IMPORTANT NOTE: Apple changed the behavior of compound clips with the 10.0.6 update. Here’s an article that describes the changes.
Final Cut Pro 7 calls it a “nest.” Final Cut Pro X calls it a “compound clip.” Whatever you call it, there are some real benefits in knowing how to use it.
A compound clip is simply a collection of clips gathered together and treated as though they were a single clip. There are several advantages to doing so:
There are two places you can create compound clips: in the Timeline or in the Event Browser. Let’s take a look at both.
IN THE TIMELINE
The principal benefits to creating a compound clip in the Timeline are to organize a complex edit or apply a common effect to a group of clips.
For instance, here, I want to consolidate all the selected clips into a single compound clip to simplify my edit. (OK, so this edit isn’t really that complex, my point here is to illustrate how this is done.)
To create a compound clip in the Timeline, select the clips you want to group together. One of the new features in FCP X is that you can create compound clips from clips that are not next to each other. In fact, they don’t even have to be on the same layer, nor contain the same types of clips!
NOTE: Compound clips can contain any combination of audio, video, titles, generators, still images or effects.
Choose File > New Compound Clip (or type Option+G) and all selected clips are coalesced into a single compound clip stored on a single layer.
The “curved hands” logo – which Apple likens to a connected clip – is the symbol for a compound clip. This icon appears in the top left corner of all compound clips.
At this point, you have several options:
In other words, a compound clip acts just like a clip; except it contains a collection of clips.
ALL THIS — AND EDIT, TOO!
Yes, like all those Ronco commercials, you get all this — AND you can still edit the contents of a compound clip! (Sigh. Memo to self — cut back on late night TV.)
To open a compound clip for editing, including adding or removing clips or effects, simply double-click the compound clip in the Timeline.
Poof! Instant edit.
The default name of a compound clip is “Compound Clip.” Which is great if you only have one of them, however, it can become confusing as you add more.
To rename a compound clip, select it in the Timeline (or the Event Browser, but we haven’t talked about that yet). Then, go to the Info tab in the Inspector and change the name.
NOTE: You can’t rename a compound clip if you have opened it for editing in the Timeline. Compound clips need to be selected before being opened in order to be renamed.
THE TIMELINE HISTORY
As soon as you open a compound clip for editing, the Timeline History – top left corner of the Timeline – wakes up. This displays the path from the source project to the current compound clip.
For instance, in this example, I double-clicked from “Compound Project” into the “1st Compound Clip” which contained a second compound clip. When I double-clicked into this second clip, the path showed where I came from.
Click the left-pointing arrow to return back along the same path. Click the right-pointing arrow to go forward, deeper into the same compound clips. The Timeline History allows you to quickly navigate between projects and compound clips.
NOTE: These arrows also cycle you through recently opened projects.
IN THE EVENT BROWSER
For me, while compound clips in the Timeline are useful, they show their real power when you first create them in the Event Browser
To create a compound clip in the Event Browser, make sure the Event Browser is selected, then choose File > New Compound Clip (or type Option+G).
This creates an empty compound clip. Double-click it to open it in the Timeline. Here’s the very cool part – compound clips that originate in the Event Browser act like individual projects! You can add clips, text, effects — everything you could put in a project, you can put into a compound clip!
What makes this REALLY helpful is that because the compound clip is stored in the Event Browser, you can use it in as many different projects as you want. For example, consider creating your opens, bumpers, or info-graphics as compound clips stored in the Event Browser.
Whenever you need them, you can instantly reuse them by editing the compound clip into the Timeline!
If you need to revert back to the original components of the compound clip – say to apply a different effect, change the text of a title, or add a new piece of video – simply select the compound clip and choose Clip > Break Apart Clip Items.
UPDATE – Jan. 9, 2012
I just did a quick check. If you create a compound clip in the Event Browser, then edit that compound clip into multiple projects – or multiple locations within a single project – if you change the compound clip in the Timeline it does not affect the master compound clip in the Event Browser, nor any other occurrence of that compound clip in any project.
This makes it easy to create a show open that you can modify each week for each show, without affecting previous projects.
UPDATE – Aug. 2013
This behavior changed with the 10.0.6 FCP X update. Now, if you modify a compound clip in the Timeline, it modifies all occurrences of that compound clip in the Project. The way to change one compound clip without changing all the others is to select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Reference New Parent Clip.
This duplicates the clip in the Event Browser. Rename and use the new duplicate clip. You can make as many changes to the duplicate clip as you want, without having those changes ripple back into the original clip.
SUMMARY
When I was first learning FCP X, I was concerned that it only allowed one project open at a time. However, the use of compound clips essentially allows us an unlimited number of “sub-projects,” all instantly available in the Event Browser – which can be shared inside the same project, or across multiple projects.
