Bring FCPX Project for editing on the go?

Hey!

Watched the MacBreak Studio episodes of this but they didn't really deal with my situation.

I Have my event/project on an external drive. But it's a big drive. I need to bring the project to edit when away from home, so I want to bring just the project files and proxy media. Either on another, smaller external drive, or on the internal drive. Then I want to get it back together when I'm back with the original hard drive.

I wish I could just copy the whole project but I'm very low on disk space and even lower on money...

Hey Dmitri,

Is this a managed Library or do you have your media external?

- Ronny

There are many ways you can do this, recently I had to be on the move really quick so I just Duplicated the managed Library after all the transcoding Proxy and organisation was done. Went into the Final Cut Pro X Library and remove only the RED files.
You have to be careful and know what gets transcoded into a proxy file.

Renamed the file to name_mobile and took the Library on the road. After that I will just export a XML or open up the Mobil file at the home station and dragged the wanted project over into the original Final Cut Pro X Library.

Just be careful what you remove and you have to stay in Proxy mode when using the "mobile" Library.

Ronny,

No external media, everything is in the Event... Guess that means it's "managed"?

Been thinking of Duplicating it, then remove original media but it seems a bit of a recipe for disaster.

Don't know how to work with XML files...

Actually with a managed Library this will be easier. As Scrubelicious said, you can duplicate the Library on your big drive. Then you open the duplicated Library in Finder (Show Package Contents) and you remove the Original media out of their folder (just trash the media) so you only keep the Proxy media.

Finally you drag the trimmed down Library onto your small drive or onto your system drive and you can take this with you on the road.

There are two things you should be aware of:

1. FCP X does not create Proxy media for audio files or stills. If you have any audio files or stills in your Original Media folder, do NOT delete them from Original Media folder in the trimmed Library. After you have moved the trimmed Library to your small drive or your system drive: disconnect the large drive, open the trimmed Library in FCP X and check if all your clips work in Proxy mode.

2. Working with XML is super easy. To bring your updated Project back in the original Library on your big drive you just need to open your "on the road" Project and export a Project XML. Back home you import the Project XML in your original Library and your "on the road" Project will appear in the Library.

Project XML is perfect for most Projects. However you have to be careful with complex titles and animations, because sometimes they are not translated in the Project XML. So while on the road, it is best to do straightforward editing. You add complex things when the "on the road" Project is back in the original Library. I must say FCPX XML has much improved in the latest updates, more and more functionality gets carried over by XML now.

If you have any problems or further questions, post back here.

- Ronny

I need to copy just the event, not the entire library.
I tried before asking here to do as you say but with the event only and moving that to the library on the small drive. Buyt then FCPX didn't see the event.

I have never ever worked with XML, it's still hokos pokus to me, until I've wrapped my head around them I don't wanna depend on them. And no time to learn now, leaving in a couple of hours.

If the original and copied events contain the same thing, sans original media, can't I just copy the new project file that I've worked on on the road to the original event?