problem: effects unrender when switching applications

i render the sequence. works fine. i click into the finder. i click back into fcp. my effects are are now unrendered. huh? has anyone had this problem and does anyone know how to solve it?
lots of specs below, but wanted to include as much info cause i have know idea where along the chain of things this is happening.


specs:
fcp 6.0.4
macpro
2 x 3 GHZ dual-core
6 gb ram

aja kona LhE card
jvc DT-V 20L1D monitor
Lycom eSATA 4 Port PCIx card running ICYdock with 2 x 1tb seagate drives as scratch disks.

footage:
dvcpro 720p (from p2 cards)
mxf files imported to FCP via raylight

That's a common problem/known bug when using Avid drives for FCP. It doesn't seem like Avid drives are your problem, but the symptoms are similar...

I had that problem all the time when I was freelancing at a production company that had carved out a little hunk of their Avid Unity for FCP use. Flipping out of FCP to any other app and coming back would cause FCP to lose connection with all render files.

Quitting the app and relaunching it always brought the connection to the render files back in my case. Saving the project before quitting didn't cause anything to go awry. I tried it both ways.

It was annoying and wasted a lot of time, but since it wasn't my system...

Until you can figure out why it's happening, quitting and relaunching might be a viable work-around.

Also, you didn't mention which version of the OS you are using. If you are using Leopard, have you tried using Spaces? Try keeping FCP only in one Space and do everything else in another. Does that change anything?

deb

I'll second "Spaces". If you are on a dual monitor system it's like having 8 full monitors (4 pairs) with apps open on each one. You never have to "hide" an app. Incredible - my favorite feature of Leopard.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

The only issue I have with Spaces is with FCP. Sometimes it seems to end up with one window open in one space and the other windows in another space. It just seems to have difficult keeping its s**t together. I used Spaces for a while but then gave up because of this. Maybe I'll give it another shot. Or maybe it's not so useful on a laptop, where I work 90% of the time.

Hmm. That's interesting, Tom.

I've been using Spaces for months on a G5 tower and haven't experienced anything like that.

Wonder if it's Intel vs. PowerPC or tower vs. laptop?

deb

That IS interesting, Tom..because that is where I use Spaces MOST is on my MBP where screen real estate is limited. I have never run into that issue.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

I have the same Spaces issue Tom does. I have assigned FCP to open in one space, Motion in another, and STP in a third. As I bounce around between them Some window start following me. Especially the viewer in FCP. Sometimes both the viewer and canvas. Also the view window in STP (which I have floating) sometimes wanders off.

I can usually shoo them back to their proper space, but it is a bit annoying.

-Vance

i'm running 10.5.5
spaces didn't solve anything.

the problem seems to stem from having my render scratch set to an internal drive and my footage all on the external eSATA tower. i reset my scratch drives to the eSATA tower and all is working okay so far. i should have caught that earlier...oh well.

Ahh, that one. Happens to all of us at least once!!

deb