Display Unavailable & Memory Errors

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Level 1

6 points

Display Unavailable & Memory Errors

I am editing a project on FCP 7. All files are .MOV files. (I'll have to use Plural Eyes just now but that isn't part of the question.) When I put the footage into a sequence it asks if I want to change settings to match the files. I say yes. But then when I put them in, I get a red screen on the Canvas with the message: Display Unavailable: Close and Reopen Window To Restore. When I close Canvas and try to reopen sequence, I get 2 notes. First I get the blue bubble that says: General Error. Then I get another one that says: Error. Out of Memory. I have plenty of GB left on my hard drive so I know that isn't the issue. I have never had this issue before.

When I right click on a clip to get Clip Settings I get this message: No items have files that are applicable to this operation. I've never gotten that before. However, the sequence with the clips is H.264. I usually work in Apple ProRes H22 or H22HQ.

I am going to miss my deadline if I don't sort this out ASAP.

Any help??

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Aug 12, 2015 2:14 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

David Harbsmeier

Level 7

30,089 points

Aug 12, 2015 3:04 AM in response to MollyDB

You state that the Sequence is H.264, but what about the files themselves? FCP doesn't work natively with H.264. If the files are not in a native format, you will have issues. You're best bet is to convert them to a version of ProRes and then import them into your project.

-DH

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Answer 2

MollyDB Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 12, 2015 3:05 AM in response to David Harbsmeier

Thanks. Can I convert them using log and transfer or do I have to do it another way?

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Answer 3

Aug 12, 2015 8:12 AM in response to MollyDB

h264 is NOT an appropriate format to work with in fcp. Although it will sometimes work, it is not dependable and all sorts of things can go wrong. Convert to prores BEFORE importing the material into fcp. If you need to work with the material directly, use Adobe Premiere or FCPX.

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Answer 4

Aug 12, 2015 11:00 AM in response to MollyDB

>>Can I convert them using log and transfer or do I have to do it another way?<<

Depends on your camera. Some camera manufacturers offer a utility that you can download that will work with either FCP's Log & Transfer or Import function. If one is available for your camera, download it from the manufacturer's website and install it, then launch FCP. If it doesn't, you'll probably need to use Compressor or MPEG Streamclip for conversion.

-DH

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