P2 + Mac = P2CMS or FCP Log and Transfer?

Jay Rodriguez

Jay Rodriguez

Coffee Member
If I'm on a mac and shot onto P2, what should I do to move the files to the mac? P2CMS or FCP's Log and Transfer method?

Is there a pro and con to either one of these methods?
 
if you are not using Raylight, you are gonna have to use log and transfer in fcp to import p2 files into fcp, but even before that, I connect my hvx to the mac fire up p2cms and tranfer to an external, this is what I have been doing for over a year with not a single problem yet
"knock on wood" a lot of users here like to use raylight which let's you inport right to the timeline with no log and transfer but I personally dont mind waiting on log and transfer, no rush for me plus I have the mentality that if it "ain't broken..dont fix it" so if one day I need raylgiht I will buy it no doubt, hope it helps :)
 
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I prefer to use something that keeps the original P2 structure intact. P2CMS throws all the clips into separate CONTENTS folders...really odd organization in my mind. I use SHOTPUT P2 (www.imagineproducts.com) to offload the card. It can fully automate the process. Then, when I have all the card dumps archived, I either use LOG AND TRANSFER to bring the footage in, logging it as I go, or if I am in a hurry and loaded scene files, I use HD LOG to create alias' and import with the metadata mapped to FCP browser fields.

ALWAYS keep the card file structure intact...and back that up. If you log and transfer only, then you are stuck with using this footage on FCP. Don't limit yourself. Never know if you will be on an avid, or if someone who is might need access to your footage.
 
I must say I have never had that happen, the structure being disorganized once it's opened in fcp that is, I always log and transfer and all the clips on the log and transfer window are nice and organized from the top to the bottom in the way that the first clip is at the top and the last is at the bottom, I always just import everything into fcp I can always in and out on the timeline
 
aalleexx, thanks man.
shaaaaaaaaaaaaane! what up dude! long time no speakie! hope all is well...

Ok so what I'm getting from this thread and from browsing good old Google is that I can use:

Raylight which costs almost $200
shotput P2 which costs $50
P2CMS which is free
FCP and just log and transfer but limits you to final cut files
 
mangler, yeah I tried it last night and liked the way it worked.....EDIT: I just remembered the problem I had using this method. How do u get the footage into FCP? Everything I tried did succeed in getting video into FCP but NOT the audio.
 
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Yikes, I'm glad I saw this thread. We've been blithely dragging and dropping P2 Cards since Day 1 and had no idea we were inviting trouble. Thank God we never had a glitch.
 
well doing that p2cms function doesn't get the files ready for FCP, it just offloads the cards in the most safe way(it does a checking method for the data). you still need to use fcp's log & transfer. or get raylight or one of the other plug in methods for FCP to read mxf files.
 
Mark Johnson said:
Yikes, I'm glad I saw this thread. We've been blithely dragging and dropping P2 Cards since Day 1 and had no idea we were inviting trouble. Thank God we never had a glitch.
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Many, many people use the same workflow as you and don't have any troubles. But a few do. That's why the thread was posted, to give people a bulletproof workflow, for those who need it.
 
I'll add another voice for ShotPut P2. We used it for "Picture" and it worked great. I had two hard drives hooked up to a G4 Powerbook (one Firewire and one USB) and offloading the clips was effortless. You can specify up to three simultaneous offload locations, so you get your backups done at the same time.
 
I think of offloading as a production process, while ingesting into an NLE as a post-production process. During a shoot i only want to worry about getting the footage safely off the card and onto a drive. This rules out using FCP - which is fine because 99.9% of the time I am offloading to a clients HDD and I want them to have a copy of the original .mxf files, not just QT.

I tried Barry's workflow using P2CMS - but wasn't happy with the P2CMS software (even after they updated it), so I went back to dragging and dropping without any glitches or hitches. I do like P2CMS for being able to spot check the files.

So at that point I was using a Duel Adapter and a MBP. But my Duel Adapter went kaput- and the new one I got isn't working in exactly the same way- so I am guessing it is yet another software conflict between Mac OS and Duel. I don't have the time or energy to figure it out.

I bought a used PB G4, with a PCMCIA slot, so I can load up a card directly - this worked great on my last shoot - but I am still testing P2CMS as a viewer (Panny says it isn't supported on non - intel macs). The laptop, a g4 1.67, was about $550 on ebay, and since I am using it only to transfer footage it is working out really well (and when I travel I can use it for email and browsing too - unlike the P2 Store or P2 Gear)

I just purchased Shotput P2 and am looking forward to testing that out.

I was on one gig where another shooters 32gb card was crashing his Shotput (the only time I've heard anything like that) and his computer. After trying several different solutions we finally broke down and hooked up my camera as a firewire device. I think there may have been a corrupt file - but I am not sure - we had a client waiting on the footage and couldn't really diagnose exactly why the card was such a troublemaker.
 
I downloadeed the material rom the p2 cards onto a hard drive, When trying to open in mac with fcp 6.0 or 4.5 it does not give an option to doenload from P2. Any ideas?
 
If it's on the hard drive then when in FCP click file > log and transfer. In the next window that opens up, on the top right will be a grey folder, click on that and navigate to where you have the contents folder and select it. It'll begin to bring your footage into the window. From there, click on the clips that you want and click the "add selection to que" button. This will start bringing the footage into FCP.
 
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