cannot produce a Smart Package of my projects

[brouillette]

I'm confused on how to make a Smart Package. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

I opened my final VSP file of an elaborate 30 minute travel project ; all relinks are fine and all my clips are found when I use "locate on computer".

When I open the File>Smart Package, a dialog box asks to save my VSP project (I click on the YES button).

Then the Smart Package dialog box opens, "Folder" is pre-checked, it asks for a Path, a Folder and a File name but it is already pre-filled with the actual location and name of the VSP file so I don't change it (and even if I do, I get the same outcome); most of associated travel clips are in various other folders on my drive.

"Include all unused trackers in the project" is already unchecked (I don't know what that is and could not find any description in Help or User Guide).

I press the "OK" button. I then get a message box saying "Unable to create the file xxxx.xxx which is the first clip of my project (and it is a VSX9 sample video that I used). If I delete it and repeat the Smart Package process, then it tells me "unable to create...the second clip of my project...and so on even if I delete the second clip).

What am I doing wrong here ?

Smart Package seems to be a great tool to regroup all clips of the project in one portable folder but each time I try to use it, it jams on a clip ???

Thanks for your help !

Guy

[lata]

Hi Guy

Does your project contain any VSP files, known as nesting.

We cannot use Smart Package where the project contains VSP’s?

click image for larger view

[brouillette]

No it does not ! Only clips (video, photos, music) and VSX9 samples or effects (swf video, color, transition, Fx...)

[lata]

Hi

I have tried to replicate this but each time the Smart Package works ok.

If you start a new project, using some of the Sample library clips, does Smart Package work, or do you get the same results?

[brouillette]

Iata, per your suggestion, I started from scratch and did smart packages with VSX9 sample clips packed in dummy folders : it worked. But when I was trying with my VSP, it still did not.

Then I tried to do it with an empty dummy folder with a different phony name , in another drive, and it worked.

It's mind-boggling and I'm not sure I understand why as I don't know the design logic of Corel's Smart Package, but it seems to me that you have to assign a brand new path,folder and file name (in other words rewrite all 3 input boxes of the Smart Package dialog box) and assign a different path/folder than the one that you already have with all your clips, project files, iso files...etc, that is a completely empty folder, for Smart Package to work.

I was logically creating a new Smart Package folder under my existing Travel Movie folder to keep everything together, but for whatever reason Smart Package jams (message "unable to create xxxx.xxx file ..." for the first clip of the project) if the assigned folder is not completely empty (???)

So my conclusion for smart package to work is to assign a brand new, empty path/folder with different names than what is prefilled in the Smart Package dialog box (in the 3 input fields), create the smart package, then move/regroup everything within your Travel Movie folder afterwards.

Bottom-line, it works !

Many thanks for your help !

Guy

[lata]

Hi

It does appear that the save location was confused some how.
As far as I know when we first hit File – Smart Package we are prompted to save the project, the location of that project file then becomes the location of the Smart Package folders.
We can then change that location if we wished.
But again I have tried and cannot replicate the problem.

It seems that the program would not write to the Travel Movie folder, maybe the location of that folder is the cause, is it on an external HD.

Anyway you have that working, although it would be interesting to find out why, don’t like mysteries.

[brouillette]

They are all internal HHDs (SSD for windows and HDDs for storage).

I'm like you, I don't like mysteries; I like to understand the logic (especially nowadays when Help Topics or User Manual don't explain anything besides telling you to click on the OK button); but I can't in this case. For me, the intuitive logic should have been for VS to create an empty folder called "Smart Package" wherever the VSP is stored ( VS knows where, as it forces you to save it before the smart package dialog box appears and pre-fills that location in the 3 input fields). VS could then throw everything in that empty "Smart Package" folder under your "travel movie" folder structure, that's it !

I tested with other "travel movies" from previous years and still encounter the same issue ; I MUST change the path and folder name for smart package to work, and then drag & drop that "smart package" folder back under my "travel movie" folder structure.

When you say " We can then change that location if we wished" (as a user option if desired), in my case I MUST change the path and folder name .

Anyway, except for the time consumed in resolving, the good news is that I can now make it work as Smart Package is a great feature.

Once again, many thanks for taking the time to help resolve...despite the mystery which remains....!!!

Guy