how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

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George Lockwood

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how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 1:38 am

longshot question for the project conversion/import experts.

i have an old, maybe ten years, final cut pro 6 project that had been abandoned and i now want to resurrect. normally, i'd do this with an exported xml file from the final cut project. xml files were never made for the various timelines within the project, though. being as old as it is, i no longer have access to a final cut 6 system. i use resolve now.

i need to extract the timelines from the original fcp project files in order to finish the picture editing. there are too many of them and they have way too many cuts to just try to rebuild them from memory, though.

i can think of two ways to accomplish this task. one would be to find someone to work with who still has a working implementation of fcp6. the other would be to find conversion software that still reads fcp6 files.

project is a long-form documentary on underground radio of the 60s/70s. the last cut i had ran about 1hr 30min.

anyone have any thoughts how this might be accomplished, if it's even possible?

thanks,
g
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Joe Shapiro

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 3:28 am

Don’t recall any software besides fcp that read actual fcp project files. I wouldn’t think it’d be too hard though to install an old version of OS X and a copy of fcp7. Been thinking about doing this myself just to have it handy.

Fcp7 will read an fcp6 project and you can export from there.

Heck, there’s even someone on the group who’s been posting about moving from fcp7 to Resolve. I bet they have a working fcp7 system and might give you a hand.


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Uli Plank

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 7:29 am

Second that. Try to find a Mac that's still able to run FCP 7, they are pretty long-lived. I, for example, still have an old Mac mini feeding my TV over all the years. Even if a friend or helpful neighbour is already running such a machine with a newer OS, you can always make a second boot disk with the older one and install FCP 7, so you also don't mess with their stuff. If that computer can only run Mojave or High Sierra, there's a hack called Retroactive, but I don't know how reliable it is.

Shouldn't be too hard to find a legal copy of the program DVDs too. Once you got your project loaded, export an XML. DR can still read those in the old format.

Giving you a hand from here might be difficult, since I assume that you need to have the original media as well, not only the project file, to export a working XML.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

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Sam Steti

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 7:42 am

Hey

I also have an El Capitaned one, with FCP7 on it and can open old projects (and may also capture tapes if needed).
The best is to open it and export an XML, no doubt about that. Don't do like on another thread : if your clips are not gathered in one folder (or your files have the same name in multiple folders), first re-arrange and export with single names the clips from FCP7 prior to import a new XML into Resolve...
Good luck ;)
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Uli Plank

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 7:47 am

Yeah, I remember that case. Please check if those clips have proper TC. It might be helpful to populate the tape/reel field for metadata too.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

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Andy Mees

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 8:20 am

Uli Plank wrote:I assume that you need to have the original media as well, not only the project file, to export a working XML.
As I recall, everything used in the translation is in the project file itself, nothing is coming directly from the media... so if you just send someone (with FCP) the old FCP project file they can open it and export a working XML version, no media necessary. I don't have FCP installed anywhere these days myself, but I can probably get it translated for you if needs be. Put it on a file sharing site. Worst case scenario is that only part of your project comes through and there are a bazillion conform errors to deal with... which may sound bad, but is perhaps less bad than recutting from scratch (depending on your point of view). ;)
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Uli Plank

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 8:37 am

Might be worth a try, yes.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

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nucelar

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 8:40 am

George Lockwood wrote:longshot question for the project conversion/import experts.

i have an old, maybe ten years, final cut pro 6 project that had been abandoned and i now want to resurrect. normally, i'd do this with an exported xml file from the final cut project. xml files were never made for the various timelines within the project, though. being as old as it is, i no longer have access to a final cut 6 system. i use resolve now.

i need to extract the timelines from the original fcp project files in order to finish the picture editing. there are too many of them and they have way too many cuts to just try to rebuild them from memory, though.

i can think of two ways to accomplish this task. one would be to find someone to work with who still has a working implementation of fcp6. the other would be to find conversion software that still reads fcp6 files.

project is a long-form documentary on underground radio of the 60s/70s. the last cut i had ran about 1hr 30min.

anyone have any thoughts how this might be accomplished, if it's even possible?

thanks,
g

Hi I have a working FCP7 system at hand, you can send the fcp file to me, and I'll see what i can do.
I imagine fcp7 will open fcp 6 projects just fine. PM me
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Miko

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 12:44 pm

Have you tried to translate the .xml for Final Cut X,
with sendtox?
I don't know if it's possible,
but it could be a successful option..
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Uli Plank

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 12:47 pm

AFAIK he has no XML and then, DR can read the older format.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

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Sam Steti

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 1:07 pm

He can send me the files and the project, I can do it for 3 coffees :)
For 4 coffees, I send a .drp project and he can work on it straightforwardly...

