XDCAM EX1 import problems - ".SMI" rather than ".MP4"

Hello-

I've been shooting interviews simultaneously using three PMW-EX1 cameras (1080 / 24p - 35mbs / HQ).

When I open XDCAM Transfer to import the media there are often one or two clips from each SXS card's BPAV folder that do not allow me to import them, the IMPORT button is grayed. Usually if not always those files have a ".SMI" filename rather than the ".MP4" that all the rest have. Often, but not always, those files also have "Clip (Incomplete)" in the "Type" column in the XDCAM Transfer window rather than simply "Clip" that the rest have.

Occasionally a ".SMI" file will import normally, usually it won't. I read that if I revisit those folders after importing everything else then the files will allow me to import them because they are part of files recorded across 2 SXS cards. This worked for 5 clips out of about 30 that I retried.

Any ideas?

Thank you, your help is very very much appreciated!

SMI files are spanned clips. They are either more than 4GB or across 2 or more cards. If you have placed all the BPAV folders on your hard drive (each in a separate folder) using the Clip Browser, the Transfer tool will import will import the clips when you select the SMI file.

If you're seeing "Incomplete" it's because you're not looking at the last clip in the "span" which is what you need to grab.

Ahhh...I was wondering about that myself. Thanks Craig...


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Maybe if I get motivated in my old age I'll write something up about this. Spanned clips seem to be the single biggest point of confusion in the EX1 workflow.

Boy is that the truth. A tutorial on that will make someone famous.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Hello Craig, thanks a million. Does your response mean that for the "... .SMI" files that do not allow me to import them, by way of the IMPORT button being grayed out, there is a sort of complete version of that spanned clip that is importable from the other SXS card which the clip spanned across to? In other words, is a spanned clip only imported from one of the cards while the other half of the clip appears in the Transfer interface, just not as an importable clip? Is that how it works?

Sorry for my thick headedness about this, just want to make sure I import all that we shot. Often it appears that the longest clips on the card, the ones over 40 minutes, are the ones that don't appear to import. Thanks again.

The best workflow is to use Clip Browser and copy BPAV folders to hard drive placing each BPAV within its own folder (card1, card2, etc or whatever name you prefer). Then using XDCAM Transfer Tool select and Add each named folder (card1, card2, etc). If you then select the "last" clip in the span and Import it (re-wrap to mov) it will pull in all the clips preceding it in the span (those clips that say "Incomplete".

In my case I had a 90 minute speech which was on one 16GB card followed by two 8GB cards. Given the 4GB per clip, the speech was 4 clips on the 16GB plus 2 clips on each of the two 8GB cards. A total of 8 spanned clips across 3 cards. Each one was "Incomplete" except for that last clip. Selected that last clip (SMI) and Import and all the clips imported as one single 90 minute clip.

Craig, you are too awesome. Now, finally, I understand how to deal with the .SMI beast.

Thanks again.

Hey Night Owls,
I'm having the same problem, except I've read the entire thread and when I try select the last part of the .SMI clip as suggested, it still wont import... Import button is still Greyed out.
Anyone else had this problem? Anyone know how to resolve?
Many thanks in advance!

Hey Night Owls,
Please let me know if anyone else had a problem importing the last part of a .SMI clip as suggested in this thread? Anyone know how to resolve?
Many thanks in advance!

Think solutions!

In the Subclips section of the Logging tab, make sure the top row (with the name of the selected .SMI file) is checked. Once it is, then, if all the relevant cards are added to XDCAM Transfer, the Import button should become enabled and you can import all the spanned components as a single clip. If you don't have all the cards added, you can import the available segments by checking the relevant rows marked 'Part 1', 'Part 2', etc.

Hello EPKmaker and aidenf,

I must be dense on this issue.

I have the incomplete 103.smi clip in my #29 BPAV folder.

I have my matching or finishing 103.smi clip in my #30 BPAV folder.

