[Robb Harriss]

I got the path-based previews going. Instead of the numerical-coded names they’re coming out with the same file name as the original.

I’m a little concerned about the paths, though. The normal location for the previews has been a raid on one of the other machines on the network. That path was /Volumes/Video01/CATDV Previews and I selected that for the path for the path-based previews. But CatDV has appended into that location the path describing the location of the original media file, so what I get now is: /Volumes/Video01/CATDV Previews/Volumes/Raid Set/Final Cut Pro Documents/Capture Scratch/FFS interviews/original_clip_name.mov

ouch

should it have created that long path inside the path I specified?
How’s this going to work when I copy the previews onto a portable firewire drive for use with the laptop?

Note that the original media files are currently living on a different FCP system. I’m running CatDV in one room, addressing the ProRes files living on a raid attached to this other machine and creating previews that are stored on a third machine. I plan on deleting the original media and relying on the previews. Later we’ll reload at full res the elements used in the final cut of the project. Been doing that all along. The switch to path-based is the only change.
Comments?
Thanks

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

Hmmm, Interesting. I’m really getting into the subtleties of CatDV. Almost all our footage is HDCAM brought in as ProRes. It’s long form documentary and we’re using CatDV as a long term reference and preliminary editing solution. So I create low rez proxies with timecode window burn right out of CatDV. This has been a bit of a process, learning best methods as we go. I manage to blow up one project by reloading the final selects at high rez. Needless to say I changed our workflow.
Now I try to bring in an entire tape as a whole. Otherwise I bring in large sections of a tape that remain independent from other sections—a single interview versus the cover footage for example. However, I still have some mixed clips where there may be some overlaps between different clips. That may be where I’m causing myself a problem. However, I was able to do at least a temporary fix to get the missing shots into FCP in my export of the sequence. I went in and imported the preview files into the catalog. The tape name and timecode was preserved. I then found the offending clip in the sequence and replaced it from the newly imported preview. The file name changed, of course, but the clip showed up in FCP where before it was missing (media offline). So for now I have the audio and video, reel name and timecode in my FCP timeline, which is what I need until I reload at full rez for finishing.
My other issue is choosing a physical size for the previews that will work with my FCP timelines, which are 1920×1080. For some reason some of the previews fill the frame with the correct aspect ratio. Others come out in 4:3, while others are tiny and in the center of the frame. I’ve learned not to expand them to fill the frame—when I do and reload the full resolution copies I had to spend enormous time resetting the clips to the correct frame size and aspect ratio. It’s a little bit of a mystery. I experiment and my results have been very inconsistent. I’m thinking of simply using prores proxy as my preview format, but that will eat up a lot more storage than the low rez photo jpeg format I’m currently using.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

It was apparent that it was caching. I tried deleting the preview and restarting but it didn’t work. I’ll try the manager.
I’m having all sorts of odd problems exporting a sequence (of previews) to FCP: some clips not showing up, and some showing up in odd sizes and aspect ratios. I’m trying to sort that out. I’m thinking that I may have to add the previews as path based rather than tape based, even though everything (right now) is tape based. I’m assuming that path based will also help with those assets that are completely different than video footage like PDF files and other project elements.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

Thanks Bryson,
I’ve been thinking along the same lines. I’m going to have to render right to the shared storage. It’s where the proxies live anyway. For various reasons I’ve been rendering them to the local drive and then then moving them, mostly so I don’t have to tax the network. We’re only one small part of it. But it’s not worth it for all the work I have to do in cleanup.

Any idea how to force a rerender of the proxies?

Like your demo videos by the way. I’ve been using CatDV for quite a while but you opened my eyes to some new possibilities.
Robb

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

I’m all over it now. I found the references I needed, finally.
Multi and Group are really the same thing—though multi means you can make more than one selection from the pick list.
Just used advanced searching and stack the variables—worked like a charm, no problems. It’s doubtful that we’ll use one of these stacked searches. But the multi means we can tag in traditional ways, that is multiple tags for a single event. Previously we were having to select ONLY one tag per event, or setup an additional user field to get the second tag working. Now I can build in much better tagging, which really solves everything as far as searching goes for us.
yay!

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

Yes, that worked. I made sure extensible was off. The semicolon was the trick. That’s huge for us because we have so many shots that overlap concepts and descriptions. They’re often coded in three of the four possibilities.

Is there any further documentation on the user fields? We’re condensing them and organizing and figured out some ways to slim down the entire catalog and yet make it more flexible.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

I’ll go try that right away.
Thanks

Now, to what does Group refer?

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

You know I tried that. I can’t find any documentation regarding Multi or Group, explaining what they meant.
I set a pick list. But then I could still create new entries in the field even though I thought the pick list was locked,
e.g. I had a pick list of:
A
B
C
D

I was able to enter and of the single items but if I entered “A, C” the pick list changed to:
A
B
C
D
A, C
a new item was entered into the pick list. So what am I doing wrong and what results should I expect. And where can I find documentation on Multi v. Text v. Group?

Thanks

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

I did the flexnet repair a number of time, and deleted the folder. No joy. Decided it was easier just to start over. I had some odd permissions on the HD after bringing over some of my settings with the initial migration assistant. So I wiped the drive, reinstalled SL and of course everything went swimmingly after that. Everything’s reinstalled.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Robb Harriss]

change safe to unlimited

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.