Using alias.mov files to reconnect media links.

I?ve discovered a useful workaround for 2 people working on the same material that is especially useful for the documentary approach where more than one person is working on interview material or detailed work on analysing content.

Alban Egger, I think that it is him? Has already posted a very useful guide to remote working on parts of a project.

[fcpxmegatest.blogspot.com]

However my post relates to specifically analysing interview material without double duplicating source files.
In order to not keep duplicating Pro-Res 422 source files I do not normally import into FCP X but reference the files from a folder on one of my drives. We reference a lot of archive material and this works well as a workflow. We also use a lot of codecs that FCP X does not recognise yet, (Eg Canon MXF files) so these are transcoded using fcp7, MPEG Steamclip or a MTS converter.

Normally 2 of us work on the material after the shoot. The interview files are also loaded onto a laptop where the material is analysed, sub clipped, and summarised by the producer. In FCP7, once this work was done the project file was sent back (emailed) to the main edit computer, opened up and copied into the main project, media re-connected and was ready to go.

In FCP X there is no direct reconnect media function. However I?m able to replicate this workflow by copying the interview files onto the laptop, creating an event, carrying out the work on the files and then manually copying the that event file into the Final Cut Event folder on the main edit computer via a usb stick.

If one was then to open up FCP X the files would be flagged as missing with no way to reconnect them.
However if you open up the Original Media Folder of the Event you have bought in from the laptop and one by one remove (and trash) the alias .mov files and then file copy the relevant alias.mov files from the Original Main Event folder of your Main Event every thing is re-connected.

Larry Jordon has mentioned that it is not a good idea to mess with the files in media folders but this is all a fairly low risk activity because at the end of the day if there were a problem you can re-import the files into the project.

I posted his blog link last week. It's certainly worth following.
[www.lafcpug.org]


There's a few improvements Apple needs to make for media management and shared projects.
One that I'd like to see is being able to move or create and move proxy files only because even the full ProRes files can be daunting if you're laptop has limited hard drive space.

BTW have you tried using Modify Event References?

Yeah I picked up on your blog last week - thanks.

My understanding is that Modify Event References only works with Projects. There is no option to use it with events unless I've missed something.

And yes, It would be great if one could create and move proxy files and then reconnect.

Mark. Thanks for sharing here. Good stuff. The other night at lafcpug Steve Kanter showed off (at least what I thought) was a way to have Modify Event References work with Events as well as projects. I might of have been brain dead at that point, but let me see if he can comment on this thread.

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

Michael,

Will you be posting videos of your last meeting? - the one with Steve Kanter.

This area is a key one for me.



Mark Dobson

Yeah, but we had tech issues with Steves demo and not sure if its a good idea to show or not. Imparts really good info but some of the stuff just didnt work due to ethernet and demo god problems.

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

if the info is there i'm sure we could filter out the stuff that doesn't work.

I remember watching really crap footage of fcp x initial launch and getting info despite dreadful camerawork.

I think he means more that things happened like it crashed a lot, or some things didn't work because of specific problems on the night, rather than there was a problem with the shoot.

Hey Mark,

Can you describe exactly what you mean by "I do not normally import into FCP X but reference the files from a folder on one of my drives." If you can describe your workflow a bit more explicitly I may have a much easier solution for you.

FCP X events behave differently when they are created with the "Copy files to Final Cut Events Folder" option unchecked. In this case they are more like a database, and the Original Media folder contains symbolic links to media rather than the actual media (which is what I think you are referring to be "referencing." So it's pretty important for me to know just where the original media is, what's referencing what, and what you're actually copying from system to system.

If you're lucky, I think there's a workflow that is vastly more simple. But if you could help me out by describing your workflow step by step, I'd be happy to let you know what else you could try.

And yes, as noted, Modify Event References only reconnects projects to events. What we're trying to work out is exactly how to share events, and if the events are created in the right way, you shouldn't have any broken links to repair.

