Final Cut Pro User Guide for Mac
- Welcome
- What’s new
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- Intro to importing media
- If it’s your first import
- Organize files during import
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- Import from Image Playground
- Import from iMovie for macOS
- Import from iMovie for iOS or iPadOS
- Import from Final Cut Pro for iPad
- Import from Final Cut Camera
- Import from Photos
- Import from Music
- Import from Apple TV
- Import from Motion
- Import from GarageBand and Logic Pro
- Import using workflow extensions
- Record into Final Cut Pro
- Memory cards and cables
- Supported media formats
- Import third-party formats with media extensions
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- Intro to effects
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- Intro to transitions
- How transitions are created
- Add transitions and fades
- Quickly add a transition with a keyboard shortcut
- Set the default duration for transitions
- Delete transitions
- Adjust transitions in the timeline
- Adjust transitions in the inspector and viewer
- Merge jump cuts with the Flow transition
- Adjust transitions with multiple images
- Modify transitions in Motion
- Add adjustment clips
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- Add storylines
- Use the precision editor
- Conform frame sizes and rates
- Use XML to transfer projects
- Glossary
- Copyright and trademarks
render
To generate video and audio with any applied effects or transitions, and store the result as a render file. These render files are stored with your Final Cut Pro event and project files. When you publish or export a project, it’s similarly rendered to create the output files.
When you add effects, transitions, generators, titles, and other items that require rendering for playback at high quality, the render indicator (a light gray dotted line) appears below the ruler at the top of the timeline.

By default, rendering begins automatically in the background 0.3 seconds after you stop working and moving the pointer in Final Cut Pro. You can turn off background rendering or adjust this setting in Final Cut Pro settings.
To manually render a project or a portion of a project, do one of the following:
Render a portion of your project: In the timeline, select the clip or clips that you want to render, then choose Modify > Render Selection (or press Control-R).
Note: The selection must be a clip selection, not a range selection.
Render all portions of your project that need rendering: Choose Modify > Render All (or press Control-Shift-R).