What the auditor reads
FCPXML separates <resources>—formats, assets, effects and compound or multicam media—from the library, events and projects that reference them by id. The auditor inventories every resource, resolves every ref, decodes each asset’s original and proxy media-rep file URL (or the older src attribute), and collects audio and video roles. It works with FCPXML 1.3 through 1.13 and with the Info.fcpxml inside an .fcpxmld bundle.
Why media goes missing after a handoff
Paths are absolute. Media inside /Users/name/ is tied to one account; media on /Volumes/Drive/ needs a drive with the same name; proxy-only assets have no full-quality source; and two different files with the same name in different folders make relinking by name risky. Choose the media folder you plan to send and the auditor compares names and trailing folders, honouring volume names and flagging conflicts.
Frame rates, edit points and effects
Timing in FCPXML is rational (for example 1001/24000s). Each spine edit point is checked exactly against the project frame duration, because off-frame values can be rejected or shifted on import. Assets at other frame or audio rates are listed so conforms are expected rather than discovered. Built-in effects travel with Final Cut Pro; Motion templates installed in a user’s Movies folder and FxPlug plug-ins do not.
Validation boundary
This is a preflight aid, not Final Cut Pro. It does not open media, resolve security-scoped bookmarks, validate against Apple’s DTD, interpret every clip element or effect parameter, or prove that a project will relink and render. Import the XML on the receiving system, relink, and play through before delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my FCPXML open with missing media on another Mac?
FCPXML stores absolute file URLs. Media inside a user home folder, on a differently named volume, or referenced only by proxy will not be found until it is relinked.
Which titles and effects travel with an FCPXML?
Built-in Final Cut Pro effects (uids beginning with .../) are available everywhere. Motion templates in ~/Movies/Motion Templates and FxPlug plug-ins must be installed on the receiving system.
What does “not on a frame boundary” mean?
An offset or duration is not a whole number of project frames. Final Cut Pro expects edit points on the frame grid; third-party exporters sometimes write rounded values that drift.
Is my project uploaded?
No. The XML is parsed in your browser; media files are never opened, only their names are compared.
Authoritative references
Apple’s FCPXML Reference documents resources, media representations, timing, roles and the bundle format.
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