Very cool.
ADDITIONAL READING
Here are two other articles I’ve written on Compound Clips:
90 Responses to FCP X: Compound Clip Secrets
Newer Comments →-
Jeff Orig says:
January 9, 2012 at 9:36 am
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Nathan W. Fullerton says:
January 10, 2012 at 6:59 am
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Rusty Earl says:
January 10, 2012 at 7:37 am
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Bugs Bunny says:
February 23, 2012 at 9:43 pm
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Larry Jordan says:
February 23, 2012 at 9:57 pm
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Bugs Bunny says:
February 24, 2012 at 3:08 am
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Jerry Thompson says:
March 12, 2012 at 3:05 pm
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nate Walsh says:
September 16, 2013 at 9:57 am
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Ларри Джордан: Секреты составных клипов says:
April 12, 2012 at 5:03 am
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Ken Gimbel says:
July 31, 2012 at 10:39 pm
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Chris says:
September 3, 2012 at 12:39 pm
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Chris says:
September 3, 2012 at 12:48 pm
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Larry Jordan says:
September 3, 2012 at 1:37 pm
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Bill Parker says:
November 9, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Newer Comments →Hi Larry,
Great article as usual. I think the compound clip would be even cooler if it showed up in the Event Browser if it was made in the Timeline. That just makes sense to me. Or at least the option to put it in the event browser.
As of now, I can’t find a way to do that.
I have been using the feedback tool within FCPX to send Apple this suggestion, hopefully they listen.
Thanks.
-Jeff
Great info about compound clips in the event browser! I had totally missed that very useful feature!
Thanks!
– Nathan
Excellent workaround for storing tags and saving supers. I am working on creating a web series for our colleges online classes. This will come in handy for reusing and tweaking some of my openers.
Thanks!
Rusty
Hi Larry, Great info, thanks. One question: Can you create a single clip from a compound clip? in other words can you compress the compound clip into a solid clip so that the individual underlying files can’t be edited?
Edit the Compound clip into its own Project. Export the project as a QuickTime movie.
Larry
Thanks Larry!
Larry,
Found a cool way to create bins in the event library. Please disregard if you already are aware of the feature.
Create an event and name it. Select the new event and choose “option G” or “file” then “new compound clip”. Create as many empty compound clips in that new event as you wish and name them. When you double click an empty compound clip, it opens in a timeline as if it were its own project. Edit as you see fit, adding clips, files, effects, transitions, etc.. from the other existing events in the library as you would a project. Click the left arrow in the upper left of the timeline when you are done and you return to the original display. The compound clip you just edited now exists in the browser just like a sequence nested within another sequence. Each compound clip can be added to a “Master Project” at a later date. Its a good way to break a project up by scenes or chapters. Same as FC7 but you nest on the front side of a project instead of after a sequence has been created.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your post made it click for me. I can open a scrap compound clip in my events for my project, and then open it as a separate timeline to copy and paste my bloopers for use later! Thank you so much!
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When I create a Multicam Event (three cameras synced, works beautifully), I can’t create a compound clip with the three tracks, so edits can be thrown out of sync during edit. I can do a compound on a single track, but will not let me do Compound or lock tracks in any way. I fear that this is because this is a Multicam Event? What is a work-around to Group or Compound in Multicam?
Thanks,
Ken
San Diego, CA
I Command +G in the timeline to create my Compound Clip. I rename in the Info Inspector panel. But I want to put all Compound Clips into a Smart Collection I’ve called “Scenes” and give the filter by Clip Type (Clip: Is: Compound), but no clips show up with that criteria. Wondering what’s going on. Any thoughts?
Chris.
So I created the Compounds by choosing Option + G with selected clips already in my timeline. Apparently, creating them that way doesn’t list them in the Event Browser, which is where they need to exist to show up in filtered Collections. Meh…
Chris:
Correct. In order for clips to show up in the Event Browser they need to be created in the Event Browser. (Its a factor of two different databases drive FCP X – one for Events (media) and one for Projects (edits).
The easiest workaround is to create open your compound clip in the Timeline and select everything. Then, create a new compound clip in the Event Browser. Open it in the Timeline and paste all your copied clips.
Now, you can display that Compound clip in the Event Browser and use it in searches.
Larry
Hi. I have been frustrated by the difficulty in labeling favorites and not having them appear labeled as thumbnails in the browser. I do a lot of interviews and log this way. I worked around it by making all of my selects into compound clips and then labeling them. They now appear labeled in the browser – both in list view and thumbnail – as well on the timeline. Very convenient. However, I was told it was bad to have too many compound clips within compound clips and that it will slow down my system. I’ve seen little evidence of that so far, but it’s early in the edit. I have about 60 clips that I will be working with and they are all now compound clips rather than favorites. Is this a bad idea?