[Robb Harriss]

well it’s working on the other machine, running high Sierra. So I’m not sure what’s different.

[Robb Harriss]

What version of windows?
What version of QT player?
Are you able to play the files using some other external player? (e.g. VLC)

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

Under no circumstances do it all at once, or even large parts. Test small pieces. Then test some more. Most of the things you’re going to want in the end, you don’t even know yet. Once you see it displayed you’ll start filling in those blanks.

I’m using Pegasus, by the way, and a workgroup server. I’m managing footage on a multi machine Avid network, but not on a specific shared media system, just plain old external drives.

-What metadata are you guys applying from your folder structure?
I don’t. CatDV determines the existing folder structure and records it. If I need something based on a folder I can find that directly in CatDV. It knows where the footage is, drive and folder, so I don’t bother to make any other notation.

-When you ingest something, does it go straight to a specific catalog or do you have a special place for incoming?
a little of both. Basically we use our footage as stock footage to populate new projects. So we’re always pulling from the large pool to create small cuts. I have it sorted by location Shoot: This particular office, or factory, or school. Some of this is captured from existing tapes, some coming in as files only. I import the clips into Pegasus based on their original location and folder, which in the case of Avid is usually a numbered folder in the MXF directory of a media drive. That catalog is for the media drive and folder. Once imported I add my metadata. That done I copy the clips to a catalog that’s based on the location. That way there is a copy of the clip in the drive’s catalog and one in the specific catalog. That way the metadata matches. Didn’t alway do it that way, but it works for me. Once my full resolution footage is in the Avid I also make low resolution copies to edit with. That allows me to carry around a small drive and work on location or at home. I also bring those into Pegasus, treated the same way. I’m never quite sure where I’ll be working, so it’s nice to always have a working copy of all clips. Not that big a deal. I use Pegasus to make much smaller proxies of everything. I have a writer and another producer occasionally looking at footage. I create small mov files that they can view on their machines, and using mov the files can have real timecode and reel names, which has proved helpful from time to time. I also burn in reel name and timecode so they know these are not finished files.

-How did you clean up your old files and folders prior to ingest?
Just made sure they’re what I want, at the resolution I want. I’ve had to recapture off of tape. Using Avid that’s significant because it creates new file names so the old files are superseded.

-What would you do differently, looking back on your MAM migration, that would make things better?
just determining what metadata is really important and having that ready to go in pick lists. Actually, the main thing we would have changed would have been to go with a workgroup server from the start. The server version allows global searches, which became critical once the number of catalogs started to mount. that and unified pick lists. Locking those pick lists means uniformity of information.

-How do you keep people from bringing s&*t in?
You can’t. But you can review everything before it’s dropped in and causes a problem.
create pick lists and locks them down.

-Any other wisdom or advice for a successful migration?
test first

Good luck

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

just render a copy of the output. If you save it in the project directory it just shows up as an element. Note is as you like. You can select that render and have CatDV render a proxy to your proxy drive/directory so you have full-time access to it if the project directory is located elsewhere.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

I’m afraid I’m not one to ask about Worker. I don’t have it. I’m just on a workgroup server with several seats of Pro, and I recently upgraded to a copy of Pegasus.
Because I’m using Avid, I tend to run everything through Media Composer first. That way MC can add it’s metadata and track the clip. So if I want an HD (or other) version of a UHD file I’d transcode it in MC and place it in a bin labeled appropriately. And I’m always using tape/reel names to help distinguish clips. If I want to rename something I do it in MC, so the name tracks. Once new media is created I’m going to scan with CatDV to pickup the new files. If I’m going to delete media from CatDV I do it inside of the app under the media Menu, so the database is updated.
I’m not going to consider an HD file a proxy if you have any possibility of working with it later. If I want to save space on my working media drives I’ll make a much smaller proxy file (I do a lot of SD copies of HD files) or even a DNxHD36 copy, and work with that, while I move the original off to an archive drive (or LTO). I’ll link back to the original later, when finishing.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

So you still want to have another different much smaller proxy as well as an HD version of the UHD original?

You can save the HD version anyplace you want and scan it into the original catalog. I wouldn’t try to name it exactly the same. I’d use a prefix or suffix of HD to distinguish it from the original. Then it can sit right next to the original UHD in the catalog. Mark the UHD “hidden” if you want. Sound like you really just have to decide to keep the UHD/HD copies, that is, pick one. Having multiple copies of anything with the same name courts disaster. The proxy is different because it generally has a different extension, or at least is over on the proxy drive.

Personally I believe in developing a good online/offline workflow. I’m on Media Composer and it’s particular good at that. I have lots of versions of original files.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

You can create an HD copy and save it on the proxy drive. If your issue is that it will overfill the proxy drive, you can replace the UHD file with the HD as long as it has the same name, and if doesn’t link just use the function, Update Media or Attach Media.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

This is the whole point of the proxies, and the way CatDV works is that it preserves the directory structure. At least it does when you use the “Path” methodology for proxy creation, something that’s been advised for many years, now.

In the settings just specify a proxy version that’s going to be smaller than the original, lower bit rate, smaller frame size, etc, than the original. Let CatDV make the proxy and it’s going to save it on the designated proxy drive, but using a directory structure that mimics the original. It also means you’ll “always” have access to the clip even when the original is offline.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

As much as I depend on CatDV I still only use a small part of what it can do. But you can’t take that as a knock against the software. If it does what you want and maybe even need, that should count.
Take it for a test drive. Get a single copy of Pro and try that. My catalogs are based on things like location shoots and finished projects. Using the non-server versions of CatDV you have to scan one catalog at a time. The server versions allow (among many other things) you to scan across all catalogs. We don’t have need for multiple levels of permissions so the workgroup server is enough. Large facilities with clients who may compete with each other need to be able prevent one room seeing another room’s assets. That makes the Enterprise server more appropriate.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

It’s been my guiding hand for years. I have a copy open whenever I’m editing. It’s much better than any editing applications when it comes to locating shots. The ability to add extensive descriptions is extremely valuable, along, of course, with all the user defined fields you can create. We have hundreds of hours of interviews and the transcripts are, for the most part, in CatDV’s verbatim logger, making it easy to cue up bits right from the transcript. Even without all the the ways you can log using text, the visual scanning is better than any editing application. It’s much easier to see what’s in a clip without having to load them.

There are really only two of us accessing the footage. We use a workgroup server to keep all our notes in sync. And it allows us to scan all the catalogs at once rather than one at a time. A huge timesaver for us. We have one drive with proxies of EVERYTHING. That means we can search and edit even if the full rez footage isn’t online but off on a near-line disk. We have piles of online storage, but not enough to hold everything at full rez at once. So that’s another big help. And because we use the workgroup server we can ID and lock down things like interviewee names (spelling!), locations, dates, etc.

Moved back to Media Composer a few years ago and have been happy with the integration. Looking forward to moving up to Pegasus.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.