Changing User Preferences
A preference modifies how a particular Final Cut Pro feature behaves. Most preferences
can be turned on or off at any time, while others accept a value, such as the number of
Undo levels or the name of a label.
The following section describes Final Cut Pro User Preferences in detail.
To open User Preferences:
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Choose Final Cut Pro > User Preferences (or press Option-Q).
The User Preferences window is divided into several tabs.
Note: The Timeline Options, Render Control, and Audio Outputs tabs contain the
default preferences used when you create new sequences.
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General Tab
(p. 304): Settings in this tab control a variety of features, such as
warning dialogs during capture, the number of undos allowed, and Autosaving
and Auto Rendering.
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Editing Tab
(p. 309): This tab contains preferences useful while editing, such as
trimming and audio keyframing controls.
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Labels Tab
(p. 315): In this tab, you can change the names associated with the
different colored labels that are available within Final Cut Pro.
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Part IV
Settings and Preferences
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Timeline Options Tab
(p. 315): These are the default display options used when a new
sequence is created. This is where you can change the default number of video and
audio tracks for new sequences. For more information, see Volume I, Chapter 9,
“Timeline Basics.”
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Render Control Tab
(p. 315): This tab allows you to choose the render quality of new
sequences you create. For more information, see Volume III, Chapter 29, “Rendering
and Video Processing Settings.”
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Audio Outputs Tab
(p. 316): This is where you can choose the default audio output
preset used for new sequences. If none of the audio output presets matches your
audio configuration, you can create your own custom preset in this window. For
more information, see Volume III, Chapter 2, “Assigning Output Channels and
External Audio Monitors.”
Important:
Once a sequence has been created, you change its settings by choosing
Sequence > Settings, not User Preferences. User Preferences establishes the default
preferences for new sequences, not sequences that already exist.