Organising your projects

horseface

horseface

Active member
Hello!

I'm just getting into importing P2 data and editing my projects in FCP.


I do a lot of work in pro audio and the way I like to work is by having a folder per project and then keeping my project file and all the associated media within that one folder. I also like to know the names of all the files I'm working with. I do this so I can just move that folder around and have everything connect up nicely without any troubles. In Logic Pro, I can do this easily with a 'save as project' command in the file save menu. Everything moves cleanly where I want it and everything is connected.

The thing that is bothering me is that FCP is that all the media files from the P2 go god-knows-where when I import them and they appear to have arbitrary naming conventions. If I name a clip in FCP, does the filename have the same name, or does it retain the random numbers?

Is there any easy way to be able to organise the projects the way I like, or do I have to work in a new way? The way that FCP appears to want me to work does not inspire a lot of confidence...

Cheers!
 
They don't go "god-knows-where," they go into the CAPTURE DRIVE>CAPTURE SCRATCH>PROJECT NAME folder. One folder per project, just like you like. If you have 5 projects, then the Capture Scratch folder will have 5 folders, one for each project. If you have FCP 5.1.2 or higher, you can name the clips whatever you want before you import, and that name sticks with the clip. WARNING...keep the "arbitrary" clip name somewhere in the logging info. Description would be a good place. This way, if you lose the footage and need to reimport, you know what clips links to what.

Those Arbitrary numbers are random...the first 4 numbers the order in which they appear on the card, and the last two random. This is to ensure you do not have the same clip name and thus cause confusion.

You have to adjust your workflow for each application you work with. They each do things in their own way. Trick is to know how they do things. Trying to put a square peg into a triangle hole never works.
 
Well, thanks! I've finally got it all organised. It appears that I have to do a lot of work up front, which is fine. It seems that naming P2 clips upon import gives these names to the clips within FCP and the actual files themselves. Renaming later on doesn't actually rename the file on disk.

Yes, I can appreciate that each application functions in unique ways, but this rigid way of working is something I've not encountered before in any application I've used over the years. I tend to like having my project file and dependant files in one place so that I can move things around between machines with ease, instead of spreading them round over several folders. Looks like you can move things, but you need to go digging in several folders for them. This just seems daft to me, but I guess that I can live with it.

Cheers.
 
I'm really hoping that in the next version of FCP they'll allow you to choose the file you import your P2 clips into rather than forcing them into the default location. I tried moving my capture disc for a while to accomplish this, but it was too much of a pain.
 
It's not just P2, but the Capture Scratch disk scheme, as P2 goes in the same as any other format. It's not a problem for me, I find it very helpful in organizing my projects.

As for rigid, I can think off hand of lots and lots of ways other apps are just as, if not more, "rigid" in many ways. Look at Avid. But, things change, who knows what Apple will do in the future.
 
On word of advice for any new NLE user. Step one - Open new project. Step Two - Save and name your project.
 
ncje said:
On word of advice for any new NLE user. Step one - Open new project. Step Two - Save and name your project.
Click to expand...

Yes, that seems to be the way. Organise the project before it begins.

:)
 
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