How ARC-X Works
When you import Final Cut Pro X events, projects, and clips into ARC-X, a number of things are done to protect your edit information and its media.
ARC-X breaks out all events, projects, and clips you export from FCPX into individual video, audio, and graphics files and backs them up to the ARC-X Media folder. All media is copied at its full original length so you’ll have the entire media file to work with when you restore your edit.
ARC-X backs up only the media files contained in the events, projects, and clips you export from FCPX. By not including unused media in the archive, the size of your FCPX library can be significantly reduced.
ARC-X creates a Media Inventory spreadsheet for the archive that includes information about font and 3rd-party plugin usage and the details of every media file in the archive. The Media Inventory is Microsoft Excel-compatible and makes it easy to trace media files back to their original storage locations or their new archive locations.
All fonts used in your archived projects are listed in the Media Inventory spreadsheet and, if the font files are accessible to your computer, copied into the Fonts Used folder. You’ll have all the font information needed to restore any text or titles in your project to their original state.
Just like your font files, ARC-X backs up the 3rd-party plugins used in your archived projects along with all their individual effect settings. The plugins are itemized in the Media Inventory spreadsheet and, if accessible to your computer, copied into the Plugins Used folder. You’ll have every 3rd-party plugin needed to restore your project’s effects and transitions to their original state.
A new ARC-X XML file is created that links the media files in the ARC-X Media folder back to FCPX. You’ll have two options for restoring your edit from the archive:
- You can send the entire ARC-X archive to other artists, editors, and collaborators. They can import the ARC-X XML file into a new FCPX library, load any fonts or plugins needed, and start working. See the video...
- Open your original FCPX library and link to the media files in the ARC-X Media folder. See the video...
Either option restores your edit to its original state.
See what’s in an archive