AndrewAction:

if I ever thought I may have an In point trimming issue, where I would just change my default mark in from 5 seconds to 180 minutes.

Basically, if Avid did your workflow automatically, that would be what we want. Every time you import a still, MC would auto-create a 6-hour clip (or longer if there's no technical reason for that length) with an in-point automatically placed at the half-way point. There would be no need to even show this in the GUI - the user wouldn't see, and couldn't care less about these behind-the-scenes steps. From the editor's point of view, MC graphics would mirror Premiere's time-saving functionality.

Hi,

I'm working in a 4K proxy workflow and want t link to a load of jpegs, without importing, but with a duration greater than 30 seconds. So far, the only way is to import and set duration there. But not if you are linking, with a view to transcoding to proxy files for offline editing.

The reason it's inportant is that if you want to make some long rostrum (so-called Ken Burns) moves, it helps to first cut in the linked file - to give the timeline a reference to the jpeg name, then add the Boris Pan and Zoom effect. If you don't do this procedure, you lose reference to the jpeg should the files become unlinked.

What seems to be needed is either a way to set the linked duration to be greater than 30 seconds (similar to when importing), or to be able to extend the clip in the timeline beyond the 30 second limit. I'm on MC 8.9.1. Should this be a feature request?

Why not just import? There you can set that duration to any length you want (in seconds.) The file size on your media disk is tiny, somewhere between 1 and 5 MBs dependant on the image size.  One imported here just nowshows the clip as 50 minutes duration. Clip size in my Avid MediaFiles\MXF\1 folder is 1,005kb's  (DNxHD 120)  The import tool 2 or 3 seconds.

A very cursory check here for Linking this image showed I could not set the duration for the Linking in the Source Browser in the same way I could for an "proper" import (In Image Options via settings).  

danny:

it helps to first cut in the linked file - to give the timeline a reference to the jpeg name, then add the Boris Pan and Zoom effect

Cutting an Imported file does exactly the same thing.   (worked this way since Pan and Zoom was introduced)

danny:

If you don't do this procedure, you lose reference to the jpeg should the files become unlinked.

With imports you can just Batch re-imports at any time.  

My thinking was that I could keep a set linked 4K master bins that were independent of Avid MediaFiles (on a different rdive), so that I can offline edit with DNX 85, for example, and then link back to the independent 4k files for finishing. My worry is having two Avid MEdiaFiles for the same files and consequent confusion when re-linking. Maybe it will all link fine, but my experience with Avid re-link is painful at the best of times!

The 30 sec limit seems fairly arbitrary for a linked file and often not a useful length. Fine if you don't want to do any rostrum moves as you can just repeat the shot as a static. I have a workaround for inserting a slug with the file name into the timeline, but it would be nicer to just extend the shot without messing about. There should be a setting in the linking options in the same way it is there in import settings.

Hi Danny,

Unless I'm mistaken there seems to be a simple fix to your problem.

If you alt drag the still into a bin, it does indeed produce a 30 sec linked clip.  When this is placed on a timeline, it necessarily posessess a motion adapter which is basically a zero speed timewarp effect with a duration of 30 sec. However, if you promote the motion adapter by opening the motion effect editor and pressing 'promote' you now have the ability to extend the clip to any length you want.

I habitually use zero speed timewarps to create freeze frames even with linked media so I never need to actually produce freeze frame clips and never need to bother about setting a length or a type (field or frame). That's handled by the timewarp effect and again I can extend it to any length I want. I keep a zero speed timewarp effect in a generic effects bin for that very reason.

There's one caveat when freezing actual clips in that it I think the clip has to be the same frame rate as the poject or it won't accept the timewarp, but for stills that wouldn't apply.

Perry

 

Hi Perry,

Thanks for the tip. I found (with linked media anyway) that simply adding a timewarp effect does allow extending the clip in the timeline to any length.

cheers, Danny

Happy to help.

P

Still a workaround though.  If you want to trim the length of a still you should be able to trim it using the standard tools, not have to work around the problem.

jwrl - I agree, it's clunky. Feature request!

When I have a bunch of stills of various frame sizes, I often GROUP them by Inpoint which defaults to the tops of the brand new masterclips. Just checked on v8.8.4--  a 0% Timewarp on that Group clip on a Timeline (even if nested) also permits what seems like infinite trimming.