Repair a grow of different Events on same Project due to stupid Finder use for copy.

Question

Repair a grow of different Events on same Project due to stupid Finder use for copy.

Starting with FCPX few weeks ago, I decided to keep my original video files, Events and Projects on two external Hard Drive to be safe.

Original video files are indentic on both Discs. Video files imported into Events on both discs with copy option. Each Project on a disc refers to Events located on the same disc, or at least this was the way at the begin. Of course both discs have Projects and Events with same names.

For some reason and to use alternately 2 different Macs in different locations I did the error to copy Projects and Events back and forth between the 2 discs (new files over the older). I did it with finder, sometime deleting the Event to be replaced, sometimes not.

As result I have now on both discs 3 or 4 Events with similar content and different names like Event... Event Copy... Event (fcp1)... Event (fcp2)...

Sometimes a Project on Disc1 refers to Events to Disc 2...

Perfect Stupidity due to a too quick start without a full understanding of the program.

Last few days I started to reduce the nomber of Event. After a long scan of the clips in the Events I was able to find the differences, copy the missing clips from one Event to the other and changing the referenced Events in the Project Properties.

This is going to be a long work.

I discovered now the Merge. I could merge Evens, delete the double clips and end with only one Event for my project.

I know the Project can refer to multiple Events but the sense is they have to be different not many Events which have 95% of the same stuff inside.

I whould like to get some suggestion and how to go on, with 2 discs with same Videos, Projects and Events.

Will the simple copy done inside FCPX with drag and drop of Projects and Events between the 2 discs let me to avoid this proliferation ?

Sorry for my bad english and thanks for your time.

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), 3,4 gHz i7 - 16GB

Posted on Nov 23, 2012 12:39 PM

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Answer 1

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BenB

Level 6

12,097 points

Nov 23, 2012 1:16 PM in response to WALTER-MILANO-ITALY

Don't know if this will help or not.

http://www.fcproxuniversity.com/FCPro_X_University/Extra_Credit/Entries/2012/11/ 16_Copy_Move_FCP_X_Events_%26_Projects.html

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Answer 2

Nov 23, 2012 1:35 PM in response to BenB

Thanks BenB. It helps. I have bookmarked it. I see there is a clear description of somethin which was only partially clear for me and it is a good start to increase my knowledge.

Thanks

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Answer 3

BenB

Level 6

12,097 points

Nov 23, 2012 1:48 PM in response to WALTER-MILANO-ITALY

Also, if you want to really get heavy...

http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/finalcutprox204-managing-media

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Answer 4

Nov 23, 2012 1:58 PM in response to BenB

Really Heavy... I had a quick look on it... I need to sleep over and come back tomorrow (it's now 11 pm in Italy).

I will probably download something from this link.

Thanks for your suggestion BenB.

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Answer 5

Jan 5, 2014 1:56 AM in response to BenB

Hi Ben,

you helped me a lot last year with your suggestion.

Until last FCPX upgrade to 10.1 I used to keep all my video files on one External HDD with only few Events and Projects in the default folders, while all the range of many Events and Projects not in use were in a "Hidden" folder.

To have a second copy it was easy to keep a second HDD as exact copy of the first one (fast copy with an App like TriBackup which only copies the changed files), and in this way I could work with some safety.

I upgraded to 10.1 and let the FCPX upgrade the Project and Events to Library and I did it on both HDD.

I undrstand Libraryes will work in a way similar to Aperture.

What is not jet clear to me are following points.

1) how can I understand if my files are Managed or External ?

2) if I work on HDD 1 will it be safe to copy tha changes to HDD2 ?

3) Is this suggestion still valid

Also, if you want to really get heavy...

http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/finalcutprox204-managing-media

or are you working on new tutorials ?

Thanks for your time Ben.

Pls consider that I use FCPX for home videos and only every 2-3 months, so my knowledge of it will never improve, and since I'm 67 I forget some of the tricks each time I go back to the App month later.

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Answer 6

BenB

Level 6

12,097 points

Jan 5, 2014 7:48 AM in response to WALTER-MILANO-ITALY

Let me give you a link to an article that may give you some tips.

http://www.macprovideo.com/hub/final-cut/fcp-x-101-upgrade-guide-to-libraries-pa rt-1

1- Unfortunately there is no metadata field or indicator telling us if media is Managed or External. You'd have to right-click a clip in the Browser, and use Reveal In Finder. It will be inside of a Library, or somewhere else. But if you WANT them to all be Managed, select an Event for Library, and in the File menu, chose the "Consolidate Files" command. This copies any External media into the Library, making it Managed media. You can then delete your External media, save space.

2- You can copy Libraries in the Finder to your hearts content. You can even Duplicate a Library on the same drive. FCPX 10.1 doesn't care how many copies you have, if they're the same name or not, it just reads everything now.

3- I use Carbon Copy Cloner to create full drive backups. But if you only want to backup the databases, this is now built-in. Look at the settings for the Library auto backup in the Preferences.

Yes, there is a whole new video course I'm wrapping up this weekend for macProVideo, totally produced from scratch for FCPX 10.1. It is called, "Final Cut Pro X 204 - Media Management Toolbox".

http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/final-cut-pro-x-204-media-management-toolbox

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Answer 7

Jan 5, 2014 7:50 AM in response to BenB

Thans Ben, Great.

I'll have a look to your tutorials.

Walter

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