When I go to the subclips section on the finishing clip and check the boxes next to:

103.smi
Part 1
Part 2

import is still greyed out

When I go to the subclips section on the incomplete clip and check the boxes next to:

103.smi
Part 1

import is greyed out

In reading the thread I still don't know what else to do? Sorry for my not understanding. Thanks for any help you can give me.

P.S. I've tried just checking the part 1 box and the 103.smi on the first clip and
part 2 box and the 103.smi on the second clip and it doesn't work either.

Try opening both your #29 BPAV and your #30 BPAV folders in XDCam transfer at the same time. You can do this by selecting the first one (e.g. #29) and then CMD while selecting the second one (i.e. #30). It should open all the the relevant parts for your 103.smi once you have all of the relevant parts available, you should be able to check the box next to 103.smi and it will import as one clip. You don't need to select each separate part unless you want to import these as separate clips as well. It took me a while to get this as well - but it seems the key is in having all of the BPAV folders containing your different parts open simultaneously in XDCam Transfer... Hope that's helpful.

Wow thanks for replying so fast.

Hum...I don't know what to say. I select 30 and 29 folders in my source window and all clips are
in xdcam transfer window, I have both parts of the 103.smi clip selected in the subclips area. The clips both show a thumbnail. I try selectively checking off in combinations. All greyed import.

Any other suggestions?
Thanks for your help!

Bill

Might be an issue of your media not being available? XDCam transfer will "remember" the thumbnail previews even if you disconnect the drive containing your BPAV's. Double check your BPAV's are available as you believe them to be. Also check to see that you have sufficient disk space in your destination for the import. I also to correct what I said earlier... when I open XD Cam transfer I don't need to open all of the BPAV folders. Just the one containing the last part of the .SMI clip. Provided all the BPAV's are available and XDCam transfer knows where to look, I have the clip name (in your case 103.smi) and below that part1, part2, part3 etc in the sub clips section. If it says part1, part2 and then "incomplete" you're missing something. I've then been able to check the little box next to the full .smi clip and leave the boxes next to parts 1 - 3 unchecked and it's imported in one piece. Sounds like the problem is a simple one - I'd advise just going through the basics carefully one step at a time. ANOTHER WORD OF ADVICE FOR ALL EX USERS: I see that you're clip number is only a number e.g. 103.smi - you could be setting yourself up for some trouble later on down the line if you need to "factory reset" your camera. When you do this it starts recording clips from No1 again... meaning that if you are in the middle of a production and re-set your camera - you could end up with two different clips having the same clip number... something to definitely be avoided. To avoid this, I've set a "prefix" to my clip numbers so each shot has a FC01_ before the clip number starts. This way if I reset my camera I'll then start with FC02_ before each clip number. A little tip I picked up from the Vortex instructional DVD - a very worth while purchase in my opinion and worth checking out... FC is for my company name Film Crafter....

Heya

I had similar issues. I found even if the clip wouldn't transfer in the XDcam transfer window (the import button is greyed), you can get them in final cut.

This worked for one clip (actually, two, spanned).

Run Lod and Transfer. The spanned clips will be marked (Spanned). Highlight all the relevant clips and drag 'em on down. Worked once for me. fingers crossed that it'll work again.

Best

Lorne

Hi all.

I am probably the least tech savvie of everyone here so these forums are unbelievably helpful! ANyway, I have had this issue also and have found yes it is definitely because there is only half a clip. However, a rather simple was of fixing the issue is, if you know where the second part of the clip is, drag both file batches into the XD cam Transfer software, and import THE SECOND CLIP. The second clip will automatically link itself to the first clip and they will transcode as one. It's a weird little thing it does, but it does it! I hope this helps someone else out there like me!

Happy editing!

IC.

I had the same issue using file/import/sony xdcam transfer.
Here's what worked for me.
With your smi clip selected in the main window, go to logging and use the disclosure triangle to open up the subclips window in the lower right hand corner.
Check the box next to your smi clip and the import button ceases to be grayed out.
You are now free to import.

The Sony video looks good but the software is a pain in the *!!.