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iMovie problems with USB drive

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Hello, last night I imported a tape from my Sony DV camera to a USB attached drive. All went well and I was able to see the library and browse the video fine.
This morning, I reconnected my machine to the drive and opened iMovie. iMovie tells me the library is empty on the USB drive now. I am able to see the video files by using finder and inspecting the package on the USB drive so I know the data is there. The "package" also has the iMovie file icon in finder so I also can tell that iMovie recognizes it as a library file.
I've tried opening and closing the library to no avail. What could be the problem here?
 
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How did you import your footage? Through iMovie?
 
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How did you import your footage? Through iMovie?

Yes, I setup a new library named sony-camera on the USB drive and used the import function of iMovie to import the video.
This is my first experience with iMovie. By no means an expert here...
 
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If you are using the latest iMovie, did you open it while holding down the Alt/Option key, so that you get to choose which Library it uses?
 
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If you are using the latest iMovie, did you open it while holding down the Alt/Option key, so that you get to choose which Library it uses?

Yes I'm using the latest iMovie version, and when opening it using the method you described I am able to choose the library on my USB drive. However, when I open the library, the "directory" inside named 12-22-14 states that it's "Empty".
 
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Could this be caused by the way I'm setting up the library initially I wonder? It's like I loose the meta information after reconnecting to the USB drive.
 
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Yep it's the meta coding problem again.

I take it you are using yosemite or maverick correct.

If so there is really nothing you can do let me tell you why and you might find a solution.

The meta data system that macintoshes use from maverick and yosemite. Have major issues one being the meta data the edited data that you edited is not saved to the file but saved in a additional meta data file that is hidden from all users even displaying hidden folders it doesn't show up.

This is why when you edit a pdf and send it to a friend on windows or linux or mac os x older versions 10.4 10.5 10.6 the file they receive is blank because mac os x doesn't save the metadata to the file directly.

On iMovie if your hard drive is not mac os x extended partition formatted and you try to copy a movie or edit one on a external hard drive not only will it not record the meta data it will corrupt the file and list it as blank because the max video size mac os x can store on a fat 32 drive is 4 gig's only.

This is why you need to format your hard drive in mac os x extended and start again recording the file and editing it. And save after every edit.

To simply make this easier on you.

Create 2 folders on the hard drive.

Create one as original (This is where the original video will be placed unedited)

Create the next one as edited (This will store your edited movies and files this is where you save to as well).
 

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