Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1526)

• Use the Duplicate as New Master Clip command: This allows you to duplicate a master
clip in the Browser as a new, unrelated master clip. The new master clip is unaffiliated
with the original master clip.
Important: If you have several master clips that refer to exactly the same media, make
sure you use only one of them for editing unless you have a reason to use a different
one. Keeping multiple master clips that refer to the same media file can be potentially
confusing during media management, recapturing, and reconnecting.
• Use the Make Master Clip command: This command is available in the Modify menu if
you select an affiliate clip in the Browser. It turns an affiliate clip into its own master
clip.
Implicit and Explicit Master Clips
If you have a sequence that contains a lot of copies of the same clip, all of these clips are
affiliate clips with a single master clip in the Browser. If you delete the master clip in the
Browser, your project still contains the master clip information even though the master
clip can no longer explicitly be seen in the Browser. This means that the affiliate clips still
share their properties, which are stored in the implicit (now invisible) master clip.
You shouldn’t delete master clips without a good reason, but if you do, your affiliate clips
won’t lose their property affiliations. It’s easy to make the master clip explicit by dragging
an affiliate clip from the Timeline to the Browser or by choosing View > Reveal Master
Clip with an affiliate clip selected. When Final Cut Pro does not have an explicit master
clip in the Browser to reveal, it asks if you want to create one.
How Master Clips Connect to Media Files
The connection between a master clip and its media file is the clip property called Source.
A clip refers to a media file via this property, which contains a directory path. A directory
path describes where a file is located within the file and folder hierarchy of the file system.
For example, the hard disk is the top level of the hierarchy, as all files and folders are
contained within the hard disk. The location of one of your media files might be described
like this:
/Volumes/Scratch Disk/Capture Scratch/My Project/My Media File
To find a clip’s media file in the Finder
µ
Select a clip and choose View > Reveal in Finder.
Identifying Master Clips
Master clips can exist only in the Browser; a sequence cannot contain a master clip. The
only way to identify a master clip is to view its Master Clip property, either in the Browser
or in the Item Properties window.
To view a clip’s Master Clip property
1 Select the item.
1526 Chapter 90 Working with Master and Affiliate Clips