best Mac OS software to keep track of what's on which drive?
 

Hi there,
I know this has come up before, but my search attempts got me nowhere...
I've got about ten hard drives on my desk, and despite my attempts to keep them organized (re which projects I keep on this or that drive, where I keep my 'stock shots', etc.), I'm really not sure what's on any of them until I plug them in, fire them up, and look.

Is there a good Mac app that will help me keep things organized? (I know Doug Jensen uses something he loves, but it's a Windows app)

thanks, Malcolm

Is Adobe Bridge available for the Mac? It's part of most Adobe Suites.

Hi Marc,
good suggestion... I have CS3, so I checked. I do indeed have Bridge, but it looks (at first glance) a bit complicated. I'm hoping there's something a bit easier to use out there.
Thanks, though.
Malcolm

I just did a search, and found references I made a year or so ago, to MediaFiler - - this is what Doug Jensen uses on the PC side. No Mac version of this.
If I find out anything more helpful, I'll post back.
Cheers, Malcolm

Though Bridge might work very well for this, I do use a program called "DiskCatalogMaker," a version of which comes bundled with Toast. I use it to keep track of all the files I have backed up on drives and DVDs. I use a lot of removable drive systems, so I don't have them 'online' all the time. I have the physical hard drives labeled, like 500_GB_1, 500_GB_1, etc, and have the drives named the same on the desktop. You can then scan the disk using DiskCatalogMaker and it will index the drive.

If later you want to find the file or folder, even if the drive is offline, you run the program and do a search, it will tell you what drive or drives (or any removable media including CDs and DVDs) contain the file.

I believe there are also more comprehensive and expensive cataloging programs specifically for video clips and content as well, though they are more of an investment in prep time and cost.

HI,
have you ever checked an app called iDive by , Aquafadas - Get the most of your digital life ?

That does do the trick.

Peter, I actually own iDive... got it years ago when I wanted to keep track of all my 'family footage': 120 mini-DV-tapes-worth. It's great for this; it takes little thumbnails, so you know what's on each tape. Time-consuming, because you have to 'capture' each tape into iDive, but good results.
Now that I'm shooting tapeless, though, with the EX-1, I can't see using this. I just need to know what project (finished or unfinished) or what files are where.
Which brings me to your suggestion, Keith. I happen to have DiskCatalogMaker (didn't know I had it, until you mentioned that it comes with Toast!), so I'll try it. At first glance, it seems it might be mostly designed to keep track of DVDs (which I don't use to store anything on; maybe I should, but I don't); if it keeps track of hard drives too (firewire and SATA), that would be great.
thanks for the advice,
Malcolm

I'm using DiskCatalogMaker at home. It's OK.
I use Catalog all your data on Disks, DVDs, and CDs with CDFinder! at work, very nice too.

I have about 30 loose IDE drives, and 12 USB drives as well as a collection of discs.

Duncan... do you like them equally, or would you recommend one over the other?
thanks, Malcolm

There's CatDV in two versions: entry-level and full featured. Price is reasonable. I've heard the program is quite good and is probably what you're looking for.

CatDV 7.0 Home

Then there's PilotWare. I think this is one of the programs that the higher end production houses use to keep track of everything.

PilotWare Media Asset Management

- Don

thanks Don... the list is getting longer now, and I appreciate that. I've got some homework to do.
Cheers,
Malcolm

iDive & others
 

Malcolm, I honestly can't see your incentive why you would change from iDive.
Have you tested the latest version 1.8.8 or even the new 1.9? They work with tapeless flawlessly. Depending on your camera(s), I would also have a close look to VideoPier(HD) from the same development team. I like their optical "lists" after capturing material from camera or hard disc.

I ask these questions because I changed some soft for the pure reason it seemed to offer big advantages which then turned out as of minor importance. I'd better asked the developper of the original soft to add one or two nice features...

Best P.

Hi Peter,
I'll have another look at iDive... I didn't think it was what I was looking for now, for my EX-1 shooting/editiing (as I say, it was great for my 120 family movie tapes), because I don't think I need all of its logging/ingesting/subclipping and tagging features. But I'll have another look. Maybe, at some point, I'll have 120 hard drives to keep track of, and the only way to do it will be, in fact, with tagging.
I like this company (Aquafadas), by the way. Very innovative apps. I purchased VideoPier HD just a week ago, because it allows me to convert AVCHD (I finally got a second, small camera, to go along with my EX-1) to mxf, for Avid editing. Solved a real conundrum for me.
Cheers, Malcolm

Peter,what's your workflow with idive? What nle are you using? Do you use it on ingest or after clips have been loaded?

When saving stills, I use Photoshop Elements to generate sample thumbnails that I put on the cd cover;something similar would be very helpful in organizing xd hd's or blu-ray disks.

On the aquafadas forum some people were complaining about not being able to log hd footage; does that not apply to xd footage?

You peaked my interest so I went back and looked at Bridge again. Doesn't seem that horrible to use and it does a good job of logging all you media. I don't find myself loosing my video as often as misplacing a jpg logo and the like.