Avid MediaLog User's Guide Media Log 11.7 User’s ML
User Manual: avid Avid MediaLog - 11.7 - User’s Guide Free User Guide for Avid MediaLog Software, Manual
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Avid® MediaLog™ User’s Guide m a k e m a n a g e m ove | m e d i a ™ Avid ® Copyright and Disclaimer Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid's Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software. The software may not be reverse assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement. 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Avid MediaLog User’s Guide • Part 0130-05439-01 • February 2003 Contents Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Who Should Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 If You Have Documentation Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 How to Order Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Avid Educational Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Chapter 1 Understanding MediaLog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 What Is MediaLog?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 How Does MediaLog Work?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 What Are the Basic Logging Steps?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Chapter 2 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Setting Up the Hardware (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Setting Up the Hardware (Macintosh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Supported Decks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Turning On the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Installing MediaLog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Installing MediaLog on a Windows System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Installing MediaLog on a Mac OS X System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Starting MediaLog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Setting Up Project Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Identifying a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Creating a New User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Selecting an Existing User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Selecting a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Creating a New Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Setting Film Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Selecting an Existing Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Nesting Projects in Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Opening a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Closing a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Backing Up Your Project Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Ending a Work Session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Quitting the MediaLog Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Turning Off Your Equipment (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Turning Off Your Equipment (Macintosh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Using Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Exploring the Project Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Opening and Closing the Project Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Using the Bins Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Displaying Folders of Bins in the Bins List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Creating a Folder in a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Creating a New Bin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Renaming a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Opening and Closing a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Opening Selected Bins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Opening Bins from Other Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Closing a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Deleting a Bin or Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Viewing Contents in the Trash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Emptying the Trash in the Bins List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Managing Folders and Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Saving Bins Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Saving Bins Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Using the Settings Scroll List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Understanding Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 6 Defining Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Reviewing Basic Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Film Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Bin Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Logging Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Displaying Project Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Changing the Settings Scroll List Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Working with Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Selecting Another User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Modifying Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Restoring Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Using Site Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Using the Info and Usage Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Changing Font and Point Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Customizing Your Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Viewing Keyboard Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Using the Avid Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Using the Communications (Serial) Ports Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Using the Console Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Understanding Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Configuring Decks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Automatic Deck Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Manual Deck Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Deck Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Deleting Deck Configuration Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Setting Deck Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Understanding Drop-Frame Timecode and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Preparing to Log Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Accessing and Setting Up the Logging Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Accessing the Logging Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Setting Up the Logging Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Guidelines for Naming Tapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 7 Inserting Source Tapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Selecting Active Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Selecting the Target Bin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Selecting the Source Deck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Identifying the Source Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Setting the Audio Sample Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Logging from a Source Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Marking and Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Adding a Memory Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Logging On-the-Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Pausing a Deck While Logging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Logging with the Deck Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Logging Film Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Modifying Clip Information After Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Creating Avid Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Importing Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Importing Standard Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Compatible Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Importing Log Files into MediaLog Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Transferring Bins from Another MediaLog System. . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Preparing to Work with Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Film Scene Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Setting the Bin Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Understanding Bin Display Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Brief View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Bin Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Customizing Bin Views in Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Saving a Custom Bin View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Bin Fast Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Basic Bin Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Selecting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 8 Duplicating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Moving Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Copying Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Deleting Clips and Subclips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Assigning Colors to Bin Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Adding a Color Column to a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Assigning a Source Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Assigning a Custom Source Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Limiting Color Choices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Sifting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Sifting Timecodes or Keycode Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Sifting Within a Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Locking and Unlocking Items in a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Using Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Arranging Bin Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Moving and Rearranging Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Aligning Bin Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Showing and Hiding Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Deleting a Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Duplicating a Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Adding Customized Columns to a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Changing a Custom Column Heading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Managing Clip Information in Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Moving Within Column Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Modifying Clip Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Copying Information Between Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Sorting Clips in Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Sorting Clips in Ascending Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Sorting Clips in Descending Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Multilevel Sorting with Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Sorting Clips by Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Displaying Timecodes in a 23p, 24p or 25p Project. . