Multicam clip will no longer duplicate

Question

Multicam clip will no longer duplicate

Hi folks!

My Multicam clip will no longer duplicate. How can I fix this? I'm doing tons of edits there and need snapshots to fall back to in case I mess something up. The duplication was working fine until today: it would make a new clip with "copy" appended to the name. Today, the screen flashes when I duplicate, but otherwise no new clip appears. I've done a full reboot.

All the other existing and new Multicam and regular Clips will duplicate. But the main one with all the latest changes seems corrupt. How can I fix this??

Thanks!

Posted on Jul 12, 2026 1:15 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 12, 2026 1:37 PM in response to Dave Kitabjian

Try deleting preferences - always a good idea when FCP misbehaves.

To delete preferences, hold down command and option while starting the application and click Delete Custom Settings. The application will start with default settings and open an "Untitled" library. Adjust the settings, reopen the library you were working, and see how it works now.

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Answer 2

Jul 13, 2026 1:22 AM in response to Dave Kitabjian

Dave Kitabjian wrote:

UPDATE:

I redid a whole bunch of edits, saving even more aggressively this time than before, and may have tracked the bug down. The Multicam clip loses the ability to be duplicated after I rotate one of the angle's clips using the Transform feature.

Worse, if I then undo the rotation via Reset or even disable Transform completely, the clip still cannot be duplicated. It appears the damage is irreversible.

Can anyone reproduce this bug?

I made a few multicam clips, rotated some clips within one of the angles, and I could not reproduce the problem.

Do try deleting the preferences and test again.

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Answer 3

BenB

Level 6

13,596 points

Jul 12, 2026 9:34 PM in response to BenB

OK, rebooted my MBP for an unrelated reason, went back into FCP, and I can duplicate Multicam clips again. Works fine now with Cmd+D.

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Answer 4

Jul 12, 2026 3:33 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

UPDATE:

I redid a whole bunch of edits, saving even more aggressively this time than before, and may have tracked the bug down. The Multicam clip loses the ability to be duplicated after I rotate one of the angle's clips using the Transform feature.

Worse, if I then undo the rotation via Reset or even disable Transform completely, the clip still cannot be duplicated. It appears the damage is irreversible.

Can anyone reproduce this bug?

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Answer 5

Jul 12, 2026 2:25 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks, Luis.

I had tried removing:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.FinalCut.plist

but it didn't help. I move it to my Desktop because I wasn't sure what settings I would lose that I wouldn't remember how to get back. Is that the right file? I mainly want to know how to put the settings back in case that doesn't help...

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Answer 6

BenB

Level 6

13,596 points

Jul 12, 2026 5:33 PM in response to Dave Kitabjian

Well, FCP 12.3 will not let me duplicate any multicam clips at all. Doesn't even give the option to when I right-click a multicam. Cmd-D makes the screen flash and does nothing else. So I know in 12.3 can not duplicate a multicam clip at all, period. What? Yeah, this is some huge bug, if you ask me.

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Answer 7

Jul 13, 2026 1:19 AM in response to Dave Kitabjian

Dave Kitabjian wrote:

Thanks, Luis.

I had tried removing:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.FinalCut.plist

but it didn't help. I move it to my Desktop because I wasn't sure what settings I would lose that I wouldn't remember how to get back. Is that the right file? I mainly want to know how to put the settings back in case that doesn't help...

Maybe it won't help, anyway, but that is NOT the way to delete preferences in Final Cut Pro.

The actual plist file that FCP uses is buried inside ~/Library/Containers/...

and the easiest way is the one I mentioned above: hold down Command and Option when starting.

I will try to see if I can reproduce the problem by rotating an angle.

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