If you already synced your footage in another editor, you do not have to sync it again. Selects reads the synced timelines straight out of your project file and rebuilds them, using your clip positions instead of syncing from scratch.
Selects reads only where your raw clips sit on the timeline. Everything else in the sequence is ignored.
Before you export from your editor
Export a timeline with your full, uncut source clips laid out and synced. A few things to check before you do:
Every clip should be its full source, not trimmed to part of it
No clip should appear twice, and no clip should have a changed playback speed
No nested sequences or multicam clips. Lay the individual angles out on their own tracks instead
Effects, transitions, and audio adjustments will not come across, so there is no need to strip them out first
Supported files:
Premiere project files (.prproj)
Final Cut Pro XML (.fcpxml, .fcpxmld)
Final Cut Pro 7 XML (.xml)
Start the import
In prep, click the + button at the bottom left of the [Project] panel
Choose [Import a synced timeline]
Click [Choose file] and pick your project file
Click [Import timeline]
Nothing is imported at this point. Selects reads the file and shows you what it found first.
Choose what to import
The [Import synced timelines] screen lists every timeline in your project file, with the importable ones first.
What each timeline shows
How many media files it will bring in, and how many of those are missing from disk
[Show files] expands the list so you can see exactly which media is involved
How much will be placed, written as a count of clips across a count of tracks
What will be skipped, meaning titles, captions, and backgrounds
A [Multicam source] badge when the timeline came from a multicam clip
Deselect any timeline you do not want. The import button updates to show how many you have selected.
If you only want the media files without rebuilding any timelines, click [Import media only].
Timelines that cannot be imported
Anything Selects cannot rebuild is grouped separately with the reason shown, so you can see what was left out and why.
What Selects says | What it means | How to fix it |
Not a synced timeline, it has clips that aren't direct media | The timeline contains a nested timeline, multicam clip, still image, or a clip Selects does not recognize. It names which | Lay the individual angles out as plain clips on their own tracks and export again |
The same source appears more than once | A clip has been cut up and reused, so this is an edit rather than a sync | Export a fresh timeline with each source used once |
Some clips aren't the full source | Clips have been trimmed | Export with full, uncut clips |
A clip's playback speed was changed | Retimed clips cannot be aligned reliably | Remove the speed change, or leave that clip out |
Some of the media files are missing | The project file points at media Selects cannot find on disk | Reconnect the drive or restore the files, then import again |
No video or audio clips, only titles or effects | Nothing in the timeline is media | Nothing to import from this one |
No clips in this timeline | The timeline is empty | Nothing to import from this one |
Note: A multicam clip is not skipped outright. Selects imports it as a separate synced timeline of its own.
After the import
[Import complete] tells you how many files were added and how many synced timelines were created, along with anything that needed flagging:
Files referenced by the project file but not found on disk, which were skipped
Files that could not be processed
Files already in your project, which were reused rather than duplicated
Clips that could not be placed, such as nested sequences, titles, generators, and stills
Settings that were not imported, such as effects, transitions, and audio levels
Timelines you deselected yourself
Your imported timelines behave exactly like ones you synced in Selects. Check them over, then click [Analyze media for edit] when you are ready.
Tip: Click [View synced] on a synced timeline to preview it before you analyze.
FAQs
Will importing re-sync my footage?
No. Selects uses the clip positions from your project file instead of syncing your angles itself, which is the point of importing. Your existing sync is preserved exactly as you built it.
Why was my timeline skipped?
A timeline is skipped when it looks like an edit rather than a sync. The most common causes are a source used more than once, clips trimmed to part of their source, a changed playback speed, or nested and multicam clips. Selects tells you which reason applies to each timeline. Export a fresh timeline with your full uncut clips laid out and synced, then import that instead.
What happens to media Selects cannot find?
Files referenced by the project file but missing from disk are skipped, and Selects tells you how many. If too much of a timeline's media is missing, that whole timeline is skipped rather than partially rebuilt. Reconnect the drive or restore the files, then import again.
Do effects and transitions come across?
No. Selects reads only the position of your raw clips. Effects, transitions, and audio adjustments are ignored, and Selects tells you afterwards how many settings were left behind.
What if my file will not open at all?
If Selects says the file is not a supported project or timeline, check the format. Only .prproj, .fcpxml, .fcpxmld, and .xml are supported. If you have just opened the project, Selects may still be loading it, in which case wait a moment and import again.
Can I import a timeline after my project is analyzed?
Importing a synced timeline is part of prep, so do it before you analyze. Learn more in Add media to an existing project.