Using FCPX on two computers

Question

Level 1

9 points

Using FCPX on two computers

I have an iMac 27" that's a few years old running 10.6.8-- just before Thunderbolt came out unfortunately-- and also a MacBookPro (which does have Thunderbolt). While I do most of my editing on the iMac, I might need to use the MBP to tweak things for clients while I'm away from the studio. I am mostly a stills shooter, and I'm still learning the vagaries of video editing. Just took a nice little course in FCP10, had previously been using FCX (X as in "Express") and Premier. I just purchased FCP10 toady.

I am hoping that as with FCX, I will be able to use FCP10 on both computers without buying two versions. That was allowable as long as it was not being used on two computers at the same time. Can someone please confirm that this is the case?

Also, I am planning on using a 128GB USB thumb drive to carry the work between the two computers for a project I am currently working on. It's USB 2.0, and I know that's not optimal as far as speed is concerned, but since all of the final videos I'll be creating for the project are under four minutes, I'm hoping that won't be a horrible problem, just a mildly frustrating one.

At the class I took, we grabbed a disk image off of the network drive to use on the local computer, then put it back at the end of the class. Will something like that work with the USB dongle between the iMac and MBP? Many thanks for all info. -JB

iMac dual quad i5, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Aug 6, 2013 10:21 AM

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Answer 1

kohanmike

Level 2

203 points

Aug 6, 2013 11:00 AM in response to J Beau

You can use Final Cut Pro X on two computers, all you have to do is on the second computer, login to the Mac App store with the account you purchased the first one.

I'm on 10.6.8 and I recently moved from FCEx to FCPX (I prefer these abbreviations), and had to learn everything all over again, FCPX is nothing at all like any previous version of FCP, so you will have a learning curve, but having said that, FCPX is far better than FCEx.

Moving the folders from the flash drive to the computer each time would work. The general consensus is to have your Event and Project folders on a fast external drive, just so you can move it to any computer you wish, no need to copy folders back and forth from internal and external drives, FCPX recognizes those folders on any drive automatically, just be sure to back up the external drive. BTW, you must create Event and Project folders and move them from one drive to another within FCPX (which you might already know).

The USB 2.0 flash drive is excrutiatingly slow. I'd buy a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter for the MacBook Pro, then use an external Firewire drive to move between the two computers.

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Answer 2

James Cude

Level 4

1,587 points

Aug 6, 2013 10:39 AM in response to J Beau

You can install FCPX on computers you own via the Mac App Store and yes- the workflow you used should work.

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