How would you organise/move files around?

[deonholt]

Hi there.

VS 12

I'm trying to organise my video files & folders on my PC.
Previously ...
I have imported video directly from my Sony Handycam with the "Import Media Files" software that came with my Handycam. This software imported 2 files: video-clip.mpg and video-clip.modd
From what I could gather, one is the video and the other the audio.
I had different folders for every one of my kids and so on.

But now ...
I am copying the DVD to a folder on my PC (I think it is 3 files) and then importing with VS 12 with "Import Digital Media".

After doing this, I have noticed a couple of things:
VS imports all the new video material to the ROOT folder/library even though I have created different libraries and importing from those different libraries. I windows explorer I have also noticed that all the mpg files are in the root folder of VS: C:\Documents and Settings\Name\My Documents\Corel VideoStudio\12.0
How can I move these files to appropreiate folders, like: child 1; child 2; child 3; holidays ect?

Do I need to have all my file indexed in the different VS libraries?

Thanx so long for your help.
Deon

[mitchell65]

Hi Deon
This is my workflow which works well for me. First work out how you want your file structure to look. A bit of careful planning at this stage will save you hours of needless work later on. This is how I set mine up. No need to open VS yet. This part is the same for any Windows program that you use.
Open My Computer, then My Videos. Create as many new folders as you need to start with. You can always add folders at any time and as many as you wish. In your case I suggest you create a folder, Child_1, Child_2 and so on. Youmay then wish to create sub-folders within each of these folders for say the date or venue. The choice is yours. It is as well if you use dates as names for your folders to use a consistent date format. eg if you start off using say 02-08-09 then always use that format. It makes for neat and tidy work.
When you have started off with your file structure, import some clips from your camera to the appropriate files. You will be asked which folder you want to import to. C:\Documents and Settings\Name\My Documents\Corel VideoStudio\12.0 is the default set by VS. Thats why all your clips were saved their. You will need to browse to the folder of your choice. Don't save them to the default with a view to moving them later. The reason for this will become apparent when we get to libraries.
Now open VS.
You will be presented with a new project. Save your project with an appropriate name and save it to the folder you imported your clips that you are going to use in this project to.
Now you will have the library open showing all the sample clips that came with VS. Click the down facing arrow head to the right of "Video" At the bottom of the drop down that opens is Library Manager. Click this and name your new library the same as the project name. Click the arrow head again and below the word library you will see Video--the new name. Click this and a new blank library window will open. Now click File, Import Media file to library, making sure your new library is open scroll to My Docs, My Videos and then the folder where you imported your video clips for this project to. Select the clips and click "Open". The names of those files will now appear in your new library. I say the names because contrary to belief you do not import the actual clip to the library, just a shortcut to the clips location. Your project when saved does not contain any clips or images or music files, just a set of instructions to VS as to where the files are in your file structure. You will see now why it is important to get your folder structure right at the beginning. You can drag and drop you video files from folder to folder but if you have imported them into VS when you next open that VS project you will have to relink the shortcuts. Easy to do but an unnecessary task if you get the folder structure right at the beginning.
Hope this looks straightforward a s it looks a bit long winded to me but getting things right in the beginning is, I think, very importatnt. More so with video editing that other less daunting/interesting programs

[deonholt]

Thanx again, John. I will follow your suggested workflow as it makes perfect sense to me.
When you say you import from camera to different folders, what software to you use? I use my Handycam's software which is quite nice.

Regards,
Deon

[mitchell65]

import from camera to different folders, what software to you use? I use my Handycam's software which is quite nice.

My Sony camera records to a mini DVD so I put this disc into my DVD drive and drag and drop to my folder of choice.
My Canon saves to an internal harddrive. I connect the camera to my PC and it comes up as a removable drive. I open this and then drag and drop. I don't need any software to do this, it is all part of the Windows OS. There's then no chance of a recoding any files as they are imported. I get them as they were on the camera!

[Ken Veal]

You might find something useful here:-
http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?t=35730
...................Ken

[mitchell65]

Thanks Ken If it is "Multi camera editing" that you mean, then yes this is as ever a very good link. I have used this idea for some time!

[Black Lab]

Going by this OP's original question, and by the title of the linked thread, I believe Ken is referring to Managing Clips.

[Ken Veal]

Jeff was right but the post ended up so involved I though there must be something of value in it..................Ken