update created two libraries, which do I keep

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Level 1

19 points

update created two libraries, which do I keep

Hi all, just trying to get my bearings with the new iMovie. I was previously using iMovie 9.0.9. I just got a new Macbook Pro and am now on 10.0.6. After transferring my events and projects over, when opening iMovie it said they needed to be update. I clicked ok. First thing I noticed is that it warned me that some of the media couldn't be found, but then I can't find anywhere where there's missing media. Does it not flag that in anyway? But on to my real question...

It's now created two libraries. One says "iMovie Library" the other says "iMove Library 1" seemingly a duplicate. I'm curious which one I'm to be using, if I can get rid of one, etc. I'm staying on this machine in the new iMovie so won't need to edit in the old version. Furthermore, when I go click "new movie" it's asking me what Event to put the new movie in, as if I can't create a new event with that movie. That seems odd to me...a new movie seems like it would be it's own event. Also, it gives me options to save this movie into events in both libraries.

So, I'm pretty confused. The iMovie I came from seemed pretty straight forward. This one has me stumped. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Posted on Feb 26, 2015 7:22 PM

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Answer 1

Cory Smith1 Author

Level 1

19 points

Feb 26, 2015 7:24 PM in response to Cory Smith1

Update:

I think I've figured out the movie thing. I forgot you need to create an event, then create a movie within that event. I created a default 2/26 event and noticed that I could create a movie within it was well as import. That's solved. Still confused by the 2 libraries though.

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Answer 2

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

Feb 27, 2015 2:41 AM in response to Cory Smith1

You can have as many libraries as you like in iMovie 10 and can store them anywhere. I don't know why you ended up with 2 but you can see what events are in each one in the libraries pane in the top left of the iMovie window. You can move events between libraries to organise them as you want. To delete a library right click on the library icon in the libraries pane and select "Reveal in Finder". You can then permanently delete the library with the Finder.

For more details see the iMovie 10 help files which are at: http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0/

The missing media may be items that were on iTunes or iPhoto on your old machine - such items would not have been copied to the project folder in iMovie 9 unless you had consolidated media (see: http://help.apple.com/imovie/#mov3ac6c7c9)

I hope this helps,

Geoff.

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Answer 3

Cory Smith1 Author

Level 1

19 points

Feb 28, 2015 8:24 AM in response to GeeD

Thank you so much for your reply. The more I dig around, the more I'm confused.

Okay, so just a bit of background. I previously stored my "movies" on an external, to save space on HD. Projects were on my HD, but it referenced source material, the footage, from my external. After looking more closely, it looks like "iMovie Library" was created on my Macbook Pro HD, but "iMovie Library 1" was created on my external. Not sure why that would be. And one is much larger than the other. Is this based on the footage? I'm just confused why two were created. Here's an image:

In this image, you can see in the 2008 and 2007 folders there there's a "Barcelona - Paris 2" in 08 and a "Barcelona - Paris" in 07. I've scrubbed through, it's the same footage.

I've noticed that "iMovie Library 1" on the external is 17.02 GB (which I'm thinking it should be b/c that's where I stored all of my footage) and on my MBP HD "iMovie Library" is 2.38 GB.

I guess I'm just trying to streamline. As I look in my sidebar, it's just crowded and not very intuitive in terms of easily identifying. The 2 libraries seems redundant, I'm just trying to get it to a point where it looks less messy, everything is located in one library, and it seems straight-forward...which I guess is what Apple tries to achieve with most things. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Answer 4

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

Feb 28, 2015 12:15 PM in response to Cory Smith1

I t looks as if your iMovie library 1 has everything in it except finalised movies and their relative size is consistent with this. Was there something you did with the 2008 and 2012 event groups that you didn't do with the others that may explain why they appear to have been duplicated? The screen shot doesn't show whether the contents of 2012 is the same in both libraries.

You can see what is in a library by right clicking on it and selecting "show package contents". There will be a folder for each event. Don't change anything within it with the Finder though.

Its best to keep your library on the external HD because of its size so iMovie Library 1 is the one to keep. You will most likely find iMovie Library in the ~ / Movies folder. I would suggest you move your Finalised movies into iMovie library 1 from within iMovie. Then have a look at the events and projects that are in both libraries and make sure that there is nothing missing in iMovie library 1 that is not missing in iMovie Library. If there are, copy these items to the iMovie Library 1 event from within iMovie and make sure that they appear and 'work'. Then I would suggest you quit iMovie and delete iMovie Library with the Finder, leaving it in the trash. Then restart iMovie and should should only see iMovie Library 1. When you are really sure that all your projects and events are OK then you can empty the trash. As an extra precaution I would save a copy of iMovie Library on a memory stick or another drive as a backup 'just in case'. iMovie Library 1 can then be renamed and you should then all be set.

Geoff.

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