P2 Transfer problem PLEASE HELP!

R

rmdorrington

Member
I know a bunch of people have trouble logging P2, and I know most of the issues, but can't seem to figure this out.

Shot with an HPX170. Dumped both cards onto macbook. Copied all the necessary txt files. Got home. Copied all the files to external drive.

Now when I go to Log and transfer, only video from ONE content folder appears. The content 2 folder is on the drive, with all the necessary folders, but doesn't show up to be logged??

Please help me! Thanks!
 
Let's first verify you have content on that second card thats not working - and Yes I realise you have the folders...

But could you simply control click on the folder youve put them into and choose get info and then tell us the size.
 
ok. i wouldnt get too wound up in write protecting. that most likely isnt your problem. in my experience that's one of the bigger "wives tales" out there.
there are people who say its caused them issues. and it may. but i always wagered it was caused by something else or additional...
ive been shooting P2 for nearly as long as it's been around and never, not once have i write protected a card.

with that said

question 1:
did you drag each card to its own new folder? as in did you create new folder on desktop, transfer card to that folder. then create ANOTHER new folder on the desktop and transfer card two into that folder?

question 2.
did you add both cards to the L&T window? you have to add them manually, it wont auto connect them.


another thing ive found helpful is how you NAME your folders. ive found ALLUPPERCASE_UNDERSCORES_NO_SPACES_ANDNDUMBERS1234567890ONLY the best way to go.
 
Last edited:
I just dragged the folders onto desktop, then onto drive. Same exact process for both cards, but only the first one will log.. bad card?

All the files are still there. Just getting an invalid structure or invalid file type warning. Still possible to salvage footage? I even tried copying footage back onto P2 card.. with no luck.
 
If you have the MXF files you can definitely salvage the footage. I don't know what your comPuter did or what user error was involved, but people have been using this system for 8 years now - it works.

Anyway - fcp is at the root of your compatibility problem, because fcp refuses to acknowledge files unless they're in exact folder order. So the solution is: screw using fcp's log & transfer. Use ANYTHING else. Use Vegas or EDIUS or Premiere or Avid or any other program on earth and it will be able to see your files just fine. Note: I'm not telling you you have to change editing programs, I'm telling you that just because fcp won't import the files doesn't mean your footage is lost. Any other NLE will import it, I practically guarantee it.

Okay, step 2: if you MUST use FCP, there are still many ways to access the footage. Just don't use the damned, restrictive, malfunctioning log & transfer. Use RayLight, or mxf4mac, or Calibrated MXF Importer. Any of them will let you drag your MXF files right to the timeline without L&T and without conversion.

Finally, if you've installed the free P2CMS, it installs an MXF importer too. You can drag MXF files right to the fcp timeline. But it makes you manually import and sync up the sound.

Don't despair. Our FCP/Mac users will keep working to figure out what went wrong and help you through this. I just wanted to point out that even if those efforts fail, you have many ways available to you to access that footage.
 
Hey thanks I really appreciate it! Just downloaded P2CMS.. same problem recognizing the first folder, and not the second. I guess I'll try some of the other programs.
 
Picture 4.jpg

Just downloaded Raylight.. It kept on pumping out mov. files that looked like this ^ in quicktime... Also made way more MOV files than there were quicktime.

Hmmm? Looks like a corrupted file, or is this something Raylight is causing? Just realize it should be the card, becase I shot with it after I dumped that footage, (and that footage is fine).
 
I just dragged the folders onto desktop, then onto drive.
Click to expand...
did you trash (and empty the trash) the files from the first card before you transferred the second card?
this is starting to smell a bit like user error ; )

you dont need ANY software (other than maybe a P2 driver on an older machine) to successfully transfer P2 files on a fcp loaded mac, no p2cms, no raylight, no shotput. those all have some nice features. but ive been drag and drop copying on my mac since day one - with zero problems, ever.

here is something else to consider: what version of fcp are you using and what version of OSX?
 
Finally got it! For some reason I was only able to get that card to read with imedia convertor. Really bizzarre, didn't work with P2cms, FCP, or Raylight... all just came up blank?

Thanks for all your help. I think I'll stick to shooting to SD cards from now on...
 
More importantly with P2CMS software is using it to off-load the cards to the computer, it will VERIFY the transfer.
 
rmdorrington

Next time invest in ShotPut Pro by Imagine Products to avoid the drag and drop problems you have encountered. ShotPut Pro will do the offloading for you and verify that everything is copied successfully.

In the meantime, do what Barry suggests.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top