[Andy Mees]

Can’t be done in FCP Dennis … rubbish eh? Go to Apple’s FCP feedback page and explain what it is you are wanting to do and why it would be useful for you:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/finalcutpro.html

… let them know that you are downloading and installing the AVID Media Composer 14 day free trial in order to get the job done:
https://www.avid.com/forms/info.asp?iTrackingID=MC35TRIALDL

[Andy Mees]

Hi Javier
You have it exactly … changing that value changes the default value for the slider that controls the letterbox size.
Cheers
Andy

[Andy Mees]

Jim

XDCAM EX is one of Sony’s MPEG HD formats, similar to HDV. Dealing with that codec is VERY processor intensive.

Judging from your post, you are cutting this footage in a native timeline and then exporting it in the same native format. So your source format is processor intensive AND your target format is processor intensive. So you are doubling your pain!

Is there any specific reason you are mastering back to XDCAM EX? Frankly speaking, whilst its an awesome acquisition format it is not a good delivery format. Try this. 1) Set your sequence settings render control to use ProRes as the render codec. That will speed up your interim edit workflow if and when you want or need to render in the timeline. 2) When you have finalised your cut, choose Export > Quicktime Movie as usual but do NOT choose “Current Settings”, instead select Apple ProRes 422 as the target mastering codec. Things should happen a lot quicker once you stop trying to conform your edit back to XDCAM EX’s Long GOP structure.

I also noted that you say your RAID is “a little full” … more than 80% is too full really, more than 90% and you’ll definitely be struggling. Free up some space on your media drive.

Hope it helps
Andy

[Andy Mees]

Glad you resolved the issue Stephen, and thanks for posting back with the fix too, it’ll almost certainly help someone else out down the line.

Re trashing prefs, you can do that manually if you go to your Home folder and within that your Library folder and delete :
com.apple.finalcutpro.plist
Then within the Library folder go to the subfolder called Final Cut Pro User Data and delete
Final Cut Pro 6.0 Prefs, Final Cut Pro Obj Cache, and Final Cut Pro Prof Cache

Deleting any application’s preferences causes the app to rewrite a new set as if it were being launched for the first time .. its like doing a factory defaults reset. WIth FCP’s prefs, deleting them has been known to cure all manner of ills that are otherwise inexplicable.

But as for doing it manually, well of course its very easy, but I find the FCP Preference Managers available make the procedure not only even quicker and easier, but also add a lot of value added features like backing up and/or restoring preference sets with specific settings … the free app linked above is one amongst the best.

Hope thats useful info
Andy

[Andy Mees]

Hey Chris

Yikes! So they changed the timecode whilst recording? Didn’t know you could do that (but if you can and do then surely thats operator error?). We’ve had a fair number of F350’s (about 50 all told) in daily use for the last two or three years … that’s many thousands of discs shot and whilst there have obviously been occasional issues I’d have to say that I’ve never had any report of a timecode break. Timecode breaks between clips, yes of course. Thats entirely normal with TOD recordings and not an issue (especially working tapeless as there is no linear capture across the break). Fingers crossed it all stays reasonably sane that way!

Andy

[Andy Mees]

Stephen
When the going gets inexplicably weird, the first line of defense is good old fashioned preference trashing … do you have a pref’s manager? If so now would be a good time to give it some exercise. If not, then I’d recommend Jon Chappel’s Preference Manager:
https://www.digitalrebellion.com/pref_man.htm
Best
Andy

[Andy Mees]

James
I’ve no personal experience of the G-Drive but G-Technology have produced some good drives in the past. I’d be a little concerned that this one is fanless and might be more inclined to double up and go for the G-RAID3 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/592112-REG/G_Technology_922303_01_2TB_G_Raid3_Quad_Interface.html … which offers a lot more drive for your money.

Whatever drive you buy, if its pre-formatted, when you attach it take a look at the format (select the disc icon get info, Cmd I) …if its not formatted as Mac OS Extended (or not pre-formatted) then use the Disk Utility app in your /Applications/Utilities folder to format it as Mac OS Extended.

Re Batch Recapture, in your original post you specifically note that much of the source media as originally captured has disappeared. Well if its gone then its gone, you can;t copy it to the new drive if its not on the old one … hence for those missing clips you’ll need to recapture/reimport from the original media.

Hope that makes it clearer
Andy

[Andy Mees]

Hi Jacob
Teach a man to fish and all that … https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/basic_audio_filter_tutoria.html
Ken has many other relevant articles on his site, so have a good browse around, but this one seems a good place to start and probably matches your needs quite well.
Best
Andy

[Andy Mees]

Well I specifically asked them not to implement a scrolling timeline because I dislike that feature so much… maybe they listened to me. 🙂

[Andy Mees]

>Besides everything right now, what I also do not understand… When I open the project and go into some chapter sequences I see the offline media on the timeline, playing in the canvas? Except for the additional audio files.

These are probably rendered areas of the sequence … the original media may have disappeared without trace but the render files would appear to still be there, at least in part.

I will buy another drive, but even when it arrives will this project export correctly?

Not unless you can recover the source media.

—–

James
Its not the end of the world, you still have the project file. This contains all the information about your project. So take a deep breath and go get your new media drive. Make sure its a good one, don;t buy LaCie and don’t just buy the cheapest drive you can find. Format it correctly (HFS+) and reset FCP’s scratch disc to use it. Use Media Manager to COPY any existing project media to this new drive, then use Batch Capture to recapture the losy source footage from its original recording medium. Your project should spring back to life in all its glory … you may of course have to recreate or otherwise recover any other lost footage for which you don’t have access to the original sources.
Hope that helps
Andy