Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 1645)

294 Part IV Settings and Preferences
Changing System Settings
Settings apply to capture, sequence, rendering, real time, output, hardware, and format
configurations in Final Cut Pro. Once you set up for a particular video format and
device, these settings are adjusted relatively infrequently. There are several places you
can modify settings in Final Cut Pro:
 System Settings: The System Settings window covers a wide variety of settings,
mainly related to the computer setup you are using and how Final Cut Pro interacts
with it. System settings affect the fundamental components of your Final Cut Pro
system, such as scratch disk assignment, memory usage, and real-time playback
options via software or third-party hardware. For more information, continue reading
this section.
 Audio/Video Settings and Easy Setups: For more information, see Chapter 23, “ Audio/
Video Settings and Easy Setups ,” on page 301.
 Sequence Settings: For more information, see Chapter 26, “ Sequence Settings and
Presets ,” on page 335 and Volume I, Chapter 9, “Timeline Basics.”
To open System Settings:
m Choose Final Cut Pro > System Settings.
The System Settings window is divided into several tabs:
 Scratch Disks Tab (p. 294)
 Search Folders Tab (p. 295)
 Memory & Cache Tab (p. 296)
 Playback Control Tab (p. 297)
 External Editors Tab (p. 298)
 Effect Handling Tab (p. 300)
Scratch Disks Tab
You use the Scratch Disks tab to choose where you want to capture video and audio
media files, and where to store the render, cache, and Autosave files that Final Cut Pro
creates. You can also specify other settings related to the size of captured and exported
files and the minimum space allowed on scratch disks. You can specify a maximum of
12 scratch disks.
For more information about scratch disks, see Volume I, Chapter 13, “Connecting DV
Video Equipment and Specifying Initial Settings.”