Help- I need to undo the way Events are imported and stored!

Hi Im currently doing my first documentary in FCPX and just learned that the reason my Mac hard drive is filling up is because I didn't uncheck the "copy files to Final cut events folder" in my preferences. Unfortunately, I now have over 700GB in my event library file and my mac is almost full. I still have all the original media on external hard drives and thought that I was using that until I used the "about this mac" to see what was filling up my HD.

My question is can I: While the FCPX is turned off/not running:

1. delete all the original media in the event files in the event folder and then when it says its missing relink it to the media that on my external hdrives?
I now changed the preferences, will relinking it, keep it referencing to the external drives?

2. How else do I go about it- I really need to free up space and have room for many more evnet files to finish my project?

I much appreciate any help that can get me out of this mess:)

Use the Consolidate Library function to move the media to a folder on an external drive.

Hi Thankyou for the quick reply!
I can see how moving it can take the load off my HD, but I'm currently using all usb plugs for my 4 other external drives and they are totally filled with material that I cant delete due to the importance of the footage on these.- that's why I'm searching for another option. I have all the events "original media" on all the different external hard drives - is there a way I can make fcpx use/link to that instead of the copied media in the events folder on my HD? By the way since this is my first time using FCPX ididnt format the drives to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, so thats a bit of the trouble too!

Get bigger drives or a RAID and get rid of the string of USB drives. Are they USB3? Drives can be daisychained unless they're USB.

I was hoping to avoid buying more hard drives but maybe its the only option! I'm making my first doc but without the documentary budget, so trying to DIY most of it myself, great for learning but I must have made almost all the mistakes in the book:)

Do you know what will happen if I delete all the event files original media on My mac HD and try to relink it to the external drives? And if it is by any chance possible?

Tom's advice is spot on as usual.

Depending on what kind of footage you have, it may work to relink to the other drives, but I don't advise it.

Here is how to make sure everything is copied over,

- Copy your library to the other drive

- Close the old library

- Select the new copy of the library and then "Consolidate Library files"

One thing I repeat saying over and over is that you can't have too many backups of footage. (Well you could,) Three backups are minimum, two at your house, one stored somewhere else.

Hi Darren and Tom,
I'm going with your advice and just ordered a new external hard disk but I guess it will take som time for it to get here. will do a bit of experimenting with the "not so important files and write back if any of it worked. Thank you so much for the help- both of you, By the way if you want to se the project I'm working on here is a link to the trailer:) vimeo.com/77240879 Best wishes

Hi Just did a test with one of the event files:
1. turned off FCPX
2. went into finder - final cut events - original media and dragged the file into the trash
3. opened it up- sure thing it was missing
4. chose relink file and found my current file at my external HD and relinked it
5. looked at the project and it adapted the same file, now just from my external HD

Jubii- can finally undo the mistake I've done all though its gonna take some time cause ill do it one at a time to make sure all is well before I delete it from my HD.

Best wishes

I hope you aren't editing with only ONE copy of your media.

If not and you effectively duplicated all your original media by adding it to your library then there should be no reason why you can't simply delete the original on the external and then consolidate the media out of your library on you system drive to the same place.

Should be quicker than redoing them one by one.

I have 3 copies and one at the beach house in case of fire:)

I know it could be a quick process, but I rather do it manually just to be complete sure- cant afford more mistakes due to my time frame - the final doc is due 1 sep and I have the next final draft due 1 aug. and lots of work ahead:) Thankyou for the advice:)