Drive/Path Column option

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Eric Santiago] “Sure I can unmount that drive then hunt down the missing files but for some stupid reason other files start dissapearing when I try that trick :P”

What do you mean they disappear?

The files are within the Event folder in the FCPX Library package.

So if your file is the “Footage” event, when imported to the Library, that file will be within the “Footage” folder when you show the package contents.

Is this what you mean?

Jeremy

[Eric Santiago]

Prior to Consolidating, files were spread across a few (crappy) USB drives.
That’s when I was having issues with files disappearing when trying to deduce where the actual file location.
Of course, after consolidating, that’s when (check all my posts) sh*t hit the fan for this project.
With a drive path column, I can at least go back to the original Library (I kept a copy) and see where each of these files is actually sitting.
Playing the mount/dismount game isn’t fun 😛

[Jeremy Garchow]

In the inspector, there’s a “Location” setting. You can hover over it, and it will show the path to the file. Or you can click “Reveal in Finder”.

See here:

Jeremy

[Eric Santiago]

[Jeremy Garchow] “In the inspector, there’s a “Location” setting. You can hover over it, and it will show the path to the file. Or you can click “Reveal in Finder”.
“

That I know, but were talking thousands of files ☹

Update on my problem Library:

A new twist to this project.
When the client said things worked on their end.
They failed to tell me that they didn’t hook up the other drives.
Part of my job was to move the Libary into a faster Thunderbolt 2 drive.
However, they have more files to deal with sitting in other USB3 drives.
Once they connected those drives, the issue reared its ugly head :p
So now I have them copy the files they need to that drive via finder, then run FCPX without the suspect drives online.
Crossing fingers that it’s not the files.
According to the client, the minute they started the Library, it started crashing similar to my results at my studio.
Again hoping its not the files.

[Brett Sherman]

Have you tried disconnecting all the drives except the new one. Then dragging all video files onto the event icon in the browser? This should do a force relink of the missing files.

Consolidation is a bit unreliable. There are sometimes it copies the files but doesn’t relink. Also another strategy is to export an XML of the timeline. Import it into a new library and do a relink.

[Joe Marler]

[Eric Santiago] “With a drive path column, I can at least go back to the original Library (I kept a copy) and see where each of these files is actually sitting.”

In the library inspector, FCPX itself will tell you what drive volumes media files are on, just not the paths to those files on a single screen.

Final Cut Library Manager from Arctic Whiteness will export a .csv file showing the path to each media file: https://www.arcticwhiteness.com/finalcutlibrarymanager/

Provided the file names don’t change you can normally relink media files after moving them to another drive.

So one method is using Library Manager to find all locations of media files for a library, then move the files from the various USB drives manually to a single Thunderbolt array, then re-link. This assumes all external media.

The other method is creating a new library on the target drive, defining a new media storage location on that drive, drag/drop the events within FCPX to the new library, then consolidate. However that will create a different media tree structure and may also rename media files if there are naming conflicts.

You can also have a mixed situation where some media is inside the library and other media is outside the library. E.g, you imported some media with “leave files in place” and other media was copied to the library. I think in that case copying to a new library storage location on the new target drive and consolidating is the best method.

[Eric Santiago]

[Brett Sherman] “Then dragging all video files onto the event icon in the browser? This should do a force relink of the missing files.”

Thanks Brett this tip is GOLD 🙂

[Eric Santiago]

Thanks, Joe for the tips, all very helpful.

Anyone else getting nervous how big these Libraries can get?
The only reason I ask is that manual Finder copy can get iffy at times and during a storm, one Library bit it with two hours left.
Basically had to start the 19-hour copy all over again.
Its never happened during FCPX Media Management at least.

[Jeremy Garchow]

For large file transfers, I never use finder.

I use either Chronosync or Shotput Pro.

Chronosync is good because it can restart a copy that has been interrupted without reciting all the files.

Shotput has various levels of verification (XX Hash or MD5) to make sure what you copy is the exact same as the origin.

Chronosync also has a “Trial Sync” mode which basically runs a preliminary check and shows you what files are going where before doing the long copy process. It’s very helpful. You can choose to move from one drive to another or “sync” the drives so that what is not on one or the other will end up on the other one or the other (great for keeping multiple data sets on different drives, like studio storage and mobile storage).

I use both of these softwares regularly.

[Eric Santiago]

[Jeremy Garchow] “I use either Chronosync or Shotput Pro. “

Hey, thanks Jeremy never really thought about using a third-party for finder copy.
For DIT I use a few utilities that do checksum but only when I’m on set.