mFire, mDust etc Workflow?

Hey!

How do you guys use things like mFire, mDust, mSmokes?

I created an event in my library "MacHD" to be always available.

Then I can drag them onto projects... It's a bit annoying that they are copied to that project as you usually drag quite a few over to test before you find the one that fits. Meaning that your project event now is littered with things you don't use. Even though the actual files a re not copied...

Biggest problem is when you work in Proxy mode. I had to make proxies of all the mFire/mDust elements so they would be visable. But when dragged to the project they work for a few seconds then the "No Proxy" red sign comes up. WTF? Do I need to make a proxy of it again when it's in the project event?
This is some serious bad workflow...
Drag mFire thing to timeline... find it in even, make proxy, find out it didn't fit, repeat with next. Now I also end up with proxy files taking up space...

I'm at a loss how to work with these effectively. How do you do it?

First, I never put media on my OS drive. Bad idea.

Second, Libraries don't talk to each other, so media MUST be copied.

I use these amazing, and other stock elements. I have them on a media drive, in a folder called Stock Media. I make sub-folders for each vendor, for each collection.

I made a Library called Stock Media. When I import stuff to it, i "Leave In Place" and have FCPX make keyword collections based on folder names.

This way I have it all organized easily. And when I copy it to another Library, I'm only copying over aliases, not whole files. Saves on drive space. If I need Proxies, then I right click them, select th Transcode caption, make proxies. But, I never use p oxides of stock media. But if I did, there you go.

Yeah, it's pretty much what I've done, the event where I have the motionVFX stuff is on the internal HD but the media is only referenced and reside on my media drive.

Not having it in a FCPX event wouldn't change much though. I would still end up with many references in my project event and when using proxies there would the additional step of transcoding it before I can even try it out and see if it fits.

Guess I have to wait until I don't need to use the proxies anymore before experimenting with this.

Sounds like you are overthinking this. Those elements are clips just like anything else, so you can do whatever you want to organize them how you see fit (put them in a different library, put them in another event in your current library, etc.). You already have a strategy for how to deal with your other footage, so why would this be any different? If you're not sure how to use a multi-library approach, just bring them into a separate event in your current library and don't worry about it.

Also, if you already made proxies once, you can manually copy them into another library, or wherever your library is pointed in terms of where it's storing media. However, if it bothers you too much, I would just use original media mode to choose your elements, and then once they're chosen, go back into proxy mode and make proxies of just those elements you chose.

haysoos123 wrote: You already have a strategy for how to deal with your other footage, so why would this be any different?

Because these are meant to be used in many different projects. My other footage is only in very rarely used outside the project/event it was shot for.

Also, by their nature you usually need to try out many different clips before you find the right one...

It would be nice if there was a browser for this kind of footage in the effects browser and they worked more like effects, and in both norman and proxy mode. Maybe only when you quit FCPX were the ones you've used copied to the project. If ever.

DmitriZigany wrote:

haysoos123 wrote: You already have a strategy for how to deal with your other footage, so why would this be any different?

Because these are meant to be used in many different projects. My other footage is only in very rarely used outside the project/event it was shot for.

Also, by their nature you usually need to try out many different clips before you find the right one...

It would be nice if there was a browser for this kind of footage in the effects browser and they worked more like effects, and in both norman and proxy mode. Maybe only when you quit FCPX were the ones you've used copied to the project. If ever.

If you took the time, you could probably create a motion template either for each clip so they would appear in the effects browser. I haven't tested it, but it may work if you publish the blend mode... someone correct me if that's not something that would work.

Since you seem to be using external media anyway, you're already keeping those clips in a central repository. If you link to them in an event in a library (say an mDust library), you can copy over that event to the current library you're working in, and it will only copy the aliases. I don't see how that's a problem, since you're never duplicating footage. You can skip the step of copying the event over from the mDust library and just cut the clip in directly if you want, bit this creates the 'littering' that you refer to. If you copy the event where they live first, they will already be organized and they will be easier to delete afterward. However, there's really no need to delete them since they're just aliases anyway.