I'm half-ashamed to ask this, but having scoured this Forum and Avid Help am totally confused.
I'm trying to get a Project that was edited on a laptop onto a desktop for storage.
Dimly aware that Consolidating a timeline creates all kinds of new media, metadata etc.
But someone once told me it's simpler - you just copy the folder onto a USB key and port it over.
I found some folders with the right project names - but they seemed way too small to contain all that media.
And have no idea where to put them anyway.
Can anyone point me in the right direction..?
Thanks
J
The project copies across easily via USB key. The media needs to be on, or copied to a valid Avid MediaFiles folder on a drive attached to the new workstation
(if you use external drives with the laptop just attach those drives to the new workstation and bring the "small" Avid project file across to the workstation via USB)
Thanks Andrew
Could I trouble you for a walkthrough? Have struggled with this for years.
The digitised media is on the laptop's C drive. So I copy that to an external drive. Where is the media found on C? And where on the external drive should it go?
Let's assume the media can stay on that drive. I plug that into the desktop. Then copy what onto a USB? And where does that go? And how does Avid link the two?
Sorry if I'm making it sound more complex than it is, but really need this level of hand-holding!
Tx
The C drive should have on it an "Avid MediaFiles" folder and possibly a "OMFI MediaFiles" folder
Copy one or both of those to the external drive and your workstation will see them when you mount that drive to it.
From your Avid Projects folder on the laptop copy the "project name" folder on to your USB stick.Copy this folder into your Avid projects folder on the workstation.
Avid will then see it when starting up and you select the project. Avid will also see the media so you should be good to go.
Avid media is stored a folder named either OMFI MediaFiles or Avid MediaFiles, depending on your Media Creation Settings. You may have one, the other, or both. These folders always reside at the root level of the hard drive, whether it is an internal or external. Note, the media folders must be at the root level, and must be named exactly, or Avid will not see it.
Copy those folders (whichever you have) from the internal to the new media drive.
Your project is in a folder named the same as the project name. It is in a folder named Avid Projects. Depending on your version, it may be in different places. However, if you just search on Avid Projects, you'll find it. Copy your project from the laptop, to the Avid Projects folder on the desktop system. This is where a USB drive comes in handy.
When you launch Avid, you should see the project in the Project Selection Window. When you launch it, it should automatically link to the media you copied over. In rare cases it may not, and you might need to delete the Media Database files in the OMFI MediaFiles or Avid MediaFiles folders. There are 2 Media Database files in each folder. Their names start with msm...
"There are few technological barriers. You can fix almost anything if you throw enough money at it."*******************************Randall L. Rike, ACI, ACSR Mac*Win*Unity*ISIS*DSSystems Engineer @ BET Networks [a Viacom company](wwld)
Thanks guys
I'll give that a go now. Your advice is a godsend.
Just one query - if you transfer the entire OMFI MediaFiles or AvidMediaFiles folder, you'll be needlessly duplicating a lot of stuff, no? What if you only want to transfer one of 20 projects?
Also, what if there's already an OMFI/AvidMediaFiles folder on the new drive? Can two coexist?
PS One other thing - what is the Root Level? Sorry if this is elementary - just not familiar with the lingo
Do a search for MDV, A free media moving program that can sort by project.
In it you can search your drive. Then select your project. Select all of that projects media and copy or move it to a valid Avid MediaFiles folder that has an MXF folder in it and a "1" folder in that which you put your MXF media.
joepineapples:what if there's already an OMFI/AvidMediaFiles folder on the new drive?
joepineapples:Can two coexist?
Thanks guys, it'll take a while to copy the media so will supply feedback shortly.
Feels nervy to be merging one MediaFiles folder with another - expecially when it asked if I wanted to overwrite files with the same name.. No two files could be identically named... surely?
If it is asking to overwrite media with the same name then run MDV on the workstation first and move any files pertaining to this project name into another folder before copying.
