Add, replace, or remove placeholder images

When creating a template for Final Cut Pro X, you can add an image to a placeholder layer, replacing the downward arrow graphic in the Canvas. This allows you to:

Preview the effect you are building in Motion
Create a thumbnail image for the effect in Final Cut Pro

However, this image is not used when the effect is applied to a clip in Final Cut Pro.

Important: When adding preview media to a placeholder, use a still image rather than a video clip, which can introduce timing conflicts in Final Cut Pro.

Add a placeholder image to a template

Do one of the following:

From the File Browser or Library, drag an image onto the placeholder arrow in the Canvas; when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button.
From the File Browser or Library, drag an image to the Effect Source layer in the Layers list; when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button.
When you publish the template, the image is saved with the template and is used as the thumbnail for the effect in Final Cut Pro browser. You can change the image used for the thumbnail in the Final Cut Pro browser by replacing the placeholder image.

Replace an image in a template placeholder

To replace a reference placeholder image, do one of the following:
- From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image onto the downward placeholder arrow in the Canvas, and when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button.
- From the File Browser or Library, drag a still image to the Effect Source layer in the Layers list, and when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, release the mouse button.
Choose File > Save (or press Command-S).
The “Media exists outside the document. Do you wish to copy it?” dialog appears.
Do one of the following:
- To save the new image with the template in the /Users/username/Movies/ folder in the OS X Finder, click Copy.
  When you save the template, the new image is saved with the template and is used as the thumbnail for the effect in Final Cut Pro browser.
- To save the template without the new image, click Don’t Copy.

Clear media from a template placeholder

When you save a template containing a placeholder image, that image is stored on your computer in the same folder as the template (/Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/), potentially creating multiple instances of media files and taking up storage space. To save storage space, you can clear placeholder images from templates before saving.

In the template project, select an Effect Source, Title Background, Transition A, or Transition B placeholder.
In the Image Inspector, click the Clear button in the Final Cut Placeholder controls.
The preview media is removed from the template, and the placeholder arrow reappears in the affected layer.
Note: When you clear a placeholder image, its source media is not loaded into Motion the next time you modify the template (by choosing the “Open a copy in Motion” command in the Final Cut Pro media browsers). And if you previously added a placeholder image to create a thumbnail for a Final Cut Pro effect, clearing the placeholder image from the template in Motion deletes the thumbnail from Final Cut Pro.

Manually remove media saved with a template

In the OS X Finder, go to the /Users/username/Movies/Motion Templates/ folder.
In the appropriate Effects, Titles, or Transitions folder, open the theme folder that contains your template, then open the Media folder.
Drag the media to the Trash.