Trashing Preferences HD Problems

Mac Mini
2.5 ghz intel core i5
8 gb memory
FCP 7.02

OS X 10.9.2

Looking to trash my preferences. My problem is since using HD, the video in my timeline will sometimes do crazy things. phantom frames where I see a flash frame so I trim yet the the flash frame remains. When fading up or down the video will jump sometimes.... and things I don't even know how to describe. Doesn't do it all the time but enough that it needs to be fixed. Trying to trash preferences but there's no fcp preferences to trash! Somebody said Apple hid them. Searching with my computer and I can't find them. Thanks. Dave

Dave,

Hold down the Option key, then click on the 'Go' menu and slide down to Library.

--ken

Ken I'm sorry 'Go' Menu not sure what that is?

From the Finder (click on your Desktop). Menu bar top of Screen 'Go' menu.

--ken

Yes I've gotten to the library. See my attachment, there's on FCP items to trash. It goes from d to h. Thanks.

Found everything trashing now. Thanks so much Ken.

Dave,
Looks like wrong library.
Quit FCP.
Open a blank Finder Window(name Finder appears in upper left Menu next to Apple icon), click on the "Go" menu item, hold down "Option Key" and "Library" should pop up, (letting go of option key Library will disappear), click on Library, Go down list to "Preferences", click, scroll down to com.apple.FinalCut.plist. FCP7 may be under ProApps, sorry don't remember off top of head.

This is FCPX plist file (sorry not using FCP7 on this computer so can't check the plist location, if you migrated via Migration Assistant then plist is in original location when you installed FCP under that OS version), you can move plist to Trash or Desktop and then reopen Final Cut Pro and a new plist will be generated, this may or may not fix your problem.
Might want to try out FCPX, very nice and less problems than 7, now.
Are you getting a single unwanted green frame?
Hope this helps,
Greg

Thanks Greg, thinking seriously of switching to FCPX. I've trashed my preferences and we'll see if it fixes the problems I've been having in 7 with HD.

Still acts funky. I exported a clip and the two simple title cards I made when viewing dip to black in the middle. It does a lot of stupid things like that in HD. Maybe X is the move I have to make. Also I've exported a slideshow in Aperture and when I pulled it into fcp, it says "general error: out of memory" and won't play. Most aperture slideshows don't do this. Can't re-export because when I upgraded Aperture this morning I lost that particular Library which I hope to find with help of the great Leona at the Apple board.

Screens shots of how I set up fcp after trashing pref.

Very often when you get an 'out of memory' message when dealing with still images, it could be that your images are larger hat 4,000 pixels. Also, if any of the images are CYMK or 16 bit (I believe) you'll get this message. RGB only.

Image dimensions can not exceed 4000 pixels in width or height.

--ken

Greg thanks so much, digesting what you wrote into my feeble editing mind. Since trashing pref., it does seem to act better for sure. I have gotten a few drop frames notice now which I didn't before, so I switched this setting (see attached). Is it okay to always stay at this setting? Not using mini tapes anymore been a couple of years so maybe I need to fix that. Project is for me so no pressure of a client. Will thoroughly go through your post.
Dave

Using a Canon s110 point and shoot camera for the newest video I've been editing with. Shot some of it 720 and some 1080 to see which works and/or looks better.

Thanks Greg and Ken trashing my preferences has done wonders.

Hi Dave,
Hope all is going well now. I have a couple of suggestions, but need some community help in backing them up as I'm doing this from memory or is it "general error: lack of memory" ;-)
First revisit your "Setup" formats. If I'm not mistaken, DV is low bit compressed format for SD, not the HD format the Canon is shooting at. Help someone! (Haven't opened FCS in awhile)
Next, even though Canon wraps it's H.264 in a .MOV wrapper, if I remember correctly, FCP still has some problems with it. .MOV is just a QT wrapper and H.264 has many implementations and conversion can be resource hog.
You may want to run the files through a 3rd party converter like MPEG Streamclip to convert to ProRes 422. This may cure your dropped frames. I don't shoot Canon and have never seen any files from this camera, so again any help from the community to correct/confirm what I just wrote would be appreciated.
Hope this helps, Greg