Avid Batch Import - Random Order?

[redfred]

One little question for Michael P or anyone else who can shed some light.

We've had a very sucessful Avid Offline-Nucoda Grade-Flame Finish workflow going for months now. Just one question:

When we import our ALE form redrushes and batch import our proxies, is the order they import in entirely random? Or is there some way to control it?

Maybe this is a feature of all Avid batch imports?

Is it simply a case of living with it?

[Independent Edit]

This is how Avid imports in all batch import situations.

It has nothing to do with Red Rushes.

[MichaelP]

What do you want to do or control?

Michael

[redfred]

This is how Avid imports in all batch import situations.

It has nothing to do with Red Rushes.

I feared it was how Avid 'does' batch imports.

Thanks for the interest Michael. I would love to be able to 'control' the order in which Avid batch imports. Is there any way to sort a bin or clips for batch import, so that they will import in a logical fashion - alphanumerically by filename, date created, tc etc. Or do I just have to accept that my files will be imported in a random order?

For example, if i have a 6 hour import of red proxies, it would be great to be able to interrupt it half way through and take the imported stuff to another machine knowing it was the first half of what I had shot, and be able to work on it while the 2nd half of my rushes imported. Rather than having random takes from across my entire day's shoot.

[Nick Hrycyk]

Along the same lines, but different. When I am attempting the batch import, it first asks for the path to the ref movies. I point it to the correct spot. Hit Import, then it asks for each clip 1 (and each file in the clip) one at a time after importing each one. Am I missing something? Should I be able to batch import a whole bin, go to bed and wake up in the morning and have it done?

[Bruce Allen]

Along the same lines, but different. When I am attempting the batch import, it first asks for the path to the ref movies. I point it to the correct spot. Hit Import, then it asks for each clip 1 (and each file in the clip) one at a time after importing each one. Am I missing something? Should I be able to batch import a whole bin, go to bed and wake up in the morning and have it done?

Yes, select all clips in the batch import window first. Then hit Import. Avid finds them all.

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[MichaelP]

I would sort by file name after the ALE import and only select the clips in batches that you want to import. They don't all have to be done at once.

Michael

[Nick Hrycyk]

That's what I have been trying to do but to no avail.
Select all 8 clips in a bin, select batch import.
Window opens asking me to find the path to the clips, which I do, then hit import at bottom of window. Message comes up saying, "Can't find 'filename' and gives me the option to cancel or search. The 'filename" it is looking for is the .R3d file. I point to it and its .001, .002 etc if they are there. It imports the file, then the message comes up again looking for the next .r3d file. Am I doing something wrong? I removed the _H suffix, even tried changing the .mov to .rdc and .r3d in the bin, it obviously said those formats not supported.

[MichaelP]

The name in the bin and the QT filename need to be the same for the first import. If they are not, then the string doesn't match for the import. This is described step by step in the PDF guide. You should be importing the Quicktime files, not the original R3D file. How are you making your QT files and what are you using to make the ALE?

Michael

[scotty]

In the batch import window when it asks for the file location you have to select all clips (in the top box) before setting the file location. When you then set the location of the first file, all should follow.

I say should, this was broken for a while in Media Composer, not sure which versions were affected.

regards

Brian

[redfred]

One last stab at the initial question - and then I'll take it to the Avid forum.

During the batch import process does Avid import the selected files in an entirely random order?

Thanks for all suggestions.

[Nick Hrycyk]

OK, after some sleep and 3 cups of coffee, I went and remade the ale's. Batch Import now appears to be woking unattended. All ale's (first go-around and new versions were made in Redrushes 3.6. Only difference between the 2 passes, in pass 2 all ale's and all qt ref's were in one folder. When I did it originally, I followed the folder breakout from the orig drive, 'Day 2 Roll 3' etc. so everthing was divided into 16 folders. Could this have caused the issue? Other than that all steps were exact from pdf!

[redfred]

When I did it originally, I followed the folder breakout from the orig drive, 'Day 2 Roll 3' etc. so everthing was divided into 16 folders. Could this have caused the issue?

That was the problem. For batch import you need to point at each folder containing your files - best to have them in one palce if convenient.
How stop hijacking my thread! :angry02:

[Nick Hrycyk]

Sorry. but they were related! (kinda) As an attempt to help on your orig question, it appears random, but it may be something unseen like creation date or size. I'm attempting several imports now, will try to define it better.

[hogie1980]

It might import the shortest files first.

[Nick Hrycyk]

OK, not only does it seem to be totally random, the order changes each time you batch in the same ale. Just tried 1 ale, batch imported 10 times, 10 completely different orders.

[MichaelP]

But they all imported, right? That's the end goal! ;)

Michael