What does the "Render" function do in Final Cut Pro?

The "Render" function in Final Cut Pro is essential for preparing the effects and transitions applied to your footage for smooth playback. When you edit video, especially with added effects, transitions, and layers, the computer may struggle to process all this data in real-time. Rendering allows Final Cut Pro to pre-compute these effects and create a temporary file, essentially converting complex edits into a format that can be played back more efficiently.

This means that when you render a clip, you're essentially giving the software time to fully process what you've done, resulting in a playback experience that is more fluid and without any lag or stutter caused by real-time calculations. Therefore, the render function is particularly useful when you have heavy effects or multiple layers that might impact your editing workflow.

While applying effects in real-time and exporting projects might sound similar, they serve different purposes within the editing process. Creating new video projects does not relate to rendering but rather is part of project management within Final Cut Pro.