Help with Avid Express and mxf files

Paul Kellett · August 18th, 2008, 11:19 AM

I've sent some files off to an editor, who is using Avid Express Pro HD, the problem is with the clips which span 2 cards, he can't import them.
I rewrapped them to mxf, all the short unspanning clips are ok, it's just the long clips that are the problem.
He's using a pc.

Can anyone give me some advice to pass on ?
Thanks.
Paul.

Ola Christoffersson · August 18th, 2008, 04:45 PM

Did you join the clips in Clip Browser before you rewrapped to MXF or did you revrap the individual source clips?

Paul Kellett · August 19th, 2008, 03:52 AM

I think i worked it out.
I gave my colleague some files which where not spanned which were then passed onto the editor on dvd's, these were where the files got spanned across 2 dvds i think, so not the situation which originally thought. Problem solved now.

What do you mean when you say "join the clips in clip browser before rewrapping" ?
If a clip spans 2 cards and i can only see one card in clip browser then how can i join the 2 halves of a clip when they're on 2 cards ?

Paul.

Ola Christoffersson · August 19th, 2008, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Kellett

What do you mean when you say "join the clips in clip browser before rewrapping" ?
If a clip spans 2 cards and i can only see one card in clip browser then how can i join the 2 halves of a clip when they're on 2 cards ?

Paul.

This is how I do it:
After shooting, I copy all the cards to a harddrive using Clip Browser. I use the same destination folder, that way Clip Browser will join the spanned clips into one. I then export the joined clip as MXF. That way I can have very long clips in one MXF-file to later import in the Avid.

Graeme Fullick · August 20th, 2008, 07:38 AM

Ola,

What type of PC are you using with Media COmposer? I have to build a new PC for my media composer as the old one is not up to working with 1920 x 1080 35mbs files from the EX1. I just thought I would see what you were using and how you were working in MC V3 with the EX?

Any help is much appreciated.

Piotr Wozniacki · August 20th, 2008, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ola Christoffersson

This is how I do it:
After shooting, I copy all the cards to a harddrive using Clip Browser. I use the same destination folder, that way Clip Browser will join the spanned clips into one. I then export the joined clip as MXF.

And this is exactly how it should be done. Pity the Shotput Express designers didn't grasp on this concept; the utility creates separate folder for each card, thus enforcing the additional step of using Clip Browser to just copy it again in order to stitch the chunks..

Ola Christoffersson · August 20th, 2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

And this is exactly how it should be done. Pity the Shotput Express designers didn't grasp on this concept; the utility creates separate folder for each card, thus enforcing the additional step of using Clip Browser to just copy it again in order to stitch the chunks..

Ah - but that can be solved much easier! Just use the "combine folders" under the clip-menu in Clip Browser and it combines the folders you select into one folder without copying the material. Very quick!

Ola Christoffersson · August 20th, 2008, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graeme Fullick

Ola,

What type of PC are you using with Media COmposer? I have to build a new PC for my media composer as the old one is not up to working with 1920 x 1080 35mbs files from the EX1. I just thought I would see what you were using and how you were working in MC V3 with the EX?

Any help is much appreciated.

I built my computer in january using the components listed below. It has no problems what so ever with any resolutions that come out of the EX1. Actually my Dell Vostro 1400 laptop with a dual core 2.2 GHz processor and 2 Gig RAM plays 1080p material at full resolution as well. I am using MC ver.3 on both systems.

Gigabyte P35-DS4
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 775 1333FSB 3.0GHz 4MB
1066 MHz, 4GB
WESTERN DIGITAL RAPTOR 150GB 10000RPM SATA (System drive)
ANTEC MIDITOWER P182B GUN METAL BLACK
Corsair HX Series Modular Power Supply 520W
Samsung DVD±RW 20x DL SATA Svart Bulk Nero (Vista)
Nvidia 8600 graphic card.

Of course this was eight months ago. Today some components should probably be replaced. Anyhow - this could be a starting point for you.

Good luck building your computer!