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Frame Counting for Timecodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Adding Timecode Columns to a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Adding Timecode Values to the Timecode Columns. . . . . . . . 140 9 Bin Column Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Chapter 6 Creating MediaLog Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Printing Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Exporting Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Transferring Bins to an Avid Editing System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Transferring Projects and Bins Using AFE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Appendix A Avid Log Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Understanding Avid Log Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Avid Log Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Global Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Column Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Data Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Sample Avid Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Appendix B Working with a Film Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Creating a Film Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Film Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Setting the Format and Display of Ink Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Transfer Settings for Film Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Setting the Pulldown Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Logging Film Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Displaying Film Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Entering Pulldown Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Determining the Pulldown Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Modifying the Pulldown Phase Before Digitizing . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Entering Frames-per-Second Rates for PAL Transfers . . . . . . . . . 180 Entering Key Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Entering Additional Timecodes (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Entering the Ink Number (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Entering Additional Film Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 10 Tables Table 1 Settings Scroll List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Table 2 Bin Settings Dialog Box Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Table 3 Settings Display Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Table 4 Window Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Table 5 Deck Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Table 6 Deck Preferences Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Table 7 Compatible Log Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Table 8 Import Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Table 9 Object Icon Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Table 10 Range Menu Items for Explicit Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Table 11 Range Menu Items for Implicit Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Table 12 Modifiable Bin Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Table 13 Modify Command Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Table 14 Timecode Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Table 15 Timecode Frame Counts for Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 Table 16 Bin Column Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Table 17 Avid Log Global Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Table 18 Avid Log Column Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Table 19 Avid Log Data Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Table 20 Project Types for Systems That Support 23p, 24p and 25p Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 Table 21 Film Setting Dialog Box Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 11 12 Using This Guide This guide provides information about the configuration and operation of Avid® MediaLog™. n The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models. Therefore, your system might not contain certain features and hardware that are covered in the documentation. Who Should Use This Guide This guide is for video and film editors who wish to log clips before bringing them to an Avid editing system for batch digitizing and editing. About This Guide This guide is designed to keep pace with current advances in the Avid system’s logging capabilities by consolidating in one comprehensive resource all the information you will need to take advantage of the many MediaLog options available to you. This guide includes basic logging information and has the following overall structure: • Chapter 1, “Understanding MediaLog,” provides an overview of MediaLog. • Chapter 2, “Getting Started,” describes how to set up the hardware and run MediaLog sessions. • Chapter 3, “Working with the Project Window,” describes how to structure and view important information in a project. Using This Guide • Chapter 4, “Logging Source Material,” describes how to use MediaLog to log your clips in preparation for digitizing later when using Avid editing system products. • Chapter 5, “Organizing with Bins,” describes how, after creating clips, you can rename, subcatalog, sort, sift, select, duplicate, and delete them. This chapter also describes how you can analyze the clips in a Bin view. • Chapter 6, “Creating MediaLog Output,” provides information on how you can print the bins to create a paper record of your log, export the bin files for use in a different application, or transfer the bins to an Avid editing system for digitizing and editing the footage. • The appendixes provide reference information such as specifications for creating an Avid log file and how to log film information. • Finally, a detailed Index helps you quickly locate specific topics. Symbols and Conventions Unless noted otherwise, the material in this document applies to the Windows® 2000, Windows® XP and Mac OS® X operating systems. When the text applies to a specific operating system, it is marked as follows: • (Windows) or (Windows only) means the information applies to the Windows operating system. • (Macintosh) or (Macintosh only) means the information applies to the Mac OS X operating system. The majority of screen shots in this document were captured on a Windows 2000 system, but the information applies to both Windows 2000 and Mac OS X systems. Where differences exist, both Windows 2000 and Mac OS X screen shots are shown. 14 Symbols and Conventions Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions: Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action n A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and strong suggestions. c A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data. w A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment. > This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and then select the Import command. t This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed. k This symbol represents the Apple or Command key. Press and hold the Command key and another key to perform a keyboard shortcut. Margin tips In the margin, you will find tips that help you perform tasks more easily and efficiently. Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables. Courier Bold font Courier Bold font identifies text that you type. Click Quickly press and release the left mouse button (Windows) or the mouse button (Macintosh). Double-click Click the left mouse button (Windows) or the mouse button (Macintosh) twice rapidly. 15 Using This Guide Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action Right-click Quickly press and release the right mouse button (Windows only). Drag Press and hold the left mouse button (Windows) or the mouse button (Macintosh) while you move the mouse. Ctrl+key k+key Press and hold the first key while you press the second key. If You Need Help If you are having trouble using MediaLog, you should: 1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is especially important to check each step of your workflow. 2. Check the release notes supplied with your Avid application for the latest information that might have become available after the hardcopy documentation was printed. 3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues. 4. Visit the online Knowledge Center at www.avid.com/support. Online services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Center to find answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read/join online message-board discussions. 5. For Technical Support, please call 800-800-AVID (800-800-2843). For Broadcast On-Air Sites and Call Letter Stations, call 800-NEWSDNG (800-639-7364). 