Final Cut 7 Exporting - GENERAL ERROR Message

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Final Cut 7 Exporting - GENERAL ERROR Message

Been working on this for days now and it's driving me nuts. I'm trying to export a 22-minute long sequence. These are my export settings:

FCP 7

File -> Export -> Quicktime Conversion

Format: MPEG-4

Options:

File Format: MP4

Video:

Video Format: H264
Data Rate: 25,000 (approximately - it might be a little more or less to get it to 2GB)
Image Size: 1280X720
Frame Rate: 29.97
Key Frame: Every
Frames: 3

Video Options:

Restrict Profiles to: Main
Encoding Mode: Faster (unless you want to spend a couple of days rendering)

Audio:

Format: AAC-LC
Data Rate: 320
Channels: Stereo
Output Rate: 48.000 kHz
Encoding Quality: Best

I keep getting a General Error message. I've tried everything. Settings are kosher, I've rendered every single clip, full timeline renders perfectly well, I export just small segments and that works, don't know what to do.

Suggestions?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Nov 5, 2009 1:14 PM

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Answer 1

panicinzero Author

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Nov 5, 2009 1:43 PM in response to panicinzero

Also*, it's at about 80% that it craps out.

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Answer 2

Jim Cookman

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23,435 points

Nov 5, 2009 1:50 PM in response to panicinzero

Well...
Data Rate 25,000-- 25 thousand what?

If it always craps out at the same spot, you might have a bad render file or corrupt clip. you might try forcing a re-render. Do you have any still images, and if so are they all RGB, not cmyk?

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Answer 3

panicinzero Author

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Nov 5, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Jim Cookman

I do have still images actually. But they're right at the beginning of the sequence. Let me double check this.

Are there data rate options?

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Answer 4

panicinzero Author

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Nov 5, 2009 2:33 PM in response to panicinzero

Also is forcing a re-render the same as choosing all the render options, hitting all, and rendering? Did that without a hitch.

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Answer 5

Jim Cookman

Level 7

23,435 points

Nov 5, 2009 2:37 PM in response to panicinzero

Easiest way to force a re-render is to turn off the base track and turn it back on again. Then render all with everything checked.

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Answer 6

panicinzero Author

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Nov 6, 2009 12:10 PM in response to Jim Cookman

I exported the sequence as three different parts without a hitch. So do you think it may just be a setting issue that won't allow me to export a full 22 minutes?

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Answer 7

Nov 6, 2009 12:57 PM in response to panicinzero

what's the format of your target drive? Some pc formats have files size limitations. Also, if you're exporting over a network, that also can have file size limitations.

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Answer 8

panicinzero Author

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Nov 6, 2009 3:05 PM in response to Michael Grenadier

I'm actually just saving it to my desktop. No network or anything.

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Answer 9

av8chuck

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Nov 6, 2009 3:29 PM in response to panicinzero

You could try exporting a self contained Quicktime and importing that into Compressor to compress it to MPEG-4.

This shouldn't make a difference but at least you will only be dealing with one Quicktime file.

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Answer 10

panicinzero Author

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Nov 6, 2009 4:13 PM in response to av8chuck

Cool. I'll try that. I usually try to avoid Compressor. I don't think I've even updated it.

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Answer 11

Nov 6, 2009 4:26 PM in response to panicinzero

You shouldn't avoid compressor although many people here seem to be afraid of it. Once you figure it out, it's very simple and does a great job. The main advantage is that you can adjust your export settings and save them.

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Answer 12

panicinzero Author

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Nov 7, 2009 1:46 PM in response to Michael Grenadier

Yeah, that didn't pan out to well. Image quality looks terrible and it's in the incorrect aspect ratio. Don't really know how to use compressor, though. Oh, well, just need to figure out why I'm getting a general order when I try to export the full sequence but it works fine when cut up into three separate parts.

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Answer 13

panicinzero Author

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Nov 7, 2009 3:55 PM in response to Jim Cookman

Yeah, it has to be a settings issue. Just won't let me export something that large. I threw in the quicktime file of the last portion into the timeline with the rest. General error once again at 80%. So I know it's not something in the actual sequence.

If it exports as a quicktime, and then it exports in three broken up segments without a hitch, there must be something that's not allowing me to export a file that large.

Any clues?

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Answer 14

Nov 7, 2009 4:12 PM in response to panicinzero

If you can export as 3 different clips, you should be able to recombine them in quicktime pro.
compressor should do a great job. Adjust the parameters till you get the results and file size you are looking for. Post back with any compressor questions or read the manual.

Message was edited by: Michael Grenadier

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