FCPX, proxy render not working

That's funny.

We hear from many new people who have trouble understanding the way FCPX works and want to accuse Apple of releasing bad software or to accuse the all powerful wizards and wonks of ignorance. Tom Wolsky practically invented FCP.

Anyway, I've just tried this proxy thingy that's bugging you. Tom's right; you are wrong.

The user cannot create a proxy of a clip by selecting the representation of that clip in the timeline. You can only transcode to proxy during import or in the browser. You can also use the Info inspector.And the difference between rendering and transcoding is h-u-g-e. You just don't understand it yet. Stick with FCPX for a few more months and you will.

You can create optimized and proxy media during the import process or in the Browser, after the media has been imported. You can also create a proxy file for a clip using the Info inspector. After transcoding is complete, the optimized and proxy files are stored in your Final Cut Pro library or in an external location you define in the Library inspector. For more information, see Manage storage locations.

Create optimized and proxy files during import

During import, Final Cut Pro either creates an alias file that points to the media file in its original location, or creates a copy of the original media file. After the files are imported, transcoding, optimization, and analysis are performed in the background.

1. Do one of the following:
   • To import a file from a compatible file-based recording or storage device, or from your computer: Connect your device to your computer, turn on the device, choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I), and then navigate to and select the media you want to import.
   • To import a file from a tape-based camcorder: Connect your device to your computer, turn on the device and set it to VTR or VCR mode, and then choose File > Import > Media.
   • To import from an archive: Choose File > Import > Media, select a camera archive from the list on the left, click Open Archive, and then navigate to the files you want to import.
   For more information, see Importing overview.
2. Use the settings on the right side of the Media Import window to choose how you want to organize the imported media in your library:
   • To add the imported media to an existing event: Select “Add to existing event,” and choose the eventfrom the pop-up menu.
   • To create a new event: Select “Create new event in,” use the pop-up menu to choose the library in which you want to create the event, and then type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field.
   To learn more about events, see Organizing libraries overview.
3. In the Files section, choose a storage location for the media files:
   • To copy the files to the current library: Select “Copy to library” to duplicate the files and place the copies in the current library storage location. You can set storage locations for each of your libraries using the Library Properties inspector. For more information, see Manage storage locations.
   • To link to the files at their current location: Select “Leave files in place.”Note: If you select this option, Final Cut Pro creates symbolic links (also known as symlinks), which are special files that point to the media files. If you later copy or move clips between events, Final Cut Pro copies or moves the symbolic links only (not the source media files). To replace the symbolic links with the actual source media files, select the events and choose File > Consolidate Event Files. For more information about files and clips, see Media files and clips.
4. Select one or both of the transcoding options.Final Cut Pro will transcode the files in the background, after the import process is complete.
5. Click Import Selected or Import All (the Import button changes its name based on your clip selection).The import may take a while, depending on the option you selected in step 3. You can see the status of all the background processes currently running in the Background Tasks window.

Create optimized and proxy files after import

1. Control-click one or more clips in the Browser and choose Transcode Media from the shortcut menu.
2. In the window that appears, select the “Create optimized media” checkbox, the “Create proxy media” checkbox, or both, and click OK.Note: If the original camera format can be edited with good performance, the “Create optimized media” option is dimmed.The transcoding process may take a while, depending on the options you select. You can see the status of all the background processes currently running in the Background Tasks window.Note: MP3 audio files from projects created with versions of Final Cut Pro earlier than 10.0.4 can be manually transcoded to WAV audio files using this process.

Generate a proxy file from the Info inspector

You can create a proxy file for a clip using the Info inspector. You can check to see whether a proxy file exists for a clip by viewing the clip’s information in the Info inspector. If the file you’re viewing in the Info inspector doesn’t have a proxy file, you see a red triangle.

1. Select a clip in the Browser.
2. To open the Info inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears.
3. Scroll down to the File Information section of the Info inspector, and click the Generate Proxy button.

The proxy file is created, and a green circle appears next to the proxy item in the Available Media Representations section, indicating that the proxy file for the clip is available.

To control whether Final Cut Pro displays the proxy media in the Viewer, choose an option from the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Viewer. For more information, see Control playback quality and performance.

IF you drag into a project there is no clip in the browser. You can also create one using Shuft-F. Can't transcode a clip in a project.

YOu you keep saying tender proxy, which may be confusing things.

THeres something fundamentally wrong with what you're doing. When you right-click on a clip in a project there is no transcode media function. I can transcode a clip in the browser as a proxy, assuming it's a video file that be proxied.

REndering and transcoding are NOT the same thing. It isn't a question of what I want to call it.

WHeat version of the application are you using?

You transcode the file from inside the browser to proxy. You cannot transcode from inside the project. I don't know why this does not work for you but then you have given no information about your system or the media you're trying to transcode. Some types of files will not transcode.

I have been using FCP since 1999 and FCPX since 2011.

IImport the file properly with the import window.