Why do some clip names import as file names and other as date and time?

In the Info inspector, click the action popup in the lower right and select Apply Custom Name.

This is helpful, but does not answer why this changed on import. I have the same issue. All of a sudden, imported clip names are changed to date and time (and on the finder level too.) While it is helpful to know that you can click on each clip and go to info inpector and click the action popup, how do you import the clips keeping the original name? (both in the finder in "original media" folder in the event and in FCPX?) The way every other clip I've ever imported into FCPX has been imported.

It depends on where the media comes from. Camera clip names are often simple numerics, clip 1, 2, 3, 4. Every card has a clip 1. This can't be used in a computer folder system. The clips have to have unique names. Many cameras assign distinct names to every single clip shot, and FCP uses those.

That may be true. In my case I'm using a 5d mkii, and I've used that camera the last few years. Every video clip I've brought into FCPX from the 5d has come in with the original file name. Until yesterday when FCPX changed the names to time and date. And changed the name of then finder clips canopied from the cf card to the original media folder in the event. I'm just wondering what caused the change.

What's your import procedure? What are you seeing in the import window? Did you change the application version?

File-->import-->media and choose the files on the cf card. I see all the clips in the import window. Select either import all or import selected. Just like always.

I might have updated 10.0.6 to 10.0.7 between the last import and the most recent one. I can't be sure. I updated awhile ago, and can't be sure if my last previous imports were before or after the update. Maybe that's it. But is that verifiable? Is it true that with 10.0.7 file names are changed in fcpx and in orignal media folder in finder for cameras like canon dslr's?

Also, the release notes do not mention this: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4589. But perhaps it happened in 10.0.6? The release notes do not say anything specifically, but there are mentions of importing and dslr's. It's possible that I never imported a clip since 10.0.5, but I'm just not sure.

There was a change in the import procedure from .5 to .6. Importing from DSLR is now like importing from a camera. Previously it was basically importing from a hard drive.

Agreed, but is there any verification that FCPX now changes clip names in finder and in app, and that there is no way to make it import using original file names?

The names are changed in the finder and at this time there is no way of changing that. The only way is to select the clips and in the inspector use Apply Custom Name>Original Name from Camera. This will not change the file name on the hard drive, which will still have the date/time name.

I found an article explaining exactly what's going on - yes the change happened in 10.0.6 when they changed to the unified "import media" from the previous "import files" and "import camera."

http://www.macprovideo.com/hub/final-cut/final-cut-pro-x-the-new-import-options- 1006

But you can do things the old way (import original file name in FCPX and finder) by dragging from finder. I quote:

Alternatively, drag in from the Finder

One small issue: when you import using this method, the names of the files will change. Now, the original names probably weren’t terribly informative, but they were at least short. The new names will be based on the date and time of the shoot, and will be on the longer side. One other issue is that some kinds of files might fail to import using Import Media — I’ve had a few failures myself with DSLR-made files around 4 GB. You can still use the older Import Files workflow, and avoid any file name changes, by simply dragging your files from a Finder window to your chosen Event. Dragged files import with the settings from the Import pane in Preferences, and file names will not be changed. Entire clips will be imported, just like the older Import Files workflow.