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Opening iMovie Library reveals LOTS of events that do not show up in the iMovie Browser

My iMovie library is 700 gigs big. I want to cut it down to size. But there aren't that many events in it. When I open the package, however, lots of stuff shows up. Do I just move these to external hard drives in Finder? ... How do I get them to show up?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jan 16, 2019 5:23 PM

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15 replies

Jan 20, 2019 9:44 AM in response to Jrough

One more thing:


Before moving around libraries, events, and projects, and splitting them up between libraries, you should do the following procedures to make sure that all of the media is consolidated in the library, event, or project:


  1. Select the library in the libraries list and do a File/Consolidate Library Media.


2. Select the project in the Projects browser and so a File/Consolidate Project Media.


3.Select the event in the libraries list and do a File/Consolidate Event Media.


-- Rich



Jan 19, 2019 7:19 PM in response to Jrough

I’ve been breaking my libraries into smaller chunks, using the iMovie browser, so I can move them to an external drive. One library only shows 7 events in the library pane, but it is over 500 gig. I see 100 events when I look in the package with the finder. I can see them in iMovie in the pane to right of the library pane, but there is no way to move them to a new library from that pane.



Jan 17, 2019 8:17 AM in response to Jrough

The link tells you how to move events from the libraries list in the media sidebar. Projects, not events, appear in the Projects browser. Events appear in the libraries list. So, when you open the browser you are seeing the projects, not the events. You said that you have no events in the browser, which is as it should be. Are you saying that you have no events in the libraries list as well?


-- Rich

Jan 17, 2019 10:38 AM in response to Rich839

There are about 10 events in the iMovie Library. But if I open the iMovie Library Package in Finder there are more like 30 events listed there. My problem is that I've got about 700 gigs tied up in that iMovie package. And now I found out why. I'd like to move them to different libraries on an external hard drive. But I believe the description of how to do that only refers to the events that show up, not the ones that I'm most interested in moving.

Jan 20, 2019 8:37 AM in response to Miles Gehm

Miles,


The library list displays the Events in your library. The media library browser in your screen shot is displaying both Events and Projects in your library. That would explain why the library browser is more populated than the library list. So, from the library list you would move the library list events to your new library as described in the link I previously posted in an earlier response. To move the projects, you need to go to the Projects browser (where your projects are displayed as icons) and move your cursor over the project title to display the little circle with dots in it to the right of the title. Click on the circle and you will get a drop down menu giving you the option to move or copy the project to the selected library. You need to have both the originating library and destination library open and displayed in the library list or the option will be grayed out.


Rather than moving all those projects, it may be easier to duplicate or copy your library, thus carrying all the projects and events with it, then delete from the duplicate library any projects or events that you don't want in it, and then rename the library. You can repeat the process with more duplicates or copies of the original library. Experiment first with a test library.


For safety, it is better first to copy the projects and events over to the new library rather than move them. If the copying completes successfully you can go back to your original library and delete them if you want. Be sure and keep backups for anything that you do.


-- Rich

Jan 22, 2019 5:34 AM in response to Rich839

Rich- thanks for the info, and clear explanation.


On first try, iMovie crashed. On second try, it worked. It is going to take me forever like this.

I don’t have super important videos, just stuff I’d like to keep.


Can I just use the finder to copy the events and projects to an external hard drive, and then delete the entire original library? I’ve named things by date so I’ll be able to find the videos if need be.


I must say that this aspect of the software design is lousy. The distinction between events and projects is frustrating. Is FCP any better with respect to file management?


cheers,


Miles

Jan 22, 2019 9:03 AM in response to Miles Gehm

Miles and Jrough,


Miles asked whether he could just use the finder to copy the events and projects to an external hard drive, and then delete the entire original library. Projects can only be copied from one iMovie library to another -- they cannot be copied directly to an external drive unless copied into a library on that drive. The drive must be formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Reformatting the drive from some other format would erase all data on the drive, so must be backed up first.


From a test I did, I believe that you can copy (not move) from the Finder package contents of one library to the package contents of another library. (You get to the Package Contents by Control-clicking on the icon of the iMovie library in the Movies folder, and selecting Show Package Contents from the drop down menu.) However, you should run your own test first because I haven't thoroughly studied this. I would want to run some more tests. Below are the results that I got.


Doing a test, I was able to transfer Projects from the Package Contents of Test Library 1 to the Package Contents of a newly created blank Test Library 2. In a blank Test Library 1 a created two short junk Projects with the iMovie app with random media in them. I checked the Show Package Contents of Library 1 to make sure that the Projects were listed there. I left Test Library 2 blank with no Projects in it. Next I copied (not moved) the following folders from the Package Contents of Test Library 1 to the Package Contents of Test Library 2, where they replaced the identically named folders in Test Library 2 (the test did not work without doing that):


--Sync--

CurrentVersion.plist

Settings.plist

Current Version...Flexolibrary


Then I went back to the Test Library 1 Package Contents and Edit/Copied its two random Projects and Edit/Pasted them into the Package Contents of the blank Test Library 2. I then opened the iMovie app in Test Library 2, and sure enough the Projects from Test Library 1 had copied over. The Projects also remained in Test Library 1.


My tentative conclusion is that if you copy the above listed 4 folders from the package contents of one populated library and paste replace them in the package contents of a second blank library the Projects will copy over. I did not test what would happen if the second library already contained Projects before I copied over the above listed 4 files. I suspect that those existing Projects would become unreadable., or maybe the procedure would not work at all. I did not try it with Events, although I suspect that the results would be the same as with Projects.


Confirm my findings for yourself before trying it on your real libraries and projects. If you want to try the above procedure, do a test first with test libraries, and backup your original master libraries before trying it with them. If you have a large master library that you want to split up, I would think that you first would need to create several blank libraries and copy/replace the above listed 4 folders from the master library into each blank library. Then, hopefully, you could batch copy projects from the package contents of the master library into the package contents of the destination blank libraries.


The above is not the conventional way of transferring projects, but since Miles asked the question I thought I would see if it can be done. Be very careful when doing anything in the Show Package Contents folders and subfolders, because if you move, retitle, or modify anything there you run the risk of corrupting your library.


I hope the above helps.


-- Rich





Opening iMovie Library reveals LOTS of events that do not show up in the iMovie Browser

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