FCPX HELP!! My timeline has disappeared

[sachman]

So I am trialing FCPX
I have been working on a project for 10 days straight and have nearly finished. Incidentally I had a random unrelated clip I wanted to edit quickly. I opened a new project so it wouldn't interfere with my first project, now when I go to my first project the timeline is just gone. Like WTH?? how can this even happen??
It says 'new project' as if I havn't even started it.
All my clips are there - even the ones I added last night, it otherwise seems to be working. I've tried closing and opeing the app and restarting the computer.
Have I just wasted 10 days of my life?
EDIT - I can still see the timeline for the 2nd prject but when I try to load the 1st project from the top left corner or from the original file the timeline stays on the 2nd project??

 

[ColdCase]

have you closed and reopened fcpx? how about a computer restart. usually a file system thing.. but have you been backing up. you may have to go back a library or two.

oh, before you do that, check to see if you accidentally turned a view filter on or have something in the search box... I won't mention how i know that can be a source of anxiety

 

[sachman]

I have closed and restarted ... as I stated above

I have tried the backup within FCP but no luck when going back to yday. I haven't manually backed up

 

[Boyd01]

Timelines appear in each project. Sometimes I have seen FCPX close a project when I open another one, other times that doesn't happen. Not sure what the logic is there, I just upgraded from legacy FCP a few months ago. But anyway, I'm sure your timeline is still there, and you just aren't looking for it in the right place. Projects are stored inside events and events are stored inside libraries.

The "Untitled" library is sort of a placeholder if you don't have any other library open. FCPX will create events based on the date, do you see any of those in the left window pane? If so, click on them and your project should be listed at the top inside one of those events. Double-clicking it should put the timeline back on your screen.

If you still can't find it, then it is probably part of another library that's closed now. Unless you manually moved it, libraries are stored inside you Movies folder in your home directory.

 

[sachman]

I know it probably sounds like I'm being stupid but I've opened and closed this project for 10 days straight. I've tried openign it through the left top corner - whichever event I open no timeline opens with it. I have tried opening it from finder too - the project opens but the timeline isn't there it just says 'new project'. I have moved the location to an external HD which is otherwise working fine. It looks like I havn't even started the project

 

[sachman]

spoke to apple pro support, he basically has no idea what is going on, he wasn't particulalry knowledgable TBH

 

[Boyd01]

I can't tell much from that screenshot, but it sounds like you are confusing the terms "project" and "library" for starters. In your screenshot, "Untitled" is the library name. Didn't you create a new library and give it your own name? If so, then that is the problem, you have not opened the correct library. Look in the Movies folder in the Finder. What files do you have with an .fcpbundle extension? If "Untitled" is the only one, then that must be where your project was created. Otherwise, open the other files and see what's in them.

One obvious thing to check in FCPX is Window > Show in Workspace > Timeline and make sure it has a check next to it.

Also switch to the browser view that shows the files, not the filmstrips. Window > Show in Workspace > Browser and also click the icon above the browser that says ""Toggle clip display between filmstrip and list modes" (to the right of "Hide Rejected" in my screenshot). If you then click on a library in the sidebar, you should see a list of all the clips and projects in that library. For example, this is what I'm working on right now. The library is called "Capuleti" and I have selected a project called "Introduction v2". Double-clicking that item will put it on the timeline.

I have included the untitled project just to show what it is like when you have two libraries loaded at the same time.

 

[sachman]

I'm at a loss, I have a lot of 'untitled' projects with GMT + 1 etc. - I have 4 of these, I thought they were FCP automatic backups but I've only really been openeing the 'untitled' as I knew that was my project anyway.
I found a person had a similar problem and moved his 'currentversion.fcpevent' in and out of the library based on a apple pro advice - that didn't work either.

So in my movies folder I have my '2nd project' (golf shot), along with another 4 GMT + 1 etc. All of those show missing file but seem to be all related to the 2nd project.
I had been working exclusively from the external drive up until today so not sure how they ended up there

I seriously think it will be quicker for me to re-edit the whole thing from scratch because I can't see a solution.

I've literally double clicked on every single possible file in top left corner and .fcpbundle, the only timeline that spontaneously appears is for golf shot - 2nd project, otherwise nothing loads

 

[Boyd01]

Yes, I think you are opening automatic backups of the same library. Don't really know what else to say, but I think the project is actually there unless you somehow deleted it by mistake (you would get a warning if you tried doing that).

