How to Move Media to Another Drive?

[Peter Moretti]

I have some Avid media files stored on two individual harddrives that I'd like to erase and make part of a RAID array. So I need to move the Avid media files from these drives to another drive while keeping them linked to their associated projects.

Here's what I've tried to do w/o any success:

1) Used Reveal File to find the media files associated with a source clip.

2) Copied the media files to the AvidMediaFiles\MXF\1 folder on the destination drive (E:).

3) Used the Unlink command to disassociate the clip from its Avid media files on the drive I want to erase (F:).

4) Used the Relink command to try to link the clip to files I copied to E:\AvidMediaFiles\MXF\1. For "Relink to media on volume" option, I choose "EDrive (E:)." But I get an error message saying "No clips were relinked. You may want to select "All Available Drives"..."

I've tried all of the suggestions in the error message, but can't relink the clip to the Avid media files copied over to E:\AvidMediaFiles\MXF\1.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks much!

P.S. I tried deleting the media database files in E:\AvidMediaFiles\MXF\1, but that didn't help.

[Vito DeFilippo]

Peter, have you tried this free tool for moving projects?:

DJFio Homepage - Progz

Lots of positive feedback on the Avid forums. I've used it many times myself, and it's great.

[Peter Moretti]

Vitto, Thanks. I tried using it and just moving the MXF files, and I still have the same problem, I can't relink the master clips to the files.


... Well, I'll be darned. I moved all of the Avid Media files from F: to E:, deleted the two media files and low and behold, everything seems to be linked up properly. I really don't understand how it all works, but it seems to be working.

Does the MXF file contain the Project Name? Othewise how would the Avid project know upon opening to look at E: instead of F: to the link the master clips to the proper source media files?

[David Parks]

Peter,

Try using consolidate. Gotta run to a shoot but will explain more later this afternoon.
David

[Vito DeFilippo]

Glad it worked out.

The tool I mentioned, or consolidating are really the way to go in future, however.

[Peter Moretti]

Originally Posted by David Parks

Peter,

Try using consolidate. Gotta run to a shoot but will explain more later this afternoon.
David

Dave, I'd love to read a little more explanation on how Avid actually tracks its media files. I'm going to be moving projects and media files more and more.

I'll try using the suggested tools more, but understanding how Avid actually keeps track of media is something I should do. I can't find much of an explanation in Help of the Usere Guide.

Any help would be much appreciated. ;)

[Vito DeFilippo]

It works on a database system. Each media file is tracked in its database, and the database file is automatically updated when you capture, import, or manually add files to the media folders.

You should see an "Avid MediaFiles" folder if you work in mxf, and/or "OMFI MediaFiles" for omf. Within these folders are the msmMMOB.mdb and msmFMID.pmr files, which are the database.

Consolidating allows you to move only the media being used to another location. If you want to move it all, the tool I suggested is great. There's another called Media Mover, which is commercial:

MediaMover for Avid

And there's MediaSift, but I don't think it works with MXF:

Senkou Solutions - A fresh start...

Use the media tool within Avid to do various things to your project files.

Sorry if some of this is obvious to you. I don't know how much info you are looking for.

Cheers!

[David Parks]

Vito's explnation is right on. In a nutshell, Avid assigns every piece of media, audio, video, graphics a unique address number which is the raw media clip. (OMF/MXF) Additionally you have precomputes which are rendered files (EFX, mixdowns, dissolves etc.) Then you have the master clip(pointer file), which is what we get to name and see as clips in the Media Composer interface.

The best way to see all of this in action is to look and play with the media tool.

So imagine the root being your media file and precomputes and the pointer is your master clips.

Consolidate basically copies and/or creates new master clips and moves and/or copies media files on a new volume so you don't loose your links. Play with the consolidate and you'll get a good feel for how to move media files to another drive volume.

The one thing that Avid does that FCP and the others don't is re-index the database on opening up the MC application. It used to be called rebuilding database. If i go to the root OMF on one volume, and move it (not copy) to another OMF folder on another volume. (Don't ever copy files at this level outside consolidate, it confuses the data base because now you have 2 files on 2 different volumes with the same address and Avid or any software can't reference the same file twice) (Avid creates these folders on boot up) And i open MC app. Avid will see that I moved the file and autoimatically reorganize the Avid database to reflect the new location. That is what happens during re-indexing. That means you have to be a dodobird to loose your media accidently in Avid. And that is what sets Avid apart. Now I don't recommend you do this on a real project, but try it on a test.

