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Limit on length of filenames? (number of characters)
Hi all,
Using FCPX, and renaming a bunch of files to be imported. Does FCPX have a problem handling filenames that are long (50 to 100 characters)? I don’t want to have trouble down the line as I take project from FCPX to Audition and Resolve, and later hand off an external hard drive to someone pulling up these files on their computers and needing to work on the project in FCPX, Audition, Resolve, or any other software. Any issues I should be aware of with long filenames?
Thanks,
Matt -
10 Replies
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Not sure there is a hard limit but 100+ character filenames are impractical. Use camera filenames and organize via keywords, Notes etc.
Noah
FCPWORKS – FCPX Workflow
FCP Exchange – FCPX Workshops
XinTwo – FCPX Training -
If you want the broadest compatibility with other apps and repurposing the content a decade later, keep the file names <64 chars.
Any Adobe apps – especially AE CC will have a hard time with anything more than 64 chars. The directory name on top of file name will make it not able to relink. It appears that the dir name is contributing to the file limit. So if I have a 64 chars dir name + 32 chars file name (96 chars total), it will not work. But if I shorten both around 32 chars (64 total), it’s fine on CS5->CC2017. Happened to me several times. I’ll keep it within 32-64 max chars for file names.
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Thanks guys. Will keep everything short and use keywords once in fcpx.
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I have to ask the question “why” would you want to have filenames 64- 100 charaters in length?
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You can use the Notes field to add all that info you want. Just arrange it so it´s next the clip name in the browser and it will show up in the timeline index as well.
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Helgi Thor
Editor
Fortaleza
Brazil -
Hey Mark,
I had clips around 10-25 characters and they were in folders and subfolders with long folder names. I had heard that can count towards filename length and hearing about issues with more than 32 character filename length, thought I’d see what people are experiencing. Decided to use small names and single file folder.
Hey Helgi,
Yeah with Keyword collections and notes, I should be all set.
Thanks everyone.
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If you think of Keywords as “zip code” and notes as “address” you’ll do well in organizing. Putting too much granularity into keywords can create a real mess organizationally , putting the same granularity into notes does not.
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Yeah, that’s just about how I’m proceeding. Have about 1000 clips broken into 20 keyword collections, and using notes for detailed descriptions that are searchable. Works very well to find what I need quickly. I have some keyword collections I no longer need, but wondered if deleting a keyword collection deletes all the clips in that keyword collection, or just removes that keyword from browser?
Thanks.
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[Matt Wilson] “I have some keyword collections I no longer need, but wondered if deleting a keyword collection deletes all the clips in that keyword collection, or just removes that keyword from browser?”
Just removes the keyword. The clips still exist in the event.
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Michael Hancock
Editor -
Cool-thanks.
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