Final Cut Pro 3.0: Before You Upgrade

Before You Upgrade to Final Cut Pro 3.0

System requirements

You'll need the following hardware, software, and video equipment for Final Cut Pro:

Hardware and video equipment

• Power Macintosh G3/300 MHz or faster with built-in FireWire
• PowerBook G3/400 MHz or faster with built-in FireWire
• iMac 350 MHz or faster with built-in FireWire
• iBook (Dual USB) 500 MHz or faster with built-in FireWire
• A CD or DVD drive
• 256 MB random access memory (RAM) (384 MB or greater required for G4 real-time editing)
• A 6 GB, Audio/Video rated hard disk drive (20 GB or greater recommended)
• Dual-monitor support (optional)
• A Final Cut Pro-qualified video capture card for capturing video from an external source or exporting video to tape (optional)
• The correct FireWire or device control cable and any additional cables you may need for connecting your deck or camcorder to your computer
• A DV (digital video) source, such as a camcorder or deck, connected to your computer via a FireWire port (FireWire is also referred to as IEEE 1394 or Sony i.LINK.)
• An analog video source, a Final Cut Pro-qualified video capture card or device, and an adapter cable to connect the video source to your computer

Note: G4 real-time editing requires a single or dual-processor Power Macintosh G4 500 MHz or faster, or a PowerBook G4 667 MHz or faster. For more information about G4 real-time editing, see the Final Cut Pro Web site (http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/).

Software

• Mac OS 9.2.2 or Mac OS X 10.1.1 or later
• QuickTime 5.0.4 or later

Before you upgrade Final Cut Pro

Important: The French, German, and Japanese versions of Final Cut Pro are only supported on a matching localized French, German, or Japanese version of the Mac OS. Multiple localized versions of Final Cut Pro from different countries on a single system are not supported. For example, if your computer has the French version of the Mac OS installed on it, you cannot install both the French and German versions of Final Cut Pro. For more information, see the Final Cut Pro Web site (http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/).

Make sure you do the following before you install the software:

• Turn off any virus protection and security software that you may have installed on your computer.
• Upgrade to Mac OS 9.2.2 or later
  Final Cut Pro for Mac OS 9 requires you to upgrade to Mac OS 9.2.2 which is included on the Final Cut Pro CD. If you don't have Mac OS 9, you need to install it on your computer before you can upgrade to Mac OS 9.2.2.
• Upgrade to Mac OS X 10.1.1 or later
  Final Cut Pro for Mac OS X requires that you upgrade to Mac OS X 10.1.1. This requires you to first upgrade to Mac OS X 10.1, then use the Software Update pane of the System Preferences to install the latest Mac OS X updates.
• Install QuickTime 5.0.4 and unlock QuickTime Pro
  QuickTime 5.0.4 for Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X is included on the Final Cut Pro CD. See the document Final Cut Pro and QuickTime Pro Registration Numbers that came with Final Cut Pro for instructions on installing this software. To unlock QuickTime Pro, you need the registration number that's located on the front of the document.
• Enter a valid serial number in the older version of Final Cut Pro before upgrading
  The Final Cut Pro 3.0 Upgrade program requires that you have a previous valid and serialized version of Final Cut Pro. If you do not have an earlier version of Final Cut Pro, you won't be able to upgrade to Final Cut Pro 3.0.

Upgrading Final Cut Pro 3.0 for Mac OS 9

• You cannot install Final Cut Pro 3.0 for Mac OS 9 when you are using Mac OS X. Restart your computer using Mac OS 9, then you can upgrade to Final Cut Pro 3.0 for Mac OS 9.
• If your computer is set up for Multiple Users, make sure to log in as the "Owner" user.
• The Final Cut Pro 3.0 folder is installed in the Applications (Mac OS 9) folder by default. However, you can change this if you like, so the application is installed in a different location. The old version of Final Cut Pro is left unchanged.
• Make sure you keep your Upgrade CD on hand. As part of the registration process, you need to insert the Upgrade CD in your CD or DVD drive the first time you open Final Cut Pro 3.0.

Upgrading Final Cut Pro 3.0 for Mac OS X

• You need Final Cut Pro 1.0 or later, or Final Cut Pro 2.0 or later installed on your computer before you can use the Final Cut Pro for Mac OS X installer.
• Make sure you log in using the System Administrator account. If you only have one account for Mac OS X, it is also the System Administrator account.
• Open the Classic environment at least once. This step is necessary to set system variables that allows the upgrade program to find your Classic System folder while running under Mac OS X.
  
  Important: Make sure the selected Classic System Folder is the one with the Final Cut Pro system files. If you select a different System Folder before upgrading to Final Cut Pro 3, an alert box this message appears:
  
  "Registration Error (2). You must have a registered copy of Final Cut Pro installed. Please reinstall Final Cut Pro from its original CD, launch it, and complete the registration screen before running this computer."
• Final Cut Pro 3.0 for Mac OS X is installed in the Applications folder by default. However, you can change this if you like, so the application is installed in a different location.
• Make sure you keep your Upgrade CD on hand. As part of the registration process, you need to insert the Upgrade CD in your CD or DVD drive the first time you open Final Cut Pro 3.0.

Finding out about new features, late-breaking information, and an overview of the application

After you install Final Cut Pro, you can learn about new features and late-breaking information on known issues.

• To get the latest information about known issues with the application, choose Final Cut Pro Help from the Help menu and click "Late-breaking news."
• To find out about new features and enhancements, choose What's New? from the Help menu.
• To get a brief overview of the major tasks and windows in Final Cut Pro, choose Where Do I Start? from the Help menu.

Using the tutorials

There are several tutorials that come with Final Cut Pro. These are available in print in a separate book.

Using the documentation

The Final Cut Pro user's manual is divided into three volumes for ease of use. There is also an addendum, What's New in Final Cut Pro 3.

• Volume 1, Getting Started, Input, and Output: Covers everything you need to know to set up your Macintosh with Final Cut Pro, capture video for use in your project, and output to a variety of formats.
• Volume 2, Editorial: Focuses on basic and advanced editing techniques in Final Cut Pro, including transitions, trimming and working with audio.
• Volume 3, Effects and FXScript: Covers Final Cut Pro's compositing tools, including motion settings, filters, generators, and how to use FXScript to create your own custom filters and generators.
• What's New in Final Cut Pro 3: Includes information about new features, tools, and commands available in Final Cut Pro 3.0.