Following a recent thread on XDCam EX on a feature, I have a new question... It's quite a generic question on MC, but I'll try the Mac forum since that's the computer I'm using. I posted something similar on the Avid-L, but got no replies.

Imported clips don't have a Tape number. But I noticed that it's possible to give a Tape number to the clips imported via AMA (virtual volume), and that this Tape number stays when I transcode the clips to DNxHD36. I find it usefull to have a tape number (in the YYMMDD or MMDD form) because it makes everything clearer on a 7 weeks shoot. Also, it's better for EDL. And finally, it allows the assistant editor to use Autosequence to help the synching up process (timecode used on the camera and on the Cantar is "time of day", so we can make an autosequence with the video only, one with the BWF audio, marry them, check they're in sync, then subclip each take and AutoSync it in the bin).

I did a quick test as follow:
- Link to an Ama folder,
- Add a Tape number to the yellow AMA clips,
- Transcode them to DNxHD36,
- remove the AMA volume,
- edit a sequence with the transcoded clips,
- remove the mediafiles harddrive,
- remount the AMA folder (clips become yellow again, Tape number stays),
- relink the sequence to the AMA clips for export in full resolution.
That test works fine.

So my question is simple: is it a problem to add a Tape number to clips originated from files. I know some Avid folks are reading the forum, it would be great to have their opinion on this.

Pierre

Not a problem at all and actually the preferred workflow for a lot of us here.

Great, that means I can go ahead and number each day separately.

In the past, I sometimes had trouble with relinking transcoded footoge to the original.

Avid messed up some tape names and I couldn't modify them and relink, or Avid changed the timecode of the transcoded clips.

But that was before 3.5 and mostly with imported quicktimes.