A couple of questions about file consolidation?

I am editing on my laptop with a managed library (also stored on my laptop). I have a large collection of sound effects on my laptop (not in the managed library) and I have an external hard drive attached with a large collection of royalty free music. During the course of my edit, I add several sound effects and music files to my project. If I disconnect from my external hard drive, I can no longer play the music in my films.

Here are my questions:

1. If I consolidate the files, I know it will move the music into my managed library, but will it also move the sound effects that I used (I don't really need them moved since they are already on the laptop)?

2. When adding the music files in the first place, is there a way to do it, so that consolidation won't be necessary later (e.g. is there a way to tell FCP that I want these to be copied and not just linked)?

Thanks and I hope that was clear,

Chris

To answer question 1. Yes, 'Consolidate Event Files' will make a duplicate copy of every file FCPX is 'pointing' to inside your event.

Question 2. You can drag the music files into your event from the itunes window in FCPX and after just doing a test even with 'leave files in place' unchecked it made an actual copy of the music file in the event.

The way I look at it is:

- If I want to make a self contained event with all the files in the same place, I import everything from the import window (cmd-i) with 'leave files in place' unchecked in preferences. This way I know everything will be copied to the same event folder on my hard drive of choice.

- If I want to 'point' to media, I have 'leave files in place' selected. If I need to hand off the project later or make a portable version on one drive I can consolidate later.

Thanks for the quick reply.

1. That's what I thought.

2. Unfortunately, usually when I add clips like music, I just drag and drop them into the project from a finder window - that doesn't give me an option to actually copy them and make them part of the managed library.

I keep thinking there must be a way to highlight a specific file in the library and just consolidate that one, but if there is, I can't find it.

If you drag things into the library from the finder with 'leave files in place' unchecked in the preferences it should make a copy of any type of file to your library.

What I tested was in the music window within FCPX, you can import songs (or sound effects as I do) directly from your itunes library without the finder or itunes. And 'leave files in place' checked or unchecked seems to make a copy of the song in the library either way.

That's great - thanks for the follow up - I think I have it now!

Darren Roark wrote: ... in the music window within FCPX, you can import songs (or sound effects as I do) directly from your itunes library without the finder or itunes. And 'leave files in place' checked or unchecked seems to make a copy of the song in the library either way.

I'd consider this a bug actually. The Media Storage selection (leave in place or copy to Library) should be respected no matter where media is imported from. The fact that the media browser ignores it actually prevents me from using it. I work with shared media (even my iTunes media is on an external drive) so the fact that files get copied to the Library from the media browser is a big annoyance.

plysat wrote:

Darren Roark wrote: ... in the music window within FCPX, you can import songs (or sound effects as I do) directly from your itunes library without the finder or itunes. And 'leave files in place' checked or unchecked seems to make a copy of the song in the library either way.

I'd consider this a bug actually.

If you dragged things into FCPX from the media browser and it didn't make a copy from iPhoto, iTunes, it could get messy if you have your camera files on a central external drive. Then consolidate event files wouldn't help much as it would copy every single camera file to the library which would be bad if that's not what you want.

If you want full manual control, dragging them via the finder the original files stay put inside the iTunes folder if leave files in place is checked.

Darren Roark wrote: If you dragged things into FCPX from the media browser and it didn't make a copy from iPhoto, iTunes, it could get messy if you have your camera files on a central external drive. Then consolidate event files wouldn't help much as it would copy every single camera file to the library which would be bad if that's not what you want.

Not sure I follow... If the browser worked like anything else... When I drag a file (sound or pix) from it with "leave in place" set for media storage it then creates a symlink to that file in the Library. If I later consolidate the Event, why would it copy every single camera file (or whatever) rather than just the file linked from the Event?

Darren Roark wrote: If you want full manual control, dragging them via the finder the original files stay put inside the iTunes folder if leave files in place is checked.

As all my media is (and needs to be) shared, this is what i do. Actually, you can just drag files from the iTunes window and it will make a symlink as it should - if that's how you've set your prefs. iPhoto behaves differently for some reason, files dragged from the UI to FCP X are copied to the event. Both apps make a copy if you drag a file from their UI to the desktop, so I think iTunes is behaving correctly with FCP X.

I think X should respect the pref you have set regardless of where the media comes from. In a shared media environment there's no reason for anything to be copied to my Libraries (stored locally). I've set the prefs accordingly, so nothing should be copied right?

