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When I finish a project, I consolidate and save all media to Library. I then move that project to a another HD for storage. Do I also need to move the external optimized and original media folders that goes with this project?
iMac Line (2012 and Later)
You don't need to archive the optimized or proxy media with the library, nor the render files. It's a waste of space. All the generated files can be rebuilt by the application should you ever need them.
You don't need to archive the optimized or proxy media with the library, nor the render files. It's a waste of space. All the generated files can be rebuilt by the application should you ever need them.
Okay. So I moved the project to another HD without the external folders for optimized and original media. I then opened the project from the new HD and it is there with all the media. For a long time I've been saving those folders thinking the project needed that media to function, that I might be getting the re-link files warning if I did not have the folders with the project.
Thanks again Tom...Bill
When you consolidate, you bring everything into the library, and your library becomes self-contained - it no longer references anything external.
But if you consolidate Optimized media as well as original, you are STILL wasting possibly hundreds of gigabytes.
Optimized and Proxy media, and render files are all "generated" files, there is no reason to archive them. If you ever come to need them they can be generated again.
Interesting! I wasn't asking this question, but it makes sense. I was just talking about the external folders that FCPX creates, but if I don't need those and I also don't need to consolidate the optimized video that can save a ton of room, especially when it's 4K. Thanks much!
Saving project optimized and original media folders
