XDCam Transfer- logging

[Nick Greiner]

Thanks Ed,

That does let me save changes in the “logging” section of xdcam transfer but it doesn’t change the “Name” of the Clip in the “Information” section. When I import into FCP the clip shows up with the name from the logging section, so I guess that means it will have one name in FCP and another name on the actual disc. This may lead to confusion down the road.

[Ed Cilley]

Nick,

That’s been our problem. It’s great that you can “log” the shots and give the clip a title, but the Clip Name under Information does not get modified. And when importing we don’t get any of the Logging information. — And yes, I am saving after making changes. —

In Preferences, we have checked “Add clip title”. Still it does not transfer.

Wish we could find a resolution.

_________________________________________________
Anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well.

[Robert Dexter]

Filename on disc

XDCAM Transfer shows a clip’s filename in the “Information” tab, under the “Clip” section; it’s called “Name”.

XDCAM Transfer only shows that filename as editable if the disc’s write-protect tab isn’t on and your camcorder hasn’t gone into “Rec INHIBIT” mode for some other reason (there are lots!) and the camcorder is set up to allow arbitrary/free file naming (not just the Cnnnn.MXF style).

If you can edit the “Name” field then when you do, XDCAM Transfer literally renames the MXF file on the disc immediately.

Logging to disc

This is in contrast to the metadata shown in the “Logging” tab under the “Clip” section. These fields come from an XML file that lives next to the MXF file on the disc.

These values are cached by XDCAM Transfer so you can also edit them while the disc isn’t even mounted – offline logging.

When you reinsert the disc, if there are changes that need saving XDCAM Transfer shows the black dot next to the clip (and its disc). Assuming the stars align and nothing’s caused your camcorder to go into “Rec INHIBIT” mode, you can write the new metadata back to the disc using File > Save Changes.

Import filename

When you import a clip, you can customize how XDCAM Transfer names the .mov file using Preferences > Import > Filename. By default “Add clip title” is checked. In this case, the .mov filename includes the Logging > Clip > Title. That was a good idea when XDCAM only support Cnnnn.MXF style file names, but if you’re using ‘free’ filenames, you’re probably better off unchecking “Add clip title” in which case the .mov filename is based on the original MXF filename shown in Information > Clip > Name instead.

Import logging fields

As well as changing what filename XDCAM Transfer uses to import, you can also get it to send some of the metadata to Final Cut Pro so it appears in the project bin. If you’ve launched XDCAM Transfer directly from within FCP (by File > Import > Sony XDCAM), you’ll see “Send clip to Final Cut Pro project” next to the Import button in XDCAM Transfer, and the metadata gets passed to FCP automatically. However, if you usually just get XDCAM Transfer to write the .mov files somewhere and then open these later with FCP, you won’t see the metadata. If that’s what you want to do, you need to go to XDCAM Transfer’s Preferences > Import and turn on “Write Final Cut Pro XML file”. Then instead of opening the .mov file in FCP, import the XML file instead!

Latest version of XDCAM Transfer is 2.8.0…

Hope that helps!

[George Felton]

Our dilemma is using final cut server. Our nascent work flow is opening up a project, using xdcam file transfer to look at clips while in the FCP studio project. We click on the information tab and put our logging information in there including naming the clip. We also put logging information as well as “good, not-good etc” shot info too. We have found that metadata transfers into FCP too.

Our question… Is it possible in the xdcam hd logging mode, to give each subclip that is created its own independent name and description? For instance, the master clip is of dogs. We want to make subclips of each of the dogs that are of different colors for instance, naming each subclip after the color of the dog. Can we do that, name those subclips independent of one another, with their own respective descriptions, and then transfer that information into FCP?

Also, is it possible to give the disk a “name” that will transfer into FCP? In the tape days, using the log and capture function, we would give each “reel” a tape number that was on the physical tape itself. What is the corresponding function in xdcam transfer that allows us to id the disk (we tried using “source) so that we can refer back to that particularly disk if we need to pull more shots from it?

Thanks!

[Andy Mees]

Our question… Is it possible in the xdcam hd logging mode, to give each subclip that is created its own independent name and description?

No.

Also, is it possible to give the disk a “name” that will transfer into FCP?

Yes. The name that you give the disc is transfered to the “Reel” field in FCP

[Mark Maness]

But you can rename any of your subclips inside of FCP.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
https://web.mac.com/schazamproductions
schazamproductions@mac.com

[George Felton]

Andy, we actually were successful in giving the sub clips their own individual names. The key is to make sure that subclip is highlighted in blue before you click import. In other words, we put in an out points on the master clip, and then went into the clip name field and named the sub. We then made sure that sub clip itself was highlighted in blue at the bottom of the window and hit import. We then went into that same master clip, deleted the earlier subclip, created a new sub, gave it a unique name, and again made sure only that sub clip was high lighted in blue at the bottom and hit import. And it worked in final cut and in FC Server. We also were able to go back and give that master its own name. The key is to have whatever you want to import, high lighted with the information you want associated with it BEFORE YOU CLICK IMPORT. We still haven’t found a way to batch import the sub clips with individual names, but at least this gives us some control over sub clip naming! Hope that helps some folks!

[Special K]

First EX-1 project… being tapeless, must I back-up original “reels” as well as the .mov files in FCP capture scratch to assure that I can reconnect media should there be a disaster? Or will I be able to reconnect clips in a batch recapture (like the good ‘ol tape days)?

[Ed Cilley]

I don’t think you can ever “too safe” and like to have multiple backups. That being said, if you are backing up your Capture Scratch folder (and are happy with the codec you used while importing the clips into FCP), then there you don’t really need the originals.

However, like I said, I like to keep originals (EX-1 files) as long as possible.

A little shameless plug here for archiving video footage…
https://www.hdsafedeposit.com

Hope that helps.

Ed

_________________________________________________
Anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well.
– Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield

[Special K]

Thanks for the quick reply (and the plug is OK and interesting!) However, am I correct in assuming there is no way to reconnect the .mov file in the FCP timeline with the XD CAM “reel” that it was shot on?