Final Cut Express Render Files

Hello all.
Just wondering what files are okay to delete in User > Documents > Final Cut Express Documents
I already have deleted most of the files inside of the folders, such as the render files, because I've already exported them as quicktime movies. But just before, after deleting various things, (such as audio renders, auto-saves, renders,) when I next opened up final cut express, it asked for my licensing details.
Did I do something wrong, and delete something I wasn't supposed to????
Thanks in advanced.

You can delete anything you want from the FCE Documents folder, but if you delete Capture Scratch files then any projects with those in them will be useless. Nothing in the FCE Documents folder would make it reset your licensing details.
However, if you accidentally deleted this file, FCE would again prompt you for your serial number and such:
*Macintosh HD > Library > Application Support > ProApps > Final Cut Express System ID*
Message was edited by: skalicki`

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My Final Cut Pro render files seem to end up in seemingly random locations.

I find my Final Cut Pro render files seem to end up in seemingly random locations on the HDD. for example, they will appear in a sub-folder of an unrelated project. I would like my render files destination to be in a sub-folder for the project I am working on. How do you tell Final Cut where to put the render files? Can't figure it out.

By default they are put inside your scratch folder, so if you change the scratch disk and forget to change it when you switch to a different project, your render files will be put inside the other project's scratch folder.
You can change this by going to Final Cut Pro > System Settings. If you click the Set button below your current scratch disk (not the one next to it) you can assign a second location just for the video / audio renders if you desire (this must be on a different disk though).

Final Cut Express render fault in Snow Leopard

I am only able to perform a Full Render in FCE4. If I wish to "Render Selection" or "Render Only" the render window briefly flashes before disappearing without rendering anything. Full rendering is obviously not a god thing as it takes ages each time, and creates massive files which are not necessary.
Any ideas... (I've tried binning all the pref files and all the usual stuff).
I have rebooted in 10.5.8 and all is working fine, so this is definitely a Snow fault.

You can delete anything you want from the FCE Documents folder, but if you delete Capture Scratch files then any projects with those in them will be useless. Nothing in the FCE Documents folder would make it reset your licensing details.
However, if you accidentally deleted this file, FCE would again prompt you for your serial number and such:
*Macintosh HD > Library > Application Support > ProApps > Final Cut Express System ID*
Message was edited by: skalicki`

Problem with picture in burned DVD from Final Cut Express quicktime file

I use Final Cut Express HD to edit. On more than one occasion, I have exported a movie using quicktime conversion and then used iDVD to burn it to a DVD. Every time I do this, the DVD's picture is shaky, especially when there is fast motion. I have tried burning with both the best performance and best quality settings in iDVD and it doesn't make a difference. The same problem occured when I tried to use a friend's computer to do the same thing. We both have the new 20" iMacs. I am not sure if it is Final Cut or iDVD that is the problem, but quicktime files that are not from Final Cut Express are not a problem. I have a feeling it is a setting somewhere that needs to be changed. Thanks!

Greetings.
I've personally never used iDVD for any sort of DVD authoring, but the symptoms that you're describing are giving me the impression that there may be an issue with the MPEG 2 encode. Again, I don't know iDVD so you might be better off asking this question in the iDVD forum.

Final Cut Express RENDER RENDER RENDER

Hi there.
I have just bought a new cam. It's a Go Pro helmet cam HD. When i put the files in the timeline it has to be rendered all the time, which takes hours!
My go pro HD:
- 29,97 fps
- 1280x960 fps
-H.264
-Mp4
The worst thing is, that my friend is jusing the same program and the same cam. but he does not have to render his video.
please help

Since FCE doesn't work natively with h.264 or MP4 files, it's no wonder you have to render. You need to convert the files to a format that FCE works with natively in order to avoid constant rendering. All of this is covered in the manual.
-DH

