I have searched the forums but still can't find the help i need..

Dillon Novak

Dillon Novak

Well-known member
So hopefully you guys can help me!


This is going to be my first time shooting on a big shoot with the HVX-200a by my self, and
what i want to do is bring my macbookpro (which does have FCS2) and my 500G laci to dump my P2 between breaks.

I will be borrowing the P2 cards from a friend, and will be renting the HVX from a rental house

(this is where i am confused)

Do i need to write protect these Cards before putting them on my macbook?
If so how does one write protect, because i have looked in Barry greens sticky and it just says


WHATEVER YOU DO WRITE PROTECT

But does that mean for a new p2 card or for every new machine you use it on?

Once i have it write protected, if needed, how can i save the files from the camera to my laci, so i am able to transfer the files to edit on my macpro at home?

Should create the project with my macbook (saving all of my project to my laci) and then log and capture all of the files. That way i could just open the project with my FCP on my macpro at home?


thanks guys!
 
Dillon Novak said:
Do i need to write protect these Cards before putting them on my macbook? If so how does one write protect?
Click to expand...


Yes you should write protect your P2 card before you connect it to your computer (this will make sure that no automatic hidden files will be installed onto the card). Once you see the P2 card, there is a switch that you can have either the write protection off (in camera, capture footage) or write protection on (hooked up to computer, transfer footage).

Also you may want to get a DuelAdapter so you can plug in your P2 card into the ExpressCard slot on your Macbook Pro, and transfer your footage into FCP.
 
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Write protecting is a way to make sure that nothing is written to the card itself.

After you've filmed and you're ready to transfer footage to your computer you take the P2 card out of the camera, and on the back of the card there is a small switch, which when switched one way shows a black color, and allows one to write to the card(film)...switched the other way it shows an orange color and all data on the card can be read, transfered, etc, but no data can be written.....switching it over to orange(write protect) ensures that there aren't any accidents where footage gets erased, written over, etc.

if you've ever worked with floppy discs, zip discs, VHS tapes, DAT tapes, DV tapes, etc etc.....they all have tabs or switches in one place or another which tell whatever piece of equipment you put them in to only read the data and never write, or to read and write...depending on the position.

after you've succesfully transferred footage you're free to place the P2 switch back to the black position so that you can format/delete clips so that you can film on the card again.
 
Nick Walters said:
In between BBQ'in I made a little video for ya:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHAY2SPG1eY
Click to expand...


Everyones advice really helped, but thanks Nick for actually going out of your way to visually show me that, it helps a lot.


Now i have another question, if i am not using a duel adapter to dump the p2 cards to my mac but instead using the HVX directly with a firewire connected to my computer, would i


  • record footage
  • take out p2 and switch to protect
  • put p2 back in the camera
  • switch camera over to the mode in which you can log and capture with FCP
  • then log and capture
Would this make sense?

How does one select between P2s if you have two cards in your HVX when hooked up to your computer via firewire


Would it bring up two hard drive on my desktop, which i would then ignore and then use log and capture to access both of them?
 
in three years of dumping to an old mac powerbook in the field, i have NEVER write protected a card and have NEVER had any problems.

not to say that you shouldnt. i just never have...

yeah, you can do the log and transfer on the laptop. what id suggest is create a new folder on your hard drive. call it "___project" in that folder create your "source_P2" and your "scratch" folder as well. open FCP and assign the new scratch folder. that way, your project will be intact as you left it when you attach the drive to your desktop machine.

here is how id do it:

______project
- FCP (to store your FCP file)
- source_P2 (to transfer your p2 cards to. in that folder have sub folders labled "card01", "card02" and so forth)
- SCRATCH (this is the folder you tell FCP to use as your scratch disk)

and if you plan to work off the external, be sure to remember to re set your scratch disc to the folder on your external once you open the project on your desktop machine.
 
wgzn said:
in three years of dumping to an old mac powerbook in the field, i have NEVER write protected a card and have NEVER had any problems.

not to say that you shouldnt. i just never have...

yeah, you can do the log and transfer on the laptop. what id suggest is create a new folder on your hard drive. call it "___project" in that folder create your "source_P2" and your "scratch" folder as well. open FCP and assign the new scratch folder. that way, your project will be intact as you left it when you attach the drive to your desktop machine.

here is how id do it:

______project
- FCP (to store your FCP file)
- source_P2 (to transfer your p2 cards to. in that folder have sub folders labled "card01", "card02" and so forth)
- SCRATCH (this is the folder you tell FCP to use as your scratch disk)

and if you plan to work off the external, be sure to remember to re set your scratch disc to the folder on your external once you open the project on your desktop machine.
Click to expand...


Okay sounds great, i did everything you said.
So how do the files get into the source_P2 folder, when the P2 hard drive shows up on my desktop do i drag and drop those files into that folder...how do i set it up so that the p2 files save there.


i under stand how to set my capture scratch and my final cut project to those specific folders but how do i get those files to save in the source_P2 folder?


thanks a bunch! I almost feel like i'm ready. haha..
 
When you hook up that Mac to your HVX200/A it should be OFF, unless you want to potentially fry the 1394 i/o. Best would be to have the computer and the camera off, but camera at the least.

Best,

Jan
 
I made This check list for the shoot from information i have gathered on the internet,

please let me know if something here is wrong.
 

Attachments

i think that "dumping p2.txt" file is at the same time both overcomplicated and simplified. but thats common in panasonic's japanese to english efforts...
in my experience DONT EVER log and transfer in FCP directly from a p2 card or connected camera. ALWAYS transfer the content from the cards to a hard drive first, THEN log and transfer from that. if you log and transfer directly from the card, if you some day need to go back to revist the source footage - YOU CANT! you will have in all likelyhood already reformatted the card by that time.

