Unable to relink proxy media when opening a backup version of Final Cut Pro Library

You can open the original library, change the location of the media to a folder on the same drive, but outside the library, and then Consolidate. This will very quickly move everything out of the library (which is a good idea, anyway, allowing for a very small library), and then you can relink to that same location in the other one. Then both libraries can happily use the same media.

1) Select the original Library in FCP's browser, and open the Inspector

2) Click the "Modify Settings" next to "Storage Locations" and select the desired folder

3) Click the "Consolidate" button next to "Media" to actually move the files to the selected folder

The original library will continue to work just as before, but the media will be stored in that folder

Then in the new one, you can relink.

Let me know if you need more help with this.

NOTE for the future: in case you find yourself in a similar situation, it's a good idea to Snapshot the project from time to time, and certainly before you start "experimenting"; it will then be a simple matter to revert to the previous version without going through all this work, or even using a second library.

By default, proxy and optimized media are stored inside the library, so you will not be able to relink unless you move them elsewhere.

What led you to open a backup library?

Is the original library not working for some reason?

Note that the same happens, by default, with the original media - unless you changed the location, or used "leave in place", that too will have been stored inside the library.

Please elaborate so we can give more detailed advice.

It is up to you; I don't think it will make much of a difference.

FWIW, I never changed the default for cache and, it may be surprising to you, I only rarely have changed the location for media, but that is for a different reason: I always place the files in a folder location using Finder or Image Capture, and when I import, I use "leave in place", so media is never inside the library to begin with...

Quillnib wrote:

Good to know. Does leaving the media in place on another external SSD slow down FCPX?

I don't have direct experience with that, and of course it may depend on the particular SSD and connection, but in principle being on a different SSD as such should not affect things negatively.

I usually have my media on an external SSD which gives about 900MBps of throughput in BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, and it works fine for me (even though the internal SSD on any recent macs is nominally much faster).

I don't have a second external SSD available to test.

I usually set the cache to be in the same directory as the library. This makes it very easy to completely remove the cache, which can come in handy if a cache item becomes corrupted and prevents the library from opening. I've only experienced this twice, but it was a relief to back working in a few minutes.