Importing files directly through Final Cut Pro

Color Finale Transcoder is designed as a media transcoder. It allows you to select, adjust, and transcode camera raw media into optimized Apple ProRes files. It is not a plug-in that allows you to work natively with that camera raw format later on inside Final Cut Pro. When you trim clips and/or make color adjustments, you are creating new media with ‘baked in’ settings.

When you select one or more clips to transcode, the estimated file size of the generated media is displayed in the Disk Space gauge at the bottom left of the Transcoder window. This estimate is based on the selected transcoding codec, resolution, and length of the clips. If you trim the clip or clips to a shorter length, this will also result in a smaller file size.

There are several ways to transcode and import media into Final Cut Pro. The first method is to work in tandem with the FCP application. The Import Selected button is located under the file browser. Color Finale Transcoder defaults to a new FCP Event Name based on the current date. You have the option to create a new Event name. With the desired clips highlighted, click the Import Selected button. A pop-up window will allow you to assign the destination Final Cut Pro Library for this new Event.

An alternate method is to drag the selected clips from the Color Finale Transcoder file browser list directly into the open Final Cut Pro Event that is visible behind the Transcoder window. Both methods effectively import media in the same way. When a camera raw file is imported into a Final Cut Pro Event, FCPXML data is transferred between Color Finale Transcoder and Final Cut Pro. In addition, a background rendering process is triggered.

At first, the clip(s) in FCP’s Event browser will be shown as offline. Transcoder is rendering those clips as new, optimized (original) media in the background. (Final Cut Pro is writing these rendered files to disk.) Once the rendering step is complete, the clip(s) appear with media and are ready for editing. These optimized files are stored in the Final Cut Original Media folder located on the drive that you have designated in the settings for that Library. If that location is on your internal hard drive, then it is important to be mindful of the size and number of files you intend to transcode. If you plan to transcode large batches of files, then the method described below may be preferable.

If you import the same camera raw file more than once (for example, with different parameter adjustments) or multiple sections from within the same clip, Final Cut Pro will not overwrite these files. Each instance is handled as a unique file and the name displayed in the Event browser will have a numerical suffix appended to the file name.