Moving libraries and files between locations

[timcorbin]

This is related to the discussion about media management. I'm trying to figure out the issues we've been having. Here's the current workflow used by myself and one other editor:

• We each have a 14" 2021 MacBook Pro M1 Max w/ 32GB RAM. We carry that with us and each only edit from our machine both at the office and at home.
• At the office we both edit from a single SMB NAS (IP over Thunderbolt; a QNAP TVS-872XT)
• At home: We each have a portable DAS that's fully mirrored from the NAS before we go home
• Media and cache are stored in a folder, not the library, but the entire project (all media, cache, library, etc.) are all contained in a folder structure for that editing project

This has never been an issue until we started using BRAW Toolbox. Now, on the DAS at home when we open a library that has files imported from BRAW Toolbox the machine keeps searching for the SMB NAS, as if that's where it thinks the media is. Final Cut will also tend to beachball here. A couple times I've been able to relink the media to the DAS (our standard workflow) but that changes nothing. It feels like the BRAW Toolbox media isn't being relinked to the DAS path.

Is there a better way to do this or a fix? Not being able to relink media makes Toolbox compeletely unusable as part of the workflow.

Thanks!

[latenitefilms]

Do your NAS/DAS both have the same file path, or does this change? Do you have to manually relink the other non-BRAW Toolbox clips, or do they automagically relink?

Our preferred collaboration workflow is discussed here. Essentially, if the file path remains the same, everything should just work.

However, if the file path changes, there is a Toolbox that allows you to re-link files. Personally though, I would probably try and avoid this, as it would be annoying having to manually relink files as you constantly move between locations.

If your NAS and DAS have different paths, one workaround would be to use a sym-link to "trick" your system into thinking that files are stored at the same path. For example, if at work your media is stored in /Volumes/NAS/MyMedia, but at home your media is stored in /Volumes/DAS/Work/MyMedia, you could create a sym-link so that /Volumes/NAS/MyMedia points to /Volumes/DAS/Work/MyMedia.

[timcorbin]

Well, I thought we were good to go. However, I've just opened up a library at home on the DAS that has all the paths correctly named — I checked an XML I was able to export — and it's now still searching for the NAS with a popup every 20 seconds or so saying it can't find the NAS. But all the BRAW media is loading correctly in the timeline (this wouldn't happen before — it'd be offline). FCP keeps beach balling before each popup, making it unusable. Even when I'm able to get the event dragged into Toolbox to relink, the files never load up in Toolbox (although I can't then drag the event in again). If close Toolbox after this and then try to reopen it, it just stays on the 'Loading' screen.

This is now a major issue, as I have a deadline.

Any suggestions?

[timcorbin]

Just reporting stuff as it happens: Created a new library and pasted the timeline into a new project. Closed the original library. For some reason, that seems to have worked so far.

When you have time Chris, let me know what you think might be going on. I'll report back if anything changes.

[latenitefilms]

Your previous message is a bit confusing. If you grant BRAW Toolbox Sandbox Access to your hard drive, basically BRAW Toolbox will internally only use the path as it appears in the FCPX Inspector within the BRAW Toolbox effect. So if the path is right, it'll work.

The Relink features in FCPX have no knowledge of BRAW Toolbox, so you can't use them to relink BRAW Clips.

If something is popping up wanting the NAS, it sounds like you have some other clips in FCPX that might still be pointing to it?

If you can share some screenshots or the FCPXML that might help work out what you're seeing.

[timcorbin]

Oh man, I think it was the Sandbox Access. I thought I had done that, but obviously not. As soon as I granted it, the errors went away.

So, now that I have my tail between my legs, I'll just ask: Is there anyway to make granting that access part of the import process in Toolbox — a checkbox that grants access without having to then go into the clips? I know this sounds lazy, but it always nice to have a single-step import process.

Anyways, thanks for bearing with me — and thanks again for all your help. I'll pop back in if anything changes.

[latenitefilms]

Unfortunately not - the Workflow Extension and the FxPlug4 Effect within Final Cut Pro are technically two seperate applications, so currently when you import clips in the Workflow Extension we create a security-scope bookmark that the FxPlug4 effect can resolve, giving us sandbox access to the clip, but this only works on an individual machine.

In your case though, if you're always using the same DAS, you should only have to grant sandbox access to your external drive once.

Untested, and unlikely to work, but MAYBE if you copy this file from your work machine to your home machine, it MIGHT work if the file paths remain the same between machines. I'll look into this myself at some point this week.

~/Library/Group Containers/A5HDJTY9X5.com.latenitefilms.BRAWToolbox/Library/Application Support/BRAWToolbox.document

Unfairly, despite sandboxing being a requirement of everything on the Mac App Store, Apple's own Final Cut Pro isn't actually sandboxed, so they get around a lot of the sandbox headaches.