Just saying, because I just talked with 3-4 guys who were all expecting things like patreon and stuff : so I decided to have one, and here's a beautiful chance to try it :lol:
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Joe Shapiro

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostMon Jul 04, 2022 11:48 pm

Just finished reinstalling FCP7 on MacOS High Sierra. So I can make an XML for you as well.
Cheers!
Joe
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George Lockwood

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostTue Jul 05, 2022 2:43 am

Wow! Thanks for all of the info, suggestions, and offers. So much appreciated.

I've been digging, both through my memory as well as materials, trying to remember things regarding the project and system and it may be that I can get through this with only additional tips from the forum here. I'd forgotten that, in the many years since I bailed on FCP and OSX for DR and linux, my system had an interim phase in which I used it as a hackintosh. Turns out I still had that system drive and it had FCP v6 on it. Not only that but it seems to run well enough to export xmls. Who'd-a-thunkit?

I tested one sequence and, indeed, the cuts seem to be in the right places. Haven't yet tried with media or a more complex sequence, though, so we'll see. There are other issues, such as, ownership and permissions on the project drives (HFS+) vs the linux system. I'm reluctant to tinker too much with the drives themselves and am coming to the conclusion that it may be better to get another drive and copy the data to it, keeping the originals as backups.

One thing I'm wondering about before I get too far into trying to export a zillion sequences is, what version xml should I export from FCP 6? I believe the choices were v1 through v4. I once worked at a place, way back when, where the suggestion was to always use v1. Never knew why, though. The test I just did was v4. Any suggestions on that front?

again, thanks so much for the support,
g
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Sam Steti

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostTue Jul 05, 2022 7:12 am

I read very quickly, but the XML version from FCP7 can be the higher one available. I imported recently an XML in Resolve, and only version 10 was too high so far, version 9 was ok (though the message was false, it worked)...
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Joe Shapiro

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostTue Jul 05, 2022 7:49 am

The FCP XML exported from Premiere is version 4.
Of course it's possible that there were fixes/enhancements to XML export that are present in 7.0.3 but not 6.
In any case, it's not too hard to find a download for 7.0.3 on the net so you can update your FCP to the latest if you so choose.
Director, Editor, Problem Solver. Been cutting indie features for 23 years. FCP editor from version 2 to 7.
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Uli Plank

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostTue Jul 05, 2022 8:41 am

@Sam
FYI: DR version 18 can even read XML version 10, where the file format was changed (bundle).
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

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George Lockwood

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostTue Jul 05, 2022 6:00 pm

sounds like i should use xml v4 for export unless i want to risk screwing up my tenuous system by trying to upgrade in some way. i don't think upgrading is worth the risk. if i screw up the system somehow, it's over. that leaves v4 as the newest xml version i can export and the version i should use. sound right?

thanks again for all the input on this obscure issue.

g
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Uli Plank

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostTue Jul 05, 2022 7:21 pm

There's even software to translate XMLs from the older FCP to FCP X (and back!) by a company called Intelligent Assistance and they are quite knowledgeable. You may want to contact them with your question.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

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Joe Shapiro

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Re: how to resurrect fcp6 project for resolve import?

PostTue Jul 05, 2022 7:23 pm

Indeed! But Resolve reads the fcp7 format and I recently tried converting and importing and it caused extra problems. So be careful?


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Director, Editor, Problem Solver. Been cutting indie features for 23 years. FCP editor from version 2 to 7.
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MacBook Air 13" M1 8GB RAM, macOS 14.1

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