New to FCP X: Few Questions, No answers so far

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Level 1

14 points

New to FCP X: Few Questions, No answers so far

I am new to FCP X and have been looking for a definitive answer to these question but have had no luck so far just searching online.

Question #1:

I would like to make 2 different versions of a project to see which style I like better at the end result. But when I search how to save a duplicate project I see

Duplicate Projects and Clips & Duplicate Projects as snapshots (as described in the link below)

Final Cut Pro X: Duplicate projects and clips

But I don't know which one is my best option. Both projects will have a lot of the same clips but one project might have some clips that the other does not. Which is my best route? I essentially just want to make a "Save As" and move on with the 2nd project and know what I do in that project won't screw up my original project when I go back to it and try to compare.

Question #2:

While researching the topics above I found out that FCP X apparently makes automatic back ups of my projects, and I am not talking about the fact that FCP X auto saves your project. This is an additional back up system. (as described in the link below, Paragraph #4)

Final Cut Pro X: Save, back up, and make versions of your projects

I was wondering how much disk space they take up on my HD? And if it is possible or worthwhile to turn those automatic back ups off if I am going to manually back up my projects to an external drive or something.

Question #3:

I have a folder on my desktop right now containing on the clips that I have added to an Event in FCP X. I dragged them straight from that folder into the event I created in FCP X. If I Move that folder on my Desktop to a an External Drive, and then delete the folder from my Desktop...As long as I have that external drive plugged in will FCP X still be able to locate the video clips when I open the Events and Projects that use those clips? Or will it be all messed up and say something like !ERROR: COULD NOT LOCATE VIDEO FILES! ...and have everything I worked on gone??

My System setup:

FCP X Version 10.2.1

2012 15" MackBook Pro OSX Yosemite 10.10.5

2.4 GHz Intel Core i7

16 GB RAM 1333 MHz DDR3

750 GB SATA Disk

1 TB WD My Passport Studio External Drive, connected through FireWire

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Aug 31, 2015 11:59 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,980 points

Sep 1, 2015 12:18 AM in response to mgmartino

1. Duplicate as snapshot

2. They're pretty small. They're backups of the library database only.

3 Depends what your import settings are. If you're working with managed medua it won't matter at all. If you're working with external media and that folder is the library location for the media, the application will lose connection to the media.

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Answer 2

Alchroma

Level 7

23,809 points

Sep 1, 2015 12:32 AM in response to mgmartino

Welcome aboard mgmartino,

Q1. I use Duplicate Project as Snapshot as it covers all options, compounds, multi cams etc.

Using Duplicate can mess with Parent/Child clips if you are not paying attention.

Q2. The Backups are saved in your Movies folder and are working Database files that contain NO media files.

They are very small compared to media files. Can be a few Mb up to a few hundred Mb depending on the Library size.

Q3. Moving files that way will make FCP X loose it's file path but you can use the RE-Connect media function.

Move stuff like that within the FCP X application is best.

The only time you should use the Finder is when you want to Move/Copy a complete Library.

Al

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Answer 3

mgmartino Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 1, 2015 2:20 PM in response to Alchroma

Q1. Great I will duplicate using Project as snapshot. (before I do though I want to solve Q3)

Q2. A few Hundred MB is no problem so that's good news.

Q3. This is the one where I ran into some issue. I attached 2 screen shots to help show what I'm dealing with. The First one is just my Library, My clips and the inspector. My Library by default was named "Untitled" and as of now I only have 1 project (which I have not finished yet and would like to make a Snapshot copy of) I also have about video 30clips that have been dragged into FCP X so far. From my understanding all this has apparently taken up 4.7GB on my 750GB internal drive HD.

I would like to move all existing video clips and have future video clips that I drag into FCP X save onto my 1TB external drive. I was trying to do it without the finder and do it from within FCP X like Alchroma suggested. So I clicked Modify Settings in the inspector window.

And then screen shot 2 popped up. And I did not know what to click. Am I on the right path or just completely off?

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Answer 4

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,980 points

Sep 1, 2015 2:30 PM in response to mgmartino

You can either keep your media inside the library or in some other folder outside the library. (It's not a good idea to mix the two.) Currently all your media is inside the library. Simplest way to move it is to move it at the Finder level, just as you would move a document from one drive to another, so you can move the library from one drive to another. If you want to keep your media outside of the library then you assign a different location for it. You can then consolidate the library to put everything in that folder, replacing what's in the library with symlinks. .

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Answer 5

mgmartino Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 2, 2015 2:30 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

What are the pros and cons of having all your media in the FCP X Library vs. Having it in an outside folder?