Render files end up inside Final Cut Express package

With all of the discussion here about rendering, I thought I'd let folks know that that 'ol bug that plagued Final Cut Pro for so long (and perhaps still does) is present in Final Cut Express 4.0.1 too: render files sometimes end up inside the package for Final Cut Express. I know this because I just experienced it while running FCE 4.0.1.
With Final Cut Express not running, control-click or right-click on the Final Cut Express application file, then choose "Show Package Contents". After that, open the folder, "Contents", then the folder, "MacOS", and inside, you may see a folder for video render files, one for audio render files, or both.
Assuming that you don't want to render to that location, then with FCE still quit, move any render folders (that you found inside of the package) elsewhere; and delete the four preference files for FCE, according to the instructions given in Tom Wolsky's on-line guide:
http://www.fcpbook.com/Misc1.html
Then start-up Final Cut Express and open System Settings. Once there, choose your scratch location(s): usually /Users/<username>/Documents/Final Cut Express Documents, if you are rendering to your boot drive. (If rendering elsewhere, simply specify a folder at that location.)
Next, move the render files from the package (that are now residing elsewhere) into the respective folders inside /Users/<username>/Documents/Final Cut Express Documents, if in fact you find their respective folders there and wish to use that as a scratch location. If not, or if you have specified a location on another drive, of if you want maximum integrity of your render files, then simply open your project file and re-render everything. But you might want to stop that process just a few seconds after starting it, then check inside your scratch folders to make sure that new render files are now being stored there. After verifying that, you can go back to your project file and resume re-rendering.
This issue may answer the question, "where are my render files". By the way, if you do a "Get Info" on the Final Cut Express application file and "Get Info" reports that that file is huge (say, several gigabytes in size), then it is likely that your render files are being stored inside.
Please excuse this post if the subject matter has already been discussed in this forum.

Eidschun, thank you for this thread. It doesn't matter how often it occurs, this information works on many levels and was a pleasure to read.

Macbook, Final Cut Express and Canon 5D video files

Hello everyone.
I intend to purchase my first Apple Mac soon. It will probably be the Aluminium Macbook with 4GB RAM.
I am an avid photographer and use the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. I can handle all the processing of the still photographs without a problem but I would like to take advantage of the cameras HD video capability. I know nothing about video editing but I have read that Final Cut is about the best video editor out there. My PC struggles to even play the movies from my camera, let alone edit them.
I have the following questions that I hope some of you can answer:
1. Will the standard Macbook with 4GB RAM be able to handle and edit the large video files (1.2GB for a 5 minute video clip)? I would prefer not to buy the Macbook Pro if possible. The computer will only be used for video editing occasionally. I will not be making 90 minute Hollywood style productions... just 5 minute short films once in a while.
2. Does the cheapest version of Final Cut (Final Cut Express) handle files from the Canon 5D2?
3. I know the video from the Canon 5D2 is generally disliked because it is 30fps and is in a strange format. However, I am not able to change this and I will not be buying a dedicated video camera as I rarely shoot video. So, I need to know if the Macbook and Final Cut Express can do the business with these files. Do you have any advice on how to handle the 5D2 files?
Any advice greatly appreciated.

Will the standard Macbook with 4GB RAM be able to handle and edit the large video files (1.2GB for a 5 minute video clip)?
Yes. You have a lot of hard-drive space with the Macbook Aluminum, so that shouldn't be an issue but you might consider using an external hard-drive to store your media if you ever start making longer movies. To tell you the truth, the Macbook with 2GB of RAM would probably work just as well. I recently upgraded mine and it didn't make much of a difference. Either way though, the Macbook should work fine with Final Cut, mine does. You might consider getting the one with the 2.4GHz processor, I have the feeling that will make more of a difference when editing than the extra RAM.
Does the cheapest version of Final Cut (Final Cut Express) handle files from the Canon 5D2?
Sort of, but it doesn't edit them natively. You can either drop the files in the timeline and render it out and it will work, or, if you don't want to render whenever you make a change, a better technique would be to first convert the clips using an application like the free [MPEG Streamclip|http://www.squared5.com> to something FCE can edit natively such as Apple Intermediate Codec. It's not as simple as drag-and-drop, but it will work.
Do you have any advice on how to handle the 5D2 files?
See above. I recommend the Streamclip conversion over the rendering though. If you have a lot of files to convert, Streamclip has a batch conversion setting so you can set what to convert to once and Streamclip will convert all the files. Converted files can then be edited in FCE without any particular problems.
You should convert using these settings:
Compression: +Apple Intermediate Codec for HD or DV-NTSC for SD+
*Frame Size:* +(A supported FCE frame size, for example 1920x1080, 1440x1080, 720x480, etc. The supported frame size you choose should be as close to your original frame size as possible)+
*Frame Rate:* 29.97
Sound: +Uncompressed Stereo 48kHz+
Keep in mind that the Macbook Aluminum lacks a Firewire port, so if that is detrimental to your use you should consider getting the white Macbook or the Macbook Pro. I believe the Canon 5D Mark II uses USB for transfer though, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Undelete Final Cut Express File

