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How to get logging info to go with the flow?
XDCam EX XD Browser, Transfer, FCP Question
Greetings, Kind, Gentle Souls:
I’m shooting on an EX3, using Sony XDCam Clip Browser 2.6, XDCam Transfer 2.12 and FCP 7.0.2 with I’m pretty sure the latest Log and Transfer plug-in from Sony. ShotPut Pro to send the data from the SxS card to three drives.
Apologies in advance for being confused to the point of not being sure I’m even going to ask this question properly, but here goes…
It seems that these programs have some difficulty seeing the same things. Logging info on one doesn’t appear on the other. Is there a way to smooth out the workflow so that one might write log notes (variously called comments, description or logging note depending on which program used, it appears) and then have them import to FCP that way?
My goal is to:
1. Archive camera original BPAVs on three drives.
2. Do selects, clip naming and logging on a daily basis (on a long job).
3. Log all my selects but not necessarily import them into FCP but be able to later.
3. Have those notes reside with the BPAV files so that if something gets hit by lightning later I don’t have to reattach that info.
4. And have those notes appear in Browser with the .mov files when they are exported to FCP.
5. Or be delighted to hear a better way.Using XDCam Transfer allows logging and the storage of the logging info with the BPAVs, but when I open them in XDCam Clip Browser, they are nowhere to be seen (having checked all boxes in column view).
If I add log notes in XDCam Transfer, they appear next time I look at them there, but not in Clip Browser. And if I export the files the notes likewise disappear.
Same thing with importing them into FCP – the only info that seems to survive the import from XDCam Transfer is the new clip title.
Is there any way to do this, or is the answer just to be satisfied with the logging info in XDCam Transfer and forget about it making it over into FCP?
Any help will be gratefully received.
Brian
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6 Replies
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If you’re doing clip naming and logging on a daily basis you need a program like CatDV. You can log, add comments, change clip names, etc. and do all kinds of things that will stick when you import to FCP. There’s too much about the program to list here but I use it along with countless others and have nothing but great things to say about the ease of workflow. There’s even a command to “Send to Final Cut Pro” when you’re ready.
CatDV even has its own forum right here on Creative Cow.
https://forums.creativecow.net/catdv
– Don
Don Greening
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com -
Hi Brian,
XDCAM Transfer and Clip Browser both save the user-added metadata fields such as Title and Comments back to the SxS card (or card image). The changes saved in one should be visible in the other. Make sure you are using the latest versions of each (2.12 and 2.06 respectively) and saving your changes before leaving each app (Right-click–>Save Changes in Transfer; UPDATE button in Clip Browser’s GENERAL tab). Also make sure you are updating the source in Transfer and Refreshing in Clip Browser to make sure you are not looking at old info.
Since Transfer doesn’t have the safe archive/copy functionality, you’d be best off archiving/copying and perhaps starting your logging using Clip Browser. You can save the logging info back to the card or back to the stored card image on your system. When Transfer looks at either of these BPAV’s you should see your metadata. When the clips are eventually imported into FCP, this metadata should be present.
Hope this is helpful..
Cheers,
Ian
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Hi, Don:
Thanks for pointing me in this direction. I spent a couple of hours looking at CatDV and it looks like it might indeed be the solution.
I am logging on a daily basis, but there’s been wasted effort owing to the kludginess of the mix’n’match vibe of the various programs.
Thanks for taking the time.
Brian
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Thank you, Ian. The logging info, however, doesn’t seem to make it from Transfer to Browser in many of my archiving attempts. Open it in XD Transfer, and all my user data is there – open the same thing from Browser from any of my three drives, and the new clip titles display along with the comments only sometimes. The rest of the clips only display the repetitive Clip and File names and none of my data.
Undoubtedly something I did wrong while I was logging and transferring, but you would think that if the data was entered it would remain appended reliably not only through the two Sony programs, but into FCP as well.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
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Oh-oh.
Spending the wee hours last night reading all the great things everybody had to say about CatDV I just went ahead and pulled the trigger first thing this morning, only to find that it can’t read my Sony EX3 BPAVs.
On first glance it appears that I need to purchase a plug-in. Any suggestions on how to proceed the most economically and efficiently?
Thanks!
Brian
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Hi
Is it possible to log with sd clips?
Or do you have any other software for adding title and description to the sd clips….
Thanks
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