Can I use external TB drive for FCPX?

Hi new boy here and I am a Dummy!

I am running out of space on my 500GB SSD in my MBP. I have a 4TB LeCie TB BigDisk, but can't figure any way to let FCPX use that for video editing. Can it be done? How?

Thanks in advance, gurus!

It is actually recommended to put all events and projects on a secondary drive. If the drive is Mac formatted, FCPX will see it, and you can access it in the event and project libraries.

The LaCie is Mac formatted and has 2.7TB of free space. It is mounted and accessible, but FCPX doesn't allow selecting as a location for Events. Can you help a Dummy on how to make that work???

I've opened the Help for FCPX. I am following the step by step instructions and connect my Sony HD Camcorder. I then select Import Media. Under CAMERAS the Sony is shown as NO NAME and the clips are selectable. Under DEVICES I see the internal SSD, the LaCie (connected by Thunderbolt), and all of my LAN connected Samba shares on my NAS.

I then select a clip on the camcorder. Click on Create Archive and I am asked for an Archive (file) name, and there is a Destination drop-down, which shows the internal SSD. I click the Destination drop-down in the hope of selecting another target, like the LaCie. Unfortunately I have ONLY the SSD to choose from!!!! Herein lies my problem!

Any suggestions? - Thanks.

Post a screen shot of the root level of the LaCie.

I thought I would try the same exercise using iMovie. Interestingly, in iMovie I was able to select any mounted target, so I chose the LaCie, but then iMove said can't create as it's a Read Only location. However in Finder I can easily create both folders and files! WTF?

I then chose a destination on my NAS. It was accepted and is currently copying to there.

So two mysteries:

1) Why iMovie allows any target, but FCPX only allows the internal SSD as archive target
2) Why iMovie reports the LaCie as Read-Only, when it is clearly Read/Write

Oh, I nearly forgot - although iMovie allowed me to select a NAS drive to archive to, in the Event Library the very same NAS share is inaccessible and shows an ! inside a yellow triangle.

I am completely confused

Where's the screen shot? Did you check the read/write permissions in the Finder? What does it say for the LaCie?

Is the LaCie being used as a Time Machine capsule as well? (or was it in the past?) I remembered that being a big problem for me with FCP 10.0.3. The drive would not be recognized by the application.

Yes, the LaCie is a Time Machine target and also used for Carbon Copy Clone without deletes.

However I can and do create extra folders on it, from time to time. FCPX would not even list either the LaCie or any of the NAS shares, ever. Only the internal SSD.

I will create a Screen Steps series of screen shots and post it here. Thanks for your help guys.

Here is the series of screen shots: LINK

Hope that gives some insight to my questions.

I think Time Machine might be the culprit here. FCP X has had difficulty seeing Time Machine drives in the event browser. If possible, I'd suggest using a different drive for your Time Machine disk and formatting the 4TB drive if you're planning on using it as a FCP X media drive.

Rename the folder AVCHD.

What shall I name it to? Anything else, or something specific?

By the way, should FCPX be able to use a USB3 drive?

UPDATE:
I set up Time Machine to go to the NAS, which is supported by the ReadyNAS
I then reformatted the LaCie

Everything now seems to work - touch wood! The LaCie now came up in FCPX (hurrah!)

So now my MBP is running Time Machine with 250GB to backup to the NAS, and I am importing the videos to the LaCie with Proxy. Should I also select Create Optimised Media? (I think yes).

THANKS 1E6 (means million ) I am so pleased. I am now importing all the stuff off my camcorder's HDD and having 4TB of video disk space to play with is just GREAT! Yippeee.

Thanks guys.