Location of FCP help file
 

I'm trying to locate the "Final Cut Pro Help" PDF file as it opens in Adobe Reader and I'd like to change to use Preview. I know the file is here as I can open it from within FCP (HD version) but a search across my hard drive doesn't find it. I've tried including invisible files in the search.

Anyone have any thoughts on where it might be hidden?

The help only works right if it opens in Acrobat. You will lose much of the functionality using Preview.

Control-Click on the Application FCP HD>Show Package Contents>Contents Folder>resources Folder>English.lproj Folder>Final Cut Pro Help Folder>Control-Click Help file>Get Info>Open With>Change to Preview. Repeat for each pdf help file.

Thanks Jeff. It doesn't sound like I should bother changing though. I had assumed that Preview supported everything that was in a PDF file.

Jeff, what you are saying was true in Jaguar, but not so in Panther.

If you are using Panther (OS X 10.3.x), the Help files work much better in Preview than they do in Adobe Acrobat. For instance, on my oldest system (QS 2002 800mhz), the FCP Help file opens in Preview in 5 seconds. It takes more than 40 seconds to open in Adobe Acrobat. In Adobe Acrobat, even the simpliest searches take a minimum of 30 seconds to start returning results, and most of the time more than a minute. In Preview the search results are as close to instantaneous as is imaginable.

In Jaguar (OS X 10.2.x) there is no doubt that that Preview was crippled. In Panther, however, Preview is a far superior option for opening the Help files. It makes the on-line help actually practical.

Preview is the default viewer in 10.3.x and Acrobat should not be opening FCP HD help. My comments were based under that assumption and I'm sorry for any confusion.

Ah, very interesting. When I first installed Panther I did not do a clean install but the dreaded upgrade (I love waving my fist at the software deities), thus the evil Acrobat continued to wreck havoc on my Help experience. When I did get around to a clean install, I simply didn't think about it. Good point.

For those following along at home:

Jaguar + Preview = Bad
Panther + Preview = Good
Tiger + Preview(?) = TBD in six to twelve months

I've been using Panther since it was released, and only installed FCP since then. The default for the FCP help files was Adobe Reader (for some reason), but I have now changed them as per Jeff's original instructions, and it is indeed much faster. Thanks again.