FCP X: Change Project Settings

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Larry

Recently, I got an email from a reader asking how to change Project Properties in Final Cut Pro X. It isn’t hard, but there are a couple of hidden steps.

Most of the time, when you create a project, the settings are fine; especially when you let your Project auto-configure itself based upon the first clip you edit into it.

However, every so often, you edit the wrong type clip in first and the Project configures incorrectly, or you want to change the image size, or the render format. Here’s how.

Select the Project you want to change in the Project Library.

Then, either right-click the name of the project, type Command+J, or choose File > Project Properties.

This opens the Properties tab in the Inspector.

Clicking the Modify Event References button allows you view which Events are storing the media used in your Project. If you are using multiple Events, you can change their priority by dragging them up or down.

NOTE: Personally, I’ve never used this feature. However, it is nice to know it is here.

Click the Wrench icon in the lower right corner to open the Project Properties panel.

Here, you can change many of the settings of your project; including starting timecode and image size. However, once you have media edited into your Project, you are not able to change frame rate.

If you need to change the frame rate, the easiest thing to do is create a new Project, then copy the clips from the old Project and paste them into the new one.

NOTE: The best time to change project properties is when there are no clips edited into the sequence. When a sequence is empty, any property can be changed.

When you are happy with your revised settings, click OK.

Done.

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51 Responses to FCP X: Change Project Settings

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Claudia says:

December 31, 2012 at 8:56 am

I can’t seem to create a custom frame size as I could in FCP7…I read another article on this, but this one seems to indicate that one could create a custom frame size. I tried making a blank in photoshop, and did get a blank on the timeline, but when I add clips, the clips do not maintain their ratio (desire is to make a sort of collage). When I make a compound clip, the compound defaulted to the last exported size which was for the web….I wanted it to maintain the custom size I had created at first.

another way to say this is that I’m trying to create a document like photoshop or inDesign, where I can drop in moving images. My projects often span several output monitors and I need to work on them in FCP as one large movie.

any advice would be appreciated.
Larry Jordan says:

December 31, 2012 at 10:20 am

Claudia:

See if this article helps: http://www.larryjordan.biz/fcpx-custom-project-sizes/

Larry
rich montgomery says:

January 10, 2013 at 8:25 am

Hi Larry,

In FCP X, what would happen if you took media that was originally shot in 720p 24fps, and added it to a project that is 1080p 60fps. Does FCP X add the missing frame using some kind of frame blending. A I ask because I project (not a client one, my own) started with the first format, then I bought a new camera which shoots 1080p 60fps (which I love). Just wondering, at this time I am just adding the 1080 footage to the project already started which created the project properties from the original 720p footage.
thanks!
rich montgomery says:

January 10, 2013 at 8:27 am

Hi Larry,

In FCP X, what would happen if you took media that was originally shot in 720p 24fps, and added it to a project that is 1080p 60fps. Does FCP X add the missing frames using some kind of frame blending? I ask because I project (not a client one, my own) started with the first format, then I bought a new camera which shoots 1080p 60fps (which I love). Just wondering, at this time I am just adding the 1080 footage to the project already started which created the project properties from the original 720p footage.
thanks!
Larry Jordan says:

January 10, 2013 at 10:46 am

Rich:

You are correct. FCP X will add frames so that the 24 fps material runs at 60 fps. Depending upon what you are shooting, you either won’t see the change, when there is limited movement, or it will drive you nuts, if there is a lot of movement.

Test this yourself and see what it looks like. There are more sophisticated ways to change speed, but they aren’t cheap.

Larry
rich montgomery says:

January 10, 2013 at 11:25 am

Thanks so much Larry! I figured as much, I will duplicate the project and drop it into a new project with the 1080p 60fps settings and see. This is my own vanity project, so I wont be looking into the software solutions that would be expensive. Really appreciate the quick response, you are the best!
Laurent P. says:

March 9, 2013 at 12:23 am

Hello Larry,
Just a question (or two) about project settings.
I have just finished a 5 days training with an fcpx instructor and I still don’t understand a couple of thing:
Let the project auto-configure based upon the first clip, I drag a 720p50 xdcam ex for example, the codec of my project will be xdcam ex? If it’s true or not where can I verify and/or the codec of the project ?
And finally if I edit only H264 for this example (no proxy or optimized), just cutting without filter or transition, when I share a master file, codec source seems to be the render format (prores422 here), so “same as source” create a prores file… I have to select H264 in the codec list, is fcp x required transcoding the project?
Thanks for help and sorry for my bad english!
Laurent P. says:

March 9, 2013 at 12:30 am

… Missing word, sorry…
where can I verify and/or “change” the codec of the project ?
Larry Jordan says:

March 9, 2013 at 10:37 pm

Laurent:

For image size, frame rate and other options, select the Project in the Project Library and choose File > Project Properties.

Look in the top of the Info tab for the specs.

To determine codec, select the first clip you edited into your project and, again, go to the Info tab in the Inspector.

Larry
Laurent P. says:

March 10, 2013 at 12:13 am

Thanks for answer Larry,
I understand that there is no way to change project’s codec (never edit a title first, for ex.)
and always tag the first clip with a keyword (cause the first clip edited, never stay the first for long)
Thanks again