[This is an excerpt from our latest training: Final Cut Pro X 10.1 – Workflow and Editing, which you can download from our store. You can also access all our Final Cut Pro X training by becoming a subscriber.]
One of the biggest changes in Final Cut Pro X 10.1 is media management. Events and Projects were replaced by Libraries. Libraries significantly improve the performance and flexibility of working with media in Final Cut. However, in order to take advantage of the new system, all existing events and projects from earlier versions of Final Cut Pro X need to be updated.
Before you update your existing events or projects, watch this movie. It explains what happens during an update, what you need to do to make sure you are updating the right event and project, and where to find things once updating is complete.
Updating is not difficult, but it can cause problems if you don’t know what you are doing. Please watch the movie.
NOTE: Here’s a blog I wrote that covers media management and updating as well.
TRT: 8:08 — MPEG-4 HD movie
NOTE: This video may not play inside FireFox, please use a different browser.
Visit our website to see Final Cut Pro Training & more!
82 Responses to FCP X 10.1: Update Events and Projects [Video]
← Older Comments-
BIANCA J. PEREZ says:
March 23, 2017 at 11:58 am
-
Larry says:
March 23, 2017 at 12:34 pm
-
BIANCA J. PEREZ says:
March 23, 2017 at 1:48 pm
-
Larry says:
March 23, 2017 at 4:16 pm
-
Ryan says:
April 29, 2017 at 7:58 pm
-
Larry says:
April 30, 2017 at 1:03 pm
-
David says:
September 2, 2017 at 3:22 pm
-
Larry says:
September 2, 2017 at 3:26 pm
-
David says:
February 24, 2018 at 5:31 am
-
Amanda says:
March 13, 2018 at 11:55 am
-
Larry says:
March 13, 2018 at 12:19 pm
-
Marion says:
July 13, 2018 at 11:28 am
-
Larry says:
July 13, 2018 at 11:42 am
-
Marion says:
July 13, 2018 at 1:22 pm
-
Marion says:
July 13, 2018 at 1:26 pm
-
Larry says:
July 13, 2018 at 1:35 pm
-
Sue B. Gahn says:
January 22, 2022 at 11:23 am
-
Larry says:
January 22, 2022 at 12:20 pm
← Older CommentsLarry, you’re obliviously a final cut pro GOD and I’m in need of major help, PLEASE!!!!
SOOOO… I was working out of FCP 10.0.9
I was in the midst of a project when it crashed and wouldn’t reopen. I decided to delete FCP 10.0.9 and update to FCP X 10.1. What I wasn’t aware of, was updating all the files. I’m totally lost and don’t know what to do. I have until tomorrow to meet this deadline with this video and I’m sweating so much right now! I tried your steps but it seems to not be working, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!!! :'(
Bianca:
First, and REALLY!! important, you need to get off FCP X 10.0 as soon as possible. We can no longer convert FCP X 10.0 files using FCP X 10.3 and you will very quickly find yourself unable to upgrade anything.
Second, tell me more about where you are lost. FCP X 10.1 automatically converts everything in your Final Cut Events folder and places it into a single library. This can be really confusing if you have lots and lots of unrelated Events and suddenly find all of them mushed together into a single library.
Give me more specifics and I’ll help if I can.
Larry
LARRY!
nevermind, i spoke to quick! Something told me to restart my computer and reinstall the updated version of final cut… which I did. After following all your instructions, EVERYTHING WORKED! YOU SAVED MY LIFE LOL
THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES!
Happy to help.
Larry
Hey Larry, I’m willing to pay you if you can help me resolve an ‘updating’ issue. Long story short, I have projects from previous versions that seem to be having problems. The audio on the music works, but there’s a staggered magenta bar at the the top of the timeline. If you want, I’ll send you a screenshot of the issue and we could go from there? Like I said, I don’t expect you to just help me for nothing; it’s a big deal for me to get this fixed, as I would like to the ability to edit these projects. Thank you!
Ryan:
Sorry for the delay – I was at NAB. Send me a screen shot directly to Larry at LarryJordan (dot) com. If I can help, I will.
Larry
Hey Larry, I found some old FCP files (.fcpevent) that never got converted using FCP 10.1. I already moved to FCP 10.3, and can’t seem to find a way to update/convert my old projects. Did I miss my opportunity to do so? Are there any 3rd party tools that still provide this service, or is there a way to downgrade my version of FCP to do the conversion? Many thanks.