16 Related Information Related Information This guide frequently refers to other Avid manuals for additional information. The following table shows the references and the related manuals. Avid Editing System References Related Manual Avid Symphony™ editing guide Avid Symphony Editing Guide input and output guide Avid Symphony Input and Output Guide editing guide Avid Media Composer and Film Composer Editing Guide input and output guide Avid Media Composer and Film Composer Input and Output Guide Avid Xpress® user’s guide Avid Xpress User’s Guide Avid NewsCutter® user’s guide Avid NewsCutter User’s Guide Avid Media Composer® and Avid Film Composer® n n Avid Xpress and Avid NewsCutter systems do not have input and output guides. All relevant information is included in the user’s guide for these products. In this guide, the term Avid system is a generic term that refers to any Avid application, including MediaLog. The term Avid editing system refers to one of the Avid video editing applications such as Avid Symphony, Avid Media Composer, Avid Film Composer, Avid Xpress, or Avid NewsCutter. 17 Using This Guide If You Have Documentation Comments Avid Technology continuously seeks to improve its documentation. We value your comments about this guide, the Help, the Online Publications CD-ROM, and other Avid-supplied documentation. Simply e-mail your documentation comments to Avid Technology at TechPubs@avid.com Please include the title of the document, its part number, and the specific section you are commenting on in all correspondence. How to Order Documentation To order additional copies of this documentation from within the United States, call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). If you are placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local Avid representative. Avid Educational Services For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books, please visit www.avid.com/training or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). 18 Chapter 1 Understanding MediaLog MediaLog is a tool that helps you select and log footage before your edit session. Although you can log footage with Avid editing system products, using MediaLog can free up your Avid editing system for editing rather than for logging footage. After logging shots (for example, on a laptop), you can use your Avid editing system to digitize and edit the footage. In addition, you can transfer film to National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) or Phase Alternating Line (PAL) video, use MediaLog to log the material, and then transfer the logged shots (also known as clips) to an Avid editing system for digitizing and editing. This chapter answers the following questions: • What Is MediaLog? • How Does MediaLog Work? • What Are the Basic Logging Steps? What Is MediaLog? MediaLog is portable; you can install it on a laptop and on most desktop computers that are running the Windows NT®, Mac OS® X, Windows 98, Windows® 98,Windows 2000, or Windows XP operating system. To log shots from a source tape, your computer must be connected to a deck that uses Sony® serial deck protocol. MediaLog allows you to control the deck while viewing your source tapes and selecting the shots for your log. You can also log without a deck and enter the logging information by hand. Chapter 1 Understanding MediaLog For each shot that you log, MediaLog saves the start and end timecodes, duration, tracks selected, and tape name. MediaLog also lets you add new categories of information to your log, so you can record the scene, take, location, or any other comments that can help you to identify the footage. Once you have created a log, the MediaLog Sort command orders your shots according to criteria you specify. The Sift command uses your criteria to pick out specific footage, such as all the product shots or all shots from a certain location. How Does MediaLog Work? The MediaLog system uses clips, bins, and projects to organize your work. MediaLog clips and bins are a lot like their film counterparts. Just as film editors pull clips from their raw footage and store the clips in bins for the editing session, MediaLog lets you select shots from your tapes and store information about the shots in electronic bins. A clip corresponds to a shot you select from a tape. Clips contain information about your footage such as the start and end timecodes and the number of video and audio tracks. Clips are stored in electronic bins, which have built-in database capabilities to help you easily find a specific shot. Each time you log clips, you open a bin and use Logging Tool controls to play your tapes, mark the shots, and add the clips to the open bin. A bin is open while you log clips to it. 20 How Does MediaLog Work? Sample Bin Deck and log controls are in the Logging tool. Deck controls Log controls If you have a log sheet, you can log clips without using a deck. You type the start and end timecodes for each clip, and then add them to the bin. MediaLog uses a project file to organize all the work you do on a single job. You must always create a new project or open an existing project before you can open a bin and log your shots. As you work on a project, MediaLog remembers the name of each bin you open and displays a list of bin names in the Project window. The list is useful for helping you to quickly access bins. 21 Chapter 1 Understanding MediaLog Sample Project window Bin names What Are the Basic Logging Steps? To perform a logging session: 1. Start your computer and the MediaLog program. 2. Create a new project, or open an existing project. 3. Create a new bin, or open an existing bin. 4. Prepare to log: a. Select a video format. b. Enter Logging mode. c. Select a source name. 5. Select the tracks you want to log from the tape. 6. Log the clips. 7. Save and organize the bin. 8. Quit the MediaLog application, and (optionally) shut down the computer. 22 Chapter 2 Getting Started This chapter describes how to set up the hardware and run MediaLog sessions. This chapter covers the following topics: • Setting Up the Hardware (Windows) • Setting Up the Hardware (Macintosh) • Supported Decks • Turning On the Hardware • Installing MediaLog • Starting MediaLog • Setting Up Project Files and Folders • Backing Up Your Project Information • Ending a Work Session • Using Help Setting Up the Hardware (Windows) Make sure your computer meets the following requirements: • The computer must be running the Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP operating system. Chapter 2 Getting Started • The computer includes at least 32 megabytes (MB) of random-access memory (RAM). MediaLog can control a deck that uses Sony serial deck protocol and a timecode reader. You can control a single deck by connecting an RS-232 to RS-422 serial adapter kit to the serial port of your computer. MediaLog can also control a deck through V-LAN® VLXi® connections. n If you need to connect and control more than one video deck, see the setup guide for your Avid editing system. A direct serial video deck connection requires a serial adapter kit that contains these items (see the following figure): c • An RS-232 to RS-422 serial adapter • Two serial cables; male 9-pin connectors at both ends The computer and the deck must be off when you are connecting the serial cable. To connect a single deck to your PC: 1. Turn off the computer and the deck. 2. Attach one end of the first 9-pin cable to the end of the serial adapter labeled RS-232. 3. Attach the other end of the first 9-pin cable to the serial port of your computer. n When you attach the cable to the serial port on the computer, note if it is port 1 or port 2. You will have to select the port in the Avid software. Serial adapter RS-422 connection To your deck 24 RS-232 connection To your computer Setting Up the Hardware (Macintosh) 4. Attach one end of the second 9-pin cable to the end of the serial adapter labeled RS-422. 5. Attach the other end of the second 9-pin cable to the remote serial port of the deck. n Set the deck to Remote mode before you attempt to control the deck using the software. For more information about connecting decks, see the setup guide for your Avid editing system. Setting Up the Hardware (Macintosh) Make sure your computer meets the following requirements: • The computer must be running the Mac OS X operating system. • At least 12 MB of RAM must be available to run MediaLog (20 MB or more is preferred when working with large bins). MediaLog can control a deck that uses Sony serial deck protocol and a timecode reader. c The computer and the deck must be off when you are connecting the serial cable. To connect a single deck to your system: 1. Locate a serial cable. 2. Attach the round 8-pin DIN connector to a USB-to-serial adapter. 3. Connect the USB-to-seral adapter to one of the following: t A USB connector on the rear of your Macintosh G4 system t A USB hub (See the following figure.) 25 Chapter 2 Getting Started USB hub USB-to-serial adapter 4. Attach the 9-pin D connector to the remote serial connector on the back of the deck. n You might have to place the video deck in Remote mode by turning a switch before attempting to use the software to control the video deck. For more information about connecting decks, see the setup guide for your Avid editing system. Supported Decks For a list of supported decks, search for “Supported Decks” in the Avid Customer Support Knowledge Center on www.avid.com. For instructions on how to access the Knowledge Center, see the Avid editing application release notes. 26 Turning On the Hardware Turning On the Hardware To be sure that the computer detects all the attached hardware and to avoid damage to any component, turn on the hardware in the following order: 1. If your computer has media drives, turn on each drive. Wait 15 to 30 seconds for the drives to spin up before you turn on the computer system; otherwise, the computer will not communicate with the storage devices successfully. 2. If you will be logging clips using a deck, turn on the deck. Set the REMOTE/LOCAL switch on the deck to REMOTE. 3. Turn on the computer. c Do not disconnect or turn off individual drives while the computer is on. You can now install the MediaLog software. 27 Chapter 2 Getting Started Installing MediaLog This section describes how to install the MediaLog software. c c Do not install the MediaLog application on disks where you store media. If you install MediaLog on an Avid editing system, make sure the MediaLog application is in a folder separate from the Avid editing application. Each application has its own preferences. Installing MediaLog on a Windows System You can install MediaLog on the following Windows operating systems: • Windows NT • Windows 98 • Windows 2000 • Windows XP MediaLog software is shipped on the MediaLog CD-ROM and the Avid editing application CD-ROM. n For information on installing MediaLog from the Avid editing application CD-ROM, see the release notes for your Avid editing system. To install MediaLog software on a Windows system: 1. Quit all Windows applications. 