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Why is there a project library?
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As explained to me by Phil Hodgets back in my early conversations with him about X , this is a very significant piece of how FCP-X works under the hood.
Original data in the form of digital assets is imported – and the metadata that comes in attached to them is (in part, at least) brought along with the file. (clip IDs, limited camera info, etc)
In the Event Browser, what you’re largely doing is ADDING metadata to those files in the X database that describes your editing selections, color corrections, etc, etc.
From there when you move your clips into the Storyline, that new larger set of metadata is imported along with your EB choices – and you can FURTHER add (or remove, or amend) metadata changes there.
It is this FLOW of metadata that travels with your clips in the editing stages that is what X stores about your choices along the way.
Essentially that’s the FLOW of metadata within X.
Files come in, and their metadata files are added to or ammended at each stage.
The ability to take Timeline work and STORE it upstream in the EB is relatively recent. But while it works really well, it kinda begs the question of how many circular iterations (changes in the Timeline expressed back to the EB – into a new timeline – back to the EB – then into a new timeline, ad nauseum – makes sense?)
At some point aren’t you in danger of creating a snake eating it’s own tail?
That’s why I like thinking in metadata flow terms. It helps me understand what makes sense to do upstream – and what makes more sense to do downstream.
Losing the Event Browser means we’ve turned a through street into a cul-de-sac, at least in theory.
FWIW.
Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.
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[Oliver Peters] ” So, conservatively, if I finish a spot at V.6, it’s likely that I’ll have at least 12-15 copies of it in the library.”
So what? Just stick them in a Project Library folder and keep them out of sight, out of mind if you’re not working with them.
Is there something I’m missing here?
Is it a performance issue? If so, then the hoped for but reasonable to expect volume management improvements for the networked storage folks should make the problem go away over time.
Remember, X is still a youngster at this point.
Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.
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[Bill Davis] “[Oliver Peters] ” So, conservatively, if I finish a spot at V.6, it’s likely that I’ll have at least 12-15 copies of it in the library.”
So what? Just stick them in a Project Library folder and keep them out of sight, out of mind if you’re not working with them.
Is there something I’m missing here? “
Yes… you’re missing the fact that Oliver was quoting me. The line of “his” you quote above was mine… And my post above his was saying that I like the project library, for this reason. Calm down. 😉 lol
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~”It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools.”~
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[Bill Davis] “In the Event Browser, what you’re largely doing is ADDING metadata to those files in the X database that describes your editing selections, color corrections, etc, etc.
From there when you move your clips into the Storyline, that new larger set of metadata is imported along with your EB choices – and you can FURTHER add (or remove, or amend) metadata changes there. “Sorry, but that’s fundamentally how every NLE works and has worked since the beginning. I don’t see what FCP X is doing as significantly different. Maybe just a larger amount of metadata.
You had said this was carried through to shared destinations. That’s the part I don’t see. For example, I cannot read any data from an exported Master File that traces back to Collection metadata you added in an Event or camera metadata from the ingested file.
Obviously through XMLs, maybe. But in reality what you are suggesting is actually being implemented by Adobe through the XMP data they embed into files.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Bill Davis] “Just stick them in a Project Library folder and keep them out of sight, out of mind if you’re not working with them.
Is there something I’m missing here?
Is it a performance issue? “When you open this folder, the files have to buffer into RAM to make them skimmable. Depending on complexity, this can take quite a long time, even if you just wanted to see the names. You also can’t load all of these and have them as open timelines, like you could in FCP 7 or can in PProCS6. The timeline window simply won’t hold them all and clears them out at what appears to be somewhat random order. In addition, the layout of this open folder in the project library window is pretty unwieldy once you have a lot of projects in there.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “The timeline window simply won’t hold them all and clears them out at what appears to be somewhat random order. In addition, the layout of this open folder in the project library window is pretty unwieldy once you have a lot of projects in there.”
I like the idea of having this “space” to hold projects but I agree that it’s not very ergonomic. It would be nice to have some viewing options, like changing heights or switching to list view or icon view. Maybe even be able to focus into folders.
Moving from timeline to timeline feels similarly clumsy to me. It would be nice to go directly from one open project to another without either going out to the project library and then back in or “moving through” open projects.
jon
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[Bret Williams] “So – projects and events separate. No problem here. It seems to me that we have a perfect beast “
You describe the same project and media usage we deal with. Our pool of media is not contained to episodes but seasons and beyond. The problem I see with Events is exposing FCPX to an entire season of media via events.
John
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[John Heagy] “You describe the same project and media usage we deal with. Our pool of media is not contained to episodes but seasons and beyond. The problem I see with Events is exposing FCPX to an entire season of media via events.”
Let’s back up a moment.
How do you handle this now in FCP7 and why can’t this method be adapted to FCPX?
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[Jeremy Garchow] “How do you handle this now in FCP7 and why can’t this method be adapted to FCPX?”
In FCP7 we import an xml and if the media is on the San it links up. FCP7 can link to an entire season of footage without having it all in the project.
The workaround in X is to use “one off” events solely to support a project and not use it to search and tag media. Apple’s intent with events is to present media to all projects where one can search and tag media just like a MAM. That works fine for contained workflows, but not for un-contained.
To put the difference in basic terms: FCP7 can link to any file as long as the storage containing the file is mounted. FCPX must have media redirected into an event before it can link or even see it
I never said we can’t work around it. I am saying that events do us no good if not used as intended, and are simply obstacles to linking media directly.
Apple decided to make FCPX both an editor and a MAM. That doesn’t work well for large data sets or collaborative workflows.
The issues above are really based on finishing from an offline. Here it’s easier to only take what is needed, creating a contained environment. My head spins trying to imagine using FCPX in a truly collaborative offline workflow using events as intended. Again, from an un-contained media point of view.
John
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Thank you, John.
See, I think this is the perfect case for Projects. You can take a Project and create it’s own Event from a larger Event (similar to your XML workflow now). As a matter of fact, you can use an FCPXML workflow right now, today.
[John Heagy] “In FCP7 we import an xml and if the media is on the San it links up. FCP7 can link to an entire season of footage without having it all in the project. “
Where is the XML generated from?
[John Heagy] “To put the difference in basic terms: FCP7 can link to any file as long as the storage containing the file is mounted. FCPX must have media redirected into an event before it can link or even see it “
Kind of. An empty FCP7 won’t relink to anything. An empty Event won’t relink to anything either.
The moment you import a file, it is in the Event either with hard media or by reference. In shared environs, I’d imagine you would work with alias files.
Anytime you move or media manage that Event, the linked files go with it.
[John Heagy] “I am saying that events do us no good if not used as intended, and are simply obstacles to linking media directly.”
You can Relink Project files without the corresponding Event in the Project Library. Similarly, you can import an XML and as long as the media is available, it will create an Event and import the sequence, and everything is linked.
This is where the Project Library is helpful, by the way, and really, where Projects and Events being separate is helpful as you don’t need to have/load an entire Event just to work with one sequence (but eventually, you do need an Event. Files will get imported to any Event when relinking Project files, so it’s best to create a new one and select it).
I guess I am having trouble seeing how this doesn’t work for FCPX in an almost identical way to FCP7, even though it looks different. I say almost identical meaning that you will have to relink if working with Project only (vs importing an XML which will autolink).
I do see a problem if you need to “online” though as reconnecting to other media in FCPX is terribly non-existent. BUT, if you are using the original imported media to interchange out to/from finishing then it’s easier.
Jeremy
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