Dragging clips from iMovie to desktop

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Level 1

24 points

Dragging clips from iMovie to desktop

If I want to use a clip to fill a title or with the vidmix effect or really any effect that requires you to select a file in a finder window, it looks like I can't use something that's already in the project. Well, I can, but it I have to make another copy on the desktop. What I've found is that by dragging a clip into the timeline and cutting it up to make it the lenght I need for the effect does nothing when I then drag that clip to the desktop to be used as a .dv file for my effect. It copies the ENTIRE clip. It looks as though, aside from forward thinking and knowing exactly how I'm going to use everything and for how long during import, I'll have to drag the clip I want into a new iMovie project, then trim it in that timeline and export/share the new project to the desktop, then go back to the iMovie project I'm working on and select it from there. Isn't there a quicker and easier way to do that?

20" Intel C2D iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.9), 2.16ghz, 2gb ram and one pesky pixel

Posted on Jul 11, 2007 7:08 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 11, 2007 9:20 PM in response to dmchord

... gets habitual, our dialogs ... good morning, dmchord... ^-^

export/Quicktime/Full Quality PLUS check tbe box 'select clips only'...
choose 'Desktop' as location ...

.. make sure, you DID select the clip you like to export to desktop, BEFORE choosing export ...

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Answer 2

dmchord Author

Level 1

24 points

Jul 11, 2007 10:09 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

You're a super-genuis! Actually, it's good evening, Karsten. Good night and get to bed if I had any sense, but I'm becoming quite nocturnal. No Carrara yet, waiting for funds to be returned. And the reserve on the TRV900 is $800, so that's not going to happen. I'm watching a Panasonic GS300, though, that has a $379 Buy Now. Might be better saving to get the loot for the GL2. Ah well...I've got to play with morph effect, see if it works on people. Thanks.

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Answer 3

Jul 12, 2007 12:39 AM in response to dmchord

LOL, naw, dmchord, I'm just a 'Silverback' when it comes to iM and I spend too much time on this board.. so, I'm just a 'living FAQ' ... ^-^

.. when you like morhping, have a look at THIS tool...
http://www.norrkross.com/software/morphx/morphx.php

.. a little more... elaborated...

thanks, again, for The Big Green One ...

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Answer 4

Jul 12, 2007 7:30 AM in response to dmchord

If I want to use a clip to fill a title or with the
vidmix effect or really any effect that requires you
to select a file in a finder window, it looks like I
can't use something that's already in the project.
Well, I can, but it I have to make another copy on
the desktop.

iMovie doesn't normally require exporting/re-importing a clip that's on the Timeline before adding a title or special effect. You shouldn't have to do that.

What is the problem this solves? What exactly happens?

If iMovie isn't allowing you to add titles or special effects, it would be best to solve that underlying problem. Then you would be able to use iMovie as intended.

Karl

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Answer 5

x-xp

Level 1

0 points

Jul 12, 2007 2:00 PM in response to dmchord

I think what the writer is referring to is an issue I encountered in my latest project. In project "A" I have gone through all of the clips in the clips pane and have cropped them to my liking. Some clips from project "A" I also want to use in new project "B", so I drag them to the desktop. However, when I later drag these desktop clips into new Project "B", the original length clip is imported into the clips pane, not the cropped clip, so I have to perform the crops all over again.

Also, while it may have just been in my HDV editing environment, a number of clips were reported by iMovie as missing after exiting iMovie and then re-opening it. All of these clips were like those described above - brought into project "B" from the desktop. It seemed to work better for me to keep both projects active on the desktop and drag the clip from one project's clips pane directly to the other project's clips pane rather than adding the step of first bringing them to the desktop and then adding them to the new project.

FWIW, from now in working with HDV video, I will slow down my actions a little bit (could be the external HD was still importing a clip while I initiated a new editing action) which could have resulted in missing clips. No clips were reported missing when moving them directly from project "A" to Project "B."

Mac Book Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8) Windows XP Home PC

Mac Book Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8) Windows XP Home PC

Mac Book Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8) Windows XP Home PC

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Answer 6

Jul 13, 2007 4:25 AM in response to x-xp

I think what the writer is referring to is an issue I
encountered in my latest project. In project "A" I
have gone through all of the clips in the clips pane
and have cropped them to my liking. Some clips from
project "A" I also want to use in new project "B", so
I drag them to the desktop. However, when I later
drag these desktop clips into new Project "B", the
original length clip is imported into the clips pane,
not the cropped clip, so I have to perform the crops
all over again.

Aha! Now i get it. Thanks.

Yes, dragging a clip to the Desktop doesn't work like we'd expect. It copies the entire source file of the clip to the Desktop.

Dragging the clip from Project A to Project B does exactly the same, but the clip description goes with the clip so iMovie knows not to play the entire file.

Karl

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