I want to tear my hair out

D

David_M_Payne

Well-known member
I have been using the training DVD for FCP Studio and I keep running into the same roadblock. Using the Blue Horizon training DVD I get to the part where I need to set up the project, so I click on file, save project as, the save window pops up. I go to the Mac HD, and the save button is blue. As soon as I click on Blue Horizon training video, the save button goes gray and I'm at a dead end. I've tried it with just the Mac HD, with one of my scratch disk HD's also and nothing works to get that button back to blue so I can go to edit and then project and follow the training video. I even tried ignoring it at first and going to edit and then Project to no avail. It won't save anything as long as that save button is gray.
Anyone know why it is doing this? I followed the suggestion in the video that I use one of my other DVD monitor/DVD players for the training DVD and follow along on my Quad-4 Mac in FCP studio. I've tried following both the training video and the manual and I'm doing exactly what both say to do, but as soon as I click on that Blue Horizon training video I get the save button going gray and I can't move on from there. HELP!

David
 
No I'm saving it to either the G-5 hard drive or to one of my OWC RAID external Hard Drives. It doesn't matter which one it is, as soon as I pick the Blue Horizon demo program out goes the blue save button, replaced with a non-functional gray save button. Now that I think about it, this was why I stopped trying to learn the system using the tutorial when I first got the computer and FCP studio last time.
My editor is very good with computers and he has been able to learn how to use FCP on the fly, but he will be leaving for Las Vegas shortly so I have to get a handle on the FCP program. At my age and with the meds the VA has me on for PTSD that screw with my short-term memory, I'm at my whit's end trying to figure out why it won't work.
I don't have any problems editing when Kyle is here, he does the work and I make the major decisions as to what I want edited and how, and he can do it, but that will change some day and I need to learn how to use this program before that happens.

David
 
You are really making it hard for me to grasp what you are doing.

Try this -- step for step.

Open the project you want to then save
Now that FCP is open and the project is up...

File - Save As
Dialog box shows up
Type: Payne Project Working Copy
Click on your DESKTOP on the left side of the saving dialog box
Click SAVE

Quit

Your project files can be saved (SHOULD be saved) on your system drive. I keep mine in my Documents folder under Mench FCP Projects (then sub folders too). I back them up onto a dedicated flash drive once a week or so.

I'm very confused about when you say... "I pick the Blue Horizon demo program" -- why are you doing that???

Captm
 
CaptainMench said:
You are really making it hard for me to grasp what you are doing.

Try this -- step for step.

Open the project you want to then save
Now that FCP is open and the project is up...

File - Save As
Dialog box shows up
Type: Payne Project Working Copy
Click on your DESKTOP on the left side of the saving dialog box
Click SAVE

Quit

Your project files can be saved (SHOULD be saved) on your system drive. I keep mine in my Documents folder under Mench FCP Projects (then sub folders too). I back them up onto a dedicated flash drive once a week or so.

I'm very confused about when you say... "I pick the Blue Horizon demo program" -- why are you doing that???

Captm
Click to expand...

I'm trying to learn the FCP program and the Blue Horizon demo is part of the tutoring program that came with FCP Studio. You have to remember that I'm 60 and computers have been something I have had to learn from scratch, I didn't grow up with them.

David
 
But the problem still remains... you cannot save a project to a DVD.

Were you able to follow the steps I outlined?

CaptM
 
CaptainMench said:
But the problem still remains... you cannot save a project to a DVD.

Were you able to follow the steps I outlined?

CaptM
Click to expand...

And as I've said I never tried to save the project to a DVD, but to one of my Hard Drives so I don't know why you keep telling me I can't save to a DVD when I have never tried to do that.

As for your steps I did that, but it doesn't help with the training DVD course.

There is an Apple store that has FCP lessons one-on-one for $99.00 a year and I just signed up for it for Wednesday. I'll be getting one hour a week for one year, so that should do it.

David
 
David_M_Payne said:
There is an Apple store that has FCP lessons one-on-one for $99.00 a year and I just signed up for it for Wednesday. I'll be getting one hour a week for one year, so that should do it.

David
Click to expand...

That's a good call- nothing like one on one. These are not hard programs to master once you get help with the basics. Of course I say that as someone who first touched a computer at age 1. :engel017:

Noah
 
ok, it sounds to me like you are trying to save the project as the blue horizon training program file which is already a saved program. you need to just give your program its own name, and then click save. dont click on the blue horizon thing.

this what i think you're doing wrong but i could be wrong..
 
