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archive vs copy from card based cams
What is the advantage or difference in archiving using FCP X archive type of import vs simply copying into a folder using the finder?
From the HELP menu:
“Choose a location to save the archive from the Destination pop-up menu, and click OK. Note: It is recommended that you save your archive to a disk or partition different from the one where you store the media files used with Final Cut Pro. ”Other than the normal need to have back-ups of important data (you will be erasing your media card when you put it back in your cam), why is Apple suggesting this? I like to put all my project’s components in the same sparse bundle.
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV30/40, Sony Z7U, VX2000, PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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2 Replies
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[Andy Branner] “And I wouldn’t get too used to that sparse bundle thing either.
“Why so? It solves two major problems for me. Most importantly I will be running a post lab at a HS. I need for an efficient way to keep media and projects from different end users (students) off limits to the other end users (students). A combo of sparse image bundles and a simple finder account for all students does the trick. Everything but mounted sparse images is inaccessible to all other users. The simple finder cannot mount a sparse image. I only need two accounts – the admin and a student. As admin I mount and unmount what I need. Simple and I have not found a gotcha except to remind students to save all their work into the mounted sparse image.
The other advantage is I can copy these images for moving or backing up important projects and easily delete ones that we don’t need like old exercises and old projects that have no particular value.
So what’s wrong with sparse image bundles as virtual project/media drives?
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV30/40, Sony Z7U, VX2000, PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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This is an issue that has bothered me as well and here’s why below (I posted this on a Larry Jordan Blog and I am sure a COW page at some point)
I realize media management is the biggest change and I am not personally a fan of bundled data as FCP is now, but I’ll live. I still like the new workflow, but I like having clear and direct access to my file/folder structures to get to my Quicktimes and other media. That said, Larry do you have any speculation as to why up to this point Apple has not addressed (to my knowledge) these points below which (at least the first two) should have been rolled into this release?
Some things I really want and hoped to see in this release:
1 – Media management that can truncate clips to just what we need for archiving (a la FCP 7).
2 – Reimport from folders as reels (as in the case of a card backup) rather than being forced to create camera archives first.
3 – Color marker for duplicate clips in the storyline (a la FCP 7)
4 – Search dialogue for words or phrases by typing it in (wishful thinking)
Thanks Larry.Larry Jordan says:
January 9, 2014 at 10:45 am
Tangier:
#3 exists in the new version – its in the View menu.
#1 would require transcoding the clips to create just the truncated clips for all but a very few codecs. Apple decided they didn’t want to touch the source media.
#2 I’m not sure this is a true statement, I’ll need to do some research.
#4 is because, currently, speech to text conversion is highly inaccurate, as Adobe discovered.
LarryTangier Clarke says:
January 9, 2014 at 11:12 am
I believe #3 is only for the browser and only tells us if that portion of the clip is used in the project. What I mean is something more like FCP 7 whereas on the sequence itself you could now (by color marker) if you’ve used a clip twice (whether on purpose or by accident) in the same sequence.Re #2
We backup our cards to hard drives and then clone that/those drives.
If we want to restore an old project where the media is offline, FCP X has never been able to reimport the media from the backed up folder. You only have two choices: a) turn your backed up folders into camera archives so that FCP X will recognize them b) import your backed up card(s) into the old or a new event simply for the purpose of creating Quicktimes that you can then point your old project to to rebuild the offline files.
For storage/cost sake after a project is complete we do not backup all of the original media and transcoded media that we shot because we have the reels from which to recreate that media.It’s very cumbersome really. For a project that has many reels this is horrid; being forced to create camera archives (and not in a batch fashion) takes a lot of time. Once media for a project is offline, you cannot rebuild that project using the reimport feature without the camera archive data type or a connected camera.
It’d be nice for Apple to release that and bring back the FCP 7 method where you can have a completely offline project and use log and transfer to just point FCP 7 to the reel folders. FCP X does not let you reimport from the original card structure (represented as a folder in the Finder) from which we made our initial import to begin with.
This is very strange and has never been addressed.
Tangier
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