P2CMS vs. FCP LOG AND TRANSFER

cckid

cckid

Well-known member
Hi everyone,

I am still pretty new to P2 workflow and I have a question. What would be the biggest advantage/disadvantage when importing pana P2 (.mxf files) into final cut using panasonic's P2CMS software over FCP integrated log and transfer woeklflow....how can these two approaches benefit from each other? What's yours workflow of choice when importing p2 footage into fcp....

Best regards

cckid

www.staderzen.com
 
The advantages of P2 CMS are primarily in terms of workflow and organization. By processing files with P2 CMS you get a lot of metadata management which helps on long projects and when you when to archive and retrieve projects down the road. More importantly, P2 CMS makes each clip a discrete MXF archive, no longer dependent on the other clips from the P2 card to import into FCP directly. This also makes media management a lot easier because you can safely move individual clips without fear of losing the ability to import. And it's free lol.

We have a couple of sections focused solely on P2 CMS on our DVD. It's also quite useful for creating metadata settings that can then be loaded back onto the HVX to help further organize material as you shoot. It has an amazing amount of power and can really unlock the data-centric workflow potential of the HVX that many users don't even realize is there.

Noah
 
How do you get Log and Transfer to recognize the individual clips the P2CMS has created? I am having trouble getting the clips to import to FCP after I sent them through P2CMS.
 
I am guessing that the lastclip.txt isn't there
. I just read Barry's sticky on offloading with P2CMS and he seems to state that the .txt will be copied as well as the clips. My tests haven't worked like this. Is there a step missing?
 
P2CMS doesnt copy the lastclip.txt file. Im not sure why but it doesnt need it. Final Cut's log and transfer doesnt need it either.

I've been doing Exports out of P2CMS for the past 6 months and my clients opening the folders in Final Cut and importing without any issues.

What needs to be noted is there are 2 ways of using P2CMS.

The first one is how it was originally intended. To be used as Database software where you select the clips you want off the card, and it imports them into a database that it generates. Which then allows you to search the database completely by the clip metadata and find the exact clips you need when you've got thousands on your raids.

This would work well when your working on a large long form project where your not going to want to import every clip shot into your NLE and you have multiple editors working on the same project.

The second way is to just it as basic software, which is what i do for a lot of my clients (i shot a lot of promos and 1 off tv shows).

P2CMS will copy your whole card apart from the Lastclip.txt file into a folder destination of your choice. Retaining all the card structure and allowing you to import the 'card/folder' into your NLE.

This is effectively the same as copying the card in the finder/windows level, but is a much safer way of doing it. There is also a data check option that you can select which will get the software to copy the clip and then go back and check that all the data is correct.

huh, sorry for hte novel.
 
Thanks Joe,

I'm just curious why Barry's sticky specifically mentions that using P2CMS as the 'proper' method of offloading will prevent people forgetting the lastclip.txt Is this a typo Barry?
 
P2CMS will make sure the file copies without errors. That is a good feature that I feel guilty for not using. The rest seems to be pure bureacracy.

As far as the metadata database is concerned, I would not catalog each of potentially hundreds of little bitty MXF files; most of which are throw-aways. That seems like a real productivity killer to me. I archive and store larger groups of clips...and mainly just the ones I care about keeping...in context. It is more than just a "style" issue.

Part of my brain says that it makes sense to be more meticulous in accounting for non-repeatable assets. But the other part just does not see the value...even in the analytical sense.
 
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