Steve Kanter
Avid Certified Trainer and Editor
Final Cut Studio Master Trainer and Editor
Certified Xsan Administrator and Workflow Specialist
(323) 823-6952
steve@editdog.net
www.editdog.net

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your reply. I'll attempt to take you through my workflow clearly.

1. I import files from my Canon XF305 camera via FCP7 log and transfer. These MXF files are transferred natively and
become XD Cam HD422 1080p25(50mb/s)files. These are smaller in size than Pro-Res 422 LT or the FCP X default Pro-Res 422. These files are stored in a folder on one of my external GTech drives.

2. During the Log and Transfer process I re-title all of the clips with a description dependent on content. eg; Graeme Hay Interview 1 or IMS Computer Screen 4 etc etc. This means they are easy to identify down the line. It is at this stage that I create my backup copy of the files onto an adjacent GTech drive. ( I've been working tapeless for 2 years now and am still amazed at how much digital storage space is required and this comes at a cost!)

3. In FCP X I create a new event. I then import the XDCam HD422 files. I do this by selecting 'Add to existing event'. I leave all the Organising,Transcoding,Video and Audio boxes unchecked. This means that FCP X is referencing my media and not re-transcoding it into Pro-Res 422. (and adding to my storage requirements)

4. Now if I was working on the project alone that would be the end of the story. However the producer is the one who clips out the interviews. In FCP7 this was done by creating sub-clips, retitling these with a synopsis of the content or by using markers and adding notes / synopsis to these.

This work is done on the producers MacPro. So I will have copied the interview files onto the laptop and created an interview analysis project in FCP7. Once the work was done the FCP7 the project file was emailed back to the main workstation and opened up into the main project. The clips would show as being unconnected and then re-connected. All very easy in FCP7.

However this workflow does not work smoothly in FCP X. As above the files are copied onto the laptop, an interview analysis Event is created, linked to the interview files I've placed on the laptop and the material is worked on through creating favourites and retitling them and by using markers and re-tilting these.

Now if one copies the Event onto a USB stick (too big to email easily @ 50mb approx) and bring it back to the main computer and place it in the Final Cut Event Folder when opened up in FCPX the red disconnected media symbol is on all of the clips in the imported Event. And there is no facility of re-connecting them to the identically named clips which
are on the Gtech drive.

Now an easy alternative is available at this stage. I can mirror the computers and using FCPX I can move the Event from one Computer/Hardrive to another. But FCPX does this by recreating Pro-Res422 files.

5. So again to avoid duplication of core files I discovered that by replacing the identically named alias.mov files in the imported Event Folder with the identically named alias.mov from my original Event ( Via file copy file paste command ) I was able to 'reconnect' the media. ( It is important to trash and empty trash the alias files one is replacing)

So that's my work around!

All quite convoluted and over complicated by the fact that I do not want to follow the limited FCPX workflow options to carry out what is a normally very simple operation. Data storage is a real issue for small companies like ours and Apple seem to have a very loose attitude towards constantly re-generating really large file collections.

I'm aware that by only referencing my core files I am probably taking a dip in performance but to be honest that is of small concern in the wider picture of learning a totally new workflow and set of keyboard shortcuts. I'm still instinctively
clicking FileSave - old habits die hard, especially for old dogs.

But don't think I'm moaning about FCP X. I actually think it's fabulous and when I go back into FCP7 to work on old projects I really miss the interactive and intuitive way of working with the clips both in the Event Library and on the timeline. And everything looks so crisp!

I look forward to hearing if you have an easier solution for this workflow

best regards

Mark

Okay. I get it now. Let's try the easiest possible solution first. Yours might be it, actually, once you see what I?m going to suggest.

However, there is a Merge Events function that's designed for this exact purpose. I know from my own tests that it merges Keyword Collections, which would include the FCP X version of subclippingas well as the Favorites choices. The "trick" is that the two events to be merged must have the SAME name.

