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Transcoded media files in FCPX–expendable?
I edited a FCPX project early on when I was using an old Mac and I chose to generate transcoded files Pro Res 422. Now with a new iMac, I no longer generate transcoded files, since the GPU can deal with the original formatted files.
For the old project with transcoded files, can they be trashed without screwing up the old project as long as I keep the original files, or do I need to hang onto the transcoded files to maintain the project? Since the transcoded files are about 10 times the size, it would be good to trash them. However, the FCPX database is somewhat mysterious to me and I don’t want to lose the old project.
Claude Lyneis -
2 Replies
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You can trash the transcoded files. As long as you have the originals of the same file(s), FCPX will automatically revert back to the originals when the transcoded files are deleted.
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In X there are transcoded files and then there are transcoded files.
If your machine is working fine with original media that’s not Optimized to ProRes, then you can safely dump any ProRes files and X will happily continue to function using the original camera masters that the editing engine points to.
However, if you’ve built “Proxy Media” (another form of Transcoded file) and wish to do throughput intensive processes like complex multicam or lots of clips and composites in your projects, tossing THOSE proxy transcoded files will send your clips Offline and require you to re-encode them should you elect to work in Proxy mode after trashing the originals.
It’s never destructive since X is just doing metadata links to versions of the originals, but if you toss something that X requires in order to display what you’re asking for, you might find yourself facing an annoying render session to get back where you were if you throw the wrong files away
My advice is test first on a subset of your clips. If things are OK, proceed to trash more.
For what it’s worth.
“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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