How does Smart Package work?

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 4:20 am

I have completed a project and I wanted to "archive" it. I thought I could use Smart Package. I saved my project into a new folder and I then used SP to save files to a folder one level down (VS won't let you SP in the same folder as the VSP). However having completed all this I thought I could delete the old working folder and refer to the new folder where I Smart Packaged it. (I renamed the original folder rather delete of course).
When I load the VSP from the new folder it can't find the files as it is still searching in the old folder and therefore tries to relink. What is the use of SP if the VSP keeps looking for the old files? I must be doing something wrong?

George

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:38 am

I may be wrong, but I thought the only thing "smart" about SP was that it gathered all relevant files into one place, to make later re-linking faster. But you still have to re-link...

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:41 am

I had hoped it would be more intuitive than that Ken. However if that's the case then I guess it's better to plan ahead and place the files in the one folder and build the project from there? That then makes SP pretty useless.

George

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:11 pm

To use 'I may be wrong' again, but I think it was only ever meant as a sort of back-up device. In other words, you did your project the way you usually do. Then when you had done everything, produced your DVD or whatever, but wanted to save everything in one place in case it was needed again at some much later stage, then there it would be -- though still need some re-linking...

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:29 pm

While that's correct Ken,

Trying to think what the developers had in mind when creating that (I know it's dangerous to think like that

), it can be used when working on a project on different computers, ie; at your workplace, then at home or other locations, and/or a group of people collaborating on a single project.

It does what you stated, just gather all the material under one folder, no zipping, compressing or actual packing into a single file, which is what one might be lead to believe by the name.

In support of this I would add that I have used this when testing XP vs Vista machines. It did make it easier to move 1 folder, instead of moving several files. What I found though is that since it did gather everything, including the project file) into one folder, I did not need to relink. When I opened the project file on the other computer everything was linked up, ready to go.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:44 pm

vidoman wrote: What I found though is that since it did gather everything, including the project file) into one folder, I did not need to relink. When I opened the project file on the other computer everything was linked up, ready to go.

Vidoman, does that suggest I'm doing something wrong for it not to work for me?

George

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:26 pm

vidoman -- thanks for the info. But a question... After making the package on Computer 1, did you reopen the project file on Computer 1 (in other words, so that it knew that all the associated files were now in the package)?

And when you say you opened the .vsp file on Computer 2, can you confirm that you did not have to even re-link one file? (I have found that the first time I am asked to re-link, then if all the files in the project are in one, though different, spot (or computer), then only one re-link is necessary as all the other files are re-linked automatically once the first has been re-linked successfully.)

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:29 pm

Ken Berry wrote:vidoman -- (I have found that the first time I am asked to re-link, then if all the files in the project are in one, though different, spot (or computer), then only one re-link is necessary as all the other files are re-linked automatically once the first has been re-linked successfully.)

Ken, You hit the nail on the head!! for me anyway. You relink the first file and all others are relinked. I guess VS needs to know that you wish to source the files from the SP folder and once confirmed, relinks all other files.

Thank you.

babdi · Post by **babdi** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:17 am

I have made a folder called Smart package wherein all project are saved.
Easier to identify SP files

Post by **Ron P.** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:19 pm

Sorry for the delay in replying, went to a Lawn & Garden show out of town Saturday, and then needed to take my granddaughter home yesterday. Then to top it off, I have given my Laptop to my wife. This however better proves the point made about Smart Packaging..

Short answer is yes, I'm able to create a Smart Package, transfer it to another machine, then by just opening the project file, it's ready to go.

As I eluded to above, having given my wife the laptop, I had completely removed VS from it. So before posting this morning, I re-installed VS11+ on the laptop. Once that was done, I then moved the Packaged file from my external HDD, to the laptop, then launched VS. From within VS, I chose to open the project file, located inside the Smart Package folder. VS opened it, complete with all video, audio, image clips, on the appropriate tracks, without needing to re-link. It shouldn't need to because all the files are contained in the same folder. Smart Package must change the paths to all those files, so that it just looks inside that folder.