When FCP can't relink

What to do when Final Cut Pro shows offline clips after you moved files

Final Cut Pro uses literal file paths from the FCPXML you sent it. If you moved your media after the export, FCP can't find the files anymore. Here's how to get back online.

What's happening

When ReelChest exports to FCP, the FCPXML has the absolute path to each clip baked in. FCP imports those paths and uses them to locate media on disk. Move a file after the export and FCP shows the clip as offline.

This is normal FCP behavior, not a ReelChest bug, but the fix is the same either way.

Two ways to recover

Fix it in FCP:

1. Right-click the offline clip in FCP's event browser.
2. Pick Relink Files.
3. Point at the folder where the media now lives.

FCP will relink the rest of the offline clips by name once it finds one match in the new folder. This is the right move when you've already done editing work in FCP and don't want to redo it.

Re-export from ReelChest:

1. In ReelChest, fix the source path. Right-click the source in the sidebar, Remove, then Add Source again at the new location.
2. Open the Paper Edit or Mosaic.
3. Export → Final Cut Pro again.

The new FCPXML carries the new file paths. FCP imports it as a fresh event. Use this when you haven't done much in FCP yet, so you're not throwing away work.

The rule of thumb

FCP uses literal file paths from the FCPXML. If you can help it, don't move files after sending to FCP.

When you have to move things (running out of drive space, project archive, drive swap), do the move first and the FCP export second. Your future self will not have to do this dance.