Library taking up too much space

Where did the 50 GB number come from? The acquisition format? Those files will be somewhat larger after they're imported. The library also contains multiple databases, cache files for filmstrips, waveforms, analysis files, which can be very large, and of course render files. Switch off background rendering. All that said, video takes a lot of space. Rule of thumb, a production will take roughly 10 times the acquisition space. You can improve that by flushing caches and other files periodically.

P.S. leave in place is not available for camera media or camera archives.

Hi. I have this problem too but my video files were MUCH smaller. So what I did was download a free software called Disk Inventory X. After you install it and such, open it and press Open Volume on Macintosh HD and let it load through your computer files. Then it shows some sort of chart with the bigger squares being the bigger file sizes. Depending on how big the files are on your computer, you will probably find the 200 GB thing fast. Then right click the square and press open in finder and delete it. All I can really tell you is do that for almost every FCP library/video thing you make because thats what I do every time. I hope I helped!

If you have been background rendering you may have built up a lot of render files that are no longer used in projects. These are not automatically deleted but if after selecting a library in the libraries pane you select File > Delete Generated library Files then select Delete render Files, Unused Only, you may get quite a substantial reduction in library size.

Geoff.

David_Pro55 wrote:

Thanks, Tom.

The 50GB number is the size of the raw footage. I imported the AVCHD footage from my camera into a folder on my computer and it took up 50GB. Then after importing the footage into FCPX and editing and completing the project - then deleting generated library files - the size of the library was about 200GB. It sounds like you're saying that's pretty normal.

If you did an exact copy of the structure of your AVCHD cards, then, as Tom said, "Leave in Place" would not be available.

In fact, if you did exactly what you are saying you did, using "Leave in Place", your library should be MUCH SMALLER than 50GB, not larger.

"Leave in Place" only creates a symlink for the original files, which remain outside the library.

Without further information, I can only guess, but I would say that maybe you did not delete all render files.

Try this: select the the library, File->Delete Generated Library Files, and check ALL the options, including All render files, like the image below, and then check the library size again.

Hey David.

If you take a look inside the library bundle (Show Packsge Contents), you can easily determine what is taking up your storage space. Being careful not to move anything around Select a folder and then Command-i, If warranted by the size of the folder, repeat for its sub folders…and so forth.

When you find out what is taking up the space, you can adjust the settings and workflow as necessary,

Rusa