P2 import to 5.7.2

B

BradFu

Well-known member
Hi,

I did some test shots with the cards, used the camera to offload the data onto a drive, where it sits now. You can see the files with all the folders: contents, audio, video, etc.

I open the video folder, and the MXF clips are sitting there, but I can't import them into a bin.

The shots were timelapse, shot at 720pn. I upgraded my system to 5.7.2 an hour ago.

What am I doing wrong?

Does 5.7.2 support 720pn? Or am I missing a step somewhere else?

Thanks!!

Brad
 
unfortunately 5.7.2 is plagued with flaws. mine won't even install i had to do a system restore and go back to 5.2.4

did you try the media tool?
 
How are you trying to import? Via the FILE\IMPORT or dragging contents to the MXF folder, or opening the Media Tool and reading the card directly?

Michael
 
Hey guys,

Eric: No, I didn't try the media tool, in fact......I'm not sure how to--I've always used that to delete stuff, not the other way around. I'll click around and try it.
Any suggestions?

Michael P: Yes, I am using, "File>>>Import, then browsing under my F drive, I can see the contents/folders of the video I shot. I open the Video folder, and you can see the MXF files sitting there. No thumbnail preview--it just says "MXF" on the icon.

Working backwards........when I loaded the P2 software onto my system, I never really got to see the root drive structure that I've read on other threads. I seem to remember a step where you go into your computer, access your hardware manager, and then you should be able to see a different root structure in relation to P2 data.

Could that be the problem? Other than that, the MXF files are definitely sitting on my drive, as I said earlier, so perhaps my drive isn't properly partitioned, etc.???

While you're here Michael, like I said I just updated yesterday to 5.7.2. The only data that survived was the last project I was working on, everything else is gone, but the OMFI files are visible. If I open them, does that force Avid to see them, and then list them in my project window?

Thanks guys!
 
Well, I got all my old info back from previous projects, but still no luck on anything in the HD world. I'm betting it's user-error.

As a troubleshoot, I'll take my external drive where the MXF files are sitting, and hook it up to a laptop, where I have Edius loaded.
 
Okay, after reading through the sticky at the top of this board, which I should have done first--I'm still stuck, but I think that I'm missing a few things:

I don't have an, "Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1" folder anywhere. DC says you can manually create one in your root structure.

Once you're in the, "My Computer", "C drive", are you in the root structure? Is it that simple? I try to create a folder in the "Program Files" (where I can see the OMFI folder), but it doesn't let me create anything with backslashes, so I can only create one called, "Avid MediaFiles".

I drag and drop MXF files on my external drive into the newly created folder, but I still can't import into Avid. In fact, the status bar comes up for a split second, like it's trying to import, but then I get the warning message.

I really think this is the problem, but..........alright I feel silly: how do you create something manually at the root level, and how exactly do you get to that root level?
 
This is getting funny--I'm answering my own posts.

So, after some reading and experimentation, I figured out that the folder instructions were a little unclear: I thought you had to make a folder called, "Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1"

I realize now that it's a folder within a folder within a folder.

So I did that, but I still can't get any files into Avid.

Anyone have a clear walkthrough on how to do this? Keep in mind that my 720pn shots were done with rental cards, so the media is sitting on an external drive, and I no longer have the cards, if that helps. I've been dragging and dropping the files into the newly created folders, but still no luck.

At this rate, I'll answer myself tomorrow. Tune in for this schizophrenic show.
 
Hey BradFU,

I have spotted your problem with your import process. For the File>Import you are going too deep into the folder structure.
>>"Yes, I am using, "File>>>Import, then browsing under my F drive, I can see the contents/folders of the video I shot. I open the Video folder, and you can see the MXF files sitting there. No thumbnail preview--it just says "MXF" on the icon."

You need to point it to the root of the folder, to where you see the "contents" folder and the "LASTCLIP.TXT" file. Then it will import all your clips for that card.

This workflow is new was just introduced in 5.7. so there is not much documentation on it.
I have put a step by step process for importing using this workflow here: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=104508

take care
 
Thank you DirtySanchez, thank you Barry......

but nothing is working.

I bought a new drive today (drive "F", as my computer now sees it), transferred 2 16gig cards worth through firewire. I hooked up the camera to the drive only, formatted, copied, etc.

The files are there, but no luck getting into Avid.

I had to manually create the files: Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1, on the drive which I put everything, then I transferred all contents, lastclip, etc. into those folders. There is now a "drive H" (drive "G" is used for backup files not associated with P2), that my computer sees--I'm thinking this is the partition created by the offload. I manually created the Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1 folders in that drive as well, and moved the contents, etc. into it.

So, a few things:

I can see the files if I open each drive, but the media tool in Avid doesn't see anything.

