Can't open FCP 7 project in FCP 6

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Level 1

10 points

Can't open FCP 7 project in FCP 6

Hi all,

I am running FCP 6.0.6 and I just got a project file that I need to open but it's a FCP 7 project file (and won't open on my system). I am trying to get them to export me an XML but that might not be possible. Would anyone be able to help me out and take my FCP project and export a XML that I can read on my system (or have any tricks that I can use to get it to open)? Unfortunately upgrading to FCP 7 isn't an option for us at the moment.

Thanks so much!

-Peter

macpro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on May 29, 2010 6:49 PM

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Answer 1

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Shane Ross

Level 8

43,110 points

May 29, 2010 7:21 PM in response to prberg

#45 - Opening projects with older versions of FCP

Shane's Stock Answer #45 - How to export your project to work with earlier versions of Final Cut Pro.

Versions of Final Cut Pro aren't backwards compatible. So a project created with FCP 6 cannot be opened with FCP 5...and this even goes into the dot-updates as well. A project created with FCP 5.1.4 cannot be opened by FCP 5.1.1.

Nope, for this you need to use XML. Export your sequence as an XML sequence and import that in the other version of FCP. XML v3 if for FCP 5.1 4 and FCP 6. XML v2 is for FCP 5.0, and XML v1 is for FCP 4.5. So if you need to go from FCP 6 to FCP 5.0.4, you'd use XML v2. For FCP 7 projects that you want to open in FCP 6, XML v4.

To export an entire project, select ALL the bins in the Browser and then choose FILE>EXPORT>XML.

Shane

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