Multiple Projects Open Simultaneously

[FasanoUnderwaterPro]

I require to have multiple projects open simultaneously. It's because I have a project just for business files that are used in multiple projects, a seperate project that houses music to be used in multiple files, etc...

I set it this way when I was a FCP user which allowed multiple projects.

Is there a workaround in PPro?

[Guest]

Not sure what do you mean by 'project' and whether the following suits your requirements...

It's possible to create several bins in a project (as much as you need) where you store the LINKS to shared files, e.g. one bin for links to original clips, one bin for links to your sound library etc.

Every bin can be a tree...

[Paul_Joy__UK_]

I switched from FCP to Premiere Pro six months ago and I still miss being able to have two projects open at once. It's especially useful when you want to create a new project but need the old one open just so that you can grab bits and pieces from it as you work.

You can open a project, copy elements and then paste them into another project once opened but it's nowhere near as useful as having both projects open at the same time. I've requested this feature before, if you want to do the same go to https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

[Harm_Millaard]

Simple solution: Open two instances of PR.

[Paul_Joy__UK_]

Simple eh, care to explain how you do that on a mac? Or is this just another excuse for you to bash mac users

[Daxman1965]

Hi Paul,

why not open a new sequence within the new project and copy and paste the old project into new sequence then you can just toggle between the two sequences and have all the bits you want,

Darren

[Paul_Joy__UK_]

Hi Darren

That's useful and is how I get around it now but you still have to quit your current project to do it. Having multiple projects open is a much better solution. I'm surprised you can't do it to be honest, can you imagine not being able to open two photoshop files at the same time?

[Guest]

<blockquote><font size="1"><font color="800080">can you imagine not being able to open two photoshop files at the same time?</font></font></blockquote>
Yep... E.g., even though AE can't simultaneously open several projects, it can import other ones... <img src="http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/sorry.gif">
<p></p>
<p>UPD: By the way, PrPro also can import other PrPro projects... <img src="http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/yahoo.gif"></p>

[Todd_Kopriva]

See "Import selected sequences from Premiere Pro projects".

[FasanoUnderwaterPro]

Thank you everyone for your help.

My solution has been to export my "music" project from FCP as XML and import that XML file into every new project I create. I now have a folder of 4 XML files that I have to import in every new project.

You can be sure I'm on Adobe's request form to inquire about the ability to open multiple projects.

Thanks again to everyone!

Aloha

[onbroadcast]

Bit late on this one but I've just written a quick blog on how to open multiple projects at the same time: How to run a second instance of Premiere Pro on a Mac. I wouldn't advise having projects open unnecessarily, but sometimes you don't want the bulk of importing entire sequences. 

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hello OnBroadcast,

Bit late on this one but I've just written a quick blog on how to open multiple projects at the same time: How to run a second instance of Premiere Pro on a Mac.

Neat trick, but I can't think of one reason why you'd even want to do this any more. It's totally unnecessary. I would advise against it.

Why?

For the past few versions of Premiere Pro, you can open as many sequences, bins and other items from all other projects on your computer. This is much more powerful than the ask, "How do I open two projects at the same time?" In FCP, you never had the option of "How do I access every item in every project on my Mac?" In Premiere Pro, you do and that's awesome (this coming from someone who worked on the FCP team in QA/QE and on the Help docs).

See this tutorial, which explains this technique in greater detail: https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/how-to/reuse-clips-multiple-projects.html

I wouldn't advise having projects open unnecessarily, but sometimes you don't want the bulk of importing entire sequences.

Again, you have access to individual clips from every project mounted on your drive. You have the choice of previewing whatever you like before importing if you like.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Kevin

[hoovdaddy]

Neat trick, but I can't think of one reason why you'd even want to do this any more. It's totally unnecessary. I would advise against it.

I have a great reason why someone would want to run multiple instances of PP in order to have full read & write access to multiple projects.

We (the 15 editors and preditors here where I work) are all working on multiple projects at various stages of completion.

Coming from FCP, we all have had multiple projects open because we're adding remixed audio on one, adding new graphics on another, editing interviews on another, and the producers we work with are always wanting to see the progress of these projects at any given time.

We have created a smooth workflow that allows us to be efficient and very productive. We don't share projects and only one person is on a project at any one time.

As we transition to Premiere, we've lost this efficiency and productivity. At times it's very frustrating and infuriating. Tight turn arounds magnify the frustration.

I agree with you, it's not a good idea to run to instances of a program at the same time. I can imagine the system resources are taxed beyond their limits.

I do not agree with the thought process that Adobe has in not being able to see why we as editors, and your customers, desire and need the ability to work as efficiently as possible when those customers are in a multi-tasking multi-project workflow day in and day out.

For the past few versions of Premiere Pro, you can open as many sequences, bins and other items from all other projects on your computer.

Yes, we can start Premiere Pro, open a project (have full read & write ability), then open other sequences from other projects, other bins, etc. and work with them in read-only. We can copy elements, clips, etc. from these second and third projects, but we can't unlock tracks from these sequences if we need to because we don't have write access to them. We can't edit two projects at the same time by selecting between tabs. The current ability we have is indeed awesome. However, locking us out second and third projects is a tremendous handicap for some of us, and I'd imagine it's a large group of some of us. Having access to every project on every computer on my network is great, but that ability doesn't address the need to have full read & write access to multiple projects at the same time.

