How do I stop my FCP Library from renaming itself?

The libraries with dates and times are database backups. You should NOT be opening them, unless you need to. What is the name of your library and where is it stored? The backups are normally stored in a folder in Movies called Final Cut Backups.

As near as I can tell, if you have two Libraries going with similar names they may be backing up to the same place.

When you change a Library name even by one character FCP X sees it a a NEW Library. Hence the mass of similar names.

Originally there would have been a NEW Library Created by using File>New>Library:

Can you find that one, probably called Wedding X with no date/time stamp?

BTW: How is this external drive formatted?

Al

Look in your library properties. What is set as the storage location for backups? Set the folder called Final Cut Backups as the storage location. You do not need to set anything else.

What is the name of your library? What is Wedding X 2? It doesn’t look like a back, but it’s in the backups folder.

The backups, the ones with the date/time stamp you can delete at any time. It’s go practice to go into Backups periodically and delete the older ones. Though small they do tend to build up. Reminds me I need to do that.

The whole thing is OVER complicated for a simple process.

You should direct your Backup files to the Movies folder on the System Drive.

Currently if you need a backup you loose everything as it's all on the external if the external fails.

Backups need to on another seperate location.

You can rename a Library backup then continue to use that as the Main Library.

BTW: Backups are auto generated by FCP X every 15 minutes while the app is being used and changes are actually made.

They accumulate with the date/time stamps so you can readily identify the latest one.

This on was create at 6:43pm May 9 2020 Pacific Daylight Time.

Al

shtanky13 wrote:

It's in the Movies folder on the imac. (which I thought was associated with only ** files?)

How do I get it to save to an external drive?

Or is it better to leave it on the imac and copy it over to the external drive every night as the **?

Also, where are the render files stored?

Q1. The Movies folder is the default location when you first install FCP X.

Your Library and stuff will work without issue from there, but, space can quickly run out.

That's why an external drive formatted to Mac OS Extended or APFS works better.

Q2. With FCP X open use File>New>Library, you then are directed to the various options connected to your Mac.

If you want it to go to an External Drive:

Q3. It's better to have your Library on an external as it allows your Mac system to just use FCP X.

Q4. Render files are stored in the Package Contents of the Library Bundle.

Right click a Library to reveal Show Package Contents:

All the files that FCP X uses and creates are in there by default.

Note: If you direct that files are stored outside of the Library Bundle, known as External Media, you will see SymLinks in the various folders. They look like real files with a curved arrow on them.

A SymLink is basically a Shortcut/Alias pointing to an original file at its remote location.

In the above image, it shows the default places where your stuff goes.

Media, Cache and Renders all go to the Library, known as Managed Media.

Backups go to your Mac Movies folder.

When you select Storage Locations>Modify then you can send these items wherever you want.

I think this has happened in your case and somewhere/somehow it got confusing??????

If you create a NEW Library and keep the stuff as Managed Media it is simple matter of copying the whole Library (use the Finder) to another drive as a full working BACKUP.

The time stamped backups in the Movies folder are very different to a full working backup.

The date/time backups are a database (small file of info, no media) of the Library.

If you lost your drive where the Media is stored then a date/time Backup is pretty much useless.

A backup knows where all the pieces are and what to do with them but if it cannot access the actual pieces then it can't do it's thing.

Comedial relief:

There used to be two things in life that are sure, death and taxes.

Now there are three, death, taxes and your device will fail. 😩​

Al

Yes. Throw away all the old backups at this point. It’ll just confuse matters.

Before you do that check the media location and other settings in the library properties. How things work depends on the settings and where the media is stored and where they libraries are stored.

In the first image what I do not see anywhere is the original library. You have set a folder called New_Wedding_X to store the media, the cache, and the backups. Is that what the first image shows, the contents of New_Wedding_X? It looks like it's been changed a few times. What I don't see anywhere is the library called Wedding X 1. Where is that?

If the first image is inside New_Wedding_X, I don't see how you can have two folders called Wedding X 1 at the same level of a folder structure. It's really hard to figure out what you're done. Normally the backups, which a small database files, are stored in the a Final Cut Backups folder inside the Movie folder.

Most users simple launch the application and it launches the last library that was open. Or they double click the library to open it. The library is Wedding X 1. That's what should open. If you have already captured media, there should be a folder in New_Wedding_X with the event name. In there should be a folder called Original Media.