It may have just found the two database files which will have the same name in each folder
Also, with OMFI MediaFiles all the files must be combined into the single folder. Hopefully, you don't exceed 5,000 or so, where performance can suffer. With Avid MediaFiles, you'll see another folder inside, MXF, and then one or more numbered folders inside that. The first is "1", then "2", etc. If you're bringing over additional MXF media, you can also create additional numbered folders. Avid automatically limits the file-count to 5,000 when it generates media. Many of us like to keep the count even lower, just to aid performance, etc. My preference is around 2,500. The new folders youmake can be any number, "3", "99" .. pretty much whatever you want. Just stick to numeric names.
Thanks chaps
Major teething problems - can you help?
I followed the above instructions to the letter - copied the Avid Mediafiles folder onto an external drive with an existing Avid Mediafiles folder, then copied over the Avid Projects to the existing Avid Projects folder on C:.
Upon booting the desktop Avid, the following error message occurred:
Exception: DISK_ACCESS_DENIED
An error occurred scanning the file 'I:AvidMediaFiles/MXF/1/Untitled Sequence.0497E6030.mxf
I ignored it, and about 150 others.
The project names now appear as promised, and the individual project opens up.
However, clicking on the bin brings up a 'Reading XX Bin' window, then the system freezes.
Happens for all the transferred projects.
Any thoughts? My work now seems imperilled!
It's probably an ownership/permissions issue. Even though you're the Administrator of the system, the files belong the the Administrator of the previosu system. You should reset ownership on both the project folder and the media folders. Here's a Knowledge base article that covers it. Although they suggest "Everyone", I usually choose Administrator.
http://avid.force.com/pkb/LegacySearch?DocId=274783
Thanks Randall
You were right - when it unfroze the edit window showed DISK_ACCESS_DENIED
I've followed every instruction on your crib sheet - alas still no joy.
Point 3 reads:
3. Incorrect file permissions will still need to be corrected. Right-click the folder thatdoes not have the proper permissions and select Properties
It doesn't specify which folder - Avid Projects or Avid MediaFiles?
I adjusted the Security settings on both of them - could that be the issue?
So near yet so far..!
2 other points
One PC is XP the other is Vista 64bit - not a problem surely?
On all Security tabs, though I've added 'Everyone' as a user name, the top highlighted one remains Administrator (Jon/Adminstrator) - (it was there before)
The pdf crib sheet just shows 'Everyone' - no other user names
Do I need to delete the others? Or ensure 'Everyone' is the default - but how?
hey Joe I heard you (sorry can't help from hearing the old Hendrix song!)
The stuggles you're going through just make me want to re-state into the forum how much I think that the media management of Avid is terribly disfunctional, clunky and outdated. Some of it's media management features are just fantastic- but some are the worst of any media app I ever deal with.
In my favorite app (Sonar) you can Sooooooo easily copy, move, import/export tons of media and transmit it to any app in the world with NO effort- no administrator blocks, no "root of the drive" restrictions, no extra russian apps- totally much easier. It's not even close. You can manage media at the windows level in folders, import/export it, triple back it up, name everything any dang thing you want... and the app will immediately see it and use it there. Period. Send it to any app on any puter without drama. Obviously, some things can get auto-names, and you'll need to keep some consistantcy in filenames when necessary... but nothing like the frustrating complexity of problems that Avid users post about here often.
There's no comparison in the openess and ease of use. Avid's file system is thought to be fantastic and without need of improvement by many, but I just totally disagree. It could use some serious improvement. Or else there'd be no use for a 3rd party media management app, right?
I'm just saying it could be improved a lot. If you WANT lots of restrictions in who accesses your files, that's understandable- but most of the time, Avid is just stuck in some old ways of doing things that just aren't necessary anymore. I think.
Sorry you're having so many problems! You're not alone-
Ev
© Copyright 2011 Avid Technology, Inc. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Find a Reseller