VS6 problem with Multi-trim clips and project files moved

[wkf94025]

I have searched the forum for a while looking for posts that might answer my question, but came up empty. My problem is that when I move a directory containing a video project, VS 6 loses track of all the work I put into multi-trimming a single source .mp4. I am PC based, Windows 7, using VideoStudio Pro X6 to edit .mp4's off my GoPro camera. I create one project directory for every video, typically on an external USB drive. If I move my project directory to another drive or location, next time I open the .vsp file, the several clips from the one source .mp4 are blank. I learned about relinking, and now when I open the .vsp, it asks to relink, and I then point it to the local .mp4. It automatically fills in that as the source file in the five clips I have extracted from that one .mp4. Thumbnails reappear, but unfortunately the timing is now all off. Every clip is same duration as before the files were moved to a new location, but the start points are wrong. Is this a known bug? Is there some easy work-around to getting everything re-aligned the way it was before I moved the directory? I have many projects with many hours of editing each, and it's disheartening to think that I need to re-synch and re-transition and tune each clip again. If upgrading to the latest version of VSP would solve this problem, that would be a no brainer for me cost/time wise. Help.

Kelly

[canuck]

Why are you moving the project directories?
Why not create the project right away in the correct directory location?

[BrianCee]

and why are you relinking to a local file and not the one in your project directory - there may well be small differences in the files - eben a change of file date may confuse the re-link

[wkf94025]

Trust me, had I known the consequences of moving a directory, I would not have done so.

One other observation, studying one project with five clips extracted from the same .mp4, the clips have the same duration that they did before directory move, but the first clip (and it appears every other clip) starts a little over a minute early in its references to the source .mp4. Meaning if I go in to multi-trim again on the first clip (after okaying the warnings about losing attributes) the time reference in the source .mp4 is off by a bit over a minute.

Kelly

[wkf94025]

What I don't understand is why it should matter where the source .mp4 lives then or now, so long as I point the editor at the same file, you would think it could open it, go to the proper time point in the file, and start a clip reference there.

Can someone advise me on the nuts and bolts of the "project directory"? I typically start VSP, drop in a .mp4 from a directory specific to the video I am going to create, then save as the project in that same directory. Is this a flawed approach? Seems to have worked fine until that directory is moved from one place to another. FWIW, I have been using a mix of micro USB memory cards off the camera, inserted into memory slot in laptop, and sometimes using a gigabyte USB external drive. I would be surprised if the type of storage mattered, but haven't fully experimented with this. I suspect the issue is tied directly to multi-trim, which I use all the time. Dang...

Kelly

[lata]

Hi Kelly

All seems a little strange to lose about a minute, as though the timeline has lost a minute at the beginning. I cannot think of a reason why it should do that?
Can you confirm that the clips are in the top track or the overlay track?

Multi Trim, well I don’t use that option but simply use the scissors to cut the timelines, multi trim does the same from a pop-up panel as the scissors does from the timeline. I cannot see why using multi trim should cause problems.

File -- Smart Package

This option saves all clips used in the project to a single folder, you can move the entire project without problems, well that’s what should happen. Using Smart Packages is the best way of making sure you have all clips. Saving a project to a usb stick makes it easy to open the project in a different PC. Should be one relink.
However the program should be the same version to ensure that filters and effects are available on both pc’s.

Have you used an instant project as an intro, that instant project has to be available when you move the project.?
Have you used any nesting, adding VSP’s to the timeline?

Very strange?

[canuck]

What I don't understand is why it should matter where the source .mp4 lives then or now, so long as I point the editor at the same file, you would think it could open it, go to the proper time point in the file, and start a clip reference there.

Can someone advise me on the nuts and bolts of the "project directory"? I typically start VSP, drop in a .mp4 from a directory specific to the video I am going to create, then save as the project in that same directory. Is this a flawed approach? Seems to have worked fine until that directory is moved from one place to another. FWIW, I have been using a mix of micro USB memory cards off the camera, inserted into memory slot in laptop, and sometimes using a gigabyte USB external drive. I would be surprised if the type of storage mattered, but haven't fully experimented with this. I suspect the issue is tied directly to multi-trim, which I use all the time. Dang...

Kelly

I never use multitrim, I found that unless you are very careful with the trim points you can get into all sorts of problems. Like Lata, I prefer to create split points and delete the unwanted sections directly.
I also never use any clips from memory cards or USB sticks. I always a create specific directory for a project and copy all resource (video clips, photos, audio) into that directory. I almost never move any directory and I sometimes I do, I create the smart package and move the smart project file.

I don't quite understand how you are using those memory cards or USB stick

[wkf94025]

Thank you both for your prompt responses. To answer a few questions: 1) I am dragging the original .mp4 into the top track, not an overlay track. 2) I am familiar with the scissors approach, and sounds like I should abandon multi-trim, or try multi-trim with the Smart Packages option, and see if multi-trim survives directory movement. 3) I am not nesting .vsp's nor using Instant Project to get started. 4) Agree that putting the complete directory on a memory stick is a useful and reasonable scenario. 5) I have only used the same consistent version of VS6 for over a year, and including all work on the problematic projects.

I am going to try one more experiment, which is to restore the directory to the exact path that VS6 is seeking on opening of the project. Curious if suddenly everything will be aligned again.

As to my usage of USB hard drives and memory sticks, when I am working on a flight home following a shoot I find it faster and more battery-saving to work on a micro USB memory card straight off the camera into the laptop memory slot, then when I get home I transfer the work to a gigabyte external USB drive for longer term storage, then wipe the memory card for next flight of the camera. Hope that clarifies my usage pattern.

Thanks again.

Kelly

[lata]

Hi Kelly

Ok I understand what you are doing.
Given time…
I will try your approach of saving / working to SD card, and include Multi Trim.
Then transfer to the desktop.
Just wondered if Multi Trim does something different in saving the clips trim points?

Hmmm