Try the following:

1. Copy your FCP 7 media to the laptop, as usual.
2. Create an event on the laptop with the same name as your original event.
3. Import the FCP 7 media into the laptop event, as you have been, with all copy and transcode options off. This will create the symlinks inside the 2nd event folder.
4. Producer subclips (adds keywords to regions) and marks favorites, as usual.
5. Shut down the laptop and reboot in Target mode (hold down T) and hook up to 1st computer via FireWire. Alternatively, copy the event to your flash drive a you have been and plug that in to 1st computer. In either case, as you know, event MUST reside in a Final Cut Events folder at the root of the drive. In the case of the flash drive, understand that the event is essentially OFFLINE (i.e. not connected to the media the symlinks point to), but this has no effect on the success of the merge.
6. Launch FCP X on the 1st station and look at the events library. You should see the original event on your original drive, and the laptop version on another drive.
7. Select both events and choose File > Merge Events (Be warned, this operation will create a new merged event, and the two solo events will be gone. If you are at all worried about this operation, you can easily copy the two events somewhere else before you do this.)
8. Give the new event a name (it could be the same as the original if you like).
9. When you perform the merge, the contents in the events libraries are merged into a new events. The rule is, if the contents are files, then files are copied. If the contents are symlinks, then they are copied.
10. At the end of the merge, you should have the keyword collections and favorites choices of BOTH events. Sadly, you will actually have two clips for each file, but BOTH clips will point to the same symlink, and therefore both references will point to the same file on your original drive.

Yes, I know this is clunky, in that the merged event contains redundant clips. But another way to look at it is that you have the opportunity to double-check the merge, or keep a version from each event, in case you want to delete a keyworded clip or something.

The good news is that you don?t have to delete and copy aliases (symlinks) on the finder level, although that works sometimes. I?ve also recreated events of this sort, where I have an event with symlinks but FCP X isn?t connected to the media. by deleting the symlinks and dragging over aliases from the original media.

Let me know if this helps.

steve@editdog.net

Steve Kanter
Avid Certified Trainer and Editor
Final Cut Studio Master Trainer and Editor
Certified Xsan Administrator and Workflow Specialist
(323) 823-6952
steve@editdog.net
www.editdog.net

I'm pretty sure I left almost everything about Steve's demo in. I edit very little out of the meetings unless someone really screws up. The videos are really meant to show the meeting as it is and there isn't a lot of time to spend on them as I do it for free.
Anyone want to Sponsor?

------------------------
Dean

"When I see you floating down the gutter I'll give you a bottle of wine."
Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica.

The demo had issues with the some of the (missing) equpment and nothing else. This and the demo Gods caused the problems. This happens. No fault and no bad camera work. Never complain about what is FREE Mark. Simply bad manners.

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

Hi Michael,

Has there been some misunderstanding?

What is that I have said that has offended you?

You make me sound both rude and ungrateful and I would really appreciate you letting me know what might have given you the impression that I was complaining about anything.

all the best

mark

Hi Steve,

Very clever!

Yes, that works really well and is a lot less accident prone than my method of hand selecting and file copying alias.mov files.

Really good solution for combining the work of 2 people analysing / working on the same material.

I've just done a couple of experiments and all my interview notes / part transcribes, showed up in the new merged event.

It's then a simple matter of deleting redundant duplicated files.

all the best

mark

Wow. That actually worked?.


I'm guessing this feature will improve with time. At least it doesn't create duplicate media.

Steve Kanter
Avid Certified Trainer and Editor
Final Cut Studio Master Trainer and Editor
Certified Xsan Administrator and Workflow Specialist
(323) 823-6952
steve@editdog.net
www.editdog.net

My bad mark. I read your complaint about "crappy footage" and linked it to the Steve Demo we posted. My apologies. I read it hastily and should not of. I'm a bit over protective of our volunters.

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

Thank's for that Michael,

My original comment was not in any way directed at LAFCPUG but at very very enthusiastic iPhone camerawork.

It goes without saying that I really appreciate the effort you all put into sharing information amongst the FCP community.

So thanks to you Dean!

If I lived in your neck of the woods I'd happily help out and indeed next time you come to London give me a shout!

all the best

Mark