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Importing and maintaining folders within Original Media
My work had us switch over to FCP X this past week, and while there are some great things, I’m still trying to figure a couple of the basics out.
My main issue I’m having right now is maintaining a file structure within the Original Media folder. In Finder, we keep all our media pretty organized in various folders (photos, graphics, broll, etc…). Since our projects tend to have a lot of items, I really want to maintain the folder structure, so if we need to find something, I am not digging through a never ending list in the Original Media folder that Final Cut creates.
However, I have not quite figured out how to get around FCP X copying everything to the base folder. For example, I have an event created with my Original Media folder in place. I place a folder titled Powerpoint into the Original Media folder that contains all my images. I then go to FCP X, import files and choose the Powerpoint folder. I make sure “Copy Files to Final Cut Events Folder” is not selected (both in preferences and during the Import dialogue box), but do choose “Import folders as keyword collections” selected. I import my folder and the media shows up in FCP X fine. However, when I go back to the finder, all my files have been moved from the Powerpoint folder to the Original Media folder. If I move it back and reconnect the media, the files get moved back to the root folder.
Getting really frustrated and know I must be missing something really basic. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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1 Reply
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Eric,
You’re missing the reality that X is a database as much as it’s an editing software program.
Those files it’s “moving” are actually the structural storage pools that the entire database expects to work with to make all the data sharing in X work.
Stop trying to move them – or you’re going to break the links the program relies on to function.
The best way to operate X is not to move ANYTHING other than external resources that you store where you like BEFORE importing them into X. If you want to move projects, use the MOVE command in the File Menu.
DO NOT treat X like it’s just another finder based program. If you do you’re in for a world of hurt.
You’ve got to move on from the old construct of “folders” – in a connected relational structure like X, it simply isn’t really a very useful construct any longer. Folders under the finder are simply “located” – but in a relational DB, assets are connected. In X, the digital clip file itself is just another piece of referenced data – not much more important than anything else. It’s the relationship between it and all the other metadata that matters. And in order to give you the new incredibly power of the tagging and effects interconnections, the program has to store assets in specific places it can depend on. So when you start moving stuff, you’re going to screw the connections up.
X is NOT like Legacy. Some parts of it may appear to be. (the primary storyline looks kinda like a timeline) but it’s not.
After a few months, you’ll start to understand why it works the way it does. But the worst mistake you can make is trying to operate it “like Legacy” – if you approach it like that – you’ll be fighting it more than learning it.
Read, explore – learn how it DOES work – not how your past experience leads you to think it should work.
When things finally “click” you’ll start seeing that the program is the sum of a whole world of new thinking – not just a few changes grafted on top of the old way we used to do things.
“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Connor
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