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Home: Video University Forums: Mac Video:
FCP Scratch Disc

 
 


Bill A
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Nov 16, 2008, 4:38 AM

Post #1 of 12 (1870 views)
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FCP Scratch Disc Can't Post
I have several different FCP projects saved and in various stages of completion. Each has its own file on my hard disc with its own scratch disc folders (eg. audio render files, capture scratch, etc.) inside.

In other words, when I start a new FCP project, I create a new folder with the project name and then go to Final Cut Pro>System Settings>Scratch Discs and set this project folder as the location for all scratch discs for that project.

So, why, when I switch between projects, do these system settings and scratch discs not switch too? I want the auto save files, render files, capture scratch and so on to save to the project folder I'm currently working on.

Is there a better way to do this, keep my project files separate and organized with FCP? Please share!

Thanks,

Bill


Ron Priest
Veteran


Nov 16, 2008, 10:37 AM

Post #2 of 12 (1851 views)
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Re: [Bill A] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Hi Bill

I think I understand your question, let me see if I can give you an answer. FCP automatically keeps a scratch disk in a folder containing the project name. So, I think you might be trying too hard to do something that is automatic anyway.

For example, if you have a folder named "Final Cut Documents" which you point to as your scratch disk, then when you create a new project a sub-folder with the name of the project is automatically created under the folder "Final Cut Documents"

Personally, these days since I'm now capturing and editing HD in the ProRes codec, I only keep one project on a single TB drive by itself. On that drive I store my captured video and I have a scratch disk named "Final Cut Documents" When ever I start to work on a project, I have to make sure my scratch disk is pointing to the same disk that my captured media is on. Because of this, I have my auto rendering settings turned off because if if accidentally forget to change my scratch disk when I've loaded up a project, I don't want to inversely render to the wrong scratch disk.

As far as my project files go, I keep them on my Systems Disk itself as they automatically get backed up with my time machine drive. Furthermore, I keep my auto-save volt on yet another disk separate from my project files and capture/scratch disk.

Hope I haven't confused things for ya.
_____________________________
Ron Priest - Louisville KY
New Website/Blog
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Kenneth
Veteran


Nov 16, 2008, 11:42 AM

Post #3 of 12 (1846 views)
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Re: [Bill A] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Whoever the brianiacs are at Apple that wrote FCP, they didn't consider whether heir users would use external hard drives. So FCP, the app, remembers what hard drive it's supposed to save to. But what we really need is for the project files to remember the hard drive info.



Philadelphia Wedding Video
The Kenneth Stillman Blog



Bill A
User


Nov 16, 2008, 11:52 AM

Post #4 of 12 (1843 views)
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Re: [Kenneth] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Yes, that's what I'm talking about. Seems like a very logical expectation.

Not sure of a better route than what Ron suggested to set up project files and scratch discs.

How do you do it?

Bill


Kenneth
Veteran


Nov 16, 2008, 11:55 AM

Post #5 of 12 (1840 views)
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Re: [Bill A] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
I just change my scratch disk everytime I launch the program



Philadelphia Wedding Video
The Kenneth Stillman Blog



videogal
User

Nov 19, 2008, 11:36 AM

Post #6 of 12 (1758 views)
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Re: [Bill A] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Welcome to changing your settings in FCP! This is something that annoys me - in Premier you can change 1 setting and have everything point to the new location. I keep hoping FCP will give us a better way to do this in the future.

What we do is, on our hard drive, we have a folder for "Final Cut Projects". We create a folder for each project ex. "Sarah and Andrew". Then we point all of our settings under "System Settings" to that location - Video capture, video render, audio render, waveform cache, thumbnail cache, autosave vault, and search folders - to that location. FCP will automatically create the folders to put those files in. This way every single file, asset, etc. will be in that same "Sarah and Andrew" folder.

We do this because we frequently have to pick up entire projects and move them from computer to computer or external hard drive, and this way the projects (mostly) stay intact.

The Achilles' heel in this scenario is that the human being running the computer HAS to remember to change those settings when changing projects. I am guilty of this forgetfullness on occasion, leading Sarah's stuff in Lindsey's folders (ask me what I spent this morning straightening out) and my 2 jr editors look at me like I'm speaking in a foreign language when I remind them for the 100th time to change their settings. So it isn't perfect but with attentiveness to details it does give us the portability of our projects that we need.

My best suggestion is to tape a large note to the front of your monitor that says "have you set your system settings?" to help you remember to :-)
Miriam Moran
Omaha Wedding Video
www.OmahaWeddingVideo.com


Bill A
User


Nov 19, 2008, 4:12 PM

Post #7 of 12 (1748 views)
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Re: [videogal] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Thanks for sharing this. Your scheme sounds good too but I sure wish the app would make the switch automatically. I often forget and end up with the same problem you describe.

Maybe we just need to stop being so compulsive about organization! Wink

Bill


Ron Priest
Veteran


Nov 23, 2008, 9:26 AM

Post #8 of 12 (1662 views)
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Re: [Bill A] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Hey yall

I just wanted to add another line of thought here which helps me to remember to insure my scratch disks are set properly for the project I'm working on.

As I stated above in my previous post, since I'm capturing, editing and rendering in standard ProRes (not ProRes HQ) the media files are so huge that the workflow dictates that I devote a single external TB hard drive for each wedding project.