2. Insert the MediaLog CD-ROM into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. If the installer doesn't run automatically after you insert the application CD-ROM, do the following: a. Double-click the My Computer icon. b. Double-click the CD-ROM icon. c. Double-click Launch.exe to run the installer. The MediaLog Installer CD-ROM window opens. 28 Starting MediaLog 3. Click Install Avid MediaLog. Follow the online instructions to install the software. When the installation is complete, a message asks if you want to restart the system. 4. Restart the computer now or later (before you start the MediaLog application). Installing MediaLog on a Mac OS X System For Macintosh systems, MediaLog software is shipped only on the MediaLog CD-ROM. n The Macintosh version of MediaLog v11.7 and later runs only on the Mac OS X operating system. To install MediaLog software on a Mac OS X system: 1. Restart your Macintosh system. 2. Quit any applications that run automatically at startup. 3. Insert the MediaLog CD-ROM into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. 4. Double-click the MediaLog Installer icon. Follow the online instructions to install the software. Starting MediaLog After you install MediaLog, you are ready to start the application. To start MediaLog: 1. Turn on the video deck. 2. Set the REMOTE/LOCAL switch on the deck to REMOTE. 3. Turn on the computer. 29 Chapter 2 Getting Started c Do not run any other Avid editing application on the computer at the same time as the MediaLog application. The two applications will conflict with each other. 4. Do one of the following: t (Windows) Click the Start button, and select Programs > Avid > MediaLog. t (Macintosh) Double-click the MediaLog folder to open it, and then double-click the MediaLog application icon to start MediaLog. The Select User and Project dialog box opens. User folders MediaLog project folders are stored in the Avid Projects folder. Project folder 5. Select an existing user and project, or create new ones, as described in “Setting Up Project Files and Folders” on page 31. 30 Setting Up Project Files and Folders Setting Up Project Files and Folders Each time you start the MediaLog application or close your current project, the Select User and Project dialog box opens. The first thing you do in the dialog box is select an existing user and project or create new ones. Users scroll list Projects scroll list To establish your identity as a user, open a new or existing project, and close a project, use the following procedures: • Identifying a User • Selecting a Project • Opening a Project • Closing a Project You can also create additional folders to store projects, or you can quit the application from the Select User and Project dialog box. 31 Chapter 2 Getting Started Identifying a User To identify a user for the project, you can either create and identify a new user or select one from a list of existing users. This user name represents the user profile, which includes the settings associated with that user. New users begin with default user settings. When you customize the user settings in MediaLog, these customized settings are associated with the user name. The Avid Users folder is the default location for user profile files. For information about the Avid folders, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Creating a New User To create a new user profile: 1. Click New User in the Select User and Project dialog box. The New User dialog box opens. 2. Type a name for the new user in the text box. n If you plan to move bins and projects from one platform to another, do not use the characters / \ : * ? “ < > | or leading spaces, trailing spaces, or trailing periods, when naming projects, bins, and users. Bin and project names are limited to 27 characters, not including the period and 3-character extension that the system automatically adds to a file name. (Macintosh only) You can set the Use Windows® compatible File Names option in the Avid application’s General Settings dialog box to prevent the system from accepting these restricted characters in a bin, project, or user name. 3. Click OK. The Select User and Project dialog box reopens with your user name highlighted in the Users scroll list. c 32 Do not share user settings between MediaLog and your Avid editing system. Setting Up Project Files and Folders You are now ready to select a project. See “Selecting a Project” on page 34. Selecting an Existing User To select from the list of existing users: t Click the user name to select it in the Users scroll list on the left side of the Select User and Project dialog box. The selected user profile opens when you open a project. Directory pop-up menu User names Folder Folders containing a collection of users open in the Users scroll list with an asterisk (Windows) or a dot (Macintosh) preceding them. For information about the location of the user profile files, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. To select a user name within a folder: 1. Double-click the folder to open it and display the user names. 2. Click the user name to select it. To change the location of user profiles outside the Avid Users folder, you must use the Windows operating system or Macintosh desktop. If the user profile you want is stored on your system outside the Avid Users folder (in another folder or on a network, for example), you can locate it using the Directory pop-up menu in the Select User and Project dialog box. 33 Chapter 2 Getting Started To search for another user profile folder: 1. In the Select User and Project dialog box, click the Directory pop-up menu to display a list of other locations on the system. Directory pop-up menu 2. Select a drive from the Volumes submenu, if necessary, and locate the folder. 3. Double-click a selected folder to open it. Continue to open any additional folders until the Users scroll list includes the appropriate user name. 4. Click the user name to select it. You are now ready to select a project. See “Selecting a Project” on page 34. Selecting a Project You can either create and open a new project or open an existing project. Creating a New Project To create a new project: 1. Click New Project in the Select User and Project dialog box. The New Project dialog box opens. 34 Setting Up Project Files and Folders 2. Type a name for your new project in the text box, and click OK. n If you plan to move bins and projects from one platform to another, do not use the characters / \ : * ? “ < > | or leading spaces, trailing spaces, or trailing periods, when naming projects, bins, and users. Bin and project names are limited to 27 characters, not including the period and 3-character extension that the system automatically adds to a file name. 3. Select a project type from the Format pop-up menu, based on your source footage (NTSC or PAL) and your Avid editing system model. n n For information on creating a film project, see “Creating a Film Project” on page 165. Reference to 24p projects include 23.976p projects unless otherwise noted. For additional information on creating a project, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. 4. (Option) Click Matchback. The Matchback item appears only if your Avid editing system includes the Matchback option. For more information about matchback, see “Using the Matchback Option” in the input and output guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. 5. Click OK. The system creates the new project files and folders, and then returns you to the Select User and Project dialog box. The project name is highlighted in the Projects scroll list. You are now ready to open the project. See “Opening a Project” on page 38. 35 Chapter 2 Getting Started Setting Film Preferences If you are logging 24p or 25p footage for a film project, set film preferences in the Film Settings dialog box immediately after you create the project. This will provide the system with important information about the type of film and audio transfer you used for your job. For more information, see Appendix B. Selecting an Existing Project Existing projects appear in the Projects scroll list in the Select User and Project dialog box. For information about the location for the project files, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Projects scroll list Directory pop-up menu To select an existing project, do one of the following: 36 t Click an existing project name to highlight it. t Place the cursor in the Avid Projects scroll list and press the first letter of the project name on the keyboard to highlight it. (If there are multiple projects that begin with the same letter, the first project in the list that begins with that letter will be highlighted.) Setting Up Project Files and Folders To open a project nested in a folder: 1. Double-click the folder name to open it and display the contents in the Projects scroll list. 2. Click the project name to select it. If the project you want is stored on your system outside the Avid Projects folder (in another folder or on a network, for example), you can locate it using the Directory pop-up menu in the Select User and Project dialog box. To locate a project in another folder: 1. In the Select User and Project dialog box, click the Directory pop-up menu and select a drive from the Volumes submenu. The Select User and Project dialog box displays all the stored folders. 2. Double-click a folder name to open it. Continue to open any additional folders until the Projects scroll list includes the project folder you want. 3. Click the project name to select it. You are now ready to open the project. See “Opening a Project” on page 38. Nesting Projects in Folders You can create folders in the Select User and Project dialog box for storing related projects. To create a folder: 1. Click New Folder in the Select User and Project dialog box. The New Folder dialog box opens. 2. Type a name for the folder in the text box, and click OK. The folder name appears in the Projects scroll list with an asterisk (Windows) or a dot (Macintosh) preceding it. 3. Double-click the folder name to open the folder. Any new projects you create are displayed and stored in this folder. 