Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2 User Guide

							 Chapter 5    Organize your library 71
Add or edit clip notes in the Timeline Index
 1 To open the Timeline Index, click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of the 
Final Cut Pro main window (or press Shift-Command-2).
 2 To open the Clips pane, click the Clips button at the top of the Timeline Index. 
Clips button
 3 If the Notes column is not visible in the Clips pane, Control-click a column heading and choose 
Notes from the shortcut menu.
 4 Click the Notes field for the clip, and type or edit the notes for that clip.
Enter notes 
for a clip here.
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							 Chapter 5    Organize your library 72
Organize clips by roles
You can organize clips by roles, which are metadata text labels assigned to clips. 
When you import clips (video, audio, or still images), Final Cut Pro automatically assigns one of 
five default roles to the video and audio components of each clip: Video, Titles, Dialogue, Music, 
and Effects. You can also create custom roles and subroles and assign them to clips.
You can view and reassign roles in the Browser, the Timeline Index, or the Info inspector. For 
example, you could easily identify all your dialogue clips and play them back in isolation from 
other audio clips. See 
View and reassign roles on page 318.
Colored lines marking event clips
Colored lines appear on clips and ranges in the Browser to help you see at a glance if they’re 
marked as Favorite or Rejected, have keywords applied, or are being used in the current project.
Color DescriptionMore information
A green line indicates that you’ve 
marked a clip as Favorite.See Rate clips as Favorite or 
Rejected
 on page 65
.
A red line indicates that you’ve 
marked a clip as Rejected. See Rate clips as Favorite or 
Rejected on page 65
.
A blue line indicates that a clip 
has manually applied keywords 
or keywords imported with the 
media file. See Add keywords to clips on 
page 67
.
A purple line indicates that a clip 
has one or more analysis keywords.  See 
View analysis keywords on 
clips
 on page 53 .
An orange line along the bottom 
of an event clip indicates that the 
clip is being used in the project 
currently open in the Timeline. See Adding clips overview on 
page 99
.
To turn this view on or off, choose 
View > Show Used Media Ranges. 
Find items using search, k eywords, and Smar t C ollections
Find clips and projects in events
In Final Cut Pro, you can search for media in two ways: 
 •Quickly filter clips by marking: Use the Filter pop-up menu in the Browser to quickly locate 
individual clips by rating, or the absence of ratings and keywords.
 •Search using a combination of criteria in the Filter window: Use the Filter window to perform 
complex searches for clips and projects, also known as weighted searches. You can search 
by a wide variety of criteria, including clip or project name, rating, media type, used media, 
excessive shake, keywords, the presence of people, format information, date, roles, and item 
type (audition, synchronized clip, compound clip, multicam clip, layered graphic, or project).
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							 Chapter 5    Organize your library 73
Filter clips quickly by rating
Use the Filter pop-up menu in the Browser to quickly find clips by rating.
 1 In the Libraries list, select one or more events you want to search.
 2 Choose an option from the Filter pop-up menu at the top of the Browser.
 •All Clips: Shows all clips in the event.
 •Hide Rejected: Shows all clips or range selections except those you’ve rated Reject.
 •No Ratings or Keywords: Shows only the clips or range selections without ratings or keywords.
 •Favorites: Shows only the clips or range selections you’ve rated Favorite.
 •Rejected: Shows only the clips or range selections you’ve rated Reject.
Search for clips and projects by a combination of criteria
The Filter window allows you to combine multiple search criteria. For example, you can search for 
video clips or projects that contain the text “exterior” or “wide shot” in their metadata.
 1 In the Libraries list, select the event or folder you want to search.
 2 Click the Filter button  at the top of the Browser.
 3 In the Filter window, choose search criteria, or rules, from the Add Rule pop-up menu.
Add Rule pop-up menu
 •Te x t : Find clips or projects by their name or any notes applied to them in list view. You can add 
multiple Text rules to search using more than one word or phrase, as well as exclude specific 
words and phrases from the search.
