Scratch Disk Setup when opening new project??

Maybe I'm missing something, but every time I create a new project FCP (6.01) reverts to the scratch disk that I've set up for the last project that I had open. I would assume that it would ask me to create a new scratch disk, so am I doing anything wrong or is this normal? I've searched the FAQ and all of th setup procedures (user and system).

It doesn't "revert" to anything...it stays on the last directory you set...which is normal. Change it if you wish it to be somewhere else.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

once you set the scratch volume. it remains that until you go into system settings and change it. (or that drive is missing and it prompts you to find/change)

it would be nice if FCP changed scratch disks automatically based on each project - but alas, it does not.

FCP Scratch disks are SYSTEM based, not PROJECT based.
wouldn't it be cool if they were..


nick

Thanks...I knew how to change it but it sure would be nice if "they" made it ask when creating a new project. Oh well, maybe sometime in th future??!!

Blech - I'd hate that. 'What do you mean set a new scratch disk? I told you this yesterday you piece of junk. Can't you just remember to go to the stupid media drive?'

How about a checkbox in the User Preferences:

"Prompt to change Scratch Disk with New Project"

Then those who'd like it can turn it on, those who say, "blech!" can turn it off!

Depending on my workload and workflow, I could see liking both under different cirrcumstances. I like options!

deb
(yeah, I'd put it in the suggestion box, but I'm currently recapturing 800 GB of lost media. I'm tired and I'm extra-cranky.)

Owwwww. 800GB? Does the word LaCie come into this?

Nope.

The other bad word....Maxtor. I believe it's the One Touch. A decision made months before I was called for the project.

I told 'em two weeks ago that working without a backup was a scary proposition. Then they made me go away for two weeks while the author monkeyed with the script.

Someone was supposed to "look into it" in the meanwhile. I'm guessing it got put on the back burner because other things became more urgent. Then I'd bet a nickel it was forgotten.

Oh, well. It opened up the opportunity to have a really nice conversation with folks about eSATA!!

Plus, overtime when you're a freelancer is kinda nice!

deb

> Someone was supposed to "look into it" in the meanwhile. I'm guessing it got put on the back
> burner because other things became more urgent. Then I'd bet a nickel it was forgotten.

Splat!

I just had to cut a show where two episodes were on a damned Western Digital formatted for FAT32. Couldn't reformat because this was combined with Capture Now and clips called Untitled1, Untitled2...which meant that safe media reconnection was not guaranteed. And the tapes were across the country anyway. Pins and needles for two months straight.

Until producers stop pinching pennies and remember why it is they used to hire proper assistant editors in the first place...

Yes, options for Scratch Disk setups would be nice. I guess I'm so used to FCP that I'm strictly in the "system" column, but nobody ever died from having the choice.


www.derekmok.com

I'm just hoping that the tape numbers are correct. (Cross fingers, knock on wood, throw salt over left shoulder, turn around counterclockwise three times)

This is the first time I've worked with these guys, so I don't know yet how close attention to detail they are...other than the obvious.

I'm not sure how this project came into being. According to them, it's unlike anything they've done before, and it's unlike anything this particular client has ever done before. There were a lot of mis-steps getting started because it was a foreign process for everyone.

I'm starting to think that it just spiraled out of control (not due to any specific thing) until the editor who started it went on vacation. Then they called me. Then I'd like to think I helped spiral it back into control. Then the drive went kablooey.

The first three days were GREAT!

deb

> I'm just hoping that the tape numbers are correct.

Not.
Your.
Problem!

If the guy who had set it up didn't have the sense to at least attempt accurate and unique reel names, then if a clip goes offline, they'll just have to pay you to figure out which tape a clip had come from. I guess if you're worried about losing editing decisions (you should be -- this project setup seems bogus), ask them for enough storage to create a complete backup of every file used in the project.


www.derekmok.com

You are absolutely correct, Derek.

It was more of a wishful thinkin' on my part. Kerfuffled tape numbers just would have made my day longer.

As it was, I left at 8am.

For the most part, it was a smooth process. There was one tape on which the cameraman went "around the clock". When that failed the first time, I skipped it. At this point, I don't even know if I need those clips. Out of the 30 hours of footage I have, my final product is supposed to be 6 30-40 minute segments.

If I need it, I'll wrestle with it.

For now...

Well...

for now.

deb

Quote

guamrider said:
...it sure would be nice if "they" made it ask when creating a new project.

Quote

Jude said:
Blech - I'd hate that.

Yep...me too. It's bad enough that when you dump your prefs your scratch disks are reset without telling you and if your pulling back-to-back all-nighters you forget to check and accidentally fill your boot drive (Home default). Nightmare. I like to have all my Scratch Capture media going to the same directory on my SCSI RAID. I just go in there and drag it out to whatever project folder I am working on.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Quote

It's bad enough that when you dump your prefs your scratch disks are reset without telling you

hi, Joey.

here's what i've done to deal with that:
of course i dont TRASH my prefs, i re-fresh them, using FCP rescue
if i TRASH the prefs, then yes, FCP will default to the system drive.

when i set up my preferences,
i set a "Phantom" scratch disk.

(i plug in a USB flash drive, change the name to RESET ME!, and set that as my scratch Disk.)

so when i re-fresh my prefs, FCP opens and yells out: cant find the drive "RESET ME!"
and i then set the scratch disk to wherever i want.


works for me


nick

...nice, Nick Good tip

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

I can't help but grin here...isn't it a lot to fiddle with just to change Scratch Disks? Backing up preferences I get, but to have to plug in a USB stick so it gets stored as a Scratch Disk setting?

I know, strokes for folks. I guess I'm so used to setting Scratch Disks (because my projects tend to be drive-specific, never stored on any central location of mine) that it doesn't bother me. I've been juggling five episodes of a show for the last two months and I never had any captures go to the wrong place. One or two render files, occasionally, nothing big.


www.derekmok.com

well, i know that after re-fresing my prefs, i never remember to re-set my scratch disks.

it's not that big a deal, it's mainly been render files that go to the wrong place.
but why not do something about it?
also, if i'm setting up for SOMEONE ELSE i cant expect them to remember to re-set their scratch disks.

but point taken so here's a SIMPLER APPROACH to the Phantom Location trick:


when you set scratch disks, simply a make a new folder on the desktop called RESET ME! and choose that.
later, delete it.
you will get a reset disks prompt after your next pref re-fresh.


nick