For the first time,beginning tomorrow,my facility (with 6 Avid rooms)is beginning the switch from Media Manager to Interplay;to a newer Isis version; and from Symphony Nitris to NItris DX.
I'm the Senior editor at our facility; we will also have a media coordinator functioning as the defacto Adminisitrator for our Interplay;thankfully it won't be me. I"ve got enough to do :-)

Anyway, I've read over the Interplay PDF (it's huge), and have a few questions for the experts before I dive in tomorrow:

-You've digitized incorrect media and want to delete it: how? Through Interplay only now, or can you still delete it from the avid bin it was captured into?

-Each time you edit in an Avid project, do we have to add files or folders (that is,once new bins are created)through Interplay, or are these bins ,once created,considered “Avid assets”,and automatically put into INterplay ocne an editor creates them?

-How about importing gfx? We've always imported our graphics (QTs,keyable gfx,mattes,etc) from a central graphics server in our facility. Do we still import these directly into a (created)project bin or must we import them into interplay now instead,and then transfer them into a project bin? Thus, are these imported files considered file assets or avid assets?

-You want to move a clip or sequence, within Avid, to a different bin in the same project. Is this now still done in Avid, or through interplay only? What if you need to move this clip or sequence into another avid project? We were told not to "file-open bin" from another project anymore.
What about moving duplicate copies of sequences or clips?

-After an editing session, do we editors need to update Interplay each time?

Thanks for any tips.
RR NYC

1.) you can still delete clips (and media) from your bin IF you haven't checked them into interplay yet.  checkins happen if you manually check them in, or if you close the bin.  saving the bin doesn't check into interply.

2.) see above

3.) imported media from a graphics share that gets converted into an avid media file in a bin is now an "Avid Media Asset"  you can check qicktime files into access as a non-avid asset if you like, but that takes up space on the interplay engine and not the ISIS

4.) you should not use file-open-bin in an interplay environment.  you will use the interplay window, navigate to the project and folder and then drag(check-out) the clip or sequence to a bin.  you can also just doubble click the clip from the interplay window and it will populate in the source window

4.) see 1. 

hope that helps!

Thanks for being the ONLY one to reply. I knew there was SOMEONE out there on this forum who would be kind enough to do so. :-)

For me the most important thing I use in Iterplay is the Reservation.  It protects assets that you want to save.  We have many weekly elements that live in a catalog, so even if you throw a project awway that is using the elements the Reservation protects it.

bigrob:

-You've digitized incorrect media and want to delete it: how? Through Interplay only now, or can you still delete it from the avid bin it was captured into?

If it's already checked in then it is all around neater if you delete it in IP. 

bigrob:

-Each time you edit in an Avid project, do we have to add files or folders (that is,once new bins are created)through Interplay, or are these bins ,once created,considered “Avid assets”,and automatically put into INterplay ocne an editor creates them?

Your IP folders could be set to 'append project name'  - thus every time a bin is created and checked in there will be a /Project X/Bin Y folder. If all your editors edit in suitably named projects then even if everyone has a local Project X then any bins created will be in the same Project X folder on IP. If they each have a Bin Y within that project (eg 'Music')then *all* the music will end up in the /Project X/Music IP folder. 

Definitely worth planning out some of your workflow ahead of time rather than making it up as you go along.

bigrob:

-How about importing gfx? We've always imported our graphics (QTs,keyable gfx,mattes,etc) from a central graphics server in our facility. Do we still import these directly into a (created)project bin or must we import them into interplay now instead,and then transfer them into a project bin? Thus, are these imported files considered file assets or avid assets?

Er, dunno. Always have used a GFX bin that we import to. Unless we need different GFX elements organised. Neat thing is that, as long as our *local* projects have the same name - and we have IP folder set properly - I'll import to my GFX bin and editor B to his GFX bin - and they both show up in the same folder in IP. Confusing to start with, but try it out.

bigrob:

-You want to move a clip or sequence, within Avid, to a different bin in the same project. Is this now still done in Avid, or through interplay only? What if you need to move this clip or sequence into another avid project? We were told not to "file-open bin" from another project anymore.
What about moving duplicate copies of sequences or clips?

You can still move sequences around different bins - but IP will be a little confusing to look at as the moved sequence will now exist in 2 places in the IP folders (/Project X/bin A and /Project X/bin B). Update from IP may have unintended consequences here too. Better to copy and move the copy (before it is checked in) to be safe.

In my experience, if you get the folder structure right, then I just deal with a few bins open - edits / VFX / SFX and JUNK. Everything else is accessed via IP (window or Access if more complicated searching required). SO much quicker than opening/closing shared bins anyway.

bigrob:

-After an editing session, do we editors need to update Interplay each time?

Not if you are set to check in bins on closing - this will automatically update the IP folders. It is worth going through and cleaning up after yourselves a bit, but there's usually no time ;-)

Your Administrator can set Interplay so that bins check in automatically when you close them.

Be aware that checking in sequences is *always* manual. You'll need to remember to check in your sequences before you quit the editing application.

Thanks everyone! A wealth of information. Been playing around with IP today and it seems quite stable. Like it a lot and can see how it will help manage media in the long run.