 •Ratings: Find clips based on the rating (Favorite or Reject) assigned to them.
 •Media Type: Find clips whose source media files are of a specific type, such as video, audio, or 
still images.
 •Type: Find items matching one of the following types: audition, synchronized clip, compound 
clip, multicam clip, layered graphic, or project.
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							 Chapter 5    Organize your library 74
 •Used Media: Find clips based on whether or not they are used in a project, a compound clip, a 
multicam clip, or a synchronized clip.
 •Stabilization: Find video clips that Final Cut Pro has identified as having excessive shake.
 •Keywords: Find clips by any of the keywords that you’ve assigned to them. You can select one 
or more keywords to search for.
 •People: Find clips that Final Cut Pro has identified as having people in them. Options include 
One Person, Two Persons, Group, Close Up Shot, Medium Shot, and Wide Shot.
 •Format Info: Find clips or projects using format information, such as video frame rate or 
scene number.
 •Date: Find clips or projects by either the date the item was created or the date the media was 
imported into Final Cut Pro.
 •Roles: Find clips by their assigned roles.
To remove a rule, click the Remove button 
 to the right of the rule. To exclude a rule from your 
search without removing it, deselect the checkbox to the left of the rule.
 4 Further refine your search by choosing items from the pop-up menus for the rules you’ve added.
 5 Do one of the following:
 •To specify that an item must match at least one of the criteria or keywords:  Choose Any from the 
pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Filter window.
 •To specify that an item must match all the criteria and keywords:  Choose All from the pop-up 
menu in the upper-left corner.
The items that match the search criteria are displayed in the Browser, and icons indicating the 
search status appear to the right of the Filter button at the top of the Browser.
If you wish, you can save your search results as a Smart Collection, which gathers items 
automatically based on the search criteria.
To clear a weighted search, click the Reset button to the right of the search status icons in the 
upper-right corner of the Browser.
Search for clips or projects by name and notes
You can use the search field to quickly find clips or projects by name and any notes applied in 
list view without having to open the Filter window.
 1 In the Libraries list, select one or more events you want to search.
 2 In the search field, enter the clip’s or project’s name or notes applied to the clip or project you’re 
looking for.
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							 Chapter 5    Organize your library 75
Find clips using both searching and filtering
Performing a weighted search and then filtering the results in the Browser by rating is a powerful 
way to quickly find clips. This is also the best method of finding specific clips that you haven’t 
rated and comparing them against the clips you have rated.
 1 In the Libraries list, select the event or folder you want to search.
 2 Search for clips using a combination of search criteria, as described in “Search for clips and 
projects by a combination of criteria,” above.
However, do not apply a ratings filter using the Filter window.
 3 Use the Filter pop-up menu, as described in the “Filter clips quickly by rating” steps above, to 
quickly filter the clips by rating.
 4 Repeat step 3 until you find the clips you’re looking for.
Save searches as Smart Collections
When you search for clips or projects in an event using the Filter window, you can save your 
results by creating a new Smart Collection that gathers items matching the search criteria. 
Anytime a new item that matches the Smart Collection’s search criteria is brought into the event, 
the new item is automatically added to the Smart Collection.
Clips and projects that appear in Smart Collections are not duplicates. Smart Collections filter 
items in an event to help you focus on the items you need to use for a specific task.
Create a Smart Collection based on search criteria
 1 In the Libraries list, select an event.
 2 Use the Filter window to search for clips or projects based on specified criteria.
 3 In the Filter window, click the New Smart Collection button.
A new, untitled Smart Collection appears in the event.
 4 Type a name for the Smart Collection, and press Return.
When you add items to the event that match the Smart Collection’s search criteria, they’re 
automatically added to the Smart Collection.
Change the contents of a Smart Collection
 1 In the Libraries list, double-click the Smart Collection whose contents you want to change.
The Filter window for the Smart Collection appears.
