Final Cut Server - Preparing Media Assets to Be Used on an Offline Computer

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Preparing Media Assets to Be Used on an Offline Computer

Sometimes you may want to make a selection of media assets available to be used in a
new Final Cut Pro project that you create while you are offline and not connected to the
Final Cut Server network.

Preparing media assets for disconnected use allows you to create alias copies of a media
file that is stored in your Final Cut Server cache on your local computer. Later, when you
are away from the Final Cut Server network, you can add those media files to a new
Final Cut Pro project. When you return to work and connect to the Final Cut Server network,
you can upload the new Final Cut Pro project to Final Cut Server. When you do this, a
new asset is created for the Final Cut Pro project, but because the media assets already
exist in Final Cut Server the media is not uploaded.

Important:

You can only prepare files for disconnected use on a portable computer that

contains a Final Cut Server local cache. You cannot prepare files for disconnected use and
put the files on an external drive.

To prepare media assets for disconnected use

1

Choose Preferences from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the Final Cut Server
main window that appears when you click the Server button).

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2

In the Final Cut Server Preferences window, verify the location at which the alias files will
be placed. If you want to change the location, click Choose and enter a new location on
your local computer, then click Apply Changes to save the new location.

Click the Choose button.

Alias copies of the
media files are placed
in the location specified
in this field.

3

In the Assets pane, select the media assets that you want to prepare for disconnected
use.

To select a series of items: Click an item, hold down the Shift key, and click the last item

in the series.

To select individual items: Hold down the Command key, and click discontinuous items.

4

Control-click one of the selected assets, then choose Prepare for Disconnected Use from
the shortcut menu.

The files are copied to the Final Cut Server cache, and alias copies of the files are put in
the location you specified in the “Saved aliases for prepared media files” field in the
Preferences window.

Now that the media assets have been prepared for disconnected use, you can use the
files while your local computer is not connected to Final Cut Server.

To create a Final Cut Pro project using the files that have been prepared for
disconnected use

1

Create a new project in Final Cut Pro.

2

Drag the alias files into the new project.

Important:

Be sure to maintain the path of the media files in the Prepared for Disconnected

Use location. Do not move the aliases or change the filenames.

You can also add media files that are not being managed by Final Cut Server to the new
Final Cut Pro project. When you upload the new Final Cut Pro project to Final Cut Server,
these new files are uploaded as new media assets.

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3

Edit the project.

4

When you have finished working on the project, save it.

The last stage of this process is to upload the new Final Cut Pro project to Final Cut Server.
When you upload the project, the media assets that you prepared for disconnected use
are updated, if necessary, in Final Cut Server, the new Final Cut Pro project is uploaded
as a new asset, and any new media files are uploaded to Final Cut Server as new media
assets.

To upload the new Final Cut Pro project to Final Cut Server

1

Do one of the following:

• Drag the Final Cut Pro project file from the Finder to the column on the left of the

Final Cut Server main window, to the Assets pane, or to a production.

• Choose Upload File from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the

Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button), select
the Final Cut Pro project file in the file browser that appears, then click Upload.

The Upload Final Cut Pro Project window appears.

2

Some of the information in the Upload Final Cut Pro Project window is automatically
entered. If necessary, you can change the metadata set or add any metadata for the new
Final Cut Pro project and the linked media. Click to move through the metadata categories
on the left to view all the available metadata fields.

3

If you want to put the Final Cut Pro project asset in a production, click Choose at the right
of the Associate with Production field and specify a production.

See

Organizing Assets in Final Cut Server

for more information about productions.

4

Click Upload.

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The file is uploaded and a new asset is created. The upload progress is displayed above
the Information pane in the bottom-left corner of the Final Cut Server main window.

5

If you want to monitor the progress of the file upload, click the Downloads and Uploads
button to display the Downloads & Uploads window.

After the file is uploaded, select the Assets pane and click the Search button to view the
new asset or assets created from the Final Cut Pro project file and any new media files.