Creating a new Library combining several others

[Ben Balser]

You could just have all those libraries open at once.

“Copy Projects To Library” is what you’d use. Once done, verify, delete the original.

But no, no merge libraries function, which would be nice to have.

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

I am with Ben on this, you can open multiple libraries simultaneously.

If possible, maybe consider creating a Library where the footage is kept separate (external), although FCPX will find ways of encoding it and filling up your library.

Sadly, FCPX and media codecs / management is still just above iMovie level, in comparison to its peers…

[Rikki Blow]

Thanks, but if I have some clips which I didn’t use in Projects in the smaller Libraries, but which I may need in the longer combined project, I guess they’re not going to come across using this method?

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

You should be able to copy individual clips across.

Or, just create a timeline where all of your footage is included, in the original library, then drag that across.

[Ben Balser]

You can have multiple Libraries open at once and edit clips from one into the other. If they’re on the same drive, FCPX won’t duplicate them, but make dummy files that “point” to the original. If on separate drive, it’s copy a duplicate over. Either way, you are using those clips from the small Project directly into your large Library’s timeline, and it’s all good after that.

[Rikki Blow]

Thanks guys. I think Mads’ solution (creating a timeline with all clips) will prob work best for me, as the original libraries are scattered a bit, and the ideal would be to consolidate everything into one much bigger library in a way that preserves access to all previous projects, but lets me get rid of all the smaller libraries once I’m satisfied everything’s working OK.