Clarity needed about where FCPX stores files

Hi
I have tried to unravel this myself, without much luck. I am a bit of a nube, so please forgive naivite!!

When I 'start a new project' in FCPX I undersand a batch of folders and files are created somewhere on the MAC hard drive? As I work on a project, then various files are automatically stored there too. Which is why there is no 'save' or 'save as' function in any of the menus?

So far so good? So, my questions are:

- where on the MAC drive are these folders and project files stored?
- can these location be changed before creating or while creating a project?
- do these folders/files include any useable video file related to the project?

So far I have only been able to 'share' a video file in order to put it somewhere useable, and am beginning to understand where apple shares are stored (ie, in Itunes) but again questions arise:

- is it possible to store these shares elsewhere? I can't see any options.

I am sure this isn't how a video is supposed to be 'saved' however? Or is it?

Anyway, I have tried to find answers to these questions in the manual and online, but keep bumping into alternative, conditional answers, which haven't really helped.

Can anyone put this in layman's language?

thanks


Barry

The events and projects folders are inside the library bundle. The library can be created and saved and moved to wherever you want, well any connected drive or server supported by the application.

"- do these folders/files include any useable video file related to the project?"

This is where things get a little complicated and is dependent on how you've organized your media. There are basically two FCP structures. You can use either managed media or external media. What managed media means in FCP terminology is that all your media and everything related to the library, events and projects and the media used in them are inside are inside the library. If you used managed media the media is inside the event into which you import it. If you use external media, the media is wherever you designate as the storage location, whatever folder. The events database and project database and the overall library database are of course still inside the library bundle.

If you share to an Apple device the default is to put it in iTunes so it can be synced to your devices. If you don't want to do that, in Settings when exporting in the When Done popup select Do Nothing. When you click next you'll get a dialog letting you set where you can save the file.

Not quite sure what you mean by saving a video. Sharing is an export function; you're outputting a composite file. If you want to duplicate a project you can do that inside the application. There are various ways for various needs and purposes, either inside the library or to another library.

Hi Barry
By default, FCPX(what version please) stores your files in a fcp bundle in your Movies folder.
Yes everything by default is inside this bundle with the exception of some finder files.
Yes you can set where various files are stored in the library inspector pane. There you can select different locations for different files, like media files (best to store on fast external drive) cache files, back-up files, etc…
Separately, there are some Motion files that will relate to your project inside the Movie folder.
As Tom says you can have either managed files or external media.
As a matter of course, the fcp bundle tries to protect itself by not letting you see what is inside. It is best to move these files within FCPX but you can move/duplicate or share the bundle via finder if you must.
You can also right click on the bundle and click "Show Contents" to see the various components including the "Original Media" and the current version files. You really do not want to mess with "contents" via the finder.
Moving items via the Finder may result in unconnected (lost) files. Use the Library Inspector Pane inside FCPX.
Sharing to other devices, disk, YouTube etc… creates new rendered export files, but does not affect your original FCPX files.
You can also create a "Master File" and place wherever you want or send files to Compressor.

Hope this helps, Greg

HI
thanks for this, much appreciated.

A related question arising, again probably hopelessly nube but here goes! I have created a movie in FCPX, there is no save or save as, and currently the only way I can see to get a 'copy' of the movie I have created is to share it, at the moment I am sending it to Apple.

My question is this? Is there any other place where my movie is being stored where I can get access to it in order to use it in Logic Pro, or some other software? I can't figure out how to actually get a copy of my movie, other than Sharing?

Am I missing something?

Barry

Hi Barry
What version of FCPX and OS are you using?
Using the "Share" menu is the main way of exporting your movie. There are some other ways but it helps to understand how movies are created inside FCPX.
When you import your footage, audio, photos, etc… for FCP, this is your media and you can store it wherever you want as explained above.
As you build your timeline, FCPX does not really make copies of that media (except for temporary RAM files) but instead FCPX simply creates pointers to where the media is stored. It further creates data files that tell FCPX what you have done to that clip in the timeline like add effects, color correct, audio enhancements, etc…. Again it is not duplicating the original media, but creates current version files every 15 minutes and stores them in your fcp bundle library(current version and back-up files). This keeps the total event/project files small.
Yep no save available, but you can create versions/auditions/duplicate projects if you want.

If you have background rendering on, then a render file is created so the system can use that instead of transcoding data every time you view a clip.

It also means that you have to view the movie inside FCPX or render out an export file "Share" to see it.
When you share, then FCPX renders out the timeline in whatever format you have selected. Other than within FCPX, this is how you would view a movie. You can then send this file to someone. Again the timeline itself does not actually copy/contain media.

There are other ways that data can be shared with other apps and people. It is not really a "movie" but files.
If you are working with other editors, you can set up media externally outside the fcp library bundle and then send a copy of the library bundle so each can work on a project (not at the same time) and pass revisions back and forth while using/sharing the same external media. The size of the shared files are much smaller this way.
If you have "Managed" media, meaning the media is part of the fcp bundle, then you can send this entire file to someone, but it can be huge!
Depending on camera/format/resolution/amount of footage, your media may be hundreds of GBs or even TBs of data.

You mention Logic Pro X (LPX). There is another way to "Share" "Export" to LPX and other programs and that is via XML. FCPX can generate/export a file called FCPXML. This file is similar to an older file exchange list called EDL. XML allows for greater detail in the exchange file. Here is the thing though, it does not send the actual media files, but merely a list of everything you did in creating your movie. You can even import this file into a text editor and change what will happen in FCPX or other apps. It is basically a script.

LPX can import this FCPXML file and can export an altered file back to FCP or you can export the audio files and then import into FCPX. Inside LPX you can view the video, but again it is using the stored media files.

I have had issues with FCPX to LPX to FCPX exchanges with previous versions of XML (1.4) and Mavericks. Ronny Courtens says he has had good luck with the latest version and gives instructions in how to do it in this thread here on fcpco…
www.fcp.co/forum/4-final-cut-pro-x-fcpx/...-fcpx-to-logic-x-xml
Would recommend you follow his instructions to the T. Let us know if it works for you.

XML is also used by other apps. How well it works depends? (YMMV)

You haven't stated exactly what you want to do with your exported movie other than you are sending to Apple?? Are you sending a movie to Apple the company or to "Apple devices"?
Within the "Share" menu you have many options for formats, destinations etc… what is missing that you want to do?

If you have Compressor, then you can create many other export settings/formats/destinations and you can then publish those settings to show up inside the Share menu in FCPX. This may be overkill, or not, depending on what you need.

Hope this helps, Greg

Hi Greg
That's a really helpful and useful answer. Learning a programme like FCPX is not for the faint hearted and I will in due course enroll for some formal tuition. For now, I am a musician wanting to create some slides to play behind my songs on a big circular white screen (wot me a child of the 80's? Look out Floyd...) I have just about mastered putting photos into a sequence with fade in and out and crossfades, and have used Ken Burns, so they look really nice. I am actually using the files in Keynote on my Ipad which is connected directly to a projector. Ipad can't use Quicktime movie format, but Quicktime can export in a format that can be imported on the Ipad to Keynote, and they look fine.

So... the sequence seems to be export from FCPX to Apple devices, view in Quicktime, then export in m4v format to dropbox then import that into Keynote! A bit convoluted but it works.

I am wondering if Compressor can save in m4v directly, it would save a bit of legwork?

I think I now have a feel for how all this hangs together and your post has vbeen really instructive. I am sure it will help many others who may be a bit glassy eyed from trying to understand the 'save' and 'storeage' methods used by FCPX pro.

thanks again


barry