Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2 User Guide

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You can also create a snapshot of the entire project. Project snapshots are self-contained 
backup versions that include compound or multicam parent clips. Duplicating a project as a 
snapshot makes copies of the compound or multicam parent clips and embeds them in the 
project so that any changes to other instances of the clips do not affect the snapshot. For 
more information, see Duplicate projects and clips
 on page 64.
Note:  Compound clips in Final Cut Pro X provide all the functionality of the nested sequence 
feature in Final Cut Pro 7, with more flexibility and ease of use.
Create and break apart compound clips
You can create a compound clip from existing clips in the Timeline or the Browser, or you can 
create a new, empty compound clip in the Browser and add clips to it in the Timeline. You can 
also break a compound clip into its component parts in the Timeline, so that the items are no 
longer grouped.
Create a compound clip from existing clips
 1 Select one or more clips in the Timeline or the Browser.
The selected clips can be any combination of contiguous or noncontiguous clips, compound 
clips, primary storyline clips, or connected clips.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose File > New Compound Clip (or press Option-G).
 •Control-click the selection and choose New Compound Clip from the shortcut menu.
Note:  When you add a compound clip to the Timeline or create a compound clip from existing 
clips in the Timeline, you create a direct and active relationship between a parent compound clip 
in the Browser and the child compound clip in the Timeline. If the parent clip doesn’t already 
exist in the Browser, Final Cut Pro creates one automatically. When you edit the contents of a 
compound clip (for example, by trimming or adding effects to clips within the compound clip), 
you are in fact editing all instances of that compound clip, including the parent compound clip 
in the Browser.
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The way clips are grouped within the compound clip depends on where you selected the clips:
 •If you selected clips in an event: Final Cut Pro creates a new compound clip in the event 
(in addition to the selected clips) and places duplicates of the selected clips in the new 
compound clip horizontally, in the order in which you selected them. (For further instructions 
on creating a compound clip in the Browser, see “Create an empty compound clip,” below.)
Selected clips in the Browser
New compound clip
Compound 
clip contents
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 •If you selected clips in the Timeline: Final Cut Pro places the selected clips in the new compound 
clip exactly as they are laid out in the Timeline. The new compound clip inherits the frame size 
and frame rate of the current Timeline.
Selected clips in the Timeline 
New compound clip
Compound 
clip contents
Create an independent compound clip from an existing compound clip
 1 Select a compound clip in the Timeline.
 2 Choose Clip > Reference New Parent Clip.
Final Cut Pro creates a new parent compound clip in the Browser. This command breaks the 
relationship between the selected compound clip in the Timeline and its original parent 
compound clip (as well as any child clips of the original parent clip, in all projects). 
Note:  You can also select multiple clips in step 1 and Final Cut Pro will make one or more parent 
clips, depending on the existing parent clip references.
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Create an empty compound clip
You can create new, empty compound clips and then add clips to them. Each compound clip can 
be considered a mini project, with its own distinct project properties.
 1 In a library, select an event to which you want to add the compound clip.
 2 Choose File > New Compound Clip.
In the window that appears, type a name for the compound clip in the Name field.
 3 Click Use Custom Settings to further customize settings for your compound clip.
Note:  Final Cut Pro shows the Automatic Settings by default, but it will remember the settings 
you used last, so this step may be unnecessary.
 4 By default, Final C ut P ro sets the Starting Timecode field to the lowest timecode value in the 
selected clips. If you want the compound clip’s timecode to start at a different value, type that 
starting timecode value in the Starting Timecode field.
 5 To adjust video, audio, and render settings, click Custom. Unless you have a specific requirement 
for the compound clip you’re creating, it’s best to leave “Set automatically based on first video 
clip” and “Use default settings” selected.
 6 Click OK.
The new compound clip appears in the event.
Edit the contents of a standard clip in the Timeline
You can edit the contents of a standard clip.
 mSelect a clip in the Browser or the Timeline, and choose Clip > Open in Timeline.
The Timeline displays the contents of the clip. Most standard clips include a video component, an 
audio component, or both. You cannot edit the contents of these video and audio components.
