparse disk images. A sparse disk image acts like a disk image, it mounts and unmounts, and can sit right in a dropbox subfolder. The FCPX library syncs as it is bundled in the disk image. The only added step is creating the disk image, mounting and unmounting as you open and close libraries for dropbox sync. Just thought I would share this since I know this is affecting a lot of people.

I have been evaluating LucidLink. There is no download delay for media to sync as with DropBox as LucidLInk downloads small packets of the files meaning you can start editing as soon as the media is uploaded to LucidLink. LucidLink is designed for video, currently with 45,000 users. 5 users 1Tb storage $80.00 per month.

The problem of Final Cut Pro calling locally stored Dropbox files "cloud-based" is wrong. If you have files synced offline in Dropbox then they are indeed stored on the INTERNAL drive.

Apple- fix Final Cut Pro!!!

I called Dropbox after my post and they confirmed this is well-known issue. They also said it is an entirely Apple created problem to simultaneously require cloud services folders to be in a library subfolder then not allowing FCP to work with library folders. Utterly absurd.

Thanks for the FCP feedback link. I'll go there next.

Have you tried LucidLink in place of DropBox. Brilliant - no delay in accessing media uploaded to LucidLink it streams the footage you need as you need it so does not need to take up excessive space on you local Computer as DropBox does. You can control how much it caches on your local computer.

[Edited by Moderator] 

I've avoided updating to the new version of DropBox and that has kept this problem at bay. As a result I also have been unable to update my company computers - I've bought 3 used Macs on eBay with old operating systems so that I can work around this insane issue. And at the moment I plan to move to sync.com the instant I am *forced* to upgrade to the new dropbox. MY understanding is they do not have this issue - in that you can still place the sync folder where you want it, which of course this is a huge issue if you need to transport multiple tb for photos and videos.

This is a user-to-user forum. We're all users just like you. Send Apple your feedback via via Final Cut Pro->Provide Final Cut Pro Feedback...  or use this link Feedback - Final Cut Pro - Apple

This is happening to me too and I've used FCP and dropbox. It started after I updated Dropbox.

Uninstall dropbox app and install the previous version. You can download it here: https://dropbox.en.uptodown.com/mac/download/87515470

Do not upgrade and continue being happy for 3 + more years :)