The P2 icon on my desktop, created when I installed the drivers that came with the camera, opens a manager window when clicked on. However, it doesn't "see" anything, even when the camera is hooked up by firewire to the F drive, and the F drive is hooked up to my computer. Does it only work with the USB mode? I updated the drivers with the 16gig update off Panasonic's site--it uninstalled, then re-installed the drivers.

Going back over the paperwork that came with the camera/drivers--if you look in the manual, it gives you a screen-shot of what the device manager window looks like with the drivers installed: I should see a couple of P2 folders in my network adapters window, and a USB Device icon under the Serial Bus controllers. They're not present on my system. Like I said, I just reinstalled the drivers, so I don't know what is wrong.

When I open Avid 5.7.2, it scans my H drive, but not the original F drive. Also, it says it can't read, Lastclip on the H drive, so I quarantined it (not knowing what to do).

Sorry to write a novel here, but I just got two 16 gig cards and I can't edit with them!!!

They work fine in Edius, but I can't do my long-form projects on a laptop.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.
 
I woke up today and tried to start over:

I formatted the Seagate drive, wiping it clean.

I hooked up the HVX via USB to the computer, opened Avid, and used the Media Tool to get the clips into a bin. That's great for editing right off the cards, but who wants to do that? I need to re-use them.

As a test, I consolidated one clip, only now, my Seagate drive doesn't show up as a removable storage device--it can now be seen in the device manager, under disk drives, and it's lumped in with my internal drives.

Anyone ever have this problem? Did formatting the drive once, copying all HVX info to it, then re-formatting it screw everything up?
 
You might have tried all this, but here goes...

1) Make sure Avid is closed. On your external drive (which I'm assuming you're going to use as a media drive), wipe everything you might have placed there. Create a folder called "Avid MediaFiles" (no quote marks). Inside that folder, create a folder called "MXF" (no quote marks). Inside that folder, create a folder called "1" (no quote marks).

2) I think I read that you do indeed have the P2 drivers installed, but verify that that is the case.

3) Hook up your HVX with the P2s that have the media you want to grab.

4) Launch Avid; during launch, you may see a progress indicator that suggests that drives attached to your system (this includes P2 cards) are being indexed. This is a good thing.

5) Open your project (I'm guessing you're working in a 720/23.976p project). Create a bin that you'll bring your media into.

6) With that bin selected, go to "File > Import P2 > Clips to Bin". A "Browse for Folder" dialog will pop up, showing you a listing of all connected drives. If your P2 drivers are installed, you will see two drive letters that are associated with both of the P2 slots in your HVX. Select one of them; don't drill down any farther than the drive letter. Hit OK. After a few gesticulations, your clips will appear in your bin. However, all the media is still on the P2 card. We'll fix that shortly.

7) Under the Avid settings, select "Media Creation" and direct all of the options (there are half a dozen tabs or so) to your external drive. This will keep all your media for this project together--captures, imports, titles, renders, and so on. You can just select the drive in one tab and hit "Apply to All". You're done there.

8) Go back to the bin that you just brought your clips into. Select them all (Ctrl+A is your friend). Now, here's the magic: go to File > Import P2 > Media. If everything is right with the world, your media will be copied and consolidated to your external drive and the master clips in the bin will be relinked to those copies of the files. Now, whenever you come back into the Avid, your media will be living on that drive, and will be online.

Phew. Hope that works...
 
Thanks for taking the time to read through all my bs. It's gotta absolutely be user-error that got me here.

I did have some success today, although I took a different route:

I hooked up the HVX to the computer via USB, opened Avid, and brought everything into a bin using the Media Tool (DV, 24pa project, which is the subject of another question I have: in the old Xpress Pro I was running you open a 23.976 project for 24pa, it seems that isn't the case with 5.7.2?)

Anyway, I bought a new external drive today, and selected all clips in the bin, then used the Consolidate/Transcode option.

Everything copied fine. I unhooked the camera and went back into the drive, and the media is there. Although this works for me now, I'm still concerned that I screwed up the first time I offloaded to a drive, through firewire yesterday.

Reading your post, the only thing that I can think of that I didn't do first is create the folders, Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1, BEFORE I offloaded to that drive. I did it after, then tried to move everything around.

I'll test some 720 footage tonight, and see how the HD world treats this workflow.

And if you've read this far, how do you get the timeline on 5.7.2 off of, "1394" in that little circle at the top? I can't view simple DV through my monitor.

Thanks again!

-b
 
BradFu said:
Hi,
Does 5.7.2 support 720pn? Or am I missing a step somewhere else?
Click to expand...

You never mentioned if it's 720pn 24 or 30

The process to import files is pretty simple (Hopefully you shot 720pn 24). You don't have to create folders first. You just need to create a project with the correct settings (probably 720 23.96).

When you transfer your P2 cards (contents folder) it has to stay intact.
File menu/import P2 - point to the contents folder you want. Import the clips and make sure you also IMPORT MEDIA.

Works flawlessly for me.

Good luck
 
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