P2 MXF missing XML files at DVinfo.net

Mike Fortuno · June 10th, 2008, 11:18 AM

I am trying to rebuild/properly archive some old MXF files that a previous editor edited on Avid. We are using the P2CMS software but all I have are the audio and video files and no folder structure or XML files. I can manual recreate the folder structure if I have to, but I can't make the xml files too easily. Any ideas?

Robert Lane · June 11th, 2008, 10:16 AM

If you're transferring sequences from one NLE to another you should be using Automatic Duck; if you're simply transferring finished, edited movies then you should have a QT file or something relative. But, since you're not supposed to edit the actual MXF data itself but rather transfer it to the NLE it's unclear exactly what you've been given.

Mike Fortuno · June 11th, 2008, 07:17 PM

What I have is a bunch of Avid Media folders for a few different projects that a previous editor used. After the productions, the editor just copied the mxf video and audio files (no folder structure, no xml files) into their Avid Media folder and edited using that.

Now I come along and am trying to do some "proper" logging/archiving of the raw footage of these older projects using P2CMS. The only backup of the footage we have is it sitting on our SAN, which is fine, that's where our archive is, but if I want to try and find a clip I have to swim through directories of un-logged video and audio files until I find what I'm looking for.

So, in a nutshell. I have mxf audio and video files in a big directory. No folder structure, no xml files. Is there any way to re-create the xml files? I can manually make the folder structure if need be.

Robert Lane · June 11th, 2008, 10:55 PM

Ouch, I'm sorry, not that I'm aware of. If the meta-data that's included in the MXF data structure was either never used or, deleted and replaced by other media management I have no idea how you could re-create what was never there to begin with.

You might hit up Barry Green or one of the other Panny consultants; they might have a workaround for this.

June 10th, 2008, 11:18 AM	#1
Mike Fortuno New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 6	P2 MXF missing XML files I am trying to rebuild/properly archive some old MXF files that a previous editor edited on Avid. We are using the P2CMS software but all I have are the audio and video files and no folder structure or XML files. I can manual recreate the folder structure if I have to, but I can't make the xml files too easily. Any ideas?

June 11th, 2008, 10:16 AM	#2
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA Posts: 2,788 Images: 15	If you're transferring sequences from one NLE to another you should be using Automatic Duck; if you're simply transferring finished, edited movies then you should have a QT file or something relative. But, since you're not supposed to edit the actual MXF data itself but rather transfer it to the NLE it's unclear exactly what you've been given.

June 11th, 2008, 07:17 PM	#3
Mike Fortuno New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 6	What I have is a bunch of Avid Media folders for a few different projects that a previous editor used. After the productions, the editor just copied the mxf video and audio files (no folder structure, no xml files) into their Avid Media folder and edited using that. Now I come along and am trying to do some "proper" logging/archiving of the raw footage of these older projects using P2CMS. The only backup of the footage we have is it sitting on our SAN, which is fine, that's where our archive is, but if I want to try and find a clip I have to swim through directories of un-logged video and audio files until I find what I'm looking for. So, in a nutshell. I have mxf audio and video files in a big directory. No folder structure, no xml files. Is there any way to re-create the xml files? I can manually make the folder structure if need be.

June 11th, 2008, 10:55 PM	#4
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA Posts: 2,788 Images: 15	Ouch, I'm sorry, not that I'm aware of. If the meta-data that's included in the MXF data structure was either never used or, deleted and replaced by other media management I have no idea how you could re-create what was never there to begin with. You might hit up Barry Green or one of the other Panny consultants; they might have a workaround for this.