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Davinci Resolve to Avid and back relinking – Tape name not matching
Hey guys, I’ve searched for this for days now. I’ve found several similar problems and solutions but none applied to my issue and I’m facing a huge deadline.
Ok, I’m working with a series of DNG files from the Canon 5d Mk III (using Magic Lantern’s hack). The workflow I’m attempting is as follows (keep in mind I’m using Davinci Resolve 10 and Avid MC 6.5).
1. Import DNG Sequences into Resolve.
2. Use settings to change reel name. (I’ve tried Source clip file pathname as found in some tutorial videos, but also source clip filename which seems like it would make more sense…neither works.)
3. Export an AAF file and DNxHD 36 media.
4. Import AAF file into Avid.
5. Make necessary cuts.
6. Export timeline to AAF file (ensuring to link files instead of creating files.)
7. Import AAF file into Resolve.
8. If all works well, Resolve relinks lo-res DNxHD files with DNG sequences.
9. Export new cut as AAF using higher resolution.
10. Open in Avid to finish output process.Everything works up until step 8, although the problem lies somewhere in step 2, I believe. The problem is, when I import into Avid, the reel name does not make the trip. Instead, Avid names the tape after the sequence it was imported through. This does me absolutely no good because then EVERY clip has the same tape name. And then, of course, Resolve can’t relink it. The problem is, I can’t find anyway to force Avid to find that tape/reel name from Resolve! I’m losing my mind and any help would be greatly appreciated.
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12 Replies
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Instead of using AAF, export the individual clips as MXF/DNxHD36, put the, into the mediafile folder and drag clips from MediaTool or by importing the msmMMOB.mdb from the mediafile folder that contains the media. What does the TAPE field say the? Any difference?
Also, from the conformed sequence that you color corrected, are you exporting out a new AAF or exporting same AAF. It’s a subtle but important step in roundtrip workflows.
Michael
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Can’t you change the tape/reelname from withing Avid? MODIFY>SET SOURCE>TAPE NAME
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One shouldn’t have to go modifying TAPE MOBs and the such when doing these workflows. That is especially painful in a file based world where each clip is its own unique name. Only in some file formats, if embedded was used such as Arri Alexa ProRes workflows does that become an issue to be mindful of, since AMA does not use embedded anything.
Starting dailies workflow in Resolve, AMA linking and vice versa will use both Source File and Tape, but since v6.5. one has the ability to relink between those two columns provided the metadata value is the same. With v7, you can use any column as source to relink on, and any of the timecode columns.
Te issue here, “seems” to be inconsistent REEL ID creation which should not happen if properly managed.
Michael
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Ok, that worked somewhat. If I have the reel name be populated in Resolve using the path/character string and then export MXF files and import the msmMMOB.mdb into Avid, the files come into Avid with the correct tape names. I then cut my rough cut, exported an AAF file and brought that back into Resolve minus the media files and boom, relinking.
Then other problems arose that I think may be related to your question about new vs old AAF files. I exported a new AAf with relinked raw footage as 1080p DNxHD 220 files and reimported it into Avid. Sometimes that footage comes in as missing media, which I’m guessing is because the footage is named the same as the original files. I then tried exporting out of DaVinci into a seperate folder, tried deleting existing MXF files from Avid and then reimporting, I tried a dozen different things. Finally one of them worked, but to be honest I tried so many variations I don’t remember what I did differently. But at least something worked, so I opened up the timeline and it was the new color corrected high res footage.
Unfortunately one of the clips had weird banding at the top. I figured it was an issue with an export error so I re-exported that MXF file from Davinci and tried to bring it back into Avid and it immediately said “Media Offline.” So I shut everything down before I put my foot through it.
I can tell that once I get the workflow figured out in a step by step process, everything will work wonderfully. But unfortunately I can’t find any walkthroughs where someone is shooting 5d Mark III Raw Footage, and roundtripping that footage Davinci=>Avid=>Davinci=>Avid=>Final Output. For some reason everyone using 5d Mark III Raw Footage seems to be using Premiere, and the workflow just doesn’t translate.
I have over 1TB of 5d Mark III Raw DNG files headed my way to edit out, and I thought I would take some sample footage and test it to make sure I could make it work first on a test run, and nothing is working right.
I’m gonna take a break. Thanks so much for the help, guys. If I ever get this working it’ll be because of the awesome folks at creativecow.net. 🙂
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You don’t mention where you are starting your workflow –
1. AMA link in Media Composer, stay AMA, export AAF, link to camera originals in Resolve
2.AMA link in Media Composer, transcode to of offline proxy, export AAF, link to camera originals in Resolve
3.AMA link in Media Composer, transcode to of mastering DNxHD media, export AAF, link to MXF media
4. Start in resolve, create MXF/DNxHD, then come back to Resolve and either link to camera originals or MXF.Michael
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Closer to number 4.
1. Start in resolve, create lo-res MXF/DNxHD.
2. Import MXF/DNxHD into Avid.
3. Avid back to Resolve via AAF (so timeline cuts transfer).
4. Relink lo-res DNxHD files to original DNG image sequences.
5. Output from Resolve via AAF using high-res DNxHD files.
6. Open in Avid and export to final.I’d originally intended to export from Resolve to final and skip step 6, but unfortunately any clips I add effects to (such as image resizing) don’t make the trip back to Resolve, only transitions do. Of course, if the project doesn’t have any extraneous effects, that may be the way to go.
I’m more than happy to use a different workflow if I’m doing something wrong, this was just the workflow everyone else was using in Premiere, with a few alterations to make it work with Avid. But I have to start in resolve because Avid can’t work with 14 bit DNG Raw Sequences (or at least, I don’t think it can.)
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Hi guys, I did a roundtrip test from moviola and everything is perfect until I have to import the DNxHD36 into avid. Inside my MXF folder, I see all the MXF files except my msmMMOB file. My msnMMOB is not there?
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I’m in the same boat here – exporting DnX MXF from Resolve, AMA import into Avid and there is no Source or Tape file names, even when I update fields by hand in Resolve. No msmMMOB file either.
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You don’t AMA link MXF/DNxHD files from Resolve. Those are native Avid OPAton files. The MXF AMA plug-in is for OPAtom 1A files like those created by CanonC300, etc.
In Resolve:
1. Make sure there is REEL info in the mediapool for each clip. This is done via settings and “assit conform” If nothing else, use “filename.
2. Create timeline, correct if you want, then export our as MXF/DNxHD (codec rate or your choice)
3. Put these files into a numbered folder inside the Avid MediaFiles/MXF folder.
4. Launch Media Composer. It will index the mediafile folders and create the msm files as part of the process if none was there, or update an existing one.
5. In a bin, import the msm file and it will create the master clips.Michael
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Someone in the Avid site told me:
“Resolve doesn’t make the msmMMOB database file MC does as it creates media. But your resolvev outputs aren’t created by MC so no database exists.
When you launch MC it will search all it’s media folders and update/create and database files.
But it will only update/create the files if they are in valid Avid media folders. So the key is to have vaild MC folder names in the correct location.
So that’s Avid MediaFiles off the root of the drive. An MXF folder in there and number folders inside the MXF folder.”
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