Anyway to play FCP 6 projects in FCP 4 or 5?

[writezach]

I'm an independent documentary filmmaker breaking my bank for a good will project on the lives of volunteers in post-katrina New Orleans.

I have been editing none stop for about three weeks now on FCP 4.

Another friend of mine offered to edit with me for the next two weeks at his schools FCP 6 video lab, but I am worried I won't be able to revert the project to FCP 4 or 5 afterwards (I can't afford to upgrade at the moment!).

Any suggestions?

[ppc_michael]

If you save the FCP 6 project file and try to open it in an earlier version, you will get an error message and it will not open.

The workaround for FCP 5 to FCP 4 is to export the FCP5 project as an XML file, and import that XML with FCP 4. I've done this many times without problem. You do get some weird error message when importing, but it doesn't actually affect anything.

So I don't see why that shouldn't work with FCP 6 to FCP 5. But of course, try it first with another project before you try it with something important! ;)

Good luck, your project sounds really cool.

[writezach]

thanks michael! i'll try it out now...

[writezach]

I just tried it Michael but to no avail!

When importing an exported .XML from FCP 6 to FCP 5, FCP 5 prompts for a "translation document" which supposedly is some regular file. I tried to select both the actual FCP 6 doc (not .XML) and the FCP application and both failed.

Any other suggestions? Does it prompt for the same "translation doc" from FCP 5 to FCP 4?

Thanks!

[Peel]

I just tried it Michael but to no avail!

When importing an exported .XML from FCP 6 to FCP 5, FCP 5 prompts for a "translation document" which supposedly is some regular file. I tried to select both the actual FCP 6 doc (not .XML) and the FCP application and both failed.

Any other suggestions? Does it prompt for the same "translation doc" from FCP 5 to FCP 4?

Thanks!

WriteZach, here's a link to Apple's manual on FCP XML-Interchange Format (http://developer.apple.com/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/FinalCutPro_XML/FinalCutPro_XML.pdf). I haven't read through the whole thing, but you might take a look and see if the answer is in there.

[-DH]

This article is slightly dated, but still relevant: http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/xml_export_FCP_5_to_4.html

-DH