You can add media to the contents of this clip (by adding clips to this Timeline). To close this clip, 
navigate up one level in the Timeline history.
Note:  Because editing in Final Cut Pro is nondestructive, any changes you make to the contents 
of standard or compound clips do not affect the corresponding source media files, which remain 
unchanged on your computer’s hard disk. For more information about the difference between 
media files and clips, see Media files and clips
 on page 22.
Break apart clip items
You can break apart a compound clip or a standard clip to convert its contents to individual clips 
in the Timeline.
 mSelect a compound clip or a standard clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Break Apart Clip 
Items (or press Shift-Command-G).
Final Cut Pro replaces the clip selected in the Timeline with the individual items that made up 
the clip.
If you selected a compound clip, its contents revert back to the original clips that made up the 
compound clip. However, the parent compound clip remains in the Browser.
If the selected clip is a standard clip, the contents appear as individual clips in the Timeline. Most 
standard clips include a video component or an audio component or both. The audio will appear 
as a connected clip.
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Manage compound clips
There are many ways to manage and edit compound clips. For example, you can open up 
compound clips (and edit their component parts) in a separate Timeline. You can easily navigate 
up and down a series of compound clip levels. And you can open and edit a compound clip from 
within an event.
Note:  When you edit the contents of a compound clip (for example, by trimming or adding 
effects to clips within the compound clip) you are in fact editing all instances of that compound 
clip, including the parent compound clip in the Browser. Any changes you make to the internal 
parts of the compound clip are inherited by all of its child clips, in all projects. These changes can 
include added or deleted clips, trimming adjustments, and video or audio effects such as color 
correction, clip speed retiming, and so on. For example, if you delete a title clip from a parent 
compound clip, the title clip is deleted from all child compound clips.
Open a compound clip for editing
Do one of the following:
 mSelect a compound clip in the Timeline or the Browser, and choose Clip > Open in Timeline.
 m Double-click the video portion of a compound clip in the Timeline or the Browser.
 mClick the compound clip icon in the upper-left corner of a compound clip in the Timeline.
The compound clip opens in a new Timeline view, with its contents ready for editing.
Compound clip in a project in the Timeline
Compound clip opened in a new Timeline view
Project Compound clip
Project
Note:  Because editing in Final Cut Pro is nondestructive, any changes you make to the contents 
of standard or compound clips do not affect the corresponding source media files, which remain 
unchanged on your computer’s hard disk. For more information about the difference between 
media files and clips, see Media files and clips
 on page 22.
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Navigate compound clip levels using menu commands and keyboard shortcuts
You can navigate up or down one or more levels of a compound clip.
 mTo move forward (down one level): Choose View > Timeline History Forward, or press Command–
Right Bracket (]).
 mTo move back (up one level): Choose View > T imeline History Back, or press Command–Left Bracket 
([).
Navigate compound clip levels using the arrow buttons
Do one of the following:
 mClick the left and right arrows in the upper-left corner of the Timeline.
 mClick and hold the right or left arrow in the upper-left corner of the Timeline, and choose a level 
from the pop-up menu.
The left arrow effectively closes the current compound clip and opens its parent, with the top 
level being the project or event containing the compound clip. If there is no history available to 
navigate, both the left and right arrows are dimmed. 
Make sure all contents of a compound clip appear in your movie
When you’re editing the contents of a compound clip, Final Cut Pro indicates the boundary of 
the compound clip with a dark gray, cross-hatched area to the left of the start point of the clip 
and to the right of the end point of the clip.
If you add clips to the contents of the compound clip, any parts of any clips that extend into the 
dark gray area do not appear in your project.
Any clips in the dark gray, 
cross-hatched area do not 
appear in your final movie.
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To have the new clip material appear in your project, do one of the following to make room for 
the new material:
 mReduce the total duration of the other clips inside the compound clip. For example, you could 
trim one or more clips inside the compound clip.
 mClose the compound clip to navigate up one level, and extend the total duration of the parent 
clip (the “outside shell” of the compound clip) in the Timeline.
For more information, see  Trimming overview
 on page 12 2.