I've tried File Salvage and Data Rescue II attempting to recover two FCE project files that were mistakenly Trashed/Deleted from a partition on my Lacie d2 500G external drive.
Both of these software packages easily recovered JPEG and the QuickTime and AIF files which were edited and synchronized within the FCE project file, but not the FCE file.
Data Rescue II for some strange reason recovered about 167 subfiles designated Final Cut Pro files which I cannot open with FCE 3.1.1 This is bizarre because the Lacie never contained any FC Pro project files, only two FCE files which were about 2 hours in duration.
I feel the information that I want is still there on the LaCie partition, but I can't get to it.
Anyone have any success with a problem like this? Use any other recovery software specific to FCE? Or am I out of luck?
Thanks in advance,
BoBo

Tom,
Thank you, too, for getting back to me.
Really disappointed in the recovery software that I purchased (File Salvage & Data Rescue II) that it couldn't pull out the Final Cut Express project file. I spent about 200 dollars for them.
Really puzzled that Data Rescue II recovered multiple Final Cut "pieceparts", but instead of Final Cut Express, the software designated them as Final Cut Pro files. You could be right that the recovered "stuff" is previously discarded cache or render files.
Thanks for your suggestion about Drive Savers, but I just can't spend any more money on this mistake I created.
BoBo

Final Cut Express files?

Can Final Cut Express 4 open Final Cut pro files?
Can Final Cut Pro open Final Cut Express 4 files?
thanks.
cheers,
Dean

1. no
2. perhaps
x

Final Cut Express wont make make a self contained movie

Until recently I have always been able to export my movies from final cut express HD without any problems. They save as final cut express movie files. Now when I come to export a movie, I click on " make self contained movie" and what I get is a quicktime movie that is split into 3 parts, one named whatever I had told it to save as and the other 2 with the same name but -av1 or -av2 after it. If either of these is deleted the original wont play but they wont open on their own. There is sufficient hard drive space and they are all saved in the same folder. There appears to be a 2GB maximum file size as the first movie is 2 GB the second is 2 GB and the third is whatever is left over. Anything smaller than 4 GB just saves as a 2GB plus whatever is lreft over! They will play if original video clips are deleted so they are independent but wont play if one of the 3 is missing. Please help this is driving me scatty
Powermac G4/466 (upgraded to dual 1.4GHz), Macbook pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Is the drive you aresaving to formatted to Mac OS Extended?
Sounds like it could be Mac Standard.
Also check in Prefernces that the file size export limit is not set to 2 gig.
Al

Final Cut Express problem after upgrading to Leopard

I have a Final Cut Express project file (plus all supporting files) on an external hard drive. This project has run successfully on 2 computers, a PPC running OS 10.4 Tiger and an Intel MacBook Pro running OS 10.6 Snow Leopard. After upgrading the PPC computer to OS 10.5 Leopard, it will no longer open the FCE file on the external drive. Other FCE project files work OK. The error message is: File Error: Access Denied.
Other files on the external drive open successfully (e.g. iMovie and iPhoto).
The Get Info window of the external drive did not have the checkmark in front of Ignore Ownership on this Volume. Adding the checkmark makes no difference.
Any suggestions?
Message was edited by: Ralphjh

Hi(Bonjour)!
There are 2 variations of FX1: the USA and the european: FX1 and FX1E, like the HC1 and the.. HC1E.
SONY choose 1080i60 (1080 pixels height, interlaced 60 frames sec) for USA and 1080i50 for europe. It's relevant because you can preview your HDV clip on a standard TV sets (NTSC or PAL).
The Z1 model can handle NTSC and ... PAL, nice .
Michel Boissonneault

I need help with my Final Cut Express HD

When I click on Final Cut Express HD file, it is saying I have an error and it will open, why is this happening? It was working before and now it is not.

