Hiya everyone,

I'm just about going bonkers from what I thought would be a simple job - so simple I have to assume the problem is me, not the product!  Here's the scenario...

I filmed a seminar using 2 cameras.  I used a slate at the start of each tape change so I could sync easily in post (as the seminar was in 60' chunks of straight recording, so the takes were continuous), then use the Group Clips tool to effectively just vision mix between the two sources.  The plan seemed perfect!

When it came to capturing, a problem on my machine meant I couldn't capture 60' in a single go, but had to capture 15'-ist at a time.  I couldn't see this being a problem, I captured each section with plenty big handles, then reassembled them as sequences trimming out the overlaps - this means I have a sequence for each camera containing the same material running the same length, so I hoped I could use those sequences to set in points on the slates and use group clips to edit on-the-fly.  However, Group Clips tells me 'Only Master clips and subclips can be grouped'

Now I can see some logic in this, but I'm stuck - the captures don't break in the exact same place, so I need to group clips on the nailed-together string of 4-5 master clips that make up each sequence (which although make multiple physical MXF files, all run up against each other frame perfect).  So, my question...

How can I use Group Clips editing when I need to do it on sequences that are not just a single master clip long?

Can I fool/convince my Avid into thinking/understanding the multiple MXF master clips are in fact one single master clip, so I can group edit?

I've got 6 play-out hours of this stuff to do, so I don't want to have to three-point the whole blooming thing!  What am I missing?  Which (probably often used but I can't remember it) feature will do this magic for me?

All the best and thanks, mes amis,

Paddy

Please be advided that I am a noob, and there is probabaly a better way to do this.

I had the same problem due to tape droup outs, so I did the following:

For each camera, assemble the available cilips in a group, synced by timecode. Edit to a sequence representing the full time run for a given camera. Now do a video mixdown. The mixdown can now be used in another multi camera group. Audio does not show up in the multi cam group, but can be added to the final sequence by other means.

 You seem to be skirted a major issue.. why are you only able to capture 15'ish at a clip?

New Yankee's workaround is good (good thinking).. although I think the language is a little mixed.. instead of editing, just take each individual camera sequence and create a mixdown of that sequence. This will create a new master clip. Perform this for both cameras and you can now group the new, mixdown, master clips for use in a multicam edit.

Also, the audio will be part of the multicam group (you must specify which source audio to use in the multicam).

Guys, thank you, I'll give that a go, it makes much sense and helps a lot!

Solopost:

 You seem to be skirted a major issue.. why are you only able to capture 15'ish at a clip?

Yeah, it's this laptop - chunky video card, but onboard audio, so the buffers fill up as it can't keep pace.  Lovely, wonderful, trustworthy Avid keeps what it can, and that's about 15-20' at a stretch, doesn't frop any frames, and is just wonderfully robust - but on non-approved hardware it has its work cut out for it.  I stop all the services I can, close all the other apps, and it gives me a few more minutes before the buffer overrun, but I'm stuck with it :-(  I'll upgrade as soon as it's cost-effective (although for other jobs when I log and capture the processor seems to have enough chances to catch up on itself)

Video mixdown time - great answer :-)

 Understood - at least unlike some folks, you have accepted the 'unsupported' line, not whined and moaned about the 'unsupported' line and found your best workaround.. kudos to you.