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Just Venting
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There is a simple answer to your question of how to find the clips once imported. In XDCAM Transfer click on the “file” (I think, I don’t have it open in front of me), dropdown menu and click on “preferences”. When that window opens there is a tab on the top right called “import”. Open it and choose your destination folder. Then import and they will be in that folder! Once you do it about twice it becomes very fast and will end you trouble of where the files go. Good luck, it gets easier!
Apple Certified Master Pro FCS 2
Sony EX-3
MacBook Pro -
[Patrick McLoad] “Selecting this seems to put all clips in a task que, and it looks as though each clip is being imported from the card onto the computer….but I can never find these files after the SxS card has been ejected.”
If you’re using XDCAM Transfer, which I assume you are, then in the XDCAM Transfer preferences window you can choose where your transferred files can go by creating a specific folder on your hard drive and pointing XDCAM Transfer to that folder. The default folder, I believe, is the Documents folder on your system drive.
– Don
Don Greening
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com -
Have you read the Sony XDCAM Transfer PDF manual?
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Thank you all for your kind responses.
Yes, I have read both the Transfer PDF and the Clip Browser PDF. BTW, the Clip Browser PDF must be for an earlier version, as it fails to discuss two or three additional tabs in Preferences set-up menu.
I was able to copy selected files to hard drive from the SxS USB card reader using Clip Browser application, From there, each clip can be viewed, or, in Transfer, select the appropriate file on left column and all files are readily viewable.
Tho seems like this could have all been done in one application, but what do I know.
Thanks again; I think I’m on track now.
Patrick
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I’ve heard that it may all be done in one app in the near future and, I hope, you’ll simply be able to import the files directly into Final Cut Pro as of the next Final Cut Studio.
BTW this is my quick Sony XDCAM Transfer tutorial.
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Craig mentioned Calibrated Software EX MP4 plug-in. This plus Square Box Software\’s CatDV is a dream come true, avoiding wrapped files AND log-and-transfer. Best money ever spent. Why wait another year for the next version of FCP from the same people who just delivered a new MacPro with yesteryear\’s hardware? ; – )
Kuhnen -
Patrick, you appear to have got involved with too many applications. I edit on Media 100 but I think the principles are similar. I transfer all files direct from the camera to a hard drive (small USB powered one if on location) through my MacBook laptop. Twelve minutes or so for the 16 Gb card, S x S. I don’t bother with Clip Browser at all (Craig knows and thoroughly disapproves). I then back up the files later to a second drive. For ingesting into Media 100 I use the Sony Transfer app to play the clips and using that interface can select in / out points of each clip for import and they go straight into whatever bin I choose to have open in Media 100. There is a slight delay for rendering to my chosen codec (currently ProRes 422 HQ) and I’m editing. One vital thing that I’m sure you know, is that when transferring BPAV files they must never be dissected and any folder that you put them in must start with the letters BPAV.
Michael Slowe
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BTW here’s my batch import tutorial using Calibrated MP4 plugin. There’s a notable time and hard drive space savings not having to rewrap to .mov. It also means your projects files link back to the BPAV .mp4.
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Thank you for those tutorials and suggestions; I’ll explore those workflows in the next couple of days.
Obviously, sitting here in the AC at my editing desk with a big powerful MacPro is quite different than being on location in the middle of a hectic shoot day. To empty a card, I do not want to have to bring the camera inside, connect to a laptop, and transfer files from the camera. I want to have the laptop inside with the card reader. This way, I can continue shooting while another person (or myself during a break or lunch) transfers clips. Granted, that’s probably an extreme situation, but it could happen, especially if shooting 1080p.
So a Mac laptop is probably in my future. Yes, I have one of those small Passport-style hard drives, but the problem with those is that you can’t SEE anything, and there’s no indication that files have all loaded correctly. Although I haven’t played with it much, I would be more prone to connect it to the laptop and drag files into it AFTER having transferred them to the laptop. At least with a laptop, you can open that portable hard drive to see what is in it.
In transferring files via iLink from the camera, a BVAP folder is created on the desktop which contains clips. However, this folder is still somewhat of a mystery to me. Subsequent connections (from camera to computer) does not seem to produce yet another BVAP folder for transfer of new clips. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, or if I have to first make a new destination folder for these new clips.
That’s another issue I’ll have to become more familiar with.It also occurred to me that a successful transfer of clips is highly dependent on the interconnecting cables. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of low-end junk that comes free with some of these devices. I think I’ll invest in a couple of gold-end, well made cables to accompany the card reader.
I have not done so yet, but do you use the software in the camera to delete all clips or some other way? say with Clip Browser?
Many thanks.
Patrick
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[Patrick McLoad] “To empty a card, I do not want to have to bring the camera inside, connect to a laptop, and transfer files from the camera. I want to have the laptop inside with the card reader. This way, I can continue shooting while another person (or myself during a break or lunch) transfers clips. Granted, that’s probably an extreme situation, but it could happen, especially if shooting 1080p.”
It’s always risky to transfer and erase cards during a shoot. Human error is catastrophic. Get enough SxS or SDHC cards (much less expensive) to get you through the shoot day. Two 32GB cards will get you nearly four hours of record time. Unless you’re shooting non stop, that will get you through a shoot day.
1080p has nothing to do with record time. XDCAM codec is 35mbps regardless of frame size or frame rate. Only overcrank uses data faster.
[Patrick McLoad] “In transferring files via iLink from the camera, a BVAP folder is created on the desktop”
You seem to be very misinformed. Please don’t make wrong assumptions. Read manuals and ask questions rather than make serious mistakes.
Data is not transferred by i-link. It is either USB from camera or by SxS card reader or SDHC if you are using that format.
The BPAV goes to where you designate it and it should be in a parent folder. It is not necessarily the desktop although the parent folder can certainly be on the desktop.
[Patrick McLoad] “Subsequent connections (from camera to computer) does not seem to produce yet another BVAP folder for transfer of new clips. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, or if I have to first make a new destination folder for these new clips.”
Connections don’t create folder on anything. You must copy the files and you should be doing that with Sony ClipBrowser, a utility that comes on CD with the camera but better to download the current version. BPAV goes where YOU direct it to go and in a parent folder.
[Patrick McLoad] “It also occurred to me that a successful transfer of clips is highly dependent on the interconnecting cables. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of low-end junk that comes free with some of these devices. I think I’ll invest in a couple of gold-end, well made cables to accompany the card reader.”
SxS can go into a laptop with SxS card reader. Actually same can be done with SDHC if you use that format and your laptop has a built in reader. Again doing this during a shoot is disaster waiting to happen. Buy enough cards so you don’t have to transfer in the field.
[Patrick McLoad] “I have not done so yet, but do you use the software in the camera to delete all clips or some other way? say with Clip Browser?”
Get enough cards and you don’t have to risk erasing the wrong one in the field. I generally delete the clips in the camera after end of shoot transfer and confirmation (ClipBrowser with CRC on). Deleting on the computer can sometimes create invisible files in the data structure of the card. Sometimes people will also do a periodic reformat but I avoid that.
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