Can FCP adjust links to an external library accordingly?

Question

Can FCP adjust links to an external library accordingly?

I have my FCPX project and media files on 2 drives, SSD and HD drives. U am using the SSD and storing the media library in the original place, outside the original project file. I am using HD as a backup of all the projects and the media.

If I open one of the projects files all the media are missing if the SSD is not open, it calls the media on one location only. FCP does not adjust, most likely because the drives are named differently. Is there a solution, that the FCP would adjust the file links accordingly?

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 10.13

Posted on Feb 20, 2022 3:02 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,995 points

Feb 21, 2022 10:12 AM in response to Girshon Rutstein

The matching names should work. The original is a library with file path to media on the same drive with a specific name. The clone would be the same, a library with a file path to media on the same drive with the same name.

Or do as Luis says, just relink. It should find everything on the same drive, just by pointing to drive or to a folder. (I'm perhaps not quiteqas trusting of relink as he is.)

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Answer 2

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,995 points

Feb 20, 2022 3:07 PM in response to Girshon Rutstein

If I follow your terminology, the application can’t do this. It might work if the drives have the same name. It would be simplest if the media was stored in the library in your workflow. Then whichever was opened the media would be available.

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Answer 3

Feb 20, 2022 7:06 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks, Tom,

I tried to install another drive with the same name, and transfer some of the media files, NO WORK!

Somehow FCPX references media files in a more complicated way.

To load all media files inside the project library is out of the question because lately projects that I create would have had huge sizes, TBs not GBs as I am using a lot of 4K and even 8K media files and footage.

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Answer 4

Feb 21, 2022 1:34 AM in response to Girshon Rutstein

If I understand correctly, you have two copies of things on different drives, an SSD and HD.

For all intents and purposes, you have two libraries.

If you want the version on the HD to use the media on that same drive, all you have to do is Relink.

File->Relink Files, choose All, then click Locate and point to the top level of that hard drive. FCP will relink all the media to that drive. This will NOT affect the behavior of the other copy of the library.

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,995 points

Feb 21, 2022 3:00 AM in response to Girshon Rutstein

The same name dots not work for just the media. It’s a file path that’s needed. The library and the media have to be in the same drive, basically a full duplicate.

As Luis says it can be relinked. Any changes in the media will also have to be relink.

I’m not sure what you’re trying to do with two copies of the library. Is this for backup or for working on a different system? If the former use cloning software and leave it alone unless you need it. If the latter use FCP to copy the library and the new library and then use the consolidate function to copy the media.

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Answer 6

Feb 21, 2022 9:52 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks, guys,

I will try to explain the situation. I am using the SSD drive as the main drive for editing and keeping the media in the original place, folder. I am backing up, (cloning) a few times per week the SSD drive with all the projects 1.5TB to HD using ChronoSync which only backs up, the files that have been changed. I do not need to relink media the clone HD drive, as I am not working out of this drive. But... let's say that I crash SSD or it was erased. Now I have the backup with all the unlinked hundreds of files.

I would have to spend a few days relinking the media. People could ask why do I need to relink archived projects, well in my case quite often I am sharing media or effects from one project to the other.

I wonder if I get the second SSD as a backup and rename it as the original in case of a crash? Will it work?

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Answer 7

Feb 21, 2022 10:06 AM in response to Girshon Rutstein

NOOOOO!!!!!!

Relinking is almost instantaneous.

Suppose you have everything on drive A, and a copy on drive B.

If you open the library in drive B and choose to Relink, you only have to do it once, as I explained before.

Select All the files, and point to the root of the drive. FCP will find everything and relink appropriately.

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Answer 8

Feb 21, 2022 10:15 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thank you, guys! Will try.

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Can FCP adjust links to an external library accordingly?

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