Making Media files come online

[Shane Ross]

The media for Avid has a VERY specific path it must have. They must be inside a folder on the root level of the drive called “Avid MediaFiles.” Then inside there, another folder called “MXF,” then “1.” Put all the media in that exact path, THEN open Media Composer and try again.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Jules Bodenstein]

Hi Ross,

I would also suggest what Shane suggests but I would also try deleting the avid database files that are with the media (*.pmr &*.mdb) this will stop avid thinking it has scanned and catalogued the media folder so it will scan it when it starts up which will hopefully make it recognise the media.

Gaz

Gaz Evans

Workflow Technician
The diROOM
https://www.diROOM.com

[Ross Spears]

Thanks for the reply Shane! Here’s my follow up question: How does one find the “root level” of the drive?

I think that what she has been trying is to work with the Media Files on her portable Hard Drive. Clearly that is not going to be a “Root Level” of a drive, right? I am thinking that my asst editor is going to need to transfer all the media files over to an internal harddrive on the computer, right? And if so, where does she put them? Where is the root level?

Perhaps she should install another internal hard drive into her computer and make that the “root level” somehow??

Thanks for helping us though this!

Never Give Up

[Shane Ross]

[Ross Spears] “How does one find the “root level” of the drive? “

Double click on the drive to open it up. THAT is the root level. The main level. Before you go into any folders. So you double click to open the drive and right there, is the Avid MediaFiles folder…then MXF…1…MEDIA. If on a PC, it’s C: AvidMediaFiles. The main level.

[Ross Spears] “I am thinking that my asst editor is going to need to transfer all the media files over to an internal harddrive on the computer, right?”

No. She can work with the external drive.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Ross Spears]

Se still can’t get it to work.

Let me go back and ask a more basic question. If I want to transfer some of my AVID media files to another editor who is also working with an AVID, how would I do that? Could you outline the process for me? How do I get my files out to her? And how does she put them into her AVID?

Thanks for your help!!!

Ross Spears

Never Give Up

[Andrew Mckee]

Yes, once the files in are in the right structure, you should delete the database files within the folders so that Avid rescans them on boot. To give you a better way forward next time I will outline what is the correct (although slightly longer way) to move media.

1) Move the project folder from the source drive onto the target drive
2) Open up the project from the target drive
3) Select all the master clips in that project and consolidate them onto the target drive (making sure you select the second option to relink master clips to new media)
4) Optionally delete all the master clips (but not media files) that now end in .old

This way Avid already knows that the media is on the target drive and all the master clips and any sequences you have made link to them. When you send the target drive to your assistant and they plug it in, everything should just work.

Andrew McKee
Editor/Colourist
Avid Certified Instructor – MC5.5
Apple Certified Trainer – FCP7
Pixelwizard.net

[Ross Spears]

So all the transferring of files takes place from within the AVID program itself? I was trying to transfer the files from the Desktop. No one has made it clear to me about that yet.

Never Give Up

[Shane Ross]

[Ross Spears] “So all the transferring of files takes place from within the AVID program itself?”

Yes. All media management is done inside Avid. That’s how it’s designed. Finder level stuff is possible, but you really need to know what you are doing. But if you want to copy the entire projects media, then you can just copy over everything on the finder level…the entire Avid MediaFiles folder. But if you only want certain shots, then you open the bin of footage you want to copy…use the TRANSCODE/CONSOLIDATE option to copy the media to another drive. It will make new clips that you then drag into a new bin. Save that bin. And give the bin (that is something you copy on the Finder level…you need to find the project folder first, usually in the Documents folder, Avid Projects folder) and the media to the other editor. They make a new project, put the bin into that project, and then they can access the media.

That is the easiest way to do it. Revealing the files and manually copying is far more complicated, as you need to manually recreate the folder structure, but then you cannot bring that media directly into an Avid. It doesn’t import the media that way. You’d have to use the Media Tool to search for all the clips (inside the Avid), and hope it sees them, and then shows the clips. That’s more more complex.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Ross Spears]

Thank you, Shane, that is very helpful. A follow-up question: Will the media that I create and give to my assistant editor be so altered that I cannot then use it myself to make changes to what she does? That is, will the shots no longer be open-able by my AVID in my original project?

My goal would be to make files that could be interchangeable, back and forth between our two AVIDs….
Would the method that you just described work in that way?

Never Give Up

[Shane Ross]

[Ross Spears] “Will the media that I create and give to my assistant editor be so altered that I cannot then use it myself to make changes to what she does?”

The media will be exact copies. Yes, they will be linked to the .new clips that are made, but when you get the project file from the other person, all you need to do is RELINK the sequence and it will find the originals. But if you gave them ALL of the media…just copied over the entire Avid MediaFiles folder and project…and they send back a bin with a cut…things will relink no problem. If you only give them bits and pieces, via consolidate…you’ll have to manually RELINK. NO biggie.

[Ross Spears] “Would the method that you just described work in that way?”

I’d give them the ENTIRE folder if you want things to go the easiest. Picking and choosing media files complicates things.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def