David:
You’ve missed the window. You can cover FCP X 10.0 events and projects using FCP X 10.1 or 10.2, but not 10.3. And I don’t know any 3rd party tool that will do so.
Larry
Larry – I think the window is still open, but probably not for much longer.
A bit too late for David (Sept 17) maybe, but a trial version of 10.2.3 is still available at https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202826. This will enable old items to be converted. But it will probably not run on High Sierra, so you may need may need to go back and use an earlier OSX – you might be able to do this from your recorded purchases in the Apple Store, but if not then you can still download El Capitan (10.11.6) from https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12 which is a direct download – double click on App Store in window presented. Worth thinking about, but you might need you to fragment your drive to run old osx. Tread carefully.
I’m a late adopter still running osx 10.8.5 and fcpx 10.0.9 so I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. My first step (to El Cap) hasn’t worked, so I’m off to see the Apple Genius guys on Monday.
David, I am in the same boat as you. I’m running fcpx 10.0.0 (!) and was running osx 10.7.4 on a 2011 iMac which is now dead. I have a bootable clone of that OS but I’m told that my new 2017 imac doesn’t have the drivers to boot off that clone. I downloaded the 10.2.3 trial but am now stuck as to where to find a hardware system to use it to update my 10.0 projects and events to libraries on 10.2, so that I can resume happy editing life on 10.4. Is El Capitan the earliest OSX version that can run FCPX 10.2.3? I’d love to hear a follow up about where you are in this mess now after seeing the Genius guys, and if you’ve had any success.
Amanda:
Your best option will probably be buying an older used Mac system with an OS that supports FCP X 10.2.x. Then, use it to convert your projects into a more current version.
Don’t worry about getting a used system fast enough for true editing, think of it, instead, as a simple conversion system where compatibility is more important than performance.
Larry
Hi everyone, I just found this thread, and wondering if there are any other insights on this, as I am about to attempt to update FCP 10.1 files to 10.4, via an archived version of 10.2.3.
Problem is I just updated to High Sierra (and FCP 10.4.3) right after realizing that I needed 10.2.3 to convert my 10.1 files to 10.4, and now I can’t run 10.2.3 to see if I can even do this, because it won’t run on High Sierra. So, my plan is to go back and install Yosemite (I can still download this via former purchases in the app store), then run 10.2.3 and cross my fingers that it will successfully convert the 10.1 sequences I need. Then I’ll back up those files, install High Sierra again, and see if I can open everything in 10.4.3
So, do you see anything wrong with this plan? Any tips on making it go smoothly?
Any wisdom welcome. Thanks!
Marion:
You SHOULD be able to convert FCP X 10.1 files directly in FCP X 10.4, without having to go through FCP X 10.2. (If you were converting FCP X 10.0 files, then you WOULD need to go thru 10.2.)
Do a test – make a copy of your smallest library that you want to convert – just in case. Then, open FCP X 10.4. From within FCP X 10.4, open the library you want to convert.
It should work OK.
Larry
Scratch that. I’m looking at the dates on these old sequences, and based on when 10.1 came out, I think the sequences were done in FCP 10.0 (10.1 released in dec 2013? And these sequences were created in august 2013). Does that mean the strategy I talk about above definitely won’t work?
Just saw your response, Larry. Thanks. It seems that these must be files from 10.0. They aren’t in the new library format. They are the files named CurrentVersion.fcpproject
So, am I lost, or should I try to reinstall yosemite, access 10.2.3 from there, update the files in 10.2.3, then go back to high sierra, and then bring them into 10.4?
Thank you SO much for this, by the way.
Marion:
For FCP X 10.0 files, you’ll need to convert them using FCP X 10.2.x
FCP X 10.1 files or later can be converted using the current version of FCP X (10.4.x)
Larry
I never transferred “all” my older projects and now it appears “File > Update Projects & Events” is no longer a functionality in FCP 10.6. How do you recommend that I be able to access these older creations all titled CurrentVersion.fcpproject, respectively in their own folders? Thanks for your time and assistance, it is greatly appreciated!
Sue:
Well, you’re not going to like the answer.
FCP X version 10.0 can not longer be converted. FCP X version 10.1 and 10.2 can only be opened in FCP X 10.3. FCP X 10.3 and later can be opened in the current version, I think.
It is ALWAYS a good idea to export an XML version of any project you want to save. We can, generally, import an XML file, while we, generally, can not import earlier versions of FCP projects.
Larry