Best way to organize system files

[Fx Bear]

If you are no longer needing anything off your external drives the best thing to do would be to use disk utitlity. Just make sure you want to delete everything first, or you will need to use the drag it to trash method. I store all my project files in a project file folder inside of my documents folder. Since I have DVDSP 3, Combustion and FCP HD, I name those folders according to the application I am using, and I occasionaly back up my project files onto CD ROM using the “save-as” method to prevent files from becoming corrupted. If you are planning to drag files from one drive to antoher, I would put in place a back-up plan, just in case — especially with media files. I hope this helps.

[Jerry Hofmann]

I organize my files like this:

Project files: User’s documents folder. I keep a folder for each client, then a folder inside that one for each project. I keep things like Motion projects or LiveType projects in that same project folder when they relate to that FCP project…

Media files (including renders) I keep by simply selecting the drive I want them to reside in. FCP will automatically create folders inside three folders named the same as your project files names.The first of these is a folder called “Capture Scratch” then it creates two more folders called “Renders” (which hold your video renders) and “Audio Renders” which is self explanatory. Inside each of these are folders named the same as your project file which contain the media associated with any given project file. So all you need to select in the scratch disk settings is the disk itself… create no folders yourself… it’s automatically arranged and done for you by FCP.

What’s left is Autosaves, Waveforms, and Thumbnails. These you should keep in your user’s documents folder.

That’s really all there is to keeping things straight in the future. I also put any media files like tiffs or audio files from CD etc. inside the capture scratch folder that is named the same as your project file. That way, all media is in the same folder or set of folders if you need more than one drive to hold all the media for a given project.

You should be able to simply drag and drop files you want to reorganize, but if they are media files they’ll need reconnecting next time you open the project file that they belong to…

Jerry

Apple Certified Trainer

Author: “Jerry Hofmann on Final Cut Pro 4” Click here

Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D

[Craig Alan]

If they really are “old” projects: save the original dv tapes, and any other source material. Output an extra master onto a dv tape. Try to label everything. Save the project files on your system drives. Back that up. Use CCC to back up your entire system drive–will save you lots of headaches and decision-making. Then reformat the external drive and start clean. If they are not really old and you need the material active, then read Jerry’s post to understand that FCP already has its way of organizing this stuff and all the files will be named after what you called the project. You can then trash what you don’t need and keep what you do. If it is really overwhelming you and you need to work on the new project ASAP, then get a new external drive and start fresh and worry about this organization later. Don’t keep the media on your system drive. If cost is a factor, you might consider removing the external drives from their cases and just putting in new ones. If it’s not a case designed for that, then get one that is. Drives and cases have come way down in price. You might even consider a hot swap case that allows you to swap drives in and out in their own trays. You could have a different drive for each client/project and since it would be for only one they could be smaller and cheaper. Find the sweet spot for $ per gig when you are ready to buy.

OSX 10.2.3; Quicksilver Dual 1 gig; FCP 3.0.4; Sony camcorder vx2000; write professionally for a variety of media

[L Isha]

Thanks guys! Off to organize! 🙂

Lisha

[Bryce Whiteside]

The current sweetspot in my research is for 250GB. A good low street price for these are $150, so 4 x 250 = 1 TB storage for 4 x $150 = $600 excluding case or RAID case (1 time charge $240 to $500).

Also the 500 GB RAIDed external firewire drives use two 250 GB like G-Technology https://www.g-raid.com/ and LaCie LaCie Big Disk 500 GB https://www.lacie.com/products/range.htm?id=10033. They use 2 x 250 GB and for example you could buy two 500 GB (1 TB) G-RAID Firewire 800 externals for the price of one of their 800 GB units. I prefer the G-Technology because they concentration on the same guaranteed sustained throughput for the entire drives.

For backup I would consider something like these I just stumbled on https://www.cooldrives.com/miulra800dud.html. There are other well respected manufacturer of removal enclosure like Granite Digital https://www.granitedigital.com/catalog/pg22c_firewireidehotswapraid_2.htm or Wiebetech Micro https://www.wiebetech.com/products.php#storagesystems or https://tinyurl.com/3tqpc

With one of the above you could make a client change without having to put the project back on you main external drive.

You said you use external drives so I just assumed they were firewire. For desktop units I would recommend a second physical internal drive where your system is backed up to with your software of choice, but most use Bombich Software’s Carbon Copy Cloner https://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html

I know, TMI (Too Much Information),
Bryce

Don’t worry Mr. B. I have a cunning plan…

PowerBook 1.67 Ghz ATI 9700 128 MB 2 GB
Final Cut Pro HD
DVD Studio Pro 3
Motion

[Andy Mees]

Can I recommend keeping your Autosaves (in fact everything but the project file) on your Media drive(s) and NOT on the same drive as your project file … if your main system goes down and your project file and autosaves go with it then you’ll have to start all over!

If you keep your media,renders,waveforms,thumbnails and autosaves in the single location, then when you come to ‘clean up’ you need only concern yourself with wiping the media location, keeping the project files in case you need to rebuild at some future time.

hope its helpful
Andy

[Michael Grasseschi]

Hi Jerry:

I have about a million files on 2 different Hard Drives and even on my Mac system drive; I need more space!

At the end of an FCP project, when I no longer need to do much with it except archive it, what files can I delete safely?
Render? Autosave? Waveform? etc

These have to be ones that I can get rid of without affecting the original final rendered sequence, of course ,so that I can avoid having to re-edit down the road just in case.

A fast response would be great as I am currently in the midst of several projects that need more room on one of my hard drives!
Best

Michael G.

Wild On The Fly.com