Cannot share XML files on Final Cut 10.7/10.71

I figured it out but this seems like an XML bug to me. The 1.10 version wouldn't open in FCP 10.6.5 (1.11 is too new for FCP 10.6.5) and neither one would open in FCP 10.7.1. This is running macOS Sonoma 14.3.

It appears to be choking on a modDate string.

Right-click on either of the XMLs and choose Show Package Contents. Open the info.fcpxml file in a text editor (I like BBEdit). Inside, look for:

 <project name="XML Test" uid="83B5AD96-5D1F-4608-B247-49B2C0E8FCFB" modDate="2024-02-07 1:28:59 PM -0600">

In the modDate string, remove " PM" I'm not sure if this is necessary but I also changed the time to 24 hr like this 13:28:59

<project name="XML Test" uid="83B5AD96-5D1F-4608-B247-49B2C0E8FCFB" modDate="2024-02-07 13:28:59 -0600">

and then save. You should be able to import it now.

The 1.10 XML appeared to even have an odd space character in front of the PM.

You should submit these sample XMLs to FCP Feedback via Final Cut Pro->Provide Final Cut Pro Feedback...  or use this link Feedback - Final Cut Pro - Apple and maybe include a link to this discussion.

I'm having the exact same issue. My employer messaged me that they couldn't open the XML I'd sent. Apple support told them that I was exporting from an old version of FCPx (I'm up-to-date). I contacted Pro Apps Support. They tried opening the XML on their end and got the same error. Seems like it's a bug. It's being sent to their technicians.

As a work around, I uploaded one of the event backups for my employer and they were able to open it from that.

Just so happy it wasn't human error on my end.

How are you sharing the XML? It's best to zip them for transit. Have you tried exporting to both XML versions, 1.10 and 1.11?

KitNicole wrote:

A client and had previously been sharing the xml’s of various projects back and forth. Had a break for a few months, and when we started back up again today and tried exchanging xml files for different projects, we both got an error stating “The XML document could not be imported. DTD validation failed (the data couldn’t be read because it isn’t in the correct format).”

We are both using the same version of Final Cut. Has anyone else come across this issue?

Is the text in bold exactly the error that is shown? Nothing more specific about an asset or anything?

Would it be possible to share one of sample xml example for which the problem occurs?

If you can, send it to yourself using e.g. wetransfer and post the link here (it will be removed by we'll still get it in the e-mail notification).

Great catch, terryb!