FCPX - 10.1 - How do I...

[Muskoka]

I have a 3-minute project that I've been working on for almost two years; it's a LONG story, still waiting on content from the client - but I've long ago been paid, so it's just a matter of finally getting this done.

When the project was new, I saved all of the files to an external drive as it was pretty open-ended (I had no idea at the time it was going to be open for two years!). Now that I'm finally getting the last content (voiceover recorded by a broadcast pro) I want to be able to run off my my main machine, not the external drive.

My (what I hope is) simple question; how do I, or perhaps more accurately where do I put the files that are on the external drive onto my MacBook Air (so I can more easily meet with the client when he buys me breakfast for the 814th time) so that FCPX will know where they are? Of course if the drive is not connected, I get the dreaded RED CLIPS OF DOOM when I open that project.

Any tips, tricks, pointers, voodoo, witchcraft, etc., to get the files onboard my internal drive source is greatly appreciated.

 

[Nate Haustein]

Click on your library in the bin/browser window and then use the consolidate media command. All external clips will be copied into the library file. You can then drag and drop the library file to whatever drive or computer you'd like. Another way to do this is with just the used clips - for that process, click once on your project (timeline) in the bin to select it, then go to file and select copy project. Copy the project into a new library, and after that it copies, run rhe consolidate media command.

This was hastily typed on my cell phone so let me know if you need more guidance.

 

[Muskoka]

Perfect. I Consolidated Files and am now good to go; I didn't need to take any additional steps. Thanks Nate.

 

[Spartacus]

Another way to do this is with just the used clips - for that process, click once on your project (timeline) in the bin to select it, then go to file and select copy project. Copy the project into a new library, and after that it copies, run rhe consolidate media command.

This was hastily typed on my cell phone so let me know if you need more guidance.

May I jump on the wagon, my problem is the reverse of the OP's:
I have an event with around 90 minutes worth of interview in it and want to take the interviews to my laptop to edit it down, while my editor keeps on organizing the rest of the footage in that event on the iMac.
The interview has its own project/timeline, I want to copy only this project/timeline to an external drive, edit the interview on the macbook, give that project back to the iMac, have the whole event be updated with the new edit of the timeline - does this make sense?

To read your post: So after you created a copy of the timeline/project and put it in a new library on an external drive, what does consolidate help with?

 

[Nate Haustein]

Spartacus, you're on the right track. You would copy the project to an external drive, consolidate, and then edit on the road. To move things back, do the reverse. Copy the project from external drive to your iMac storage, and them for good measure, hit consolidate on the iMac when you are finished before disconnecting your travel drive. (You should also consolidate on the Tavel drive before you disconnect from the laptop). In the transferring back stage, it should go very fast because you're only transferring the project file and any additional media you added to the project while on the road.

What the consolidate command does is simply make sure all used media is stored within the library package file. Say you downloaded a photo from your email and dragged it in, or used a song from your iTunes library, or added files from a VFX designer at your lunch meeting. When you click consolidate, FCPX copies any external media stored outside the library on your desktop or downloads folder into the library. Very convenient. This also helps when you're organizing media externally of libraries on your main edit suite setup, but also want to take projects with you on the road. After copying the project to the external drive, consolidate will find all the external media files on your main drive array and copy them to the mobile computer or drive as internal media files.

Keep in mind when transferring projects and media to an external drive: if you click on the project inside the event and then select "copy project," FCPX will copy the project and ONLY the media used in the timeline to the new external library. If you want ALL the media, you need to click on The event itself and then choose "copy event."