Add storylines
Storylines are sequences of clips connected to the primary storyline. They combine the 
convenience of connected clips with the precision editing capabilities of the primary storyline.
You can use storylines for the same purposes as connected clips (such as creating cutaways, 
compositing titles and other graphics, and adding sound effects and music). 
The unique advantage of storylines is the ability to edit a sequence of connected clips within the 
context of the other clips in the Timeline. For example, you can add cross dissolve transitions to a 
series of superimposed titles in a storyline and then adjust the timing of the titles to match clips 
in the primary storyline. Like connected clips, storylines can contain both video and audio, or 
they can be video only or audio only. For more information about connected clips, see  Connect 
clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects
 on page 10 3 .
Storyline
Audio-only storylinePrimary storyline
You edit storylines using the same methods you use to edit the primary storyline. You can: 
 •Add clips: Drag clips to the storyline to add them, or use the standard append, insert, replace, 
and overwrite commands.
 •Add transitions, titles, effects, and generators: Add effects to a storyline by dragging them or by 
using any of the standard commands and keyboard shortcuts.
Note:  When you apply a transition to a clip connected to the primary storyline, a storyline is 
automatically created for that clip.
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 •Trim clips: Use any of the standard trim edits in a storyline, including ripple, roll, slip, and slide. 
You can also trim or move clips within storylines by entering timecode values.
 •Create split edits: Set separate video and audio start and end points in an individual clip to 
create split edits (L-cuts and J-cuts) in a storyline.
Create or break apart storylines
You can quickly create storylines from existing connected clips.
 1 In the Timeline, select two or more connected clips.
 2 Choose Clip > C reate Storyline (or press Command-G).
A gray border appears around the clips, indicating a storyline.
The gray border indicates a storyline.
Note:  If the original connected clips are not contiguous, Final Cut Pro inserts a gap clip to fill the 
space between the clips.
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You can also create a storyline by holding down the G key as you drag a clip to a connected clip 
so that their edges touch:
Hold down the G key as you drag a clip to a connected clip.
 3 To convert a storyline back to its component clips, do one of the following:
 •Select the storyline (by clicking the gray border), and choose Clip > Break Apart Clip Items (or 
press Shift-Command-G). 
 •Drag the storyline into the primary storyline.
Select and move storylines
You can select or move entire storylines as if they were standard clips or compound clips. They 
have the connection properties of connected clips.
 m To select an entire storyline: Click the gray border of the storyline.
 mTo move a storyline by dragging it: Click the gray border of the storyline, and drag it left or right to 
connect it to a different point along the primary storyline.
Drag the storyline left or right.
 mTo move a storyline with timecode values or keyboard shortcuts: Use the same techniques you 
would use with standard clips.
For more information, see Arrange clips in the Timeline
 on page 11 7.
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Fine-tune edits with the Precision Editor
You can fine-tune the edit point between two clips in the Timeline using the Precision Editor, 
which provides an expanded view of the clips on either side of the edit point as well as the 
unused portions of each clip. You can trim or extend the end of one clip and the beginning of 
the next, either separately or together. As you make changes, you can instantly see how your 
edits affect the cut or transition from one clip to the next.
You can see a “two-up” display in the Viewer as you trim edit points in the Timeline. For more 
information, see Show detailed trimming feedback
 on page 13 7.
Adjust the edit point between clips with the Precision Editor
 1 Choose either the Select tool  or the Trim tool  from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar, 
and double-click the edit point you want to trim in the Timeline.
Double-click the edit point 
you want to trim.
The Precision Editor appears, presenting an expanded view of your outgoing and incoming 
shots. The edit point is represented by a vertical line in the center of the Precision Editor. The 
outgoing clip and the clips before it appear in the top part of the storyline. The incoming clip 
and the clips after it appear in the bottom part.
The dimmed portions of clips to the right and left of the edit line are the unused portions of 
media that are available for trimming (called media handles). You can skim over these areas to 
view and play back the media to help you decide where to trim.
Outgoing clip end pointEdit lineSkimmer
Incoming clip start point
Edit line handle 
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