7 Replies Latest reply: Dec 11, 2013 3:51 PM by Qengineering RSS

    Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name

    Elliott B. Community Member

      After picture locking a sequence, I tried using Project Manager with the "collect files and copy to new location" option to consolidate for the colorist.

      Unfortunately, the resulting files all lack tape names, and have incorrect timecode.  This is a serious problem, obviously, since the colorist will never be able to relink these clips.  Has anyone else gotten this process working?

       

      I then tried cleaning the media cache database, and I ran the Project Manager again with the same settings.  This time, it created files with proper tape names, and incorrect timecode.

       

      This project contains clips from multiple cameras, and the only ones having this problem are from a Sony FS700.

        • 1. Re: Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name
          JSS1138 CommunityMVP

          I always recommend not using the Project Manager.  It's best to use a proper file manager for any file operations, rather than an NLE.

          • 2. Re: Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name
            Qengineering Community Member

            Jim, can you recommend a "file manager" that can import a Premeire sequence, relink media, then consolidate all media files to a new location and then create a file that can be opened by a colorist in, let's say, DaVinci?

            • 3. Re: Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name
              jstrawn Employee Hosts

              Are the media files all spread out all over the place? Or are they organized to the degree that you could migrate them all along with the project file onto an external hard drive or network drive? Because if you can get all the files into a portable location with their realtive folder structures intact, you should be able to hand the whole thing off and the colorist can just use link and locate to relink all the media upon opening the project.

               

              PrPro's Project Manager worked pretty well at one point, but I have to admit it doesn't uslaly handle a lot of the current formats very well.

              • 4. Re: Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name
                Elliott B. Community Member

                The files are mostly in one location, so I could copy them all.  If only it were so simple.

                The color grading software (Resolve in this case), can't handle this kind of footage, so I need to transcode a DI.  Since my project is rather large, my idea was to use Project Manager to make a new project with only one sequence, then in the new simplified project I would highlight all clips and transcode with AME.  That plan fails, since timecode and tape names are wrong.  It would be highly impractical to transcode all 50 hours of raw footage.

                 

                If this is a known shortcoming of Project Manager, there needs to be a big warning when you use it on unsupported footage that it's going to mess things up.

                • 5. Re: Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name
                  Qengineering Community Member

                  As a work around, could you open a new (empty) project and import your single sequence?

                   

                  This brings in only the clips needed and you could sort by file type to re-organize.

                   

                  I'm hoping someone can suggest a "file manager" as mentioned by Jim.

                  • 6. Re: Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name
                    Elliott B. Community Member

                    That's a great idea.

                    Importing the sequence into a new PP project brings the accurate timecode and tape names, so it's easy to export all the clips.  But after queueing them up and exporting QuickTimes in AME, the new files all have timecode starting at zero and no tape name!  WTF??

                    Here is a screenshot with proof.  You can see file 00001.MTS in Premiere with timecode starting at 46:10:20 and in AME starting at zero.

                    Screenshot 2013-12-11 15.23.32.jpg

                    • 7. Re: Project Manager ruins timecode and tape name
                      Qengineering Community Member

                      I believe AME will retain time code from certain format files but not all formats.

                       

                      A further way to possibly reduce the workload (but not correct the underlying problem), use Project Manager to consolidate ALL the clips, then delete the new, erroneous consolidated clips from the FS700. Isolate the original FS700 clips that were used in the sequence (using sort in the Project window). Locate the original FS700 files and see if AME can transcode the entire raw clips directly.

                       

                      If that fails to retain original time code, you would have to replace each FS700 clip in the sequence manually with the new transcoded files. Sorry.