Avid Export settings?
by Multiple Words
on
Jul 14, 2008 at 4:03:59 pm
Hello. I'm a color correction/online facility using FCP and my client edits on Avid. I'm wanting to import a project from Avid to Final Cut 6 using existing MXF media from the Avid, but we're having trouble getting it to work. I'm thinking we are doing something wrong during the export AAF process.
Currently, after import I get an error saying the video and audio media is missing, and all the clips are offline.
I've read the manual, and read posts on this forum to try to figure this out. I believe the AAF I'm trying to import was created with the "consolidate media" option, and I know the manual does not recommend doing this. I've also read that we should export the AAF with linked media and then copy the used MXF media, however in this situation this is not practical (or possible) to manually find all the used media, gather it, and copy it over. Is there another setting during the AAF export that will allow the export process to automatically pull together the needed footage (MXF files) for transferring?
Any specific tips or workflow suggestions will be very appreciated.
Re: Avid Export settings? by Multiple Words on Jul 14, 2008 at 5:07:08 pm
follow up... a little more information:
The files I received from the Avid facility are an AAF of the project and a folder containing the MXF media called Avid MediaFiles. After observing the import window a few times, it became apparent that the plugin was searching for the media for a long time, and I'm guessing it could not find the media, thus the error message and the offline clips. I placed the AAF file in different locations (including the same folder as all the MXF files) but this made no affect.
Separately, we found that if we import each individual MXF file using the plugin, a ref QT will be made and the media will be imported as expected. This is not a solution, but it tells me the MXF media is readable by the plugin.
The folks on the Avid end also tried exporting the AAF with "copy all media" and this made no difference.
Re: Avid Export settings? by Wes Plate on Jul 14, 2008 at 5:07:24 pm
I recommend you Consolidate your sequence on the Avid, and make note of which drive you consolidate to. Now, export that consolidated sequence to AAF. Now, go to that drive you consolidated to, sort the media files folder by date modified, all the new media files are the ones related to that sequence. Copy those files and the AAF file to your FCP system.
