Import always copies to library

Hi,
I have an external usb3 HDD that has camera footage (camera card) that was copied to it.
I can not edit these files in FCPX unless these files are copied to the library.
Is this normal?
I have double checked all FCPX import settings.

The only way to play the clips from the usb3 HDD is to drag and drop files individually to the timeline (this of course leaves out the companion audio)

Why is everything being forced to copy to the library?
Thanks

This is fundamental behavior in the application. Anything that's imported from a camera card or archive or camera card structure can never be left in place. There is no way for the application to know this isn't a camera original. The basic SOP is to make a card copy or archive and import into your production location from that.

Thanks Tom,
However I am not sure what you mean by 'The basic SOP is to make a card copy or archive and import into your production location from that. '

Do you know of a procedure for this ?

The structure on the usb3 HDD looks like an exact copy off the original camera card.
I would imagine that if I created the library on the USB3 HDD itself, would result in the same thing (all files being copied again into the library)

thanks
Kurt

Usually you keep the drive that holds the archive separate from the drive that holds the production media. It does not have to be copied into the library as managed media; it can be copied into a designated external location. The usual procedure is to use separate drive and not t have the library, whether managed or external, in the same drive as the archive.

So regardless, the media within a HDD with a camera structure, will have be duplicated somewhere (within the library or not) in order for FCPX to use it?

Yes.

dkag7
What Tom is saying is that a camera archive is treated EXACTLY like if the info is still on the card (SD) so if you were really using a card to edit footage, then stuck the card back in the camera and deleted the footage or reused the card, FCPX would no longer have the data it needs. Therefore, as a safety measure, you cannot use either a card nor a camera archive as media for editing. FCPX cannot tell the difference between the actual card and an archive.
You need to import the data into FCPX either internally or externally via the import icon or as you discovered by drag and drop. This is also an actual import. Best practice is to have archive on different drive than import footage and different from the boot/app drive.
The reason to create a camera archive is that it copies an exact file structure and footage instead of just the transcoded clips. Each camera you use has it own unique file structure and this just preserves it, just in case something is lost in translation. It is a safety mechanism for the paranoid among us. You have a choice of creating a camera archive if you want too, but you can also just import the footage into FCPX and skip the archive.
Archive and import are different files.
Hope this helps, Greg

OK.. Thanks Guys..
Usually I copy everything off a HDD that is shipped to me first to my RAID.
From there, start working on the project off the RAID.
So all this copying was a waste of time because I didnt realize with this structure, it forces a copy anyway..
Thanks
kurt