Importing EVS created files

[Richard Sanchez]

Op Atom is a file wrapper, but not necessarily a codec. Op Atom is the type of MXF file that Avid uses, wherein each track is represented by a single mxf file. A video clip with four tracks of audio would be five mxf files. (1 video track, 4 audio tracks). For example XDCAM shoots to Op1 MXF, where one MXF file could house the video track and 4 audio tracks in one file.

In order to get the Avid to view those files, drag them into your AvidMedia Files>MXF>1 folder or if you’re on a unity AvidMedia Files>MXF>ComputerName.1

The Avid will database the files. After that, you can either use the Media Tool to identify the master clips, or drag the MDB file into a bin. As a trick, you can isolate those files. Instead of the default 1 folder or ComputerName.1 you can create 2 or ComputerName.2 folder. That way, it will only database those single files, and that MDB file will only represent those files. Hope that helps.

Richard Sanchez
Los Angeles, CA

“We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.” – Bill Hicks

[Shane Ross]

OP Atom .MXF files refer to “essence” files – the video and each audio track are separate files – like that old QT reference movies.

https://www.avid.com/static/resources/common/documents/mxf.pdf

If the files he sees are very small even though they are purportedly video files, it could be that the essence files are not there.

Next question is the CODEC. AFAIK EVS does not support the ARRI Codec.

So it is probably DVCPro HD, AVID DNX, ProRes, or EVS’s MJPeg. That information will probably be in the xml file also. The evs.xml file is side car metadata.

Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Phil Byrd]

Thanks all.

This afternoon I visited the North American headquarter of EVS about 15 minutes from my house with a disc of files. A couple of very good guys (Nick and Brandon) scratched their heads a bit and then figured out how to make it work.

It turns out that the Atom version with the multiple audio files confused Mr. Avid. So the solution was to create a directory with the Avid Mediafiles and MXF and 1 directories, and then copy the files into the 1 directory. Then use media tool to move the files into a bin.

You’ll never find that in the Avid help file!

This was a very big and very expensive show. I can sleep tonight. Whew.

——————–
Phillip Byrd
Brandenburg Productions, Inc.
Montclair, NJ USA

[Shane Ross]

Richard said that…

“In order to get the Avid to view those files, drag them into your AvidMedia Files>MXF>1 folder or if you’re on a unity AvidMedia Files>MXF>ComputerName.1”

Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Scott Cole]

Nick and Brandon are indeed great guys. As someone who uses both EVS and Avid, they are often there with great solutions. But I’ve got to go with Shane and Richard on this. OP1a will “import,” but OP1Atom files just need to be dragged into the media folders, re-indexed, and then either by dragging database files into a bin or use of media tool, brought into a bin. Avid Transfer manager does this when teamed with EVS’s XTAccess to move media from EVS to Avid or from Avid to EVS while converting MXFs to the appropriate OP formatted wrapper.

M. Scott Cole
Senior Post Production Editor
60 MINUTES
CBS News, NYC
sc6@cbsnews.com
mscottc@comcast.net

[Gary Hazen]

EVS paired with Avid Transfer Manager and Interplay is a slick combination. The integration between the systems is quite amazing.

If the material is coming on a portable drive (for example; an OB truck) the EVS operator can set up the server to rewrap the files on export. As always, a little bit of pre production planning can save a ton of time in post.