NoahK said:
That's a good call- nothing like one on one. These are not hard programs to master once you get help with the basics. Of course I say that as someone who first touched a computer at age 1. :engel017:

Noah
Click to expand...

THat's funny Noah as sometimes when I'm working with my computers, I have both Mac and PC, I feel like I'm one instead of sixty.

David
 
scratchpatchfilms said:
ok, it sounds to me like you are trying to save the project as the blue horizon training program file which is already a saved program. you need to just give your program its own name, and then click save. dont click on the blue horizon thing.

this what i think you're doing wrong but i could be wrong..
Click to expand...

It probably is something I did wrong, but I follow the training DVD instruction exactly but when I try and open up the Blue Horizon Training program I get the Grey save button. Well the class should help me get past this road block, and I can take one of my Mac G-4 laptops which has FCP studio already loaded into it.

David
 
Zander said:
Why do you select the Blue Horizon Training program during your saving process?
Click to expand...

HOLY CRAP no kidding.

Man, old is only old if you use it to get a handicap sticker for your car.

Look... we're trying to help.

You need to start over.

Blue Horizon -- what is it? A demo? A tutorial? A Project? Learn your terms.

I suggest opening the manual and using your reading skills to get thru the first book. THEN try the blue horizon thing.

We - sorry - I have no idea what blue horizon is and/or how you are using it in FCP.

You asked how to save a project. IF (IF!!!) you followed my direction you would be fine and wouldn't have any issues right now. Why on earth you continue to fall in traps you already know won't work are beyond me.

I'm ticked that you don't even care to help yourself. Do you understand? We are trying to help you. I'm not yelling at you... I LIKE you... I'm yelling at the fact that you aren't helping yourself and refuse - yes, refuse - to tell us what is going on.

Is there a communication problem? Yes... we speak a language foreign to you right now and you are using and confusing terms that would easily be fixed by reading a few chapters of the manual.

Let us start again.

Answer THESE questions:

1) Have you opened a project in FCP?

2) Are you trying to SAVE this project as your own?

That's all I want to know. Don't go "I'm 60" on me... just answer those questions.

CaptM
 
David_M_Payne said:
It probably is something I did wrong, but I follow the training DVD instruction exactly but when I try and open up the Blue Horizon Training program I get the Grey save button. Well the class should help me get past this road block, and I can take one of my Mac G-4 laptops which has FCP studio already loaded into it.

David
Click to expand...


yeah, saving a project has nothing to do with your traning dvd. you've stated the save button is blue, meaning you can click on it, UNTIL you click on the blue horizon training dvd.

there's your problem. DON'T CLICK ON THE BLUE HORIZON THING!!! trust us.
 
Well now that I've been Menched I'll try and end the confusion. The Blue Horizon Training DVD comes with FCP studio. It is designed to teach people like me how to use the FCP program, but as I've said when I follow it I keep getting stuck.

So I've signed up with the local apple Store for one on one 1 hr. training on FCP. I've stopped trying to use that program as for me it doesn't work. Having taken my first class it is worth the $99.00 a year for a one hr. class once a week for a year. They don't use the training DVD, I have an instructor that knows FCP and is taking me through it and Soundtrack Pro as well as how to use the Apple loops in a film. I have all of FCP as well as Soundtrack Pro and Apple loops on my Apple Laptop so I can work on the film as I learn how to use the programs in my class. (We are doing the main editing on a Quad 5, but all of the film scenes and the rough cut film are on the Big 500 gig OWC RAID external drive, with a back up copy on one of my OWC 80 Gig RAID external Hard Drives.)

Speaking of films we have Knock, Knock finished and a rough cut done. It is just a few seconds under twenty min. What I'm going to do now is use my next class to learn the basics of Soundtrack Pro so that I can add some background music and some foley sounds too. My main editor Kyle is going to be going to Las Vegas as soon as he can, though he will be here long enough to help finish the film and get it ready for Film festivals and a posting on the Internet where you guys can see it. As I said I have a full copy of the film on one of my OWC RAID drives, and we will use that in my training class, so I will have some expert advice, and I plan to use that help to work on the film in my class. Might as well get the most I can from the class.

So thanks for trying to help me, and I hope to have the finished film done in time for the S.F. film festival at the end of this month.

David
 
Well, well, pigs fly after all

Well, well, pigs fly after all

I got the training video to work, so now I have my classes at the Apple store and I can use that training video between classes. This will be handy as some of the meds the VA has me on for PTSD screw with my short term memory, so now I can go over and over parts or all of the training DVD until it sinks in. Life is, well not good, but better than it was.

David
 
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