37 Chapter 2 Getting Started You can also nest projects using the desktop to move existing projects into folders that appear in the Select User and Project dialog box. For more information about moving existing projects, see the input and output guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Opening a Project After you select the appropriate user and project names in the scroll lists of the Select User and Project dialog box, you can open the project with the selected user settings. To open the project, do one of the following: n For more information about the Project window, see Chapter 3. t Click OK in the Select User and Project dialog box. t Double-click the highlighted project name in the Projects scroll list. t Double-click the highlighted user name in the Users scroll list. If you press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh) while opening a project, the project opens with all bins closed. The Project window opens with the selected user settings loaded. The title bar of the Project window contains the project name and user name you selected in the Select User and Project dialog box. Project name User name Close button 38 Backing Up Your Project Information Closing a Project To close the current project and return to the Select User and Project dialog box, do one of the following: t Click the Close button in the Project window. t With the Project window active, select File > Close. The Project window and all open bins close, and the Select User and Project dialog box opens. Backing Up Your Project Information Although MediaLog automatically saves your bins, projects, and settings, you should back up these items frequently to avoid losing any of your work in case your drive fails. Because the storage requirements are minimal, you can back up these files to a variety of storage devices, such as: • Floppy disk or equivalent drive • Removable storage device • Network storage device (such as a file server) For information on backing up a project and restoring information from a backup, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Ending a Work Session To end the work session, first you must quit the application, and then turn off your equipment in the order described in these sections: • Quitting the MediaLog Application • Turning Off Your Equipment (Windows) • Turning Off Your Equipment (Macintosh) 39 Chapter 2 Getting Started Quitting the MediaLog Application There are two ways to quit the MediaLog application, depending upon whether you have a project open or you are between projects: t If you are working on an open project and want to quit MediaLog quickly, select File > Exit (Windows) or File > Quit MediaLog (Macintosh). The project closes and the application quits. t If you are between projects, from the Select User and Project dialog box: a. Click the Quit button. A message box opens, asking if you want to leave the application. b. Click Leave to quit the application. Click Cancel to return to the Select User and Project dialog box, and select another project. Turning Off Your Equipment (Windows) When you finish using your system and want to turn it off completely, follow these steps to avoid damaging your system or media storage drives. Quit the Avid application before turning off your equipment. To turn off your equipment: 1. Select Start > Shut Down. The Shut Down Windows dialog box opens. 2. Select Shut down from the pop-up menu, and click OK. 3. When a message states that you can safely turn off your computer, press the computer’s Power button. 4. Turn off your speakers and monitors. 5. Turn off each external drive in the chassis, and then turn off the chassis itself. 6. Turn off all other hardware. 40 Using Help c Never remove media drives from your Avid system when it is turned on. Shut down the computer and then remove the drives. Turning Off Your Equipment (Macintosh) When you finish using your system and want to turn it off completely, follow these steps to avoid damaging your system or media storage drives. Quit the Avid application before turning off your equipment. To turn off your equipment: 1. Select Apple P menu > Shut Down. This turns off your Macintosh system. The screens on the Bin and Edit monitors become dimmed. 2. Turn off your speakers and monitors. 3. Turn off each external drive in the chassis, and then turn off the chassis itself. 4. Turn off all other hardware. c Never remove media drives from your Avid system when it is turned on. Shut down the computer and then remove the drives. Using Help You can get help and background information for tasks, windows, dialog boxes, and screen objects through your Avid Help system. The Help system is HTML based and operates in the Microsoft® Internet Explorer Web browser. Avid recommends using Internet Explorer Version 5 or later. To open the Help system: t Select Help > Media Log Help. The Help system appears in a browser window. 41 Chapter 2 Getting Started To close the Help system, do one of the following: 42 t Click the Close button in the browser. t (Windows) Select File > Close. t (Macintosh) In Internet Explorer, select Explorer > Quit. In Netscape Navigator, select Netscape > Quit. t Navigate to another Web site. Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window The Project window provides controls for structuring and viewing important information about your current project. This chapter covers the following topics: n • Exploring the Project Window • Opening and Closing the Project Window • Using the Bins Display • Using the Settings Scroll List • Using the Info and Usage Displays • Changing Font and Point Size • Customizing Your Workspace • Viewing Keyboard Settings • Using the Avid Calculator • Using the Communications (Serial) Ports Tool • Using the Console Window (Windows only) This chapter refers to the installation default directory path for the various Avid folders. If you selected a different directory path during the installation, you must substitute that path when using this chapter. Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Exploring the Project Window The Project window provides controls (Bins, Info, and Usage) for structuring and viewing information about your current project. The Project window also provides access to the Settings scroll list for altering various User, Project, and Site settings. You can use the Project window to: • Create and open bins. • View and modify settings. • View information about the format of the project and system memory usage. • View information about the work session usage. • Add folders to organize project components. Opening and Closing the Project Window The Project window opens automatically when you select a project in the Select User and Project dialog box. 44 Opening and Closing the Project Window To close the Project window and return to the Select User and Project dialog box, do one of the following: t Click the Close button in the Project window. t With the Project window active, select File > Close Project. The Project window remains open the entire time you are working in a project; however, it might be hidden from view by several open bins or tools. To locate and redisplay the Project window, do one of the following: t Select Tools > Project. t Click in an unobstructed area of the Project window to bring it forward. 45 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Using the Bins Display Bins contain the master clips that are created when you log source material. From the Project window, you can view a list of bins associated with the project, and open, close, and create bins. You can also open bins created for another project. To view a list of bins associated with the project: t Click the Bins tab in the Project window. Bins tab Fast Menu button Bin icon Bins list From the Bins list you can examine the number, names, sizes, and location of the bins. Displaying Folders of Bins in the Bins List You can add folders to the Bins list in the Project window to help organize your project. You can click bins and drag them into folders, or click folders and drag them into other folders. See “Managing Folders and Bins” on page 52. 46 Using the Bins Display Fast Menu button New folders Trash icon To display the folder’s contents in the Bins list of the Project window: t Click the triangular opener next to a folder icon. To close the display: t Click the triangular opener again. To view a list of only the folder contents and not the folders: t Select Fast > Flat View. The Trash icon and its contents disappear until Flat View is deselected. n The Trash icon doesn’t appear until you select and delete a bin. Creating a Folder in a Project To create a folder in a project: 1. Click the Bins tab in the Project window. 2. Select Fast > New Folder. A new untitled folder opens. 3. Click the untitled folder name in the Bins list and rename it. 47 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Creating a New Bin To create a new bin from the Project window, do one of the following: t Select File > New Bin. t Click the New Bin button in the Project window. A new (empty) bin opens and is given the name of the project as displayed in the title bar of the Project window. The new bin opens in the Bins list of the Project window with the default name highlighted. A corresponding file is placed in the project folder in the Avid Projects folder, and a backup copy is placed in the Avid Attic folder. You can keep the default name of the bin or rename the bin immediately. For more information, see “Renaming a Bin” on page 48. Renaming a Bin Each new bin you create takes the name of the project that appears in the title bar of the Project window, and is numbered incrementally. To change the name of a bin: 1. Click the bin name in the Bins list of the Project window. 2. Type a new name. Project name Default bin name 48 Using the Bins Display Opening and Closing a Bin To open a bin: 1. Click the Bins tab in the Project window. 2. Double-click the Bin icon next to the bin name. The bin opens in a separate window. The Bin icon in the Project window becomes dimmed, indicating the bin is open. Opening Selected Bins To open several bins at once from the Project window: 1. Click a Bin icon in the Bins list. 2. