Project linking to other projects

[Craig Seeman]

I’m not sure how to link Projects.
If I were starting something new I’d create Empty Compound Clips in the Event Browser and edit within those. Then you would drop those in Projects for different versions, each linking back to the Compound Clips.

[Ray Wang]

Thanks for the tip. That means I will need to plan ahead if I want to use compound clips in the event library 🙂

—
Ray

[Craig Seeman]

I’m wondering if a workaround would be to create empty Compound Clips in the Event Browser as per my workflow and paste a project into each. Once you have them as Compound Clips in the Event Browser you can then link them.

This leads to an important feature request. The ability to easily convert Projects into Event Browser based Compound Clips.

Key to understand all this is that using Compound Clips in the Event Browser gives you the ability to have “sequences” that can be used in various projects. For example, if you have a standard show open or bumpers, create them as Event Browser based Compound Clips.

I think the confusion comes in that if you create a Compound clip in a Project (sequence) it doesn’t get represented in the Event Browser like nests do in FCP7. I think most people don’t realize the difference between Project created and Event Browser created Compound Clips and the FCPX manual and apparently none of the various available tutorials go into this.

Just a tangential aside, I think many people don’t realize you can create an empty Keyword Collection and drag clips into just like a bin. You don’t have to tag any clips first.

[Ray Wang]

I am hoping that the book “Final Cut Pro X Advanced Editing” will go into details like these.
This book is delayed until 20 Feb 2012 so I am suspecting may be there will be another FCP X point update to formalize the workflow (such as converting projects into event browser compound clips).

FYI The empty Keyword Collection method is explained in the Ripple Training.

I tested the following:
1. Created empty compound clip in events browser
2. Copied project clips and pasted into the compound clip in events browser

The result was a series of unconnected clips in the compound clip in the event browser (all red).

—
Ray

[Simon Ubsdell]

This leads to an important feature request. The ability to easily convert Projects into Event Browser based Compound Clips.

Agreed, but this sort of begs the question of why we have Projects at all and why all Projects aren’t just Compound Clips.

There seems to be an unnecessary redundancy here that could be solved by doing away with Projects and the clunky Project browser and having everything available in the Event browser.

The Project Browser looks very much to me as though it’s an iMovie holdover that never got around to being reworked in the light of Compound Clips. I don’t think anyone could claim it’s an elegant way of addressing Project organization.

Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com

[Craig Seeman]

I can only speculate why things were done they way they work but it might have to do with the relational database aspect between Events and Projects, which might have been difficult with Compound Clips.

Thinking about the current combination in which a Project can have parts of any number of Events. Events can have a number of Projects. Compound clips can go into any number of Projects if created in the Event Browser . . . might be related to structural intent that we don’t yet see.

[Simon Ubsdell]

I can only speculate why things were done they way they work but it might have to do with the relational database aspect between Events and Projects, which might have been difficult with Compound Clips.

It sounds like you could be right on this nbut it does seem a bit screwy – why would they want to have this sort of limitation?

My feeling is that in the course of time we’ll see Projects disappear and a more flexible implementation of Compound Clips take their place.

Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com

[Rob Mackintosh]

Also a compound clip contained within the event browser can be exported via the share menu.

Trying to export the same compound clip when placed within a project exports the entire project.

You’re looking at the same timeline, in one the parent is an event, the other a project.

[Bill Davis]

Noooooo…

Don’t take away my Project Browser.

It’s the PERFECT supervisory tool for any implementation when FCP-X becomes a workgroup based shared-project system.

The supervisor can manage a LOT directly from the Project Browser – checking to see whether changes have been made, timelines updated, the latest graphics inserted, etc. Plus, since it’s essentially a collection of proxies that reflect back to the arrangement of the timeline, it SIPS resources since it functions without the need for all the full size source clips to be on-line.

I actually think it’ one of the MOST elegant parts of the X interface. It’s a scrubbable window into the current state of any project that gives you VISUAL FEEDBACK instantly and unlike all the other NLEs it doesn’t require you to launch or open ANYTHING to use it.

It’s freaking brilliant, IMO.

My 2 cents.

“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

[Rob Mackintosh]

Could you not achieve the same by creating an Event called Projects, creating your projects as compound clips, then viewing the Event in list view.

You can now embed your projects (sequences) inside other sequences and utilize the organizational capabilities of the event browser.