FCP 10.2.1 : Can't relink to proxies!

Hi guys,

I’m actually trying to setup a workflow between me and my director on a documentary we’re working on. We mostly shoot Epic 4k, and importing raw red files directly into FCPX.

I need to share fcpx library with my director who lives 50kms away, but as he doesn’t need raw files or 4k, I only need to feed him with proxy files.

My first attempt was to keep sources external to library, render proxies, and transfer library with proxies inside to the director. All items were offline when opening library but as soon as he switched to proxy mode, everything went back, so he could edit, send an xml and edit was automatically pointing back to red files at my place.

It was a good and working solution but I wanted all generated media to be external so I can easily synchronize contents between the 2 places, by copying only what’s new, and I also wanted the library to be empty of media for easy exchange over internet, without dealing with xml.

So now I have a “master” folder containing the 3 managed folders : FCPX BACKUP, MEDIA & CACHE. My library is now media empty, what is cool.
I’ve fed the director with the library and the whole media file structure, except the Original Media folder that is empty.

When he opens library, fcpx understands that previous media file structure isn’t available and asks for pointing to 3 new locations.
When relinking correctly those 3 folders, proxies are desperately offline, and seek for old file path (mine) instead of being updated to the new location.

Question is simple : how can I force relink those damn proxies ? Where did it go wrong ? Am I missing something ? Is it a bug ??

Thanks for any kinda help!

David

relevant technical details : OS 10.10.2. FCP 10.1.4 at first, then updated to 10.2.1 on both sides.

Nope, proxies are meant to be regenerated, not relinked. This may or may not help.
help.apple.com/finalcutpro/mac/10.2/#/ver7db6ffe77

Try to move the proxy folder to the library.

- Andreas

Thanks for your answers! Moving proxies back to library may be the solution, but it was one solution I first had before preferring external folders, so it's not that satisfying, but maybe the only way for now...
Considering I did things according to fcp documentation, I'd love to know if it's a bug or just an unsupported configuration. From my understanding, if it works with media within library, it should also works with external folders, as long as moves are done with consolidate feature...

D.

I had this happen just the other day. I solved it by pointing the library to the location of the "external proxy media", then telling FCPX to generate proxies. Once it tried to generate proxies, for proxies that were already there, it instantly finished and all my proxies were connected.

Hope that works for you.

all the best

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me.

I had this happen just the other day. I solved it by pointing the library to the location of the "external proxy media", then telling FCPX to generate proxies. Once it tried to generate proxies, for proxies that were already there, it instantly finished and all my proxies were connected.

I just tried this approach. It worked for many of the proxies, but then for many of the clips it started regenerating proxies despite the fact that they already existed in the proxy folder. The result is duplicate proxies across different subfolders in the proxy folder. Anyone else seeing this behaviour?

Please report this to the FCPX feedback page.

[quote="Doug Suiter" post=76046The result is duplicate proxies across different subfolders in the proxy folder. Anyone else seeing this behaviour?[/quote]

Yes I have seen it too.
But I never managed to reproduce it.

You should check out this article and download the PDF. Very informative when working with proxies.
www.fcp.co/final-cut-pro/articles/1794-b...with-final-cut-pro-x

Sam mentions multiple times that the proxies have to stay inside the library structure to work. All attempts to do any of this with proxies external and it fails. Perhaps it has to do with the symbolic links.

Anyways, you may need to start passing a "Transfer Library" back and forth instead of XML. This way, the proxies can go with the library and your director can open and transfer the event you are sending him. Apple has some basic instructions on this in their white paper.

I think Apple assumes in an environment like this, an event will house all or part of the footage and another event will house all projects. This would allow you to create an event called "Tuesday Footage" and import all of Tuesday's footage into it and generate proxies. Then you can copy that event to another library called "Transfer Library" which you would include Proxy media. Unmount the Transfer Library and send that library off to the director. He would open that library and copy the event for Tuesday Footage into his main working library. This process would also be the same for projects, but those would be a lot smaller—even small enough to email.

That's the gist of it and how I understand it. I don't send things back and forth, but it makes sense this way.