Re-linking Media Library Clips doesn't work

[spurrymoses]

Hi

May not be the right place, but there's a catastrophic bug in the "Relink File" functionality that I thought I'd get off my chest.

When you rename or change a filename mid-project and restart Media Studio Pro 7, it asks you to 'relink' the file and everything works again.

However, has anyone noticed that if you do this with clips in the Media Library - and those clips were segments from within one mpg file - when you 'relink' the file, the duration of the clip info is completely lost. Your entire Media Clip Library is then completely useless.

So for example, I had 30 clips all from within one single file (say "bla.mpg") in my Media Library. So, clip no. 10 may have been a segment that began at 2m 30sec and finished at 2m 50sec. Before the problem, if I dragged this clip onto the timeline, it straight away showed the time-period (2m30 - 2m50) from the bla.mpg file.

But, if I change the "bla.mpg" filename (or directory) and then go to drag one of the new 'relinked' MediaLibrary clips from one of my 30, I find that the 'relink' doesn't remember or 'removes' the reference to the 'in' and 'out' markers (2m30 - 2m50). It then shows the entire "bla.mpg". Not only that but I had to relink each and every single one of the 30 clips. It's not smart enough to realise that 29 other files are using the same file, so every time you drag a clip that uses that file, it repeatedly pops up a dialog asking you to relink. Forcing you to click about 60 times to fix the problem!

After I finished clicking 60 times, I found the problem. Each one of the clips now showed the entire bla.mpg file. I now had 30 absolutely useless clips and my Media Library was literally destroyed.

A bit nasty. Is this fixed in version 8 does anyone know?

[Devil]

I suspect you did not put your clips into your Project library???

MSP8 is somewhat different as you have separate tabbed Production Library and Project Tray features. The basic functionality is similar but the implementation is easier to understand.

[spurrymoses]

Hi Thanks,

If there were such thing as a 'Project Library' I might have tried it

There is, in the Production Library combo box something called 'Project' but you can't drag anything in there and use it like a storyboard. If you drag a clip into that window, then it switches you automatically to the Media Library section and puts it in there for you.

I can't understand 2 things about this organisation

1) I need to split one big file up into many short 'clips'. There doesn't seem to be any expectation in MediaStudio that you might want to do this. Especially considering the bug described in this thread.

2) The Media Library (storyboard) doesn't seem very useful because you can't actually play any of the clips from within MediaStudio. Right-click options give you every option under the sun, except the most obvious 'Play'.
So you have 30 thumbnails, if they happen to look similar, then you have to resort to good-old Windows Explorer, find the file yourself and double-click it to watch it.

I created a Media Library for organisation today, and then quickly realised that it was a waste of time. I'm better off using Explorer and watching them and dragging them from there. Although I just realised you can open something called the 'Source Window' and drag them in there. So I'm happy. Nothing's obvious in this program Why not create a 'play' menu item that opens up the source window for you... ? This is such an obvious thing to do, one would reaonably guess that there's no other way to do it

... and gee I wish the scrollbar in the Media Library would dynamically update the contents as you drag it. Having to let the mouse button go just for it to catch up makes it a real chore to browse through quickly ...and once again, makes Explorer the better alternative.

But at the end of the day, I'm getting some nice results. I just wish I could contribute to a wish-list somewhere. I'm sure I could keep them busy for years

[Devil]

Everybody has their own wishlist to make MSP just perfect, even if they often contradict one another However, I understand you're using MSP7, so a wishlist for that is as effective as cutting water with a sword. MSP7 is dead, in the sense that there will be no improvements made for it, since MSP8 has replaced it. This is very different from 7 and, who knows?, maybe some of your wishes are alread solid fact.

That having been said, I do not use storyboards, project libraries or trays. I find they are more of a nuisance than a help, at least in the way I work. I work directly from the directory where I have put all my clips, images, sound files, dvps, whatever. OTOH, I know many who swear by them and consider tham as the best thing since sliced bread. Guess it's just a matter of personal attitude.

[spurrymoses]

Ah, thanks for that. I think my problem is that I don't yet know whether they're useful or not

If you're still here can you tell me what you would do if you had 15 minute video (in one uncompressed AVI file) and you were about to start editing it. And it was clear that there were about 30-40 useful 'scenes' that you were preparing to fade and cut between?

Would you make a pass through the video cut the 30 or so scenes/clips and drag them into the Media Library, from where you could then create a project and then work by continually deciding which clip you wanted next from the Media Library?

This is what I did... and what I want to do again but I'm not sure I've used the right 'Library'. Since I will lose all my work if the filename changes (although I can prepare for this now that I know about it).

[Devil]

I would take the big file directly into the timeline and, depending on circumstances, I would either slice it manually or automatically. I'd then trim the clips and assemble them in the desired order, adding transitions (rarely) and other effects, where suitable. The only time I'd consult the production library would be to drag down effects.

This having been said, using the Project library or tray/Storyboard is something very personal. The fact that I generally ignore these features does not mean that they are useless; some people may need them to help them assemble their thoughts, while I tend to pre-visualise the project in my head. There is no "correct" way of using MSP.

Obviously, it is bad practice renaming files in the middle of a project. It is obvious that if a dvp file says "take xxx.avi, starting at 00:01:23.04 ending at 00:01:34.05" and you change the name to yyy.avi, it is going to feel flummoxed. (Like in this country, the signposts to Nicosia suddenly change to Lefkosia: designed to flummox tourists )