Project not showing full frame in a compound clip

Question

Hi Folk;
I am finishing my first project in FCPX (10.0.9) . Overall everything went very well.
I had another editor start the project on another computer.
I copied the event to my iMac and continued the edit. No problems until I exported the project for the client review.
I have a compound clip with mixed footage and a storyline and connected clips that I have used in a project with several compound clips.
I can play this particular compound clip fine and all the video displays fine. (see picture #2)
I lay the this Compound clip into the project and I get less than full frame out in my "storyline" elements - especially after the orange render bar disappears -
I sent the client a version with the "drop out" video (see first pix below where image does not reveal full frame ) and have spent a few hours looking for a cause for my issue. I am wondering if I am the only one dealing with this.
I have created a work around - exported the compound clip and reimport it as a full clip and layed it into the timeline.
The setting for the compound clip are XDCAM sony and the footage that is at issue is AVCHD from a panasonic.
I have several events providing footage for the compound clip
The project has seveal compound clips from different events
The event folder I created seems to be where the issue lives. or maybe the render -
I am using orginal footage not proxies.
I want to avoid this in the future so any insight is helpful.
I feel I have made a mess of my first project and want to clean up any bad habit that may be causing my problem.
Thanks for the opportunity to diagnos this.
I am sure this is as clear as mud.
Cheers!

Answer 1

when you first create a new project, FCPX *can* be set to accept "Automatic Settings" -- basically, it will take the properties of the first clip dropped in the storyline. This can be very convenient if you know the media will be all the same, or you know how to manipulate the "first drop". 
If you know the format you want your project to be, it's better to set that up manually when you start a new project (Advanced Options). When you apply your media to the storyline, FCPX will conform the media to the project settings. It doesn't always work perfectly (due to custom or proprietary differences in file formats for the containers holding the media.) For instance, one of my older (SD) camcorders produces "Samsung AVC" (from Get Info on the file) and FCPX simply will not recognize the anamorphic footage.
Anyway, so, yes, I would suspect the 1440x1020 footage might be problematic. (Are you sure it's 1020?? or did you mistype? If it's actually 1080, it still might be giving you problems. All of my 1440 footage requires manually adjusting the width by 133.33%).
You can force a change for your project by clicking going out into the Project Library and with your project selected, you should see a wrench icon at the bottom right of the inspector. Click that and adjust your project settings (you cannot change the frame rate once a project is started, but you can change just about everything else.) Once you get the format set up (and you go back into your project), then you'll know which clips will need to be adjusted. If you have footage that won't fit the frame, you will probably need to go into the video tab > Transform, turn down the Scale disclosure triangle and adjust the X scale (usually) and Y scale (only if necessary.) If the footage you need to conform is SD, there is an Anamorphic Override option available in Info > Settings.
About compound clips... FCPX tries to guess a format based on "common" properties. If you're creating compound clips with mixed media - Use  Custom Settings and set the properties to be the same as the project format.
HTH