What can I do about constant re-rendering? :(

Question

Recently I have encountered a problem. Here's an example of what happens.
I import a file into final cut, drag into my time-line, render all and
begin cutting. Now... suppose I want to check my e-mail or switch to another
application for some reason. I switch to that other application and when I
switch back to final cut everything needs to be rendered again. I get that
red bar at the top of the time-line every single time I click away from final
cut. Even if I render then save it doesn't matter. If I leave final cut and come back it means i have to render all over again.
What can i do to solve this?
Is there anyone that can help?

Answer 1

#28 Having to render every clip in the timeline
Shane's Stock Answer #28: When I put a clip in the timline, I have to render it before it will play. Why?
Your clip settings MUST match your timeline settings. If you have DV/NTSC material, you need a DV/NTSC timeline. The frame rate, audio rate and dimensions (4:3, 16:9) all need to match exactly. In Final Cut Pro 6, this is easy, because when you drop a clip into the timeline, it asks if you want to set up the timeline to match the settings of the first clip you drag into it. Click YES and you are ready to go.
However, in FCP 5.1 and earlier, it is a bit trickier.
The most important thing you need to do is properly set up your project from the start, and the best way to do this is to choose a setting from the Easy Setups, located under the Final Cut Pro menu.
Once you do this, you’ll need to create a new sequence. This is because the sequence that is already in your new project is setup for the typical default setting of DV/NTSC, or for the settings of your last project, which might not match what you are currently working with. So delete SEQUENCE 1 and create a new sequence:
This new sequence will contain the settings you chose in the Easy Setup menu, and should match the format you captured.
Shane