Trouble setting up a library for a new project

I'm just getting started on a new project and think I am having another senior moment.

I have my media on an external drive. When I create my new library on that same external drive and import the video clips into FCPX I don't have the option to leave the media in place - that option is greyed out. The result is that all my media is being duplicated on the same drive which is filling up my drive. Can someone point out what I'm missing?

Thanks.

In what form is your media? Is it in a camera structure?

Hi Tom

The majority of the clips are .MP4 or .MOV not in a structure if by that you're referring to the type of structure with AVCHD. There are a couple of archives created with FCPX that contain a small number of clips in the structure those cameras created.

I've randomly tested the .mp4 and .mov clips and they work fine individually.

An update: I found a solution. If I tried to import using the import function it copied all the files again as I mentioned. In looking at an old MacBreak Studio video I saw Mark dragging files into the Browser from Finder. So I thought I'd try that and it worked. I got the little sim link curved arrow and my clips show up in my library as I wanted them to. With ~750 clips having them all copied on the same HD was out of the question. So I got the result I wanted even though why it worked this way doesn't seem obvious to me.