Relinked picture files not updating

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Relinked picture files not updating

Hi all,

To begin with, I am using final cut pro 10.0.8 on mountain lion 10.8.4.

The problem I'm having is that my media files are not updating in final cut pro x once they have been changed outside final cut pro. I'll explain what I'm doing:

1. I have imported some png files into my events and chose not to copy to my events folder. These picture files are used extensively in my project.

2. I have found that I need to make some changes to the png files. After making the changes in photoshop (the original file is psd and I save to png), final cut pro does not automatically update the new details even though when I click the event and choose reveal in finder, it takes me to the newly saved file that does have the changes. The file name and location did not change.

3. I then tried to manually relink the files, but it still does not update the new changes. What is interesting is that the info on the picture still refers back to the orginal details when the file was created. Again if I choose reveal in finder, it highlights the newly saved png.

4. I then decided to delete the original png file and empty the trash can. Final cut shows that the media is missing. I saved the png from photoshop again and final cut pro automatically relinked the file, but it is still the old image!

5. As a last resort, I trashed the original image again, resaved the png with a different name, relinked again. This time final cut updates the date it was created, but the image is still the old image!

No matter what I try to do, I can't get final cut pro to update the image. I dropped the png into the timeline and did and export hoping it was just displying the original image but would use the new image when it renders. Unfortunately, the movie it created had the old image still.

Obviously the image the event is pointing to is not the one it is using because I have double checked that the file saved has been updated outside of final cut. Is there something I am doing wrong? Or is there a bug with final cut pro? I'm suspecting it is using a chached file somewhere.

Thanks for your help,

Adrian

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Jun 18, 2013 12:15 PM

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Answer 1

James Cude

Level 4

1,587 points

Jun 18, 2013 1:37 PM in response to AdrianW7

Hmm- this is working fine for me both by resaving the PNG and also by Relinking the Event file manually to an alternate version of the PNG. How is the PNG used in your timeline- is it nested into a Compound Clip or a synced clip for example?

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Answer 2

AdrianW7 Author

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Jun 18, 2013 2:11 PM in response to James Cude

Hi James,

Thanks for your reply. I'm working within in a compound clip. But that doesn't seem to be the cause of the problem because I'm not seen the necessary changes in the event viewer.

Just to make sure, I just created a new project (1080 30p) and a new event and imported a test png file into that event. I then dragged the png from the event viewer into the new projects timeline. I then changed the image in photoshop, saved, and the change was not updated in final cut. I then tried to relink manually and still the png was not changed.

It is very frustrating as I'm working with green screen shots and the png pictures are my backdrops. I've deleted the final cut preferenes, but this has not helped either.

Any other suggestions???

Adrian

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Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,816 points

Jun 18, 2013 2:17 PM in response to AdrianW7

Do NOT drag to the project. Use the proper import function Cmd-I. Is this a multilayer file.

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Answer 4

AdrianW7 Author

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Jun 18, 2013 2:24 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Hi Tom,

I think you might have misunderstood me (perhaps I wasn't clear enough). I do import the png file with Cmd-I. That imports the file into the test event I made. I then dragged the image from the event onto the timeline.

Now before I even drag the picture to the timeline, I should see it updated in the event viewer. But this is not happening.

Regarding your question, no the file is a png with transparency so it is not multilayer. I did try with my photoshop file which is multilayer but that doesn't seem to update either.

Anymore suggestions?

Thanks,

Adrian

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,816 points

Jun 18, 2013 2:27 PM in response to AdrianW7

I can't reproduce this. I'm getting the same result as James.

Select the PNG in the browser. Right-click on it and use Reveal in Finder. Open the file in Photoshop. draw something on it and save it. Switch back to FCP and it should update.

What are you updating in the file BTW?

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Answer 6

AdrianW7 Author

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Jun 18, 2013 2:59 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Tom, I followed your suggestion and final cut updated the png in the event viewer the first time, but refused to update any further changes I made. So I deleted the entire event, created a new one, and imported a new picture with different name, and could not get it to update again.

What is crazy is when I right-click on it in the event viewer and choose Reveal in Finder, finder shows the updates I made.

Now obviously this would not be suitable in my case, as I can't edit the png file since it has been flattened. I need to work on the photoshop file and then save over th png file. Surely I should be able to save over my png file (when I save as from photoshop) and final cut should see the changes.

Rgarding your question, the pictures I have are different angles of an office scene which will be my background for me green screen shots. I had to tweek a few parts of it and only then found that final cut didn't want to update them. Now that I have this problem, I don't want to continue any further until this is sorted out incase I have to make more changes.

I've only had this new computer for 8 days, so final cut has not been installed for long. But since no one else is having this proble, I'll trash final cut and download it again. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

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Answer 7

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,816 points

Jun 18, 2013 3:13 PM in response to AdrianW7

So you're not actually working on the PNG file. You're working on a Photoshop file that you're saving as a PNG with the same name. That's not the same thing. It might look the same, but it's not the same in the system directory. Either work with the Photoshop file directly or work with the PNG file directly.

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Answer 8

James Cude

Level 4

1,587 points

Jun 18, 2013 3:24 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

This worked for me using both PNG and PSD both as a timeline clip directly and within a compound clip. There was a moment where it didn't update using the Compound Clip version but as soon as I Quicklooked the PNG file in the Finder it did update. Quicklook = selecting the PNG and hitting the spacebar in the Finder.

Make sure that the images you are editing in Photoshop are actually the ones in your FCP X project and not a copy or alias.

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Answer 9

AdrianW7 Author

Level 1

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Jun 18, 2013 3:25 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Ok, so what you're saying is final cut will not pick up the changes to the png file if I save over it, even when I do a manual relink? If this is the case, then that's ridiculous. Where then does it get its data from since the file has been changed? There must be some cache file somewere??

I'll give what you suggested a try once I get final cut reinstalled. The reason why I chose not to use the original photoshop file is because it has a huge amout of layers (some in use and some disabled) and I find this annoying to use in Final cut. The file size is also much bigger so would slow everthing down more, especially for a 1.5 hour film.

Thanks for your suggestion.

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Answer 10

James Cude

Level 4

1,587 points

Jun 18, 2013 3:46 PM in response to AdrianW7

It relinks fine for me- as long as the version I'm resaving is in the same location as the one that's imported into FCPX.

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Answer 11

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,816 points

Jun 18, 2013 4:02 PM in response to AdrianW7

Which version of Photoshop are you using? CS6 from the cloud? I'm finding that it doesn't always change the extension when I do save as to PNG. It leaves it in .psd.

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Answer 12

AdrianW7 Author

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Jun 18, 2013 5:43 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Yes I am using CS6, but I definately make sure the extension is PNG.

I just finished installing final cut pro again and had the same issue. But after doing some testing, I have found what is the cause. Final Cut is creating a folder in my events folder called "Render Files" In that folder it creates another folder called "High quality Media." There is another folder with a long and unique number, and then in that folder there are two files: 1) Frame 0 - 1023 and 2) info.plist. It appears that Final Cut puts a copy or reference to my picture in the Frame 0 - 1023 file. Interestingly, the file size is much smaller to my png file. As long as those files are there, I can't get Final Cut to recognize my updated png files, even after I delete the files and try to re-import. The import window continues to show the old file. However when I delete those high quality media files, it will then recognize the newly saved png files.

Now I'm wondering why this is happening on my system when it is not happening on other peoples? Am I importing the media correctly? I have no options ticked in the import options box.

Thanks,

Adrian

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