I can't "leave files in place" during import into Final Cut Pro 10.6 - how to convert camera files?

I can't see it in your screen shots, but FCP is behaving like it sees a camera card structure. Maybe in one of the adjacent folders?

Something you could try before separating out the mp4s is, with your Import preferences set to "Leave files in place," drag the footage folder from the Finder into the FCP event you'd like. We do this for our Sony FX6 media and the files are left in place. FCP does complain about unknown XML files in the folder structure but continues the import. If we instead use the Import dialog and import the footage, FCP duplicates the footage into the library (or wherever the storage location preference is set).

Since you're new to FCP, you could significantly shorten the time to get up to speed by watching these two free tutorials:

Steve at Ripple Training, 60 minute FCP tutorial overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqUP7Zgeuck

Izzy Video tutorials. Slightly older so the UI looks different but the concepts are still correct. https://youtu.be/_jvyrnQpR1E?list=PLp5SAgbM8S87n1qvv34-PAU2zMHLlXyfb

They are not in the camera card, but if you just copied the whole file structure from the card, FCP treats them as such. The way forward depends on what the structure of the card is, and how you want to organize your media.

You could set a location on your drive as the media location for your library, and import. This will still make a copy, outside the library. If you have the cards backed up somewhere else, you can then delete the copy of the cards from this drive.

Alternatively, you could perhaps use Image Capture (*) to import the media from the card and store it in your desired location. Then import from that location to FCP using "leave in place". This is the procedure that I always use with my iPhone. It lets me organize the media in the Finder, always leave it in place, and reuse as needed in different libraries, while keeping it all organized without further duplication.

(Note: this may depend on the structure of the card; for some cameras you may just copy the files off the card using the Finder)

You have to move them port of the camera file structure. You can either do this manually, and then you can use leave in place. This runs the risk of losing some camera metadata. You can also have the application assign an external storage location and it will copy the files there using whatever information is in the camera structure.

Please disregard my previous post.

I missed the part where you mentioned the Jellyfish. This is network storage created with FCP in mind, so that should not be a limiting factor.

I don't see anything in there that should prevent "leave in place". Maybe Tom can.

Can you show what’s in the Import section of the window? Can you show the full folder of where the media is? How is the drive connected and formatted?

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