To reiterate, I keep my project files themselves in a folder labeled "Final Cut Documents" on my internal systems disk, (this way the project files automatically get backed up when Time Machine executes it's hourly backup to yet another external hard drive designated for Time Machine backups only) while my scratch disks are drive specific and are assigned to the external drive containing the associated media files for each individual project. Then my Waveform Cache, Thumbnail Cache and Autosave Vault scratch files are save to a 2nd internal hard drive which provides for another project file backup if my system disk should crash and the Time Machine Backup was toast or if perhaps that drive wasn't powered up recently to backup the current project files. If I should need to take a drive containing a projects media to another computer, the Thumbnail and Waveform Cache files will regenerate themselves on the other computer, so those files aren't required to stay intact with the project media and render files.

So basically, all of my media files for any FCP project are located on their associated external hard drive. Since I'm in the habit of powering down my external drive enclosure before I put my computer to sleep, I am reminded to insure the specific drive containing the project media files I want to work on when starting FCP is powered up. So, one additional advantage to using individual external drives for my media files along with their associated project scratch disks is the fact that when you go to start FCP it will verify that the latest assigned scratch system disks are available (i.e. powered up). Thus if the external drive containing the last project that I was working on is not currently powered up in the external enclosure, FCP will open a warning window that basically states it does not see the associated hard drive. In all actuality it's looking for the assigned scratch disks which were assigned to the last project I was working on. The warning window states:

"To preserve the integrity of the data used by Final Cut Pro, it is necessary to ensure the existence of the following path (s) : "DRIVE/Final Cut Documents" is missing. Here FCP gives me the options to "Quit", "Check Again", or "Reset Scratch Disks" Which serves in of itself a good reminder to insure my scratch disks are set for the project I want to work on.

So I then have the chance to ensure the specific drive containing the project I want to work on is powered up and then I can click on "Check Again" and it will see that the drive in question containing the scratch disk is now available and continues to load the project. This is a nice warning, and often serves as a reminder to insure my scratch disks is set properly for the project drive I'm working on.

However as Miriam mentioned in her last post, the problem is FCP's scratch disk configuration is system wide specific and NOT project specific. When starting FCP It only checks to see if the scratch disk assigned in the system wide settings are currently available. It would seem that if Apple would provide for a scratch disk setting within the project settings (as Premiere Pro in fact does) it would solve the whole problem, again as Miriam already stated.

One last thought here. If your not editing in ProRes requiring a single drive for each project, and you do in fact keep multiple media files for different projects on a single drive, you might think of keeping your scratch disks on a dedicated external hard drive so FCP will remind you to check your scratch disks when starting the application if the external scratch disk drive is not powered up.
_____________________________
Ron Priest - Louisville KY
New Website/Blog
Live StudioCam


thatmdvideoguy
Veteran


Dec 3, 2008, 6:33 PM

Post #9 of 12 (1581 views)
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Re: [Bill A] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
I have several different FCP projects saved and in various stages of completion. Each has its own file on my hard disc with its own scratch disc folders (eg. audio render files, capture scratch, etc.) inside.

In other words, when I start a new FCP project, I create a new folder with the project name and then go to Final Cut Pro>System Settings>Scratch Discs and set this project folder as the location for all scratch discs for that project.

So, why, when I switch between projects, do these system settings and scratch discs not switch too? I want the auto save files, render files, capture scratch and so on to save to the project folder I'm currently working on.

Is there a better way to do this, keep my project files separate and organized with FCP? Please share!
Bill:

I wanted to drag this back up, as I heard something interesting today while attending the Digital Media DC Conference. In a session on Media Management in FC Studio, I asked the speaker (Robbie Carman) if he had any idea when Apple would put in a toggle to let us associate scratch discs directly with individual projects. He favors the way that you (and I) set things up. He said it may be never. The problem is that Avid owns the software code that would allow this and for some reason won't share it with Apple; Apple also has found a work around.

MadFrown

Allan


Ron Priest
Veteran


Dec 4, 2008, 4:49 PM

Post #10 of 12 (1548 views)
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Re: [thatmdvideoguy] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
He said it may be never. The problem is that Avid owns the software code that would allow this and for some reason won't share it with Apple; Apple also has found a work around.

MadFrown

Allan
Hi Allan, excuse me for butting in here, but I don't understand. What does Avid have to do with it? Also, what is Apples work around?
_____________________________
Ron Priest - Louisville KY
New Website/Blog
Live StudioCam


thatmdvideoguy
Veteran


Dec 4, 2008, 7:20 PM

Post #11 of 12 (1545 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Sorry for the confusion. I was really tired last night. Apple does NOT have a workaround. Avid owns code that is needed to keep scratch disc set for individual projects. Why? How? I don't begin to know, but I can presume they would not share it with Apple for competitive reasons.

Allan


Bill A
User


Dec 6, 2008, 4:03 AM

Post #12 of 12 (1518 views)
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Re: [thatmdvideoguy] FCP Scratch Disc [In reply to] Can't Post
Thanks for sharing this. I'm not sure I get it either though...that Avid could own the rights to this code and that Apple programmers couldn't simply find another way to write code that would do essentially the same thing.

Curious...any event/wedding videographers edit with an Avid (Avid Express?) system? I've never heard of this and wonder why? Is it overkill for this type of work?

Bill