Why is my project stalling so much? The spinning wheel...

Goldfalme wrote:

...Final Cut Library Manager however seems very odd and is telling me I have 133 internal media missing and 5 external. ?? Despite everything seeming to be there.. So I’m not sure Final Cut Library Manager is functioning properly.

Pick one of those missing clips, in FCP do right-click>Reveal in Finder. Note the pathname to the file (remember, always have View>Show Path Bar enabled on Finder). Then examine where Final Cut Library Manager thinks that file is. What are those two locations? What is the location history of that file? Was it moved from another library on another disk? Was that disk APFS or MacOS Journaled Extended, or something else like FAT, ExFAT, etc?

Make sure Final Cut is looking at the same library as Final Cut Library Manager. In Final Cut right-click on the library itself in the left sidebar, do right-click "Reveal in Finder". Note the location of the library in the Finder path bar. Then in Final Cut Library Manager select that same library and do right-click>Show in Finder. Make sure they are the same library on the same disk.

Ok so I just picked one random clilp, clicked reveal in finder and it's in the original media folder, of the library package, in the correct library and location (ie my new library containing my main timeline, on the LaCie drive).
So not sure why Final Cut Library is registering it as missing.


As far as I recall.. The location history of that file is that it was initially saved from the camera onto the WD 2TB Passport drive and then imported into the FCPX library and saved on that same drive. The drive has always been OS Mac Journaled Extended. That library has never been off that drive, as I haven't been able to move it.. until now. I know you don't generally work with media imported to libraries, but to answer..

I right clicked reveal in finder for the library itself in the left sidebar as recommended and it's connecting to the correct library and location. I did the same with Final Cut Library Manager and it's connecting to that same correct library and location.

Goldfalme wrote:

Ok so I just picked one random clilp, clicked reveal in finder and it's in the original media folder, of the library package, in the correct library and location (ie my new library containing my main timeline, on the LaCie drive)...So not sure why Final Cut Library is registering it as missing....saved from the camera onto the WD 2TB Passport drive and then imported into the FCPX library and saved on that same drive....That library has never been off that drive, as I haven't been able to move it.. until now...

In Final Cut Library Manager, highlight that library on the LaCie drive try doing CMD+5 (or File>Force a Refresh).

If that doesn't help, in FCLM, hover your mouse cursor over the yellow warning triangle. That will cause a pop-up which says "missing original media files....see list". It will say whether those are internal or external. Which does it think -- internal or external?. If you press the "see list" link it will show a list of those files it thinks is missing, including pathname to the files. What is the pathname to those files, including disk volume name?

Hi Goldfalme
I think the -36 error code is related to DS.Store files that are created by MacOS(not fcp media) and the 133 internal and 5 external files are hidden files created by the OS when you transferred files between Windows ExFat formatted drives to HFS+ formatted drives. There could be other reasons, this is common.
IMHO the missing files most likely relate to this. These files do not relate to the actual media files, (which you can see in Finder) but to the hidden meta data file associated with the actual media is messed up. Media is there, can be accessed, but Finder is not dealing with the hidden DS.Store files, hence Error Code -36.
Multiple approaches but here is one of many articles that detail this issue and provide possible solutions.
macresearch.org/fix-error-36-on-mac-tutorial/
Seems to me you keep thinking that if you can see the media files, then all should work, but again, the hidden files are Mac OS SYSTEM files, NOT your media clips. It is not FCP it is the OS.
Personally, I am comfortable with Terminal and I would use 'dot_clean' command after making sure I have everything backed up.

Hope this Helps, Greg

Goldfalme, adding to Greg's suggestions, I'd offer to provide an Automator workflow or application that calls "dot_clean" so you don't need to use Terminal. I did mention this info earlier in the topic thread, but you probably were buried with technical info/advice.