FCPX created aliases in the Original Media folder

Question

FCPX created aliases in the Original Media folder

I've noticed on a few occasions that FCPX has created file aliases in the Original Media folder, even though "Copy To Events Library" was selected on import.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Also, I noticed in two particular Events FCPX created aliases for only some of the files on the same Import, while it actually copied the rest of the files. This inconsistancy is unnerving to say the least. I only happened to discover this problem by accident, so now I have to double check that FCPX is actually doing what I'm telling it to do.

Luckily, fixing the issue is as simple as selecting the Event and selecting File, Organize to copy the original media to the Original Media folder, but this should not be necessary. If the entire contents of an Event were aliased, you could fault that to human error of not selecting "Copy To Event Library", but when only some of the content is aliases and the rest is not, that really confuses me because I know the files were imported via a single import.

Posted on Oct 28, 2012 5:27 AM

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Answer 1

BenB

Level 6

12,097 points

Oct 28, 2012 7:36 AM in response to macambassador

I've never seen this issue before on any system. What are you importing clips from, exactly?

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Answer 2

Oct 28, 2012 8:16 AM in response to BenB

The source files came from a Canon 5D Mark ii and a GoPro Hero2. I used Aperture to ingest the footage directly from the cameras. The Aperture Library is located on the same drive as the Final Cut Events folder. I would access the source files within the Aperture library and place them into another folder that I can access via the FCPX import dialogue. I made sure that "Copy To Event Library" was selected and "Optimize Media" is selected.

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Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,010 points

Oct 28, 2012 8:25 AM in response to macambassador

place them into another folder that I can access via the FCPX import dialogue.

Where's this folder? Inside the Aperture library?

I really recommend against using Aperture for video material. Video should go into your editing production application and your stills should go into Aperture and be exported properly from Aperture for use with FCP. Unless it's changed in the recent version, importing stills from Aperture imports thumbnails not original RAWs.

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Answer 4

Oct 28, 2012 8:33 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

How I ingest the source files from the memory cards is irrelative. The problem I am experiencing is how FCPX is placing the original media files inside the Event Library. The files coming right off the Canon 5D are .mov files with H.264 compression.

To access the files in Aperture, I right-click on the Aperture library file / Show Package Contents, and then you see a Masters folder. The video and stills are in that folder directory.

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,010 points

Oct 28, 2012 8:42 AM in response to macambassador

I've never seen the application do what you describe, but it may be happening because the media is inside a package. I assumed when you said you imported from Aperture that you used the photo browser inside FCP to access the Aperture library. Cracking open an enclosed package to access media for use in FCP sounds like a really bad idea.

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Answer 6

Oct 28, 2012 11:24 AM in response to macambassador

macambassador wrote:

...I used Aperture to ingest the footage directly from the cameras.

I can only support Tom here. Ingesting the video to Aperture, and then to FCPX seems like a waste of time, and a bit redundant.

Keep your stills in Aperture and your video in FCPX.

Only reason I can think of, to use Aperture to ingest from the cards, is if you want to use the Vaults features of Aperture to backup your media - but it's gonna eat up a lot of space in your Vault for that. And Aperture does not seem to be the most efficient backup software around.. (my favorite is PresStore..)

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Answer 7

Nov 11, 2012 8:03 AM in response to Jakob Peterhänsel

FCPX does not allow you to import video directly from the Canon 5D, so there really is not other option than to import it first into Aperture and then transfer the files to FCPX. I physically move the files first from the Aperture library and then import them into FCPX.

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Answer 8

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,010 points

Nov 11, 2012 8:28 AM in response to macambassador

I'm sorry but this is just flat out wrong. I have worked with many photojournalists around the country with just about every DSLR and they all import directly into FCP. This has been further improved in 10.0.6.

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Answer 9

Nov 11, 2012 8:39 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Hi Tom, I would love to be proved wrong. When I go to Import Media in FCPX, I see tha the Canon 5D is connected, but I see no files that can be imported. But when I view the Canon 5D in Aperture, I see everything

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Answer 10

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,010 points

Nov 11, 2012 10:04 AM in response to macambassador

Use a card reader.

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Answer 11

ilumedia

Level 1

0 points

Dec 30, 2013 2:54 PM in response to macambassador

I recently noticed the exact same thing! Files were imported to FCPX from our field hard drives, and from the same import (from files located in the same folder on the source drive) some were copied to the "Original Media" folder, while others remained on the drive, and only aliases were created in the "Original Media" Drive on our server....! In the new version of FCPX (10.1) there's no File>Organize...I do not want to re-import all clips, does anybody have a way to fix this?? Apple??

Thanks!

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Answer 12

Dec 30, 2013 3:18 PM in response to ilumedia

Instead of File > Organize, you use the Consolidate command to move all of the media associate with a selected project or event either INTO our OUT OF the Library - choice is up to you which.

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Answer 13

ilumedia

Level 1

0 points

Dec 30, 2013 5:29 PM in response to Mark Spencer4

Thanks! trying that now

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