So how do the files get into the source_P2 folder, when the P2 hard drive shows up on my desktop do i drag and drop those files into that folder...
Click to expand...

yup. drag and drop. just like any other finder transfer. open the p2 icon, select all (both the contents folder AND lastclip file) then drag that into the your "card01" folder inside the "source_p2" folder.

you do know of course that the naming convention im using here is just for example, right? you can name your folders whatever you want to.
 
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here is a real-life picture of the file management procedure that i use in action.

filestruct.jpg


if you employ a good consistent file structure like this, youre pretty near bulletproof. the only downside to this (and its significant) is you have to always change your scratch disk setting whenever you open a different project.

take as an example in my image above. say im working on the MACK_BAYLOR project. if suddenly mid project im called on to make a change to PLAYSMART. i open the playsmart project BUT before i do anything in it, change the final cut pro scratch disk to the one in the PLAYSMART folder. and then change it AGAIN when i go back to the MACK_BAYLOR project.

this sounds like a pain in the butt. and it can be if your workflow has you working on 3-4 or more final cut pro projects on any given day. but to me its worth it when its time to hand off, move or archive things. you just drag one folder and youre done. no having to hunt around for stuff
 
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You need to read this thread if you haven't already:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=118672

Like everyone said:

1. Shoot your footage.
2. Turn off you camera
3. Write protect your card.
4. Plug firewire into camera then into macbook.
5. Turn on camera.
6. Verify that "1394 Device" is selected in the menu. (Under "other functions")
7. Press the MCR/VCR button to switch to the preview menu.
8. Press and HOLD the MCR/VCR button AGAIN until the screen goes blue and says "1394 Device Disconnect/Connect" (it will say disconnect at first and then switch to connect, you DO NOT need to hold the button until it say connect)
9. You should see the p2 card show up on your desktop as "no name"
10. Open P2CMS.
11. Select the card in the menu (follow the steps in that thread i linked too)
12. Export the clips you want by selecting them and right click then "export."
13. Select the folder you want to export too.

Keep in mind this takes about a minute per Gig this way. So 15min per 16gb card.

Hope that helps.
 
in my experience, the only significant need for a third party application like P2CMS is if you are concerned with metadata. which i would guess if you have to ask this question, you more than likely arent...

but do a forum search for metadata. and decide for yourself.
 
wgzn said:
in my experience, the only significant need for a third party application like P2CMS is if you are concerned with metadata. which i would guess if you have to ask this question, you more than likely arent...

but do a forum search for metadata. and decide for yourself.
Click to expand...


Okay so if i drag and drop the footage from my write-protected card, into each card folder i should be fine?

And then i would log and capture from the created folders on my external harddrive?

Do you have an example of what the P2 card will look like on your desktop when you drag and drop?

Because once i'm out there on the shoot, i won't have any internet, and i'll be dumping the card three times during the entire shoot.
And i've really sunk a lot of money into this shoot so i'd like to make-sure that this is one less thing i need to worry about.
 
so if i drag and drop the footage from my write-protected card, into each card folder i should be fine?
Click to expand...
if you get both the CONTENTS and lastclip.txt file, YES. thats what ive done for years and never had an issue.
but i find it pertinent to say again - i have NEVER write protected a card - EVER. not saying you shouldnt. ive just never done it AND never had problems... YMMV

And then i would log and capture from the created folders on my external harddrive?
Click to expand...
YES. SORTA. you log and TRANSFER. not log and CAPTURE. its a different choice in the FCP pulldown menu. same overall idea (set in and out, give it a name, etc.). but its a different interface.

Do you have an example of what the P2 card will look like on your desktop when you drag and drop?
Click to expand...
who cares what it looks like? it will pop up or it wont. typically it looks like a little P2 card and will show up listed as "NO NAME" you double click it to open, and treat it like any other external device.

another thought: when is your shoot? hooking your camera to the laptop totally stops production for 12-15 min or so... you could order the "duel adapter" (its a plug in adapter that allows you to plug pcmcia cards into a macbook pro's expresscard slot) theyare under $150 and pretty readily available on line.

and still, do investigate whether metadata is anything that would appeal to you. for my workflow, it has little value. but your needs may be different.
 
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BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE MAC P2 DRIVERS FIRST! - if the laptop you are using has not been used for p2 offloading before (or reasonably recently) you will most likely need them.

http://panasonic.sixbullets.net/

do it the day before the shoot AND do a test offload. nothing worse than being on set and helpless.
 
So i went to the link that barry green had offered in the "offloading correctly to Mac" sticky

i am going to be using a mac book pro that has never ran any p2 software before, or offloaded.
Version 10.5.6
Leopard

And i'll be using the HVX-200a with 16G cards


so what drivers do i download?

from here
https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/support/desk/e/index.htm#

do i download these?


2007.8. P2 Contents Management Software was added.
2007.12.7. P2 Contents Management Software supported with QuickTime7.2.0 for Mac
2008.1.29. +P2 Driver Software for Mac supported with Mac OS X(Leopard) .
+P2 Card Formatter for Mac was added.
2008.2.20. P2 Contents Management Software for Windows supports AVC-Intra (Decoder).
2008.5.19. P2 Contents Management Software for Mac supports AVC-Intra (Decoder).
2008.7.31. P2 Contents Management Software for Mac supports DPX Conversion Plugin.
 
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I'm pretty sure macs already have the drivers installed. All I did on my mac is install P2CMS and rock and roll. But I have Tiger (10.4.11).
 
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