Davinci to Avid… I want “Source File”-Info NOT “Tape”-Info in MXF/ALE (Source-Files from Alexa-Quicktimes)

[Mike Most]

If you’re using Media Composer 6 (and if you’re not you need to be for this to work), you can do what you’re asking. In the Relink dialog you’ll need to enable the new check box “allow relinking of tape sources to file sources.” There is one caveat, which is that the tape name must be the full file name, without any extension. This will allow you to relink via AMA to the original ProRes sources.

To generate MXF files from Resolve with the full file name as the tape name, you’ll need to use the “extract reel from path name” option on the configuration page with a proper control string.

[Martin Stange]

Thanks Mike for making this clear.

We are still on Avid 5.5 and will continue using this version. Version 6 is not an update reason for us at the moment.

For other people out there who have the same trouble and are on 5.5, I found another solution:

1. Render the files out of resolve as MXF
2. Copy the MXFs into the MXF-Folder of Avid.
3. Drag and drop the files from the mediatool into a bin.
4. Export all files from the bin as “Quicktime-Reference” (It does batch export everything, when all clips are selected.)
5. Fast-Import the exported Quicktime-Refs again. (only some minutes or less for 1 hour of dailies) (My SSD helps a lot 😉
Now they have the “Source File”-Metadata with the right clipname and the timecode is preserved and relinking to the untouched Alexa-Files work.
6. Delete the mediafiles and clips of point 2.

Kind Regards and happy color-grading
Martin

[Mike Most]

Clever approach, nicely done. A variation of this has been done with dailies boxes other than Resolve in which DNxHD Quicktime files are produced and fast imported, produces a similar result. Of course, Resolve doesn’t read or write DNx Quicktime files, but your method is a very good and efficient workaround.

[John-michael Trojan]

I’m in a similar situation but different enough that I don’t think this solution will work for us.

Creating dailies from multiple cameras in resolve. Any cameras that do not have reel names or proper timecode in their files are getting mezzanine files that do… most of the shoot is coming from alexa recording ProRes.

When exporting an ALE from resolve before exporting DNx36 MXF files for off-line in MC6.5 the ALE includes the source file column. However, this information does not come into the bin when the ALE is merged. Since the information in the ALE is actually the source path, I changed the name of the column to source path. Still, the source path column is not propagated, but clicking get info on the clip in the bin shows the source path information.

Using a test sequence, I exported an AAF to ensure that resolve would conform back to the source Alexa files or mezzanine files. While it did, using reel name in file header and timecode, I had to piont resolve to the proper directory as it could not find the files itself (even though import source files, ignore extension, and re-link to source clips where all checked).

I assume this will be an issue when/if a reel name is duplicated through a very long shoot (i.e. cam op sets card name to cam A card 1 after a two week shooting break …it’s already happened!). Combine this with an editor that likes to change the clip names in the bin to something more meaningful than the file names – I foresee issues come conform time.

Also – we can’t set reel name to be file name as some of the non-alexa cameras (i.e. gopro) use the same file names repeatedly.

any suggestions would be appreciated as I would be much more comfortable if source file/source path was used through the workflow and resolve could automatically import clips to the media pool with this info rather than matching reel names and timecode only.

thanks,

[Mike Most]

Changing the clip name of a master clip in an Avid bin has no bearing on conforming or relinking. Avid doesn’t use this information at all, and it doesn’t use file names either. You can change the names of the MXF files themselves and everything will still relink and work. That’s the beauty of having a well designed media management system. Everything is based on metadata, which is encoded in the MXF headers. So you shouldn’t worry about any of that. As for things like GoPro files, you should change the file names prior to doing anything in either Resolve or Avid. That way the issue you’re talking about wont exist, provided you supply whomever is doing the conform with your renamed files.

When you’re processing in Resolve for material being cut on Avid, you need to make sure the Tape co.umn has the source file name with no extension. Then you track everything by Tape (or, in Resolve, reel) name. You need to use the conform options to force this on both original import and when you conform. You can either use the source file name option, or explicitly use the parsing string to extract that. You need to check the Reel column in the media pool prior to rendering anything, and you need to make sure it contains the proper information. If its empty, you haven’t done that, and you should expect to have exactly the issues you seem to be having.

[John-michael Trojan]

Thanks Mike, very helpful. As we have reel/tape names without duplication of timecode within it sounds like we’ll be fine. On the other hand, tracking this column from the provided ALE seems like an easy thing to include in the rather robust database. While Avid may not use it, it would be nice to pass along for tools that do, or could, as another point of reference. One could certainly choose to either use it or not pending their workflow.

…”the articles” keep saying we are moving to an IT based infrastructure, we might as well use it!

best,

[Mike Most]

MC 6.5 allows you to select just about any column as the source for the tape name.

[Erik Lundmark]

Hi Mike, I came across your post as I’m struggling with getting the metadata from Resolve into the MXF file for Avid use. In particular the Tape field.
I keep putting the cam pack name in both the Reel and Roll.Card fields in Resolve but both the Tape field and Cam Roll and Reel# in Avid is empty after I bring the file in.
What is the proper workflow for this? If you don’t mind.
Thanks in advance.

Resolve 9.1 and Avid 7.0