Windows XP File Structure question

[Peter Wright]

Once again, thanks Piotr. You confused me for a while, as I thought you were talking about copying BEFORE opening the Clip Browser - that's what "copying to HDD" normally means - but you're talking about using a copy function WITHIN the Clip Browser.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Peter Wright

- but you're talking about using a copy function WITHIN the Clip Browser.

Exactly, Peter!!!

[Michael Gane]

Hi Peter,

I've been following your converastion, I have a query, when I import the BPAV folder in to edit, I get duplicated copies of all footage, MPeg & XML files any ideas?

Mike

[Michael Gane]

Hi All,

I am losing the plot, could someone explain to me why when importing the BPAV folder to begin edditing, I am seeing duplicated files, these are Mpeg and what seems to be a perfect copyies but as XML, please help! surly these extra files are taking up memory and space on the HDD.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Michael,

Sorry, I cannot help you any more. I have heard of double clips when importing to FCP; also now - with Premiere CS3 supporting EX1 - there are mixed reports on how it works; please search the forum (and elsewhere).

Using Vegas or Edius, I have never come across any problems of this kind, so I cannot comment.

Piotr

[Michael Gane]

No problem, I have searched other sites with no luck as yet, I may even turn to Vagas 8! Thanks anyway.

[Peter Wright]

Piotr wrote: "Using the Clip Browser copy function (NOT that of Windows Explorer), you won't even get this message - it knows what to do with your existing file structure, and how to add new subfolders being copied."

Hi Piotr - I can't believe I'm still stumbling over this - I'm just capturing the first project I've had with card-overlapping clips since you wrote this.

The Clip Browser "Copy" function you refer to .... the only one I can find is under the "Edit" drop down, and this is simply the Windows Ctrl+C.

Is this right - if so please help by explaining:

Do I use the top or the bottom window in Clip Browser?

Having highlighted a clip and selected Edit/Copy, how and where do I paste?

Sorry I'm taking a while to learn all this, but what seemed simple isn't so easy once inside Clip Browser.

Peter

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Peter,

What I am doing (and believe me - without any problems since I adopted this method), is this:

1. On my PC (usually the laptop, if in-field) HDD, create a new folder for the new project (not for a single card content, but entire project, no matter how many cards it'll be using), let's name it Project1

2. Insert the first card to be off-loaded to the reader, start the Clip Browser, and navigate the lower pane to the card, and the upper pane to Project1

3. Select all clips (using either CNTRL or SHIFT and the mouse) on the card, select COPY from the right-click menu (of the Clip Browser - not that of the Explorer!)

4. Click in the Project 1 (upper pane of the Clip browser - NOT the folder in Windows Explorer!), and from the right-click menu select PASTE (again, within the Clip Browser - not the Explorer!)

............

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for each consecutive cards, making up the project. As long as you don't reset the clip numbering in the camera menu, never worry about overwriting anything and alike.


After doing it with several cards, it may happen that when counting the thumbnails in the upper pane (Prooject1 folder on your HDD), the number will be lower than the total number of clips on all cards you copied. This is OK, as the Clip Browser just merged the FAT32 limitation-due chunks, and/or the partial files of clips spanning cards - if any existed.

What I do next is my personal preference (YMMV), but here it goes:

Since I usually do the above using my laptop in-field, I connect TWO external eSATA HDDs (using the ExpressCard to eSATA card with 2 ports), and from the upper pane of the Clip Browser (showing Project1 "takes" - i.e. clips already merged back as necessary if spilt on cards), I use the EXPORT MXF function to the RAID 1 that the 2 drives are configured into.

Upon returning back to my office, one of the drives goes to the shelf as an archive, and the other is connected to my main editing system's port - and editing may begin!

[Peter Wright]

Thanks for your time and knowledge, Piotr.

I'll have to save your method for next time, because believe it or not, the following just happened:

Before I started following your steps, I went to delete the clip that was already sitting in the top panel, thinking I was just deleting it from the Clip Browser program, but .... it deleted it from the Card!!!

Fortunately I had already made a back up copy on my hard drive, so I can complete my edit without doing what you suggest, but copying from a HD folder rather than directly from the SxS Card.

The learning goes on ........

[Piotr Wozniacki]

We're all learning, Peter :)

Please note that while the above method has been bullet-proof for me when acquiring lots of material in field, sometimes I do cut the corners - for example, with some not so important, single card shots (e.g. testing my PP's), I'd go straight to my main editing PC and bypass the COPY stage altogether - EXPORTing the clips on the card (in the lower pane) straight to a folder of my choice on the PC's HDD.

But also note that with mission-critical material, COPYing first (using Clip Browser's COPY) is very important, even if you *think* there are no spanning clips... As an example, imagine you have inadvertently knocked the "Slot select" button on your camera while shooting; recording switched from A to B, you noticed it after several seconds and pressed the button back! You will end with your (intended single) take in 3 clips (2 on card A, one on card B).

When you COPY first, they will be combined back seamlessy into your single take, which you can later EXPORT as an mxf ready to be edited.


I also should have added that I've been using my method having just two 8 GB cards and no helping hand in the filed, yet I luckily never lost anything. Worth mentioning is that after having COPied your card with my method, before ejecting it, you just right-click in the lower pane (where all the clips are still selected for you), and from the menu choose DELETE. After ejecting, the card is ready for recording again - no need for re-formatting!

[Peter Wright]

Yes, thanks Piotr

Mind you, I'm hoping that the next update of Vegas will be able to accept files straight from the camera, as I believe Premiere already can ....

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Peter Wright

Yes, thanks Piotr

Mind you, I'm hoping that the next update of Vegas will be able to accept files straight from the camera, as I believe Premiere already can ....

If it does, it will only make the last step of EXPORTing to mxf unnecessary (though not obsolete - depending on the editing preferences), with everything before this last step unchanged.

Unless of course someone is planning to edit off the SxS cards directly, which is not a good idea IMHO (even if you don't need it immdeidately for continuous shooting).