Smart proxy files

[jms37]

Hi, I'm new to the forum.

I'm using VS Ultimate X8 on a pc with W7 home edition OS.

When I drag clips onto the VS timeline, smart proxy files are automatically created.

However, when VS occasionally crashes and I open it up again, it doesn't recognise the already generated smart proxy files, so they have to be created all over again. The proxies are still there but I can't find a way of getting VS to locate them.

This seems to happen whether I choose to re-open the saved file, or the previous project file at point of crash.

Is there a simple remedy?

Thanks,
John

[weaver]

Sometimes it takes a while. Do not forget, when you create your project, your clips are placed to time line step by step, giving enough time for VS to create the individual proxies.
When you open a project it takes a while to combine the clips on the timeline with the saved proxies. Sometimes happens the the proxy icon does not appear on the tumbnails on the time line, but the proxy is used for processing
You can also select all clips on the time line and with the right mouse button you can recreate the proxy link.

[lata]

Hi John
And welcome to the forums

Unfortunately there is no process in re-linking the Smart Proxy files once they are lost.
Your only option is to re-create the proxy files so “no simple remedy” I am afraid.

It has been raised on the forum before, so far Corel has not allowed re-linking of Smart Proxies which I thought would be possible to do.

After a crash we are asked to use a recovered project, if you do not do that then open your old project do you still lose the Proxies?
You would of course loose your recent work, but I tend to hit Ctrl + S at regular intervals instead of relying on auto save option.

A bit of a grey area - Smart proxy files- we can create Smart Proxy files from the library, so why are they project dependent?
Difficult to test as we have to force the program to crash to see the results?

[jms37]

Thanks very much to you both for your swift responses, and I guess that's answered my question - it would have seemed a simple procedure to be able to re-link the proxies rather than create them over again.

Yes I do save my work fairly regularly, but the strange thing is that even some of the proxies that have been 'saved' not long before a crash can sometimes be 'lost' also, regardless of whether I recover the project at point of crash or re-open the saved file. It all seems a bit erratic.

Anyway, at least I know I'm not alone.

Thanks again,
John

[lata]

Hi John
Giving this some thought and using 2018
I was able to create Smart Proxy files and force the program to close, as in disappear from my desktop without warning.
My problem is making the program crash and give an error message as that may give different results.

However my proxy files remained in tact and were available when I opened the project.

I then ran CVSX7, to my surprise the same clips used in 2018 showed the proxy files being available in X7.
It does appear that proxy files are used by all versions of VS.

Just makes one wonder if Corel have improved the proxy files process making them more stable?
If I do get a full blown crash I will check those proxies.

[Davidk]

There's something in a vsp which is a version marker - will open in the used and later versions, but not earlier ones.

Proxy files OTOH, are just files of a known filetype in a specific place (set in settings/preferences/performance tab, and unless you use a different proxy folder for each VS version, which would be rare, all versions of VS will use the same place and thus any proxy files created by one version will be available to all versions of VS) and any vsp looking for a named proxy file there will find it.

You can see all the proxy files in that named place using the Settings/smart proxy manager/smart proxy file manager choices: which opens a panel which lists all the proxy files that are in the proxy file location. They are all .upx, and there is a range of data about them there.

[lata]

Hi

It’s a little more complex than I first imagined
Each version installed has its own proxy folder within the documents structure
Typically..........
C:\Users\Trevor\Documents\Corel VideoStudio Pro\17.0\SmartProxy

I always change that location away from the C drive, again each program having its own folder. (D\X7 Smart Proxy)

If we create Proxy files using 2018 then open the vsp in an earlier version (say X9) the proxies are used.
If we view Proxy File Manager the files show there, however not located in the programs proxy folder,(X9) they are in 2018 folder, a little confusing, that appears to be the same for all versions.

What would happen if I set one proxy folder for all versions?
Are proxy files project specific, I think not as we can create proxies from the library?
So why should we loose proxies when the program / project crashes?
I’ll test that later.

[Davidk]

As I said, change the default setting of the proxy files folder to be the same location in the settings. I've used this proxy folder definition for the last 8 versions, and been able to use any of them in any version. The only issue is - after a time passes - the folder gets too populated and a clean out is necessary (using the proxy file manager), but that's another story.

[jms37]

Following up on the additional input here I've done a little more investigation of my problem.

As an aside, I should mention I can cause VS8 to crash by adding MP4 clips to the timeline shot with my Panasonic GH4 - the program doesn't like these files at all, but that's another story.

Anyway, when I add clips to the timeline, smart proxy files are automatically generated. I can see them in the smart proxy folder, and they're also listed in the drop-down at 'settings/smart proxy manager/smart proxy file manager'.

So, when everything is sorted on the timeline and saved I proceed to 'share'. When the program crashes (due to the GH4 MP4s), regardless of whether I open the saved file or recover the file at point of crash, the smart proxies are 'lost'. They're still in the smart proxy folder, but they no longer appear in the drop-down at 'settings/smart proxy manager/smart proxy file manager'.

So I now have to create them all over again, and they're added to the smart proxy folder with '-1' at the end of the file name.

The obvious solution of course is to not use MP4s shot with the Panasonic GH4 and I don't (I use MOV files now), but of course the program will occasionally crash anyway.

It seems to me that if the proxies remained showing in the drop-down at 'settings/smart proxy manager/smart proxy file manager' all might be well, but unfortunately they don't. Could it be that simple?

John