If you start over, create a new library and try to organize things more logically. That way you will know where everything is. Also, it will make things easier if you go to the preferences under import and choose "Copy to library storage location" if it isn't already. This can cause the library to get large over time, but one file will then contain *everything* as opposed to having separate files scattered all over the place, including removable media.

 

[sachman]

yeh thanks for trying, the only thing I can think of is the 2nd prject overwrote the 1st but the file size of the first is still 60gb but that could just be the files. All the edits have gone though 2 files I added which were pics for the intro are still there, musst be some sort of bug/glitch. I definitely didn't delete anything, I just made a new project then tried to switch back it had all gone in an instant, literally only worked on the 2nd project for 10min then went back.. well tried to

 

[Boyd01]

Did you try setting the browser to show a list of files like my screenshot above? That makes it a little easier to see what is inside a library.

 

[ColdCase]

I assume you tried scrolling up and down the source window, as projects sometimes can be at the top or bottom.

Out of the box, a FCP project is your timeline, not the untitled library level or event. You wouldn't normally see a timeline unless a project within an event is selected/highlighted. Simply opening the library (untitled in this case) may show the timeline for the last project you worked on, or some default project.

Not saying there isn't a bug you uncovered by your workflow.

You saying you opened all three events and there's no project within does not bode well...

Organization is Library => event => project. The timeline is in the project.

 

[MyAdventureHat]

So I am trialing FCPX
I have been working on a project for 10 days straight and have nearly finished. Incidentally I had a random unrelated clip I wanted to edit quickly. I opened a new project so it wouldn't interfere with my first project, now when I go to my first project the timeline is just gone. Like WTH?? how can this even happen??
It says 'new project' as if I havn't even started it.
All my clips are there - even the ones I added last night, it otherwise seems to be working. I've tried closing and opeing the app and restarting the computer.
Have I just wasted 10 days of my life?
EDIT - I can still see the timeline for the 2nd prject but when I try to load the 1st project from the top left corner or from the original file the timeline stays on the 2nd project??

[doublepost=1542476709][/doublepost]Hello, I found this forum when I had a similar case (project missing).

I was able to find my missing project by clicking the "clapperboard with a star" icon in the top left area of FCPX. The two screenshots show what I saw before clicking the clapperboard icon and then the project that got revealed after clicking the icon.

Hope this helps as I was also confused for a moment and thought I lost my work, but glad to have it back.

 

[kohlson]

The learning curve for FCPX is steep. When I first started using it, it was hard to find the Project I was working on. The easiest way is in the appropriate Library, look in Smart Collections-Projects.

 

[dbontrager]

This recently happened to me where even all my backups had an empty timeline in my main project that I had been working on for a day and half. On the phone with Apple, only to be told I should quite FC occasionally to force a save. I started over and created a new project and stumbled across my entire timeline within a random Synchronized Clip. Bizarre.

 

[0279317]

Also switch to the browser view that shows the files, not the filmstrips. Window > Show in Workspace > Browser and also click the icon above the browser that says ""Toggle clip display between filmstrip and list modes" (to the right of "Hide Rejected" in my screenshot). If you then click on a library in the sidebar, you should see a list of all the clips and projects in that library. For example, this is what I'm working on right now. The library is called "Capuleti" and I have selected a project called "Introduction v2". Double-clicking that item will put it on the timeline.

The timeline to my recent project vanished. Then I checked and ALL timelines to all projects vanished. After spending hours trying to figure out how to get the timelines back - interwebbing grr arg...I thought maybe MacRumors??? I have no idea why the timelines vanished; I swear I made no changes. However, you solved my problem by showing me how to access them. A HUGE thanks to you for that!

 

[Boyd01]

Glad this helped you. Has been awhile since I've edited any video and I'd forgotten all about this old thread!

 

[MoBoy]

[doublepost=1542476709][/doublepost]Hello, I found this forum when I had a similar case (project missing).

I was able to find my missing project by clicking the "clapperboard with a star" icon in the top left area of FCPX. The two screenshots show what I saw before clicking the clapperboard icon and then the project that got revealed after clicking the icon.

Hope this helps as I was also confused for a moment and thought I lost my work, but glad to have it back.

Brilliant. This fixed my issue too. I would have lost 2 weeks of editing. THANK YOU!