Re: Folder Structure and File Naming

Ok, there are some semantics that we have to be careful of here. It's EASIER if your paths are consistent. That MEANS: if you put them in one place, it's hard for CatDV to find them if you move them.

Translation: Don't keep changing where you store them. It doesn't mean you can't store them in multiple places. CatDV keeps track of where everything is. If you move them it doesn't know where to look. However, if you move them you CAN tell CatDV where to look and all will be fine.

So, best thing to do is put them in a place, read them into CatDV and then let CatDV make the proxies. But because you are using paths (and not tape names) you can use other software, like Compressor, MpegStream Clip or something else to make the proxies. You just store them on your proxy drive(s) using the same structure: Volumes/Archive 1/Paris becomes for the proxies: Proxy Drive A/Volumes/Archive 1/Paris

you don't want to have too deep a directory structure because you'll run out of space for the OS to deal with it. I'd have to look up what the limits are (someone chime in here if you know), plus it gets very complicated to manage. You keep it simple and let CatDV do the heavy lifting. When you go to the workgroup version you'll see how easy life becomes because you don't have to deal with all these separate catalogs. All becomes as one (grasshopper). You just to a query and CatDV finds all the shots/clips for you. I do a LOT of drag and drop from CatDV to FCP directly. Works wonders and cuts down hugely on edit prep. Everything is already loaded and ready to go, as proxies.

Holding up? Each file name says what it is. The shooting location is already defined. After than I need the specifics of the shot itself and the other information is pretty much in the way. Again, CatDV does the heavy lifting.

And in triplicate: well your file name already has the date/country/city/broll and more, and yet you have directories that repeat the information. Actually if they're all in the same directory a simple directory sort will give you all you need. CatDV isn't going to die or blow up or something. Or at least it's not likely. I do keep copies of catalogs locally in a DropBox folder and those are backed up six ways to Sunday. My date fields INSIDE of CatDV are what are important. If I tried to put the same degree of information in the directory structure and then duplicate it in the file name, well, talk about a plate of spaghetti. Start simple. You can always get more complicated later (inside of CatDV).

Look at what Bryson put up about how NASCAR uses the system. You're not going to see that kind of directory structure.

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.