There is absolutely no way anyone can know what is causing the problem unless you give full details of your computer setup, what you have been doing etc. etc.
It's like telling a doctor you are not feeling well and giving him (or her) no more information.
The only possible advice with so little to go on would be to Trash the Preferences and if that didn't work, completely UNINSTALL and reinstall FCE:-
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93690
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301182
Ian.

"Unable to open project file" message in final cut express 3.5.1

I have (well had now) a project with 3 video clips and multiple .psd files as stills. When the project contains just the 3 video clips and a couple of transitions I can save the project and quit Final Cut Express and relaunch FCE and when I try to re-open the same project, it opens just fine, without any problems and just the way I expected it to be. After editing the same project for a couple of hours and saving along the way (this has happened twice now and I don't think the length of time of editing matters) and adding multiple still images to the 3 video clips (this part is new in my working with FCE); I save and quit. When I return to open the same project I get the message "Unable to open project file" and click the OK button, which is my only option and I am given a new blank project. So where did my work go???

Thank you for the response, but it hasn't worked yet...
I read the link. I am working off my internal drive.
I re-named the Capture Scratch folder, and any Render folders and then launched FCE. I was presented with a window that reads "To preserve the integrity of the data used by Final Cut Express HD, it is necessary to ensure the existance of the following path(s)" The path in the box below is where my project file and support files are. My 3 options are Quit, Check again and Reset Scratch disk. I choose the Reset Scratch Disk button and it took me to the Scratch Disk window and I Set/Created a new folder and clicked Choose and then OK back at the Scratch Disk window and Continue at the initial window... the Reset Scratch disk button is now labeled Continue. I am given a new Untitled Project work space. I tried to open my project file and once again with the message "Unable to open project file".
Where did I go wrong???

1080p30 .mov files from canon eos 5DMarkII in Final cut express 4.0.1

Hi everybody.
i need some help to import HD vidéo .mov files from Canon Eos 5DMarkII in final cut express.
The files is in 1080p30 (h264) like avchd but in the final cut configuration i have only 50i and 60i option in HDV and AVCHD
Final cut necessity to do a render (5h for 15min on my G5) and the movement quality is not the same.
Anybody have a idea to import Progressive files in final cut ?
maybe they have an update with new avchd 1080p codec in configuration ?
or i need final cut pro...?
Thanks in advance
and sorry for my english...i'm french

There is no good solution for working with this camera in FCE. It's 30fps progressive. There is no true video format that is 30fps. This is something Canon was cobbled together for this stills camera.
You can use MPEG Streamclip to convert the material to QuickTime using the Apple Intermediate Codec at 1920x1080. I think that's what it shoot. You should check the camera manual to confirm it shoots 1920 and not 1440.
The problem is the frame rate. You can convert it to 29.97fps or to 25fps. 25fps conforms to the European frame rate, but I don't know how well Streamclip will do this conversion. You also need to make sure the material is not interlaced by Streamclip.
The other problem is that FCE handles 1080 as an interlaced format, because for production it's supposed to be an interlaced format, at least in the formats, HDV and AVCHD, that FCE works with. You can set your sequence properties to have no field dominance, which should prevent it interlacing during compositing of any effects.

Final cut express error insufficient disk space to render.

I have my final cut express projects saved to external hard drives. When working on a project and I try to render the file I am receiving the error message of insufficient space to render but I have over 25 gigs on my external hard drive. I can save the file but not render it. I have tried restarting computer and hard drive but problem continues. Any suggestions? I only have 4 gigs of space on my internal hardrive.

Make sure System Settings is correctly set to the external drive. You do not have enough space on your system drive. It is heavily fragmented and likely to cause serious problems. You should keep about 10% or more of the system drive free for the OS to work with.

Final Cut Express Render Files

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