[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.
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82 Responses to FCP X 10.1: Update Events and Projects [Video]
Newer Comments →-
Richard basger says:
March 7, 2014 at 5:49 am
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Larry Jordan says:
March 7, 2014 at 9:48 am
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Ray Paunovich says:
March 26, 2014 at 8:23 pm
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Larry Jordan says:
March 26, 2014 at 8:56 pm
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Philip Fass says:
April 28, 2014 at 8:25 am
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Larry Jordan says:
April 28, 2014 at 10:13 am
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Philip Fass says:
April 28, 2014 at 10:55 am
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Larry Jordan says:
April 28, 2014 at 11:02 am
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Philip Fass says:
April 28, 2014 at 11:06 am
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Larry Jordan says:
April 28, 2014 at 11:13 am
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Philip Fass says:
April 28, 2014 at 11:17 am
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Paul says:
May 10, 2014 at 4:10 pm
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Larry Jordan says:
May 10, 2014 at 4:20 pm
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Paul says:
May 11, 2014 at 7:01 am
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Erin Dorsey says:
May 18, 2014 at 7:52 am
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Larry Jordan says:
May 18, 2014 at 8:49 am
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Erin Dorsey says:
May 18, 2014 at 10:52 am
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Larry Jordan says:
May 18, 2014 at 2:53 pm
Newer Comments →Hi, I don’t think the above is the same as my issue but it is similar. I have already started a new film with fcp x 10.1 and I have been importing clips from my sd cards. I may have quit fcp and come back to it and continued to import cards…this is when I have an issue!
This is a wedding I am importing and let’s say I have a new card with more of the reception so I have already made an event called sophie & Alex – reception. When I highlight the clips to be imported and go to my list of already named events, it has disappeared, yet when I try and make a new event with the same exact name it says it already exists. Where is it please??
Richard:
An interesting question. Events are stored in the Library folder.
Quit Final Cut.
Open the Library folder and see if you can see the Event. If you can, try moving the Library database out of the folder (so that FCP doesn’t see it). Reopen FCP and see if you can access the library. If so, it will rebuild the library database. If not, quit FCP and move the old library back into the library folder and reopen FCP again.
See if it is able to see the missing Event(s).
Larry
Larry,
I am about to purchase FCPX 10.1 and have not used any version before if I have nothing to update ( no events or projects) can I just start with a new library on my external drive or do I need to start from the very first version???
Thanks
Ray Paunovich
Ray:
Piece of cake. Start fresh. Nothing to update.
Jump right into Libraries and start to work.
Larry
Larry,
I have purchased a new high-end iMac to replace my 7 y.o. Mac Pro. Unfortunately, I am in the middle of a FCP X project now (10.0.8) . I am well aware of the warnings, but what do you suggest? Project probably won’t be done for a couple of months. Thanks!
Philip:
To keep your stress levels low, finish the edit on the older Mac Pro.
Use the new iMac for everything EXCEPT editing until the current project is complete – or even start new projects on it. But don’t upgrade the existing project. It is far better to start fresh.
Larry
Larry, thanks for the quick response!
From what I’m reading, it looks like my older version of FCP X is compatible with Mavericks, and I’m not really able to have two Macs in my small editing space. So I have two possible solutions, and I could do both:
1. Before switching systems, back up all my Events and Projects to an HD that I keep with my Mac Pro in case I get into trouble.
2. Install the older version of FCP X on the new Mac.
Would I still be my own worst enemy?
Philip:
I’m not sure you can have both versions of FCP X on the same system. But I agree with your idea of creating comprehensive backups.
Larry
I wouldn’t even download the newer version of FCP X. I could move the older version from MP to iMac with Migration Assistant.
Ah!
In that case, that sounds like a plan.
Larry
Thank you, Larry. Stress is gone (I wish!)
Larry,
Thanks for all your info on FCP. Unbelievably useful!
I only use FCP for personal videos of my kids. I have 6 years of events mostly sorted by months. My plan is to make a library for each year with roughly 12 events per library. On an active year I have about 100 Gig of video.
Anything wrong with this plan?
Updating data issue.
My events and projects are all outside of the “FC Events” and “FC Projects” folders. I moved one event into the FC events folder and left the FC projects folder empty (no projects associated with the event). Update worked great. I can see the library (4 stars icon), the event (one star icon) and the media (blue icon). I did that a 2nd time and got the same result. On the 3rd try, I updated 3 events at once and two of them gave the same result as above. The third event does not have the media (blue icon) in it but the video is all there when I click on the event. Now every time I update, get the same issue (no media-blue icon). I get a “missing media” error after the update….but the media is there in the new event in the new library. I try to relink, I don’t get an error so I assume it went ok but I still don’t see the blue icon. Should I worry about this icon not being there even though the media is there?
Thanks again for the help.
Pau:
Thanks for the kind words!
No, nothing wrong with how you are planning to organize your personal videos.
When you updated the three Events at once, you created a single library containing all three Events and their associated media. My sense, given this description, is that you should be OK. The constant relinking is a concern, however. You should be able to link once and have FCP remember where the media is stored.
Make sure that both “Final Cut Events” and “Final Cut Projects” are both empty on your hard drive. If problems persist, contact Apple and let us know what you find out.
Larry
Thanks for the quick reply Larry.
I may not have been clear earlier. I only tried to relink because it said files were missing after the update but I never see that error again after the initial update for that library. I can not find any missing links or media or problems so I think everything is ok.
I imported 5 more libraries and still not getting blue icon and keep getting the missing files error. But again, no issues with the libraries that I can find. So I think I am all set. Thanks again for the help.
Paul
Hi Larry,
I was reading on other websites that in version 10.1 in order for Final Cut to recognize your file and include it in your library, you have to have an event folder and a project folder. When I updated my projects/events in Final Cut one of the videos I want to work on was not shown and I saw that it only has an event folder. I created a project folder myself manually, coping the .fcpevent file and pasting it there and renaming it .fcpproject but it didn’t do anything for me. How do I fix it so that Final Cut includes the video in my library? File>update project and events… doesn’t do anything for me. Appreciate any advice you have please.
Erin
Erin:
The other websites are wrong.
FCP X 10.0.x required both event folders and project folders, both stored in the Finder.
FCP X 10.1 stores media, events and projects in a single library file. Events in the new version are, essentially, folders that can contain media, projects or both. Project folders only store keywords, not projects.
You NEVER!! create a project manually in the Finder. Always create the Project file inside FCP using File > New > Project.
Media is always imported into an event using File > Import > Media.
Larry
Ok, I did what you said but when I’m trying to import, I don’t know where to locate the folder of old 10.0 files that FCP renamed “Old Final Cut Projects and Events”. The folders it’s giving me access to to choose from are organized in a totally different way than the Finder, there’s no “movie” folder.
Erin:
Slow down. The process of updating from the old version to the new creates a Library icon in the hard disk that contained the original Final Cut Events and Final Cut Projects folder.
You media is stored inside the library. Simply open the library and all your media will be there, along with your project. No importing is necessary.
Nothing was lost and nothing was ruined.
Larry