Can someone explain what is contained in the iMovie Library? I am very much just learning iMovie. It looks like under iMovie Library I have sub folders? (see picture) I don't know how they got there. It looks like when I click on iMovie Library I see all of my projects and their associated clips. Am I understanding that correctly? What is the relationship of Projects to the Library? Thanks in advance
iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 12.1
The iMovie library "Show Package Contents" folder (that appears when you Control-click on the library's icon in the Finder) contains project folders for each project that in turn contain the Original Media, temporary render files, codes, and other data that comprise each project. They cannot be played in the Show Package Contents. view. In order to play the projects one must click on the project from within the iMovie app. The iMovie app will then refer to the appropriate project folder in the iMovie Library Show Package Contents and assemble the data into a playable and editable project. All of the original media in the projects is contained in the iMovie library, not the iMovie app. The iMovie app contains only editing thumb nails that refer to the original media in the iMovie library. So if the iMovie library becomes corrupted or deleted, you will lose all of the project media and there will be no projects to which the iMovie app can refer. In other words, everything would be gone unless backed up elsewhere, such as in a Time Machine backup.
-- Rich
The iMovie library "Show Package Contents" folder (that appears when you Control-click on the library's icon in the Finder) contains project folders for each project that in turn contain the Original Media, temporary render files, codes, and other data that comprise each project. They cannot be played in the Show Package Contents. view. In order to play the projects one must click on the project from within the iMovie app. The iMovie app will then refer to the appropriate project folder in the iMovie Library Show Package Contents and assemble the data into a playable and editable project. All of the original media in the projects is contained in the iMovie library, not the iMovie app. The iMovie app contains only editing thumb nails that refer to the original media in the iMovie library. So if the iMovie library becomes corrupted or deleted, you will lose all of the project media and there will be no projects to which the iMovie app can refer. In other words, everything would be gone unless backed up elsewhere, such as in a Time Machine backup.
-- Rich
To add to my previous post: The items that you see under the Library item in the iMovie project side bar are Events, not projects, that contain the media that is included in the project. The media items refer to the Original Media in the iMovie library. If you select the event and do a File/Delete, you will delete the original media in the iMovie library.
-- Rich
Imovie library verus imovie projects