Smart Collection
 2 Revise the search criteria in the Filter window.
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							 Chapter 5    Organize your library 76
 3 When you’re finished specifying search criteria, close the Filter window.
Note:  Modifying a clip’s ratings or keywords in such a way that it no longer matches a Smart 
Collection’s search criteria results in the clip no longer appearing in the Smart Collection.
Delete a Smart Collection
 mIn the Libraries list, select the Smart Collection you want to delete, and choose File > Delete 
Smart Collection (or press Command-Delete).
The Smart Collection is removed from the library, but its associated items (the clips and projects 
that appeared in it) are unaffected.
Organize Keyword and Smart Collections
You can organize Keyword Collections and Smart Collections in events using folders.
Organize collections with folders
 1 In the Libraries list, select the event containing the collections you want to organize, and choose 
File > New Folder.
 2 Type a name for the new folder that appears within the event and press Return.
 3 Select the Smart Collections and Keyword Collections you want to organize, and drag them into 
the new folder.
You can show and hide the contents of the folder by clicking the disclosure triangle to the left of 
the folder’s name.
Restore a library from automatic backups
By default, Final Cut Pro makes automatic library backups at 15-minute intervals. Backups include 
the database portion of libraries only, not the media files. Backups are saved with the time and 
date in the filename. 
By default, Final Cut Pro saves backups to the Final Cut Pro Backups folder in the Movies folder, 
but you can change the backup location using the Library Properties inspector. For more 
information, see Manage storage locations
 on page 434.
Final Cut Pro automatically deletes library backups that are more than several days old.
Restore from a library backup
 1 In the Libraries list, select the library  you want to restore.
 2 Choose File > Open Library > From Backup.
 3 In the “Restore from” pop-up menu, choose a backup from a specific time and date, or click Other 
and navigate to a different backup file to open.
 The backup is added as a library in the Libraries list.
Note:  The backups are standard Final Cut Pro library files, so you can also open them by double-
clicking them in the Finder. For more information, see Managing libraries overview on page 4 31 .
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							  77
Playback and skimming overview
Final Cut Pro makes it easy to view and listen to your media, whether it’s located in the Browser 
or the Timeline. Its dynamic previewing capabilities let you find what you need quickly without 
being distracted from the task at hand.
You use two tools to preview and play back media in Final Cut Pro:
 •The playhead marks the current position in the Timeline or the Browser. You can move the 
playhead by dragging it or clicking another area of the Timeline or Browser. You use the 
playhead to scrub, or play back from its current position.
The playhead appears as a gray vertical line that is fixed in place unless you move it or 
click elsewhere.
 •The skimmer lets you preview clips in the Timeline and the Browser without affecting the 
playhead position. You use the skimmer to skim, or freely move over clips to play back at the 
position and speed of the pointer.
The skimmer appears as a pink vertical line as you move the pointer over the area you’re 
skimming. If you have snapping turned on, the skimmer turns orange when it snaps to 
a position.
PlayheadPlayhead
Skimmer
Skimmer
When skimming is turned on, you can skim to see what’s in other clips, but still keep your 
playhead position in the Timeline. If both the playhead and skimmer are present in the same clip, 
the skimmer becomes the default position for playback or editing.
When skimming is turned off or the skimmer is not present in a clip, the playhead assumes the 
default position.
Play back and skim media
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							 Chapter 6    Play back and skim media 78
Play back media
You can play back projects and clips in Final Cut Pro. Playback options include playing from the 
beginning, playing from a certain point, looping playback, and playing at different speeds. You 
can also play back video in full-screen view. 
To control whether Final Cut Pro displays optimized, proxy, or original media in the Viewer, and 
whether video playback is optimized for quality or performance, choose the corresponding 
options from the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Viewer. For more 
information, see Control playback quality and performance
 on page 85.
Play back video and audio clips
 m To play a project or clip from the beginning: Select the project or clip and choose 
View > Playback > Play from Beginning (or press Control-Shift-I).
 mTo play a section of a project, selected clips, or a frame range from the beginning: Select the project, 
clips, or all or part of a clip, and choose View > Playback > Play Selection, or press the Slash (/) key.
