Motion templates are not appearing in FCPX

You don't need to restart FCPX after adding new templates if they were added correctly.

The pitfalls most people have reported:

1) Motion Templates and the Effects, Generators, Titles and Transitions folders need to be localized. Right click on those folders and Get Info. In the Name & Extensions slot, add '.localized' if it doesn't already exist.

2) You have to add "Category" folders inside the main template type folders. Create a category folder with a name that will help you remember the location of your templates.

3) Do not separate the Motion template file from it's parent folder. The *folder* is the template. Place the entire folder inside the Category folder. The template's folder contents MUST contain a "large.png", "small.png", and a Media folder besides the template file*. There could be an optional .mov file.

*Template files have the extensions:

Effects = .moef

Generators = .motn

Titles = .moti

Transitions = .motr

You can also tell from the icons (Effects have a filmstrip, Generators have the Motion icon, Titles have a 'T' and Transitions have 2 inward pointing triangles ["bowtie"]).

Once everything is in order, as soon as you bring FCPX to the "front", everything should be properly updated.

iancaldo,

All the things you tried were wasted time 😟

Apple build in some hurdles to use FCPX and Motion with more then one user (or across multiple machines) flawlessly 😢

The system of Templates is totally user focused - so any user can have an own "template system". So projects even on the same machine can be incompatible between users.

So what can the educated user do?

Don't follow the Apple rules (and those some 3rd party companies use) and use the hidden - but perfect -way.

The Apple way is a kind of "for your eyes only" way. To make templates work for for all users follow the instructions below.

Don't save templates you create by your own with Motion in the suggested folder but in "/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Pro/Templates.localized/...". The folders will be created by FCPX upon first start.

Do the same with templates from 3rd parties before you use them first time move them to the matching folders in the system library.

With you current setup you will need to copy the "Movies/Motion Template.localized" folder to the user which does't have access to the template(s).

If you haven't the templates too often you can move them to the described folders and replace them in your project.

Caution: Apple can change everything on a whim because users are not supposed to be installing things in that location. As a commercial producer of templates, I'd much rather see people installing single user licensed software in their User path especially in a workplace setting.

fox_m,

I totally disagree.

Apple might change anything at any time - that's true. But since FCPX exists these locations always had been there.

I'm not a commercial producer of templates, but my few templates are used by several hundreds or thousands of people living in the system library since that time.

No user ever had trouble. And no trouble transporting projects/libraries with those templates from one user or machine to another.

While Coremelt follows my rules, fxFactory only recommends my way, but most plugins are installed in the user directory which always causes trouble in collaborative environments.

But if your plugins are single user plugins you should mention that in the EULA and protect them not to be moved. Additionally you for sure have a "family-pack", a "classroom-pack" and similar for people who live in a multi-user world.

P.S. the same user story is valid for fonts.

And i've build a free app which helps to solve plugin problems when working with several users. This app was a "life saver" for really many people.

Sending somebody who doesn't know how to install templates into an area used by custom installers like FxFactory is a potential disaster... for the end user. The "system" location is admittedly easier. There are (in theory) two other locations to store templates (but my lips are sealed — and I've never had the guts to try them out.)

I've been dealing with "EULAs" for over 30 years (before they were even called "eula"; before desktop publishing was coined). They don't mean much — if anything — if you don't have the resources to back them up. The one that always gets taken advantage of is the software creator.

[FWIW - I started with fonts. I feel as if I'm one of the most ripped off creators in the history of Macintosh software. At one point it took several years to "pull" all of my fonts that got "into the wild", and I'm still not sure I've been completely successful. I've seen one of my fonts end up in the logo of a network news program — that I was never paid for from anyone at that source. Did I sue? No. Am I going to? No. (I am not a "sewer" - sic). The first thing that "goes" is the EULA.]

Does your free app circumvent the developer (security) certificate required for installers? Or do you have the certificate and you're just being altruistic?