Also, I want to mention your project file. Your project file is the conducter allowing the database to talk to your main Avid interface. If you delete this file, you may be into some pain, except, Avid keeps a backup called the Avid Attic. It may not reflect the very latest version of your project, but it also means you're not hosed. Again, Avid shines on media management and has had this approach since the early 90's.

One of the things I do a lot is move projects back and forth between my notebook PC and the MAC. The fact that i can even do this is freaking amazing.

All I do is take my G-raid 1Tb with all of my media, tranfer the project file via thumb drive.

Copy the project file in Avid Shared fiolder on the MAC, plug in the drive and it all links.

I hope this isn't too confusing. back in the old days before Avid had a consolidate function, we would use Media Mover and it worked great. But I think consolidate works most of the time.

Play with consolidate and get to know the Media Tool.

David

[Vito DeFilippo]

Originally Posted by David Parks

Then you have the master clip(pointer file), which is what we get to name and see as clips in the Media Composer interface.

Actually, David, this brings up a point which has always confused me. Are master clips in the media tool (that is, open media tool and search for a project's master clips) the same as master clips in a bin? I'm always worried when I delete master clips in media tool, that it will affect clips in bins, though so far that doesn't seem to be the case.

Consolidate basically copies and/or creates new master clips and moves and/or copies media files on a new volume so you don't loose your links. Play with the consolidate and you'll get a good feel for how to move media files to another drive volume.

I hope this isn't too confusing. back in the old days before Avid had a consolidate function, we would use Media Mover and it worked great. But I think consolidate works most of the time.

Consolidate is great until you want to move ALL media, not just what sections are being used in a sequence. For moving or copying all media from a particular project, which might be a bunch of media mixed in with other projects, Media Mover or MDV_Avid is the ticket.

Another trick is to rename the media folder before starting a new project. Everything in the automatically rebuilt media folder will be from the same project. Then you rename it again when the project is finished.

I also create subfolders in my project folder containing all music, audio, graphics, whatever used in the project. Then backing up the project for archive later carries everything along with it.

[David Parks]

Good points. Also I forgot about renaming the OMF folder. That's a good trick.

At the end of a project, what I normally do using the media tool is keep the master clips for the project file and only delete the media and precomputes. That way I can batch reimport and batch redig if need be later.

We're a little short on drives here is the reason.

David

[Vito DeFilippo]

Originally Posted by David Parks

At the end of a project, what I normally do using the media tool is keep the master clips for the project file and only delete the media and precomputes. That way I can batch reimport and batch redig if need be later.

That was the source of my confusion. If you delete master clips in Media Tool, the clips still remain in your bins, and you can rebatch with no problem. I always wondered what the distinction between master clips in media tool and in bins was.

[John Mitchell]

Using MDV Avid is the simplest way to move media from one drive to another one project at a time. In fact you wouldn't move your database files (you can but Avid will still update them). Avid will automatically rebuild it's database files as soon as you launch it or maximise it if it is already open.

Peter unlinking your master files is a totally unnecessary step and would require you to relink them at the end of the process. Just transfer the media to a new drive either manually or using MDV Avid (make sure the MC is closed or minimised). Make sure you don't rename your directories (OMFI or Avid Mediafiles) and as soon as the database rebuilds on launch or maximise all your clips inthe bin will automatically be assigned to the new drive.

Technically they aren't really relinked (as is the case with unlinked media) - the databse has simply updated and "told" Avid where the media for those master clips is located.

The "unlink" command is there if you want to redig at a higher res - rather than delete your media you can duplicate your original clips, unlink the original clips and redig or re-import at a hgher res.

[Ed Mohar]

Does anyone know if this still works?

I'm using Avid MC5 on Vista 64.

[Terry Martin]

Yep, MDV is still a recommended solution if you want to move one of multiple projects to another drive. If you want to move everything, just copy Avid's media file structure to the root of another drive... and Avid will find it.