"Unknown File" error on import

When importing certain jpegs into FCP it fails with a file error: unknown file message.
If I load the jpeg into an editor and resave it though, it works. These pictures were downloaded off of an FTP, and I have a lot of them to go through. Could use some help on why this is happening.

If you downloaded them, they may be Indexed color mode. Images imported into FCP need to be in RGB color mode - NOT Indexed, Grayscale or CMYK. You can change the color mode in Photoshop.
-DH

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Unknown file error, not with reference files

I get unknown file errors when trying to import quicktime movies (.mov) that are NOT reference files. I exported them using quicktime conversion and they take up several megabytes for about 10 seconds of video, and I even did cmd-j in quicktime to check. What else could be causing this? I have read write access too...
Thanks, Zach

What codec did you use when you exported the movies?

'Unknown File' error with H.264 clips from Kodak zi6

Hi everyone
I'm trying to import some clips taken with a Kodak zi6 into Final Cut Pro, and I'm getting an 'Unknown File' error. The clips are H.264 quicktimes, 720p60 (well, actually 59.94fps). They open & playback in Quicktime Pro without any problems whatsoever, so I can't figure out why FCP doesn't like them. I've just now tried transcoding one to a ProRes422 as well and FCP rejects that as well. Does it have something to do with framerate?
As an aside, I'm not terribly thrilled with the ProRes transcode either, there's a HUGE difference in colourspace for the worse. The H.264 actually looks better and more accurate.
Any thoughts welcome!

I experienced the exact same problem. However iMovie 08, which has radically reduced functionality imports the files fine. Something that I noticed that might be an issue is that in Quicktime Pro if you "Show Movie Inspector" you will see that the codec of the Zi6 files is listed as "Ambarella AVC encoder." They are NOT listed as H.264. This may be significant. It may be a flavor of H.264 but seems kind of "windows low budget" to me.
Also as a point of clarity, in my experience Final Cut Pro WILL edit H.264 files with no problem. It is not ideal for quality reasons but it works fine.

Unknown file error when capturing in FCP 6

I capturing from a DVD, using AJA Kona card, component in. I can preview the video in Log & Capture, but when I try to Capture Now, I get an unknown file error and cannot capture. Just a regular DVD, analog capture. I've tried creating new projects. I save to an internal HD with over 300GB of available space. What am I missing?

If it is a data file drag and drop it on your desktop and open it.
If it is an encoded movie file can you play it? If so you can use the software I suggested to rip it from the DVD.
Give it a go.

Unknown File Error when toggling to FCP 4

I create my desired clip in Livetype and save project. I click and hold Livetype Icon in the Canvas window and press Command + Tab and toggle over to FCP 4. However, when I try to drop the Livetype Icon into my Browser I get Unknown File error and if I drop Icon onto FCP Timeline absolutely nothing happens.
Does anyone have any ideas on why this is happening???
Thanks.

Check to see that the LiveType.component file is installed correctly. It should be located in /Library/QuickTime - if it's not there, you may need to reinstall LiveType.

"File error: unknown file" upon movie import

Got a DVD. Extracted the footage with Mac the ripper. Created an mp4 file with Handbrake. It plays fine in Quicktime at 720 by 480 and 23.98 FPS. I've tried importing it into FCP and I get the error, "File error: unknown file". FCP sequence presents are 24 FPS...I've also tried switching it to 23.98 FPS. I've re-encoded the movie in Quicktime to a .mov file with "DV/DVCPRO - NTSC" compression and it still will not import. Any suggestions?

Tried making an AVI in Handbrake. Handbrake just froze everytime and it would never finish.
I should also note that FFMpeg did not like the footage either and would not convert it to a file of any kind.
So I put the DVD into a consumer DVD player and used my Panasonic DVX100B camera to record the footage in VCR mode. The tape turned out fine.
BUT...
I am trying to capture the footage from another low end Canon camera. Usually there is no problem. However, with this particular footage from this cursed DVD, I get a "general error" when I try to capture the footage in FCP.
No matter what file format or media is used, this footage will not import into FCP. It must be watermarked to not like FCP.
Any further suggestions???

File Error While Importing Video

I am having a problem with importing some mp4 files I just ripped off of a DVD into FCP. The message I get when trying to import is:
File Error: 1 File(s) recognized, 0 access denied, 1 unknown
The Files are MPEG-4 and were ripped and converted by MacTheRipper and HandBrake. The only solution I could find is to change all video's to the same as my sequence (Such as NV-NTSC) before importing. Problem is, how do I check the format on a video file? And then convert it if it's not the same?

Those formats aren't editable formats. Don't use MacTheRipper nor Handbrake for encoding footage for FCP. Use MPEG STREAMCLIP (www.squared5.com) and use the DV/NTSC setting.
Read this.
Shane

File error when importing .mp4 files

Hi there,
I have a problem concerning importing files.
I had some .mkv files, which I converted to .mp4 files with just 1 audio track and no subtitles using Handbrake.
Problem is, I can't import these files into Final Cut Pro 7.
It gives the following error:
"File error: 1 file(s) recognized, 0 access denied, 1 unknown."
I have no problem importing .avi files, or .mp4 files that haven't been converted.
Does anyone know what I should do? I don't know any other program to convert .mkv files, so basically, I'm bound to using Handbrake.
Thanks in advance!!

I didn't know Handbrake was such a bad tool.
I never did much video-editing before, so I usually used iMovie, and the Handbrake-converted files worked fine with that.
And I did what you said, I converted the video to .mov with MPEG Streamclip, using the mentioned presets, but now I have another problem.
A 22 minute file, which was 360MB before converting, turned into a 6.2GB file after converting.
Since I use videoclips from a TV Serie, which has over 60 episodes, this is going to cost a lot of space. Is there any way to reduce the filesize without destroying the video quality, or is there any, ANY, way to make FCP accept .mp4 files?
I don't care if it slows down my Mac or anything, it's just that I know it's possible, with the 700MB file from one of my posts above.