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Shift+click (Macintosh) each additional bin you want to open. 3. Select File > Open Selected Bins. Opening Bins from Other Projects To open a bin from another project: 1. Select File > Open Bin. (Make sure that no bins are selected in your current project view.) The Open dialog box opens. 2. Find and select the bin you want. (Windows only) Bins have the file name extension .avb. c Never open a bin that is stored on a floppy disk or equivalent device, since the system cannot save your work. Always copy the bin to a project folder on the system drive before you open it. For more information, see the input and output guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. 3. Click Open. 49 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window The bin appears in the Bins list of the Project window in a folder called Other Bins. The name Other Bins appears in italic. You can rename this folder. This option is useful when you want to open a bin not currently displayed in the Project window. n The Other Bins folder disappears from the Bins list when you delete all the bins in the Other Bins folder. Deleting bins from the Other Bins folder does not remove the bins from the drive; only the pointers to the bins are removed. Closing a Bin To close a bin, do one of the following: t Click the Close button. t Select File > Close Bin. Deleting a Bin or Folder You can delete bins and folders along with their contents from the Bins list in the Project window. Deleted bins and folders are moved to a Trash folder in the Bins list until you empty the Trash. If you need a deleted bin or folder, you can retrieve it from the Trash. For more information, see “Viewing Contents in the Trash” on page 51. c Only bins and folders appear in the Trash. If you select any other item within a bin and press Delete, the item is permanently deleted and does not appear in the Trash. To delete a bin or folder from the Project window: 1. Select the bin or folder you want to delete in the Bins list. 2. Press the Delete key. A Trash icon appears in the Bins list in the Project window. The Trash contains the deleted item (bin or folder). The deleted item is stored in the Trash until you empty it. 50 Using the Bins Display Viewing Contents in the Trash If you need to view the contents in the Trash or decide you do not want to delete those items in the Trash, you must first move the bins or folders from the Trash. To view items in the Trash: 1. Click the triangular opener next to the Trash icon in the Bins list to list the contents of the Trash. 2. Click the bins or folders you want to keep (or view) and drag them from the Trash to the Bins list in the Project window. 3. Double-click the bin or folder to view it. Emptying the Trash in the Bins List You can empty the contents of the Trash that is located in the Bins list. c n Emptying the Trash permanently removes the bins or folders from the drive. If you change the name of the Trash icon, you cannot empty the Trash. To empty the Trash in the Bins list: 1. Select Fast > Empty Trash. A message box opens. 51 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window 2. Click Empty Trash to delete the bins or folders from the Trash and from your system drive. Managing Folders and Bins You can use the Project window to create hierarchies of folders and bins that reflect the specific workflow of the current project. This structure provides both simplicity and backup security. Creating a hierarchy allows you to have one set of bins available in the Project window during the digitizing and organizing phase, and another set of bins available during editing to reduce clutter. For more information, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Saving Bins Automatically MediaLog automatically saves changes to your work on a regular basis during each session. You can modify the frequency of the automatic backups using the Bin settings in the Settings scroll list in the Project window. When you are working with bins, an asterisk (Windows) or a diamond (Macintosh) appears before the bin name in the bin’s title bar. The asterisk (Windows) or diamond (Macintosh) indicates that the changes to the bin have not been saved. Once you save the bin, the asterisk (Windows) or diamond (Macintosh) is removed. When auto-save occurs: • Any open bins are updated with changes made since the last auto-save. • Copies of these bins are placed in the following folders as backup: (Windows) drive:\Program Files\Avid\MediaLog\Avid Attic folder (Macintosh) Macintosh HD:\Users\Shared\Avid Attic folder The system automatically places copies of all bins into the Avid Attic folder at regular intervals for backup. The procedure for recovering bin files from the Avid Attic folder is described in the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. 52 Using the Bins Display To adjust the frequency of automatic saves: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings scroll list appears. 2. Double-click Bin in the Settings scroll list. The Bin Settings dialog box opens. 3. Type a number in the minutes text box for the Auto-save interval option. 4. Click OK. You can manually save bins for added security — for example, immediately after an important edit. When your work is lost, or when you want to recover an earlier version of a bin, you can retrieve files from the Avid Attic folder. Saving Bins Manually You can manually save a specific bin, selected bins, or all bins. To save a specific bin: 1. Click the bin window to activate it. 2. Select File > Save Bin. n The Save Bin command appears dimmed if there have been no changes since the last time the active bin was saved. To save all the bins: 1. Click the Project window to activate it but do not select any bins in the Bins list. 2. Select File > Save All. The system saves all the bins for the project. 53 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Using the Settings Scroll List From the Settings scroll list in the Project window, you can view, select, open, and alter various User, Project, and Site settings. To view the Settings scroll list: t Click the Settings tab in the Project window. Settings tab Settings type Settings scroll list Understanding Settings The three types of settings appear in the Settings scroll list as User, Project, and Site. n 54 For information about the location of the settings files, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Using the Settings Scroll List The function of these settings is as follows: • User settings are specific to a particular editor. User settings reflect individual preferences for adjusting the user interface in the MediaLog application. Individual User settings are stored in each user folder. • Project settings are directly related to individual projects. When you change a Project setting, it affects all editors working on the project. Specific Project settings are stored in each project folder. • Site settings establish default parameters for all new users and projects on a particular system. They can apply to particular configurations of equipment installed at the site (for example, specification and node settings for an external switcher). They can also include other User or Project settings that you copy into the Site Settings window. Site settings are stored in a separate Settings folder. Table 1 briefly describes each item in the Settings scroll list. The table also lists where you can find additional information on a particular item, and indicates whether the item has an associated dialog box (or window) that you can access from the Settings scroll list. n For information about navigating in the settings dialog boxes, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Table 1 Settings Scroll List Setting Name Description Audio Project Sets the rate for audio input. See the input and output guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Bin Sets the auto-save interval; doubleclick preferences for bins and other bin-related parameters. See “Bin Settings” on page 58. Bin View Selects and formats the information displayed in bins. See “Bin Views” on page 110. For More Information 55 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Table 1 56 Settings Scroll List (Continued) Setting Name Description Communication (Serial) Ports Configures the serial ports on your system for deck control. For More Information See “Using the Communications (Serial) Ports Tool” on page 68. Deck Configuration Configures channels and decks into the system. See “Configuring Decks” on page 72. Deck Preferences Sets preferences that affect all decks configured into the system. See “Setting Deck Preferences” on page 81. Film Sets parameters for edit play rate, ink See “Film Settings” on number format, and transfer rate. page 167. Import Sets parameters for file import. Keyboard Maps commands from the Command See “Viewing palette to the keyboard. Keyboard Settings” on page 66. Logging Allows you to enable the Pause Deck See “Pausing a Deck While Logging feature. While Logging” on page 95. Workspace Enables you to associate settings and See “Customizing windows with a workspace. Your Workspace” on page 65. See “Importing Logs” on page 99. Using the Settings Scroll List Defining Settings You can use the Settings scroll list to establish a hierarchy of settings that address the specific needs of each production phase. For example, you can establish: c • User settings for the assistant editor — Facilitate logging, digitizing, and organizing projects • Project settings — Reflect the specific needs of the project • Bin View settings — Display useful columns of information for each bin Never use a User settings file that was opened in an Avid editing application such as Avid Symphony, Avid Media Composer, Avid Film Composer, Avid Xpress, or Avid NewsCutter. By establishing these settings once, and selecting the appropriate setting or bin view in context, you can save time and effort that would be spent searching for information or adjusting bin headings on-the-fly. You can also save these settings along with your template for use on similar projects. Reviewing Basic Settings The following are basic system settings to review at the start of your project: • Film Settings • Bin Settings • Logging Settings To view the settings: t Double-click each setting in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. 