final-cut-pro-workflow

Final Cut Pro Workflow

Use this skill for Final Cut Pro app operation, not AVFoundation or custom media-code work.

Source Check

Open Final Cut Pro Help or search the local Tips/Help Viewer catalog for Final Cut Pro. Confirm the guide matches the installed app/version before relying on an import, library, proxy, share, or relink path. Read references/library-and-delivery-contract.md before changing a library, event, project, media relationship, or delivery artifact.

Workflow

1. Classify the task: inspection, library/event organization, import, proxy or optimized-media decision, edit, captions/roles, missing-media repair, Motion handoff, share/export, Compressor delivery, or output verification.
2. Establish the artifact contract: library/project path, source-media policy, managed-versus-external media state, intended timeline/range, target platform, format, roles/captions, destination, overwrite rule, and deliverable owner.
3. Inspect before action: selected library/event/project, active timeline, media locations, missing-media/proxy state, render/share state, connected storage, selected ranges, and existing destination contents.
4. Preserve source state. Use a duplicate library/project or explicit backup before consolidation, relinking, deleting generated files, changing media location, or making wide timeline changes. Do not infer that a generated proxy, optimized copy, or render file is safe to remove.
5. Make the smallest correct edit. Keep project, event, library, media, and role boundaries clear; explain any tradeoff in proxy quality, optimized-media storage, color/HDR, captions, or sharing settings.
6. Confirm immediately before importing into a managed library, relinking, consolidating, deleting generated/original media, modifying a shared timeline, rendering, sharing, exporting, or replacing an existing delivery. State the exact source/range, destination, name, format, and overwrite behavior.
7. Verify the result: inspect library/project state after edits, or inspect the exported artifact for name, location, duration, dimensions, codec/container, audio, captions/roles, color/HDR, and target playback where required.

Guards

• Do not open, modify, consolidate, or repair an unfamiliar library as a probe.
• Do not confuse deleting generated media with a harmless operation; inspect whether original, optimized, proxy, render, or cache assets are selected.
• Do not relink or reveal missing media by guessing a replacement path.
• Do not claim a Motion template is installed or a Compressor delivery is valid until the receiving app or output artifact has been checked.
• Hand source-code media processing, codecs, and application implementation to apple-dev-skills.

Handoffs

• motion-workflow for titles, effects, generators, and transitions authored for Final Cut Pro.
• compressor-workflow for an explicit delivery preset, batch, and artifact verification after Final Cut Pro creates the source master.
• apple-dev-skills:avfoundation-media-pipeline-workflow or video-codec-processing-workflow for code-level media handling.