MediaFolderManager
MediaFolderManager
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 17:25:08 -0500
From: Larry Asbell <larryasbell@erols.com>
Michael J. Evans asked:
>Has anyone tried MediaFolderManager? (It was a freebee mentioned
on this list several
>weeks ago.) If so, perhaps you could tell us how it went. After
down loading it I got an
>error when opening the PDF that came with it. I get spooked
easily when it comes to
>MC stuff,especially messing around with media files, so I never
actually tried it.
I have been using it for several weeks, and while it has a few rough spots in the interface and documentation, I like it and will continue to use it. That said, I wouldn't advise putting it on any system that is shared by anyone who wasn't committed to getting up to speed on this new way of working. The advantages are a faster working Media Composer because it's seeing fewer Media Files and it's easier to backup project media and delete it when your ready to.
Personally I find it easy to workaround the problems of using this new and somewhat rough first version of MediaFolderManager because the way it manages folders is exactly what I've been doing manually for more than a year. The program simply automates the process of changing the name of the MediaFiles Folders of projects you're not editing so the Avid won't see it. (Only the folder named exactly "OMFI MediaFiles" is seen by MC 7.0 and later.) No matter how many volumes you have, MediaFolderManager makes the swapping of names fast and easy, once it's set up. It uses the Finder's "comment" field to store the name you give to each project's media. By the way, I recommend setting up each media volume's window this way: View/As List and also View Options/check "Comment" and uncheck "Kind." That way you can check on the identity of each folder as the program swaps the names around.
I hope the clever guy (from Japan, if I'm not mistaken) who created the program is interested in refining it further to make it more trouble free. One thing that would help would be handling of MediaFile folders that are created on any new volumes during editing and automatically add them to the current set.
Someone will undoubtedly ask so what's the difference between MediaMover and MediaFolderManager? The answer is MM can separate the media files from multiple projects into individual folders based in project name info imbedded in the files. It involves significant processing time but it's the only way to get a lot of commingled projects separated. MFM is simpler, but if your multiple project's media is already separated, it may be all you need. There will always come be a time when you start digitizing without changing the active MediaFile folders. What you to get organized again is see which volumes the new stuff when onto (sort by creation date in the Finder window) and then copy the files to the correct folders, trash the originals and activate the correct folders.
If you could follow all this, than you're ready for, and will enjoy the efficiency of MediaFolderManager.
Larry Asbell
Disclaimer: Belle Nuit Montage is hosting this program "as is". For all specific questions, you may contact Takamoto Sasahara directly.