Because right now I definitely have all the video clips that appear in my FCP X Library in a separate folder on my desktop (that I originally made when I first imported the video clips off my camera). So every time I drag a video clip, from the folder I made on my desktop, into the event window of FCP X...Is FCPX making a copy of all those clips and saving them to it's own library?

Essentially doubling the room those video clips take up on my Macbook Pro's HardDrive??

P.S. when I tried to locate the FCP X library through my finder. It was not a normal folder like the Final Cut Backups or iMovie Projects or iMovie Events folders, where I could go in and actually see the files within...Is that normal? (I attached screen shot for reference)

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Answer 6

Alchroma

Level 7

23,809 points

Sep 8, 2015 9:14 PM in response to mgmartino

Right click the FCP X icon and you can open the Show Package Contents.

This is where all is revealed. It's best not to mess about in here.

Have read here about Library pros and cons:

http://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/docs/Media_Management.pdf

Al

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Answer 7

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,980 points

Sep 2, 2015 4:37 AM in response to mgmartino

IT depends a great deal on how you did that process where you imported the medua from the camera and put it in a folder on the desktop. How exactly did you do that?

THe image you posted in your earlier message would indicate, based on library properties, that the medua is inside the library.

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Answer 8

mgmartino Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 2, 2015 9:05 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

I plugged My camera into my computer. Imported the clips through iPhoto. Them dragged them into a folder I made on my desktop. Then I deleted the clips from my iPhoto library. Then I dragged the clips one by one from the folder on my desktop into the FCP X Media window, where it said "Drag media here to start."

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Answer 9

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,980 points

Sep 3, 2015 12:39 AM in response to mgmartino

Imported the clips through iPhoto.

NMnever do this. Import your video from your camera into FCP. Depending on the camera it may process it differently.

IF you have your import settings on import to library there's where your media was copied. Select a browser clip and use Shift-Cnd-R to see exactly where the media is, inside the library or somewhere else. Is the clip there or a symlink?

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Answer 10

mgmartino Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 3, 2015 1:44 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

My import settings are set to Files: copy to library storage location

as opposed to the other option which says... leave in place

That's what is was set to by default, so that answers my question that I can most likely move that folder on my desktop with all the video clips to an external drive and it would have no effect on my FCP X project. Because FCP X made it's own copies of all those clips and saved them to it's own library.

But over time as I add more and more clips to the FCP X library, is it going to start to effect the speed/performance of FCP X?

Having all those clips saved in its Library. Not to mention, even if FCP X performance can handle it aren't all those clips being copied in FCP X's library essentially, at the end of the day, being saved onto my MacBook Pro's internal HD?!

Because I never store any of my media (sound libraries, video clips etc.) on my internal HD. I like to keep all that on external drives and when I need to use them with certain applications I plug in the external drive. That way my Macbook Pro's 750GB HD does not become over-filled and start to system overload due to lack of space and what not.

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Answer 11

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,980 points

Sep 3, 2015 1:59 AM in response to mgmartino

FFirst, rename the library. Second, quit the app and move the library to your fast media drive. Third, double click the library to relaunch FCP.

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Answer 12

mgmartino Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 3, 2015 7:56 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

If I move that FCP library (which i named FCPX) to my external drive can I add a 2nd Library to FCP that I keep on my internal HD?

Basically my question is can FCP have more than one Library?

Or if I opt to "keep my files in place" on the import settings, and use sym links, does that make FCP run slower because it has to read the links as opposed to having the video clips right in it's library?

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Answer 13

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,980 points

Sep 8, 2015 9:14 PM in response to mgmartino

YYou can have as many libraries as you need and store them wherever you want, more or less. You can have multiple libraries open at once.

USing symlinks inks makes no difference at all to speed. Generally avoid using leave in place. First, you can't leave in place if you import from a camera. Second, you can end up with a mess with stuff scattered everywhere, and that can slow you down. You can designate a folder outside of the library to store your media.

YOu you should get yourself a good book or some basic training to learn the fundamentals of the application.

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Answer 14

mgmartino Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 8, 2015 9:14 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Okay thank you!! Between your responses and watching some tutorials on the keywords you brought up I was able to solve my problem. My Last question is... Even though my External HardDrive is 1TB and has a lot of available space it is only 5200RPM and my built in MacintoshHD (750GB) is 5400RPM. Will it effect FinalCut's speed if I store my Final Cut Libraries on my 5200RPM 1TB External Drive in comparison to just leaving my Final Cut Libraries on my MacintoshHD with 5400RPM ?

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Answer 15

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,980 points

Sep 9, 2015 12:32 AM in response to mgmartino

HHow is the external drive connected? USB2, 3, Thunderbolt? You should use USB3 or better and use the external drive. Never heard of a 5200rpm drive, but the difference doesn't matter anyway.

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