Use existing footage from external drive instead saving to library?

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Level 1

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Use existing footage from external drive instead saving to library?

I can't find any info on the internet for this using FCPX. There is a Library footage folder that saves your footage (makes copies) into the FCPX Library. Do you have to do this if you already have your footage on an external drive? Otherwise, I'm just doubling everything I have and filling up my external drive even faster with 4K footage. Does FCPX need the library footage that's duplicated, or can it work with existing external footage already on my drive (copied from my GH4).

Posted on Jul 8, 2016 3:33 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,825 points

Jul 8, 2016 4:59 PM in response to Bryanfilmfun

Footage can be stored either inside the library bundle, or it can be stored in a designated location outside the library. Media imported from a camera, a camera card, or camera archive must be copied into the library media location, either inside the library or in the designated location. Media that's not in a camera folder structure can be left in its original location and linked to FCP using symlinks.

So "copied from GH4" isn't really specific enough. If you copy the media in its folder structure, the media has to be copied again into the FCP library location. If you rip the media out of the folder structure to your hard drive you can use it in FCP with symlinks, though you run the danger the media is not processed properly or that it becomes separated from the symlinks through mismanagement.

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