I'm aware of the many "work arounds" such as importing multiple project sequences into one project for my approval process, but this doesn't work for the simple fact that this solution gets messy when changes need to be made on the fly and then we have too many versions floating around.

There are no viable work arounds that provide the same efficiency and productivity as having full read and write access to multiple projects at the same time.

Adobe, Mr. Monahan, please listen to us and don't tell us we shouldn't do things this way.

If Adobe can't deliver this "feature", then just say so, just say that FCP was written to allow full read & write of multiple projects at the same time and Premiere isn't and won't be because we can't figure out how to make it happen or whatever the reason is.

[sequence W4]

I agree... It is all about 'workflow'. Ever heard of that?

It is about speed, decision making, and action. Throughout the day and night projects have to be 'parked', waiting for key decisions to be made about the edit, for further content to arrive, for text to checked, grades to process, AfterEffects to render.... etc. It is such a pain to close down a project repeatedly every time such a pause occurs. It is such a pain to open up a project only to add an update.

But what is worse than NO PARKING is ending up with corrupted projects. Projects with all bits of other projects which should really have been kept separate so that we can locate and track updates during the course of a series.

Tell us, are we are using this otherwise amazing software in an environment it wasn't intended?  In which case it has a lot to do with market position.

Now where is that edit from 06/2013.prproj oh! I eventually found it in the 11/2015-1 copy.prproj ... but it's not the same as the one on the server.....

Thanks - Pete

Broadcast TV Editor

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hello Hoovdaddy,

I have a great reason why someone would want to run multiple instances of PP in order to have full read & write access to multiple projects.

We (the 15 editors and preditors here where I work) are all working on multiple projects at various stages of completion.

You've pointed out a couple of issues that are brought about by having read only access to supporting project files that add pain your particular workflow. Though the method I explained works great for a lot of shared workflows (including those Hollywood features we recently worked on), it doesn't work smoothly for you. That, I can understand. Please, if you have not already done so, create a feature request with these specific interruptions to your workflow. That would be great.

Adobe, Mr. Monahan, please listen to us and don't tell us we shouldn't do things this way.

I only advised against launching two copies of Premiere Pro on your system at the same time. I also pointed out an uncommonly known workflow for those working in a shared environment that likely helped the O.P. and others searching on this topic.

I didn't say that your requests aren't valid. Sorry I gave you that impression.

Thanks,

Kevin

[ana_bee]

Well I for example have a project with lots o warp stabiliser analysys going on, and that puts me on hold while it's being calculated. I would like to open another project I could work on in the meantime...

[Ann Bens]

Nope not possible.

Feature Request/Bug Report Form

[ana_bee]

Not much of a help... Alright then, is there a way to see which feature request have the most votes or check the probability to apply them in the next versions?

[Ann Bens]

No you cannot look into Adobe database for feature request.

Besides you would not be able to use your other project while rendering multiple warp stabilizer effects.

[Allynn Wilkinson]

ana-bee, your machine would cry if you did that!  You might as well just go for lunch and it will all be done when you get back.  Taxing a machine beyond its limit is one way projects become corrupt.

I was a long time FCP7 user so I understand how people have created workflows that assume the ability to open multiple projects.  It took me a while to get used to the Premiere way of doing things but I find my projects are better organized and bits of one don't get mistakenly saved into the other.  It's definitely a workflow issue and changing workflow (especially across several editors) is not easy.  It is, however, worth it.

[Ann Bens]

You can 'open' another project within the Media Browser.

[sequence W4]

Yes, this is desperately needed. Each of my projects need to be open to exchange common attributes / media / processing yet each of those projects must be saved in isolation for project management and multi user access.

Maybe there are patents stopping Adobe Premiere having this most essential capability?

Thanks - Pete

Broadcast TV Editor

[hoovdaddy]

'open' as read only... still can't work on 2 projects at one time.

It was/has never been a problem for me with FCP and I've been doing it for 10+ years in shared environments.

PP forces us back to the Avid work flow of 1 project at a time. If I had never experienced the ability to work on multiple projects at one time, it wouldn't matter. Since I juggle 3-6 projects at a time, it's really been frustrating to go backwards with my well established workflow.

(I'm not looking to render, process, etc. another project while working on another one. I understand those limitations. Jumping in and out of multiple projects without closing down is what I'm wishing for. The only issues there are with operator error.)

[roma23857047]

Just want to voice my support for this feature as well.  I've worked on many shows that require a toolkit of assets that can be shared and edited between multiple editors.  It continually evolves and iterates as the style of the show evolves as well.  This is a feature in both FCP7 and Avid (using a shared bins and just asking editors to close the toolkit if modifications are needed).  I'm going to fill out the request form as well.

[larav57388833]

I would like it because I often go back into autosaved version of my project to pick up edits that I have now drastically changed - or to fix mistakes.  So in FCP I just opened the saved version from an hour ago, found the sequence and copy and pasted the bit that has gone out of whack.  Easy.  No shutting anything.  I'll look up the workflow Adobe put forward, but boy I am missing FCP at this point.