When you select a clip or a portion of a clip or project, the selected area is marked with a 
yellow border.
Yellow border
 mTo play a project or clip from a specific point: In the Browser or the Timeline, click a point in a 
project or within a clip where you want to begin (or move the playhead to the point in the 
Timeline), and either press the Space bar or click the Play button 
 in the Viewer (or press L).
The clip or project begins 
playing at the skimmer 
or playhead position.
 mTo play around the playhead or skimmer: Choose View > Playback > Play Around, or press Shift-
Question Mark (?).
Skimmer
 mTo stop playback: Press the Space bar.
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							 Chapter 6    Play back and skim media 79
Use the J, K, and L keys for playback
You can use the J, K, and L keys on your keyboard to play through a project or clip. Playback 
begins at the location of the playhead (on a project) or the skimmer (on a clip). You can also use 
the J, K, and L keys to control a video playback device.
Moves through
forward speedsMoves through
reverse speedsPause
You can use these keys to speed playback up to 32x normal speed.
 m
To begin forward playback at normal (1x) speed: Press L.
 mTo begin reverse playback at normal (1x) speed: Press J.
 mTo pause playback: Press K.
 mTo double the current playback speed: Press L or J twice.
 mTo immediately reverse the playback direction: Press J to play in reverse, or press L to play forward.
 mTo move the playhead one frame at a time: Hold down the K key, and press J or L.
 mTo move the playhead at 1/2x speed: Hold down the K key while holding down J or L.
When you use keyboard shortcuts to control a device (like a camcorder or camera), the speed of 
forward (L) and reverse (J) playback may differ depending on your video equipment.
Play back media in a loop
You can turn on looping so that a project or a clip (or any portion of either) plays in a 
continuous loop.
 1 To enable looping, choose View > P layback > L oop Playback (or press Command-L).
 2 Do any of the following:
 •To loop your entire project: Click the Timeline to make it active and press the Space bar.
 •To loop a clip in the Browser: Select the clip and press the Space bar.
 •To loop a portion of a clip or project: Select a range in the Browser clip or the Timeline, or select 
a Timeline clip, and choose View > Playback > Selection, or press the Slash (/) key.
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							 Chapter 6    Play back and skim media 80
Play video in full-screen view
 1 Open a project in the Timeline or select a clip in the Browser, and position the playhead where 
you want the video to begin.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose View > Playback > Play Full Screen (or press Shift-Command-F).
 •Click the Play Full Screen button  below the Viewer.
The item plays in full-screen view starting at the playhead position.
Tip:  You can use all the playback shortcut keys during full-screen playback, including J-K-L and 
others. For a full list of the available shortcuts, see Playback/Navigation
 on page 467 .
 3 To leave full-screen view, press the Esc (Escape) key.
When you play back clips, the frames under the playhead or skimmer play in the Viewer. If 
you need to compare two clips at once, you can use the Event Viewer, a separate viewer for 
playing back event clips only. The Event Viewer appears to the left of the main Viewer. For more 
information, see Play back and skim media in the Event Viewer
 on page 82.
Skim media
You can quickly skim your video and audio to preview it, search for a particular shot, or make an 
edit. When skimming is turned on and you move the pointer forward or backward over a clip in 
the Browser or the Timeline, the content under the pointer plays in the Viewer.
You can also use the Blade, Trim, and Range Selection editing tools to skim clips in the Timeline 
or in the Precision Editor.
As you’re editing in Final Cut Pro, you may find skimming distracting when you move the pointer 
from one location to another. You can disable all skimming (or just audio skimming).
Skim clips
 m Move the pointer forward or backward over a clip in the Browser or the Timeline.
The skimmer (a vertical pink line) indicates exactly where the pointer is as you skim, and the 
corresponding frames are displayed in the Viewer.
Skimmer
Tip:  You can also press the Space bar at any time to play forward from the skimmer position.
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