It works exactly as the help docs have always said it works. If you import media from another app's "Library", it will copy from that "Library". It is not copying random files, it is borrowing from a "Library". The various Libraries share each other's database index, but can not alter each other's databases. There are very legitimate technical programming reasons for it to work this way.

Again, this is how the user manual has always stated it, that preference is only for drag-and-drop from a "Finder Window". This is how we teach it in Apple authorized training, too. So calling it a bug is really reaching.

"However, if you drag media directly from the Finder into Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro uses the import settings you selected in the Import pane of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window."

BenB wrote: It works exactly as the help docs have always said it works. If you import media from another app's "Library", it will copy from that "Library". It is not copying random files, it is borrowing from a "Library". The various Libraries share each other's database index, but can not alter each other's databases. There are very legitimate technical programming reasons for it to work this way.

Again, this is how the user manual has always stated it, that preference is only for drag-and-drop from a "Finder Window". This is how we teach it in Apple authorized training, too. So calling it a bug is really reaching.

"However, if you drag media directly from the Finder into Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro uses the import settings you selected in the Import pane of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window."

I understand what you're saying but... As I said, dragging something from the iTunes app window does not copy the clip to the library if you have set the Media Storage prefs to leave files in place. It does copy the file if you set the prefs for that option. In other words, it behaves correctly. Drag the same file, from the same iTunes library viewed in the X Media browser, and it gets copied no matter what you've set your prefs to.

In fact, with "leave in place" set in FCP X prefs - if you create a folder with some audio in it, files dragged from that folder in the Finder to X will be linked to, which is correct. Now drag that folder to the music and sound browser in X. The same file dragged from the browser will be copied. It's not "borrowed" from another Library, it's just a file in a folder.

Anything dragged from the photo or sound browsers to a Library gets copied to the Library regardless of the Media Storage Preference. The browser is not behaving correctly.

Actually, reading back over the user manual, it has changed since previous versions of FCPX. Used to be that anything from iPhoto or Aperture got a physical copy in the Event, period. Seems now it depends on how your Prefs are set.
help.apple.com/finalcutpro/mac/10.1/#verc5d33882

But iTunes seems to be different. But, "...Final Cut Pro automatically transcodes all MP3 audio files to WAV audio files and retains the original MP3 files for future use."

So they are changing how this all works. Will be interesting to see how this develops over the next two or three updates, I'd guess.

"Seems now it depends on how your Prefs are set."

That's the issue though, it's not consistent. Set prefs to leave in place. Drag something from iTunes and it correctly links to the file. Drag something from iPhoto and it (incorrectly) copies the file. Drag anything from the Music and Sound or Photos browser in X to a library and it (incorrectly) copies it.

I just feel that if you set your prefs to Leave Files in Place, they should be left in place no matter where they come from. Using shared storage and symlinks works great, keeps libraries relatively portable, and lets users manage their media as they see fit. Even if your music/fx/photos etc are all local, there's no reason to duplicate files that exist on your drive already right? If you want to do that to hand off a project to another location or something you can consolidate.

If a file is coming from somewhere that linking to it could be a problem, (say it's on your internal drive and inaccessible to other users on a network or something) then throw up a warning dialog "this file will not be available on the network", don't just disregard the global preference without any notice.

may be you could use timeline to do consolidation
just put what you want to copy in timeline,
and the consolidation only copy the files you use in timeline.

Is that true?

Does Consolidate Files only copy media that is actually used. For example, if you put links to three sound effects in your event, but only ended up using one sound effect in the project - when you consolidate, does it just copy that one file?

yes, it's true.

My project is about 400 hours XAVC 4K 50P
and I use consolidation to get my projects from one mac pro to another for color grading.

I've tested the consolidation in FCPX10.1.1, it can do it use timeline.
but do not use FCPX 10.0.9, it can't do.
the 10.0.9 only copy the clips in Final cut Events folder!

So cool.

I just did a quick test and you are correct. You can choose to consolidate at the library, event, or project level.

That's awesome!

haha
however, I hope the FCPX can do consolidation with handles.

I've many 32 mins 4K 50p clips, I don't want to copy one whole clip
for I always use 10 seconds of a clip.

Until now , FCPX cannot do it.
but, the FCP7/Avid/Smoke/Flame/Quantel can!!

so I think apple defines the FCPX to rough editing , but not for finishing.