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Just Discovered Archiving Libraries Doesn’t Work.
I just started going back to look at a few of my Library projects that I’ve archived in FCPX. Then I find a number of Missing Files!!!??? And on some of the Projects all the files are Missing Files. In all my Libraries I copy all video and audio files into the library so it is self contained. Everything works fine during the editing process. But after it’s been archived, files go Missing.
The process: I delete rendered files, optimized media and proxy media to reduce Library file size and copy the Library onto another drive. Then I reset the cache location, and then i open this archived Library and consolidate. Then delete the cache folder and delete the original Library.
Now days later when I reopen the archive file, things are now Missing Files. So I can’t trust archiving anymore.
Any idea why FCPX can’t archive 100% of the time?
Ken Bennett
Video Adventures
Capturing Your Life’s Adventures! -
13 Replies
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I don’t really trust archiving in any NLE. I always test on another machine or with the original drive offline before I consider it safe to delete anything.
What’s your procedure for archiving? Just wondering if you’re maybe missing a step somewhere…
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Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer & Cinematographer
Hobart, Tasmania | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
Not archiving but your workflow is similar to mine of late and it been a nightmare.
Hope you find a solution and please share here. -
Hoops – read that a bit too quickly and just realised the workflow was in the post. The only step I see missing is testing the archive before deleting the original.
Just wondering are you creating the archive on the same drive or a different drive? I’ve had consolidation not work the way you’d expect if the two libraries are on the same physical disk.
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Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer & Cinematographer
Hobart, Tasmania | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
I’ve never had an issue. Here’s what I do-
Highlight the final sequence(s) and choose to create a new library from project. I do this to the same drive btw. i don’t copy over any proxy or optimized. Then, in the new library make sure the media is set to inside library and then press consolidate. This will be instantaneous because it’s the same drive and it just creates hard links. it’s going to leave a library with just the final project(s) and mediarequired. I don’t trust anything either. Open the package and check the original media folder and sort by type. If there aren’t any aliases, you’re good! If you had any external media, there’d be an alias. Every file in a library is represented here as a file or an alias. Occasionally I’ve found an alias only to discover that the file didn’t exist anywhere. Like a file I had turned off on the project, and it was originally just a quick test file from the downloads folder or Dropbox that is long gone.
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Jeff, as far as I remember I do open the archived Library, which is stored on another drive, for sanity sake. But often when I need to go back for whatever reason, this is when I see some missing files. In some cases entire project files are missing. And I always copy my raw footage into the Library to keep it all in one place.
Ken Bennett
Video Adventures
Capturing Your Life’s Adventures! -
Well that leaves me with a nice warm and fuzz feeling of archiving important projects. I’m working on a 50 episode documentary series and I will need access over time for re-editing, changing, updating material. If I can no loner trust FCPX’s archiving process I will have to keep ALL raw data on backup RAIDs.
Ken Bennett
Video Adventures
Capturing Your Life’s Adventures! -
[Ken Bennett] “The process: I delete rendered files, optimized media and proxy media to reduce Library file size”
What is the source footage? If you have rewrapped footage, you may have just deleted it (as FPCX does not store the original and optimized in these situations), and you would have to reimport from the camera originals.
Also, you are sure the media is missing, and you aren’t seeing a missing filter icon?
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It is media that is missing and I do copy the original files into the Library so in the end it is self contained.
Ken Bennett
Video Adventures
Capturing Your Life’s Adventures! -
So did you misunderstand part of my post? In 7 years it’s never failed me. Solid. Did it the same similar way even before the 10.1 interface change. It takes about 3 seconds to archive anything.
_______________________________________________________________________
https://BretFX.com FCPX Plugins & Templates for Editors & Motion Graphics Artists
Hang Tag https://bretfx.com/product/hang-tag
Overshoot Text https://bretfx.com/product/overshoot-text/
Outliner https://bretfx.com/product/outliner/
Clock Maker https://bretfx.com/product/bretfx-clock-maker/ -
[Ken Bennett] “It is media that is missing and I do copy the original files into the Library so in the end it is self contained.”
There must be some sort of flaw in the process.
Perhaps the media you thought was the in the Library is not, and the external copy got deleted.
I always keep my media outside of the Library, otherwise it’s simply too hard to see where it is.
When you consolidate media outside of the library, FCPX will simply copy it to a new location specified by the library. Perhaps the preferences weren’t modified to import the media in to the library?
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