Field P2 workflow…. update/recap please?

[Shane Ross]

[Bob Woodhead] “3] using DualAdapter on MBPro, copy MXF files across to external drives (preferably a RAID 0 array for mirrored protection). Is anyone doing this step? Does it add any time to the transfer? Anyone have a battery-powered RAID 0 array?)”

RAID 1 IS MIRRORED..NOT Raid 0. Raid 0 is performance. Lose a drive, all info is gone.

I don’t do the double backup. WE go from card to drive…copying once. And you MUST GET both the CONTENTS folder and the LASTCLIP file…BOTH OF THEM. So either pre-make and pre-label a bunch of folders, or get P2 Genie (www.p2genie.com) that automates this process. VERY slick, and only $33. AND…if you have two drives attached (daisy chained) you can have P2 Genie copy to BOTH…for your protection. Or have it copy once to a RAID 1 drive.

BATTERY POWERED RAID 1? Or Bus Powered? Not that I know of. I use Acomdata ONDAGO drives….but also there are LaCie Porche or Rugged drives, and G-Drive minis. But nothing that is RAID 1 bus or battery powered. But two bus powered drives can daisy chain…

[Bob Woodhead] “4] use Raylight to directly access MXF files from Final Cut”

I always import…I NEVER want to work with my main files. If they go…they are gone. Importing add a step of COPYING the footage, and allowing you to name it, and see what you have. I know that other mention working with the MXF files with Raylight, but even he admits this is under VERY FAST editing need situations, and that backing up the footage before you do this is vital.

Do test shoots before you hit the field…make sure your workflow is working.

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Bob Woodhead]

Thanks Shane… oops on the RAID0… I’ve used RAID3 for so many years & forgot 0 or 1 = mirror.
I guess I’ve got to see the folder/file structure to understand the “CONTENTS folder and the LASTCLIP file” issue… you can’t create say “Day1Card1” folder & then copy ALL files from card 1 into there?

My edit workflow was going to be 1] copy MXF files from “field drives” onto editing RAID3 2] use Raylight to edit MXF directly w/o wasting time on import 3] shelve “field drives” until project is done to provide dual-redundancy to edit RAID3 4] archive finished project to LTO data tape 5] erase project files from “field drives” & edit RAID

[Shane Ross]

[Bob Woodhead] “you can’t create say “Day1Card1″ folder & then copy ALL files from card 1 into there?”

Yes…that is what you need to do. Card1, or A001, A002, B001, B002…As long as you don’t have a symbol in the title, like Card #1. FCP doesn’t like that.

[Bob Woodhead] “use Raylight to edit MXF directly w/o wasting time on import”

If you do this make sure to BACK THE FILES UP before you start editing them. Editing with the masters without having them backed up is scary. What if the main media drive dies? Then what? Back them up, THEN use Raylight.

[Bob Woodhead] “archive finished project to LTO data tape 5] erase project files from “field drives” & edit RAID”

Sounds good.

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Bob Woodhead]

Yup, I’ll have data redunancy out the wazoo in Step 3 of my workflow – MXF on original “field drives” & copied for editing onto a RAID3 array.

Thanks, and any other comments regarding P2 & data workflow greatly apprecated!

[Adam Smith]

I’ll soon be testing my HPX500 in Firewire Host mode dumping P2 content (with verification) directly to a powered Firewire drive. It’ll tie up the camera so it’s not the best solution for everyone, but for me (and considering how infrequently I’ll need to do it) it’s a better solution than spending $2000 on a MPB.

—
Video Photographer / Avid Editor
Maximus Media Inc.

[Jonas Cox]

I had no luck copying P2 contents over FireWire from the HVX200 to a Macbook. Set camera to “1394 device” mode, got Macbook to read it as the “NO NAME” volume (though this was sporadic; sometimes it worked, sometimes I had to power camera on and off several times), but then Macbook (or camera, or both) would crash on the copy.

Maybe I was missing some kind of software utility? I saw the NO NAME volume and figured that it would be a simple drag and copy operation. I even tried going into the Contents folder and dragging over the smallest MXF file (30 MB) and it hung up.

So now my only media are QT files I imported via FCP (had to send the rental camera and P2 cards back), which I will back up. Is the meta data from the P2 media lost now? (for instance, the 24p pulldown?)

TIA,
Jonas

[Adam Smith]

That’s how I do it on my MacPro… Connect camera, switch to 1394 Device mode, P2’s show up as NO NAME, drag contents over. I’m not using any P2 software other than the drivers.

—
Video Photographer / Avid Editor
Maximus Media Inc.

[John Fishback]

Our workflow is very similar to yours. However, we added one more layer of protection. We transfer in the field to a mirrored raid usings the Duel and MCP. However, at night, we copy the day’s work from the raid to another drive. Ultimately, that drive will be the project’s archive drive, but it gives us one more level of protection. Also, that drive is carried separately from the raid 1 drive.

John

Dual 2.5 G5 4 gigs RAM OS 10.4.8 QT7.1.3
Dual Cinema 23 Radeon 9800
FCP Studio 5 (FCP5.1.2, DVDSP4.1.1, Comp2.3, STP1.1, Motion 2.1.2)
Huge U-320R 1TB Raid 3 firmware ENG15.BIN
ATTO UL4D driver 3.50
AJA IO driver 2.1 firmware v23-28
Pro Tools HD w SYNC IO, Yamaha DM1000, Millennia Media HV-3C, Neuman U87s, Genelec Monitors, PrimaLT ISDN

[Rick Morris]

I had similar problems until I dragged and dropped while holding down the option key. I then have to do an import after the system finishes copying the card info. I re-name my folder and keep them all in a seperate P2 folder on the hard drive where my scratch disc is located. Now my issue is recording live from the camera, through FCP to an external HD and the P2 card… RM

[Nathan Wadding]

John,

How are you using your Duel on a MacBook Pro? If so How? I attempted this setup but couldn’t get my MBP to see the cards, saw the reader but not the cards.

Thanks