File Error when importing stock footage file

I just ordered a quicktime stock footage clip and when I try to import it I get this message.
! File Error: 1 file(s) recognized, 0 access denied, 1 unknown.
I imported 3 other files from the same place, same size, etc., fine, but then this came up. Any info would be so helpful because this is for a project due tomorrow.

Click once on the clip. Now hit APPLE-I to GET INFO (also in FILE menu). This will tell you a lot of things, including what the codec of the clip is, and, at the bottom, what the PRIVELAGES are. Read/write, read only...stuff like that.
Does the clip open in QUicktime?
Shane

Daamn you Final Cut, unknown file error.

Ok, this is it, final cut keeps constantly failing me when it should work perfectly fine. I am pretty sure that I will not come down to a solution but here is the "awesome" issue that I have come across:
In After Effects, I export my footage in the Animation codec (to keep it uncompressed), when I import it in FCP (6.0.2) I get a "File Error: Unknown file" message. There should not be anything wrong with the file, it plays perfectly in Quicktime. This happens to around 50% of the files that I export using the Animation codec.
Is there a kind soul that could help me with this issue? I found someone having the same-ish problem here:
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/967787 (with no solution)

Ok, it appears that you are on something there buddy, when I check the info in QTP, it says that the FPS is 25.26, meanwhile it should be on 29.976
This is very odd, what do you guys think causes this?
Attempting to fix this by:
Exporting in AE with custom 29.976 framerate.
Conforming the frame rate in cinema tools but it doesnt allow me to.
with no luck.
Why cant Cinema Tools conform a file with the Animation codec? I tried conforming the frame rate on a Prores file and it worked perfectly.
Also, could it be the key frame settings in the export window?
Help please!

Unreadable Files Error when Importing

Hi - I get an "unreadable files" error when trying to import from my iPhoto Library folder. I've read the other postings, and it sounds as though I should not have moved files directly into this folder. If that's the case, can someone please tell me how to move iPhoto Library files from an external HD onto my computers HD so that I can access the files in iPhoto? What I did was move pictures from my external HD "Pictures,iPhoto Libray, Originals" into the the same folder on my computer's HD - Thanks for any help you can provide!

misstexas:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
import from my iPhoto Library folder
That's the reason. iPhoto will not import any file that resides anywhere inside the iPhoto Library folder. Move them to the Desktop and import from there.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Unknown file error when try to save project

We are experiencing a problem with some of our Final Cut Pro edit suites. An editor opens, or starts a new, project and makes some changes. When they try to save the project they get an error - File Error: Unknown file.
This doesn't happen often, but it usually happens at the worst possible times.
Does anyone have any ideas on what might be causing this?

I have the same problem. I get the following error when trying to save:
operation not allowed
I'm usually aware of this when working along and then that pops up. It happens when autosave cannot save. When I try to manually save I get the same error message.
This has happened twice after working for a couple hours. If I wait, it still will not save. The only solution is to shut down FCP without saving, restart, and the restore from the last autosave before the problem. I usually use about 45 minutes to an hour's worth of work.
I have no idea what causes this.

Importing from LiveType results in Unknown File error

Title says it all; I've tried re-installing from the original disc, and made sure that LiveType was selected to be installed. Any ideas?

I dragged in the MP4 files, and clicked Sequence > Render Selection> Both.
I think this is more of an installation error, like some package didn't get installed. When it was first installed, it kept on crashing because the ProFX framework wasn't installed. I had to dig inside the installer packages, found the package that installed ProFX, opened it up, manually extracted the files from the .tar.gz archive, and put them in place. Then it worked. I think this issue is of a similar nature.

Unknown file error

Hey all!
I'm working in FCP 5 and I see NO offline media, everything looks to be in order, but when I go to export to Quicktime Conversion it pops up with an error
"error: file unknown" and I cannot export. I can make a quicktime movie no problem, however that is useless to what I actually need to export for. I have restarted both my hd, my laptop and final cut in general. I don't know what file is missing and or corrupt, it was a fresh project not pulled in from any where no updating project type or anything. I'm getting from two different seqences I have made, each sequences clip is a different tape. I went so far as too delete my capture scratch, disconnect my media and capture every thing from both tapes again.... still getting the same results... any suggestions...??? Kind of time senestive...

Are you able to render the clips all the way? I recently was given a sequence to work on that used some clips in a codec I didn't have installed. It caused some weird behaviors, including preventing me from rendering or exporting.
You could concievably dismount your media drive, launch the project, and then remount the drive and reconnect, this might help you to find the problematic clip.
If it is a corrupt render file, you could delete your renders in the finder, or with render manager to force a re-render, which might help as well.

Unknown file error in illustrator CS5 on OSX

Hello,I am having permission problems opening ai files in 10.6. I keep getting unknown error. Anyone know how to fix this?

Hello RippinPC,
Wade and I we know that it is the Critical Memory Bug of CS4. Nothing wrong with your computer.
http://forums.adobe.com/message/2088434#2088434
http://forums.adobe.com/message/1256865#1256865
http://forums.adobe.com/message/1252217#1252217
http://forums.adobe.com/message/1255002#1255002
http://forums.adobe.com/message/1253297#1253297
http://forums.adobe.com/message/2088297#2088297
Just to mention a FRACTION of the many posts complaining about the Critical Memory Bug of CS4.
But do not worry, Adobe will sell you the CS5 (coming this April I think) instead of providing an update.

"Unknown File" error on import

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