57 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Film Settings Film settings determine essential parameters for accurately capturing, tracking, and editing source material for 23p, 24p and 25p projects. For a description of film settings, see “Film Settings” on page 167. Bin Settings The Bin Settings dialog box controls the MediaLog’s automatic save features, including the number of backups saved in the Avid Attic folder. Table 2 describes the Automatic Save and Backup options, and the results of double-clicking an object in a bin. Table 2 Bin Settings Dialog Box Options Option Description Auto-Save interval Specifies the length of time between attempts to auto-save project files. The default is 15 minutes. To avoid interrupting a logging operation, the Avid system waits until the system is inactive before auto-saving. Use the “Force auto-save at” option to specify an interval at which the system will interrupt an operation to auto-save. 58 Inactivity period Specifies the length of time the Avid system waits while the system is inactive before automatically saving the project files. The default is 0 seconds. Force Auto-Save at Specifies the maximum length of time between auto-saves. When the system reaches this time, it will auto-save the project files even if it must interrupt an operation to do so. The default is 15 minutes. Using the Settings Scroll List Table 2 Bin Settings Dialog Box Options (Continued) Option Description Maximum files in a project’s attic Specifies the total number of files stored in the Avid Attic folder. When a bin is saved, the Avid system copies the previous version of the bin to a special folder called the Avid Attic. The default is 30 files. Keep more files if there are many users working on the system. This ensures that all the bins are backed up. When there are multiple users working on one system, store Bin settings as Site or Project settings. This will ensure that another user does not override your settings and delete your backups. Max versions of a file in the attic Specifies the total number of single-bin copies stored in the Avid Attic folder. This setting prevents filling the Avid Attic with too many copies of one bin, at the risk of losing the others. The default is 5 copies. Logging Settings The logging settings define whether the deck will pause during a logging operation. See “Pausing a Deck While Logging” on page 95. Displaying Project Settings You can display the Settings scroll list of the Project window in different groups, depending on what you need to view. To view the possible display groups: t Click the Fast Menu button and select a settings display group from the Settings menu. Table 3 describes the different settings display groups. 59 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Table 3 Settings Display Groups Option Description Active Settings Displays currently active settings in your Avid system. All Settings Displays all settings available in the Avid system. Base Settings Displays Project, User, and Site settings only; no views are displayed. Bin Views Displays all the Bin View settings you created. Import Settings Displays all the Import settings. Workspaces Displays all the Workspace settings you created. Workspace Linked Displays only the linked workspaces. Changing the Settings Scroll List Display To change the Settings scroll list display of the Project window: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings scroll list appears. 2. Click the Fast Menu button and select a settings display group from the Settings menu. The Settings menu displays the selected settings group and the Settings scroll list displays only the settings in that group. Working with Settings You can view and modify most of your current settings by double-clicking them in the Settings scroll list of the Project window and by selecting new options. You can duplicate, rename, copy, and move settings among files or systems. 60 Using the Settings Scroll List Selecting Another User Because User settings are not project or site specific, you can display another set of User settings in the Project window. To select another user: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings scroll list appears. 2. Select another name from the User pop-up menu. User pop-up menu The previous user’s settings are saved, and the new user’s settings are loaded into the Avid system and the Project window. Modifying Settings You can alter the default options for various settings to reflect the specific needs of a project or to customize the system based on personal preferences. For details, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Restoring Default Settings To restore settings to their default values: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings scroll list appears. 2. Click a setting to select it. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Shift+click (Macintosh) each additional setting you want to select. 61 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window 3. Select Special > Restore to Default. A message box opens and asks whether you want to save the settings. 4. Click the Copy & Restore button to copy the current settings before restoring the default settings, or click the Restore button to discard the current settings. The system restores the default values for the selected settings. Using Site Settings When the system opens a new project, it searches the Site_Settings file: • (Windows) drive:\Program Files\Avid\MediaLog\Settings folder • (Macintosh) Macintosh HD:\users\Shared\Settings folder and loads Site settings and any settings placed in the file. The system then loads any Project and User settings not included in the Site_Settings file. Adding settings to the Site_Settings files is useful if you need to establish global settings for all new users and projects, such as deck settings, a specific start timecode for all clips, or various customized features of the interface. To load settings into the Site_Settings file: 1. Open a project with the settings you want to establish as Site settings. If a project does not already exist with the settings you want, create a project and make adjustments to the default settings as needed. 2. Select Special > Site Settings. The Site_Settings window opens. 62 Using the Settings Scroll List 3. Click a Project or User setting in the Settings scroll list of the Project window, or Ctrl+click (Windows) or Shift+click (Macintosh) multiple settings and drag them into the Site_Settings window. Copies appear in the Site_Settings window. 4. Close the Site_Settings window. All new users and projects opened from the Select User and Project dialog box use these settings as the default settings. 63 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Using the Info and Usage Displays The following types of information are also available on the Project window: • The Info display allows you to view basic project information, such as the video format (NTSC, for example). The displayed information lists the options you selected in the New Project dialog box when you created the project. You can also view system memory information from the Info display. • The Usage display shows information on system usage. You can use this information to support business functions such as resource management. For more information, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. To open the Info or Usage display: t Click the Info or Usage tab in the Project window. The items listed in this view are for information only and cannot be changed. Changing Font and Point Size You can change the default font and point sizes of the Project and Bin windows. You can vary the fonts and point sizes across these windows. For example, you can set the Project window to Helvetica, 13 pt; set one Bin window to Times Roman, 11 pt; and set another Bin window to Arial, 12 pt. Table 4 describes the windows you can change, and where these changes are saved. 64 Customizing Your Workspace Table 4 Window Changes Window Location of Changes Project Changes the font and point size of the text in the Bins and Settings tabs; saved as a Project setting. Bin Changes the font and point size of the text in the Bin window; saved as a Bin setting (not the Bin View setting). To change the font displayed in the Project or Bin window: 1. Click the Project or Bin window to make it active. 2. Select Edit > Set Font. The Set Font dialog box opens. 3. Select a font from the Font pop-up menu. n Any font installed on the Avid system appears in the list. For information on adding fonts to your system, see your Windows or Macintosh documentation. 4. Type another point size for the font in the Size text box. 5. Click OK. The new font and point size appear in the active window. When you close the window, the last font and point size applied is saved with the window. Customizing Your Workspace A workspace is the arrangement and size of tool windows displayed on your Avid system. If you are accustomed to working with a particular group of windows arranged and sized in a particular setup, you can assign 65 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window them to a workspace setting that you can then recall with a Workspace button. For example, during logging you might want to display the Logging tool and bins in specific locations. While in a workspace, you can move tool windows or open and close tool windows. The next time you select that workspace, the tool windows appear with either: • The arrangement from the last time you left the workspace • The arrangement you set for the workspace, regardless of any changes you made For information on setting up workspaces, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Viewing Keyboard Settings Common editing commands are mapped to the MediaLog keyboard. Use the Keyboard settings to view the commands mapped to your keyboard. You cannot change the mappings in MediaLog. To view keyboard settings: t n Double-click Keyboard in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. The Keyboard palette varies, depending on the type of keyboard attached to your Avid system. If an Avid-supported European keyboard is attached to your Avid system, then the Keyboard palette will match that keyboard. The Keyboard settings window opens and displays command buttons that are mapped to the keyboard. To view the name of a command button, let the mouse pointer rest on the button for 1 or 2 seconds. 