Piotr Wozniacki · August 21st, 2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ola Christoffersson

Ah - but that can be solved much easier! Just use the "combine folders" under the clip-menu in Clip Browser and it combines the folders you select into one folder without copying the material. Very quick!

Never tried this approach, Ola - do you mean you can - say -use Shotput Express to copy each card to a separate folder, and then simply merge all the folders (comprising a project) into one of them (e.g. the first one), thus making Clip Browser merge any split or spanned clips?

I guess I should RTFM sometimes :)

Ola Christoffersson · August 21st, 2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

Never tried this approach, Ola - do you mean you can - say -use Shotput Express to copy each card to a separate folder, and then simply merge all the folders (comprising a project) into one of them (e.g. the first one), thus making Clip Browser merge any split or spanned clips?

I guess I should RTFM sometimes :)

That's exactly what I mean! Mind you - I think I have only yet tried doing this with clips that were not spanned. It might have to copy at least the spanned clips but not necessarily. Give it a try and report back.

Piotr Wozniacki · August 24th, 2008, 01:35 PM

OK guys - it indeed combines split files this way, and very fast, too; in fact a bit too fast for me to completely trust it does it completely seamless. I have a VERY important, 3 cameras, 2 day project and LOTS of separate folders from ShotPut EXpress; it'd be great to merge them this way - but the files are just too long to check in Vegas how good the merging is...

Can anyone assure me it's the same, seamless quality as when you just copy spanned/split clips to a single folder, when they get merged really seamlessly?

August 18th, 2008, 11:19 AM	#1
Paul Kellett Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bristol UK Posts: 756	Help with Avid Express and mxf files I've sent some files off to an editor, who is using Avid Express Pro HD, the problem is with the clips which span 2 cards, he can't import them. I rewrapped them to mxf, all the short unspanning clips are ok, it's just the long clips that are the problem. He's using a pc. Can anyone give me some advice to pass on ? Thanks. Paul. __________________ PMW-EX1,Manfrotto ,Sennnheiser ,Glidecam with Smooth Shooter.

August 19th, 2008, 03:52 AM	#3
Paul Kellett Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bristol UK Posts: 756	I think i worked it out. I gave my colleague some files which where not spanned which were then passed onto the editor on dvd's, these were where the files got spanned across 2 dvds i think, so not the situation which originally thought. Problem solved now. What do you mean when you say "join the clips in clip browser before rewrapping" ? If a clip spans 2 cards and i can only see one card in clip browser then how can i join the 2 halves of a clip when they're on 2 cards ? Paul. __________________ PMW-EX1,Manfrotto ,Sennnheiser ,Glidecam with Smooth Shooter.

August 20th, 2008, 07:38 AM	#5
Graeme Fullick Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newcastle, Australia Posts: 292	Ola, What type of PC are you using with Media COmposer? I have to build a new PC for my media composer as the old one is not up to working with 1920 x 1080 35mbs files from the EX1. I just thought I would see what you were using and how you were working in MC V3 with the EX? Any help is much appreciated. __________________ Graeme

August 24th, 2008, 01:35 PM	#11
Piotr Wozniacki Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Poland Posts: 2,329	OK guys - it indeed combines split files this way, and very fast, too; in fact a bit too fast for me to completely trust it does it completely seamless. I have a VERY important, 3 cameras, 2 day project and LOTS of separate folders from ShotPut EXpress; it'd be great to merge them this way - but the files are just too long to check in Vegas how good the merging is... Can anyone assure me it's the same, seamless quality as when you just copy spanned/split clips to a single folder, when they get merged really seamlessly? __________________ Sony EX1, Letus Extreme, RedRock microMatteBox, FF, Filters & Mounts Vegas on Vista x64, QX6700 quad, 8GB RAM, 2xRAID0, 24" LCD, 50" plasma HDTV

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August 18th, 2008, 04:45 PM	#2
Ola Christoffersson Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 258	Did you join the clips in Clip Browser before you rewrapped to MXF or did you revrap the individual source clips?