fcpxmld format files - FCP 10.6.6 - request for sample

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Level 6

12,595 points

fcpxmld format files - FCP 10.6.6 - request for sample

I would like to request somebody with FCP 10.6.6 to create a dummy fcpxmld file for me to study. (I cannot upgrade to 10.6.6 for myself.)

I recently created a tool to extract "texts" from fcpxml files (includes Titles and/or Captions) and, so, of course, Apple immediately changes to format of data export for projects. (FCP Text Extractor)

If you feel you would like to contribute, please add at least 3 titles and 3 closed captions. Media is inconsequential - you could use generators or gaps.

While I'm asking - do you also know how the fcpxmld package is represented in a 'nix environment (basically, is it just a directory?)

Thank you in advance!

Posted on May 27, 2023 6:11 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,009 points

May 27, 2023 6:47 PM in response to fox_m

It's a bundle in Ventura

Inside is just a regular XML. I guess the only point of the bundle is that you can double click it to launch FCP and select the library to bring it into.

There were three captions in the project. One before the first title, and two others, between the other two titles.

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Answer 2

fox_m Author

Level 6

12,595 points

May 27, 2023 6:38 PM in response to fox_m

1:

Basic Text

2:

Boogie Lights

3:

Title

Name Description

[No Captions]

LOL - I thought the fcpxmld was going to be something special... It unzipped as a regular folder (at least on my system). Is it something else in Monterey or Ventura?

I was able to open the fcpxml directly in the Text Extractor without having to do anything special. Simply navigate through the fcpxmld folder to the file.

Good to know!!

Thanks again!

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Answer 3

fox_m Author

Level 6

12,595 points

May 27, 2023 7:03 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

My extractor will take them out in order, but timing is irrelevant. The tool is designed to help people make translations - Titles to Captions (or vice versa) - or language translation.

I'm not even going to pretend I could convert the xml for re-importing into FCP... beyond me...

Could you try https://fcpxtemplates.com/fcp-text-extractor/ with your saved version and see if the extractor sees the "package" as a folder that can be opened when using the Browse button? [I'm guessing access will be blocked by the OS...:P]

I assume that the fcpxmld file can by right clicked to Show Package Contents and a copy of the .fcpxml can be moved outside the package? I might have to add that step to the instructions ...

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Answer 4

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,009 points

May 27, 2023 7:15 PM in response to fox_m

The bundle isn't selectable from the extractor of course. I got what you got using just the XML file. I don't know why the XML is simply called info.xml and couldn't use the given name.

The XML is in 1.11. I tried the prior version 1.10 and that produced the same result, titles only, no captions. The captions are ITT.

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Answer 5

fox_m Author

Level 6

12,595 points

May 27, 2023 7:26 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

It's probably an attempt to keep any alterations within the confines of workspace extensions (or whatever they're called) keeping everything "inside the app".

I guess my next question will be: is it possible to have more than one fcpxml file inside the fcpxmld package?

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Answer 6

fox_m Author

Level 6

12,595 points

May 27, 2023 7:40 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

I'll have to experiment opening the package "server-side". My server is Unix based, so there should be similarities in file handling.

The file you sent me shows up in Mojave as XML Test.fcpxmld - as an ordinary folder.

ITT format is more like HTML than SRT is... [It looks like the actual texts are wrapped in <p> and <span> tags...] I have more work to do ...

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Answer 7

fox_m Author

Level 6

12,595 points

May 27, 2023 8:12 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

I fixed caption collection:

1: 
This is the first caption

2: 
Basic Text

3: 
This is the second caption

4: 
Boogie Lights

5: 
This is the third

6: 
Title
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description
Name	Description

and added instructions to extract the fcpxml file from the fcpxmld. (It will still take me some time to support fcpxmld uploads... :P)

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Answer 8

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,009 points

May 28, 2023 4:47 AM in response to fox_m

Yes. I have two projects, the original and another with two SRT captions. I selected both and exported XML. The bundle had one info.xml file, but when launched into FCP it opened both projects.

I tried opening the bundle and putting two XML files in it, one from each caption project. When it launched FCP it brought both projects into a new library.

Either way seems to work, so rather than sending a bunch of separate fcpxmld bundles from different events or libraries you could load them into one fcpxmld bundle with different names. It doesn't seem to care what they're called. I don't know how this would work with multiple event or library XMLs.

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Answer 9

fox_m Author

Level 6

12,595 points

May 28, 2023 9:00 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks for the info. I'll just have to require that the fcpxml file to be parsed be a separate file which is far easier for the user to do than for me to try an program around! It's not like people are rushing to use the tool anyway...LOL.

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