66 Using the Avid Calculator Using the Avid Calculator The Avid Calculator helps you calculate video and film durations, and convert timecode and film key numbers to different formats. For example, you can: • Convert drop-frame to non-drop-frame timecode values. • Convert timecode durations between 30-fps and 25-fps projects. • Convert a duration in video to the corresponding length in footage and frames for measuring 35mm film. To use the Avid Calculator: 1. Select Tools > Calculator. The Avid Calculator opens. 67 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window Format pop-up menu 2. Select a format from the Format pop-up menu. 3. Make calculations in one of the following ways: t Click numbers and functions in the Avid Calculator. t Enter numbers and functions using the numeric keypad. t Enter numbers and functions using the top row of numbers on the keyboard. You do not need to enter leading zeros, colons, or semicolons for timecode. 4. To convert your totals at any time to another format, select a different frame code or key number format from the Format pop-up menu. Using the Communications (Serial) Ports Tool The Communications (Serial) Ports tool allows you to view the current configuration of the serial interface at any time during editing. You can also use it to reconfigure the ports without quitting MediaLog or shutting down the computer. 68 Using the Console Window To access the Communications (Serial) Ports tool: 1. Double-click Communications (Serial) Ports in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. The Communications (Serial) Ports tool opens. n If you have not yet configured a deck, the window might be empty. 2. View or change the port for one or more decks. You configure the deck and port in the Deck Configuration dialog box (see “Configuring Decks” on page 72). You can change the port in the Communications (Serial) Ports tool, but whenever MediaLog starts it will use the port selected in the Deck Configuration dialog box. Using the Console Window The Console window provides a number of features, including: c • Current system information, including your system ID number • A log of error messages Do not use the programming features of the Console window without guidance from Avid professionals. Contact your local Avid Reseller (in North America, you can contact Avid Customer Support). To display current system information: 1. Select Tools > Console to open the Console window. 2. Scroll to the top of the Console window to view your system information and ID. This feature is especially useful for finding the system ID before you contact your Avid Reseller or Avid Customer Support. 69 Chapter 3 Working with the Project Window 70 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material You use MediaLog to log your clips in preparation for digitizing later when using Avid editing applications. This chapter covers the following topics: • Understanding Logging • Configuring Decks • Setting Deck Preferences • Understanding Drop-Frame Timecode and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode • Preparing to Log Material • Logging • Logging Film Information • Modifying Clip Information After Logging • Creating Avid Logs • Importing Logs Understanding Logging MediaLog requires that you name the clips that you log, the tapes they came from, and their start and end timecodes. Many editors prefer to log all their clips (shots) first and then batch digitize their material later in the Avid editing application. Chapter 4 Logging Source Material The three basic methods for producing a bin or log that can be used later for batch digitizing are: • Logging directly to a bin • Importing standard log files to a bin • Creating Avid logs The MediaLog tools automate the process of recording each clip’s start and end timecodes, track selection, and other important data. You do not need to enter information manually. However, if a source deck is unavailable, or if you have already logged the data on paper, you can manually record clip data in a bin. The logging tools provided in MediaLog are also available in the Avid editing system products. Bins that you create with MediaLog are completely compatible with your Avid editing system product — you can copy MediaLog bins to the Avid editing system to begin working with the logged footage. Configuring Decks The MediaLog application provides a feature that will automatically configure your attached deck. Each time you quit the MediaLog application, the deck configuration settings are saved. If you reconnect the deck to a different port, or attach a new deck, you must run the automatic deck configuration feature again. If MediaLog does not automatically sense your attached deck, you must manually configure the deck. n 72 MediaLog will not override the configurations that were manually specified. Configuring Decks Automatic Deck Configuration Use the automatic configuration feature before manually trying to configure any attached deck. If the automatic feature does not sense your attached deck, see “Manual Deck Configuration” on page 73. To automatically sense the attached deck: t Select Special > Autoconfigure All Ports. MediaLog searches the system ports and configures the attached decks. Manual Deck Configuration MediaLog offers an alternative method of configuring your deck if it cannot be automatically configured. You can manually configure single or multiple decks even if the decks are not currently attached to the system. Stored deck configurations can also be deleted. The Deck Configuration and Deck Preferences settings appear as separate items in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. Deck settings 73 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material Deck Configuration settings allow you to establish deck control parameters for a single deck or for multiple decks. As with all settings, you can create multiple versions, allowing you to select among them for frequent changes in hardware configurations. Deck Configuration settings and global deck control preferences appear as separate items in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. For information on setting Deck Preferences, see “Setting Deck Preferences” on page 81. c You must manually configure the appropriate hardware connections before Deck Configuration settings can take effect. For more information, see the setup guide for your Avid editing system. To configure a deck or multiple decks: 1. Double-click Deck Configuration in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. The Deck Configuration dialog box opens. 74 Configuring Decks 2. If you are configuring your system for the first time, click the Add Channel button to add a new channel box on the left side of the Deck Configuration dialog box and to automatically open a Channel dialog box. n Channel refers to the signal path for deck control, whether directly through a serial port or through a V-LAN VLXi system connected to a serial port. Direct serial port connection allows one deck for each channel, while a V-LAN VLXi system provides multiple decks. 3. Select one of the following from the Channel Type pop-up menu, depending upon your system configuration. For more information on V-LAN equipment, contact your Avid sales representative. t Direct if you are controlling a deck through an RS-422 connection to the serial port. t VLAN VLX if you are controlling a deck through a V-LAN/VLXi connection. 4. Select the port to which you are connecting the deck from the Port pop-up menu. n If you are not sure which port to choose, check the 9-pin serial port connectors on the back of the system. If the ports are not labeled, see the hardware documentation supplied with your system. 5. Click OK to close the Channel dialog box. A message box opens and asks if you want to automatically configure the channel now. 6. Click Yes if you want to automatically configure the channel. 75 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material A new channel appears in the display area of the Deck Configuration dialog box, along with the autoconfigured deck. Decks appear on the right side Channel boxes appear on the left side. n You can reopen the Channel dialog box to change the options at any time by double-clicking the channel box in the Deck Configuration dialog box. 7. If you did not autoconfigure the deck, click the channel box to select it. 8. Click the Add Deck button to open the Deck Settings dialog box. n 76 With a deck already connected to the system, you can click the Autoconfigure button to bypass the Deck Settings dialog box and automatically configure a deck with the default settings. Configuring Decks 9. Select settings based on your deck. For information on Deck settings, see “Deck Settings Options” on page 78. 10. Click OK to close the Deck Settings dialog box and return to the Deck Configuration dialog box. n You can reopen the Deck Settings dialog box to change the options at any time by double-clicking the deck box in the Deck Configuration dialog box. 11. Repeat steps 2 to 10 for each additional channel or deck you want to configure. 12. (Option) Select the “Verify configuration against actual decks” option (at the bottom of the Deck Configuration dialog box) if you want the system to check the deck configuration against the decks physically connected to the system. The system checks the deck configuration after you click Apply in the Deck Configuration dialog box and when you start MediaLog. A message box warns you if the configuration does not match the deck. 13. Type a name in the Configuration name text box to name the deck configuration. The new deck configuration appears in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. 77 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material 14. Click Apply to complete the configurations and close the Deck Configuration dialog box. 15. If necessary, double-click Deck Preferences in the Settings scroll list of the Project window to adjust global deck control options. For more information, see “Setting Deck Preferences” on page 81. Deck Settings Options To access the Deck Settings dialog box, do one of the following: 78 t Click the Add Deck button in the Deck Configuration dialog box. t Select Deck Selection > Adjust Deck in the deck controller section of the Digitize tool. t Double-click the deck name in the Deck Settings dialog box. Configuring Decks Table 5 describes the Deