Why are my render files in my boot drive/root directory?

Question

Level 1

23 points

Why are my render files in my boot drive/root directory?

I have configured FCP to use an external drive for my Scratch Disk to render Video Capture, Audio Capture, Video Render and Audio Render as well as the Waveform Cache, Thumbnail Cache and Autosave Vault. Plenty of room on it and for the most part, I see a lot of render files on it, just like it should do.

However, if I leave FCP running for a while, it will start to auto-render again and does so placing tons of huge files on my local boot drive right on the root directory under a folder called "Render Files". It ends up filling up my boot drive every time and need to delete them.

I have searched everywhere to find where to configure this to move it to my scratch drive, but no joy.

How do I get FPC to render these files on a non-boot drive scratch disk?

Thanks.

Posted on Sep 19, 2011 11:50 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 19, 2011 12:16 PM in response to kb8wfh

Strange that it does that while running. Usually it's a sign that either A; the media drive assigned in FCP as the Capture Scratch drive is not mounted when FCP is launched, or B; corrupt preferences. But if when FCP launches, it's still pointing to the right drive, but then changes during a session, something else is going on.

-DH

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Answer 2

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Sep 19, 2011 1:20 PM in response to kb8wfh

In your settings for the scratch disk -

Final Cut Pro > System Settings > Scratch Disks

does only your external drive have check marks next to it?

MtD

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Answer 3

Sep 19, 2011 1:32 PM in response to Meg The Dog

Possible the external drive is going to sleep and becoming unavailable?

bogiesan

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Answer 4

kb8wfh Author

Level 1

23 points

Sep 19, 2011 2:03 PM in response to Meg The Dog

Yep. I have tried changing also the "capture audio and video into seprate files" option.

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Answer 5

kb8wfh Author

Level 1

23 points

Sep 19, 2011 2:07 PM in response to David Bogie Chq-1

That's possible that's it going to sleep. But I don't think so. The problem happens when I let the editor sit too long without doing anything in it (get up for a cup of coffee, using another application to generate some text effects, etc). Then its starts rendering on its own and does so only with the local boot drive/root directory.

When it comes back, the "green line" (Preview Render) is gone and the lines are replaced with dark blue, which I think indicates the sequence was rendered in the highest possible res/codec I have selected. That's fine, but why does it insist on using the local drive when I have another specified?

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Answer 6

Sep 19, 2011 2:09 PM in response to kb8wfh

You can turn the Auto-Render function off in preferences.

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Answer 7

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Sep 19, 2011 2:24 PM in response to kb8wfh

Have you tried trashing your preferences?

If you download and use Preference Manager from Digital Rebellion (free), you can save a copy of your current preferences in case you wish to restore them.

http://www.digitalrebellion.com/prefman/

I don't use the auto-render feature, so I don't know if this is normal performance or not.

MtD

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Answer 8

kb8wfh Author

Level 1

23 points

Sep 30, 2011 3:43 PM in response to ToddNashville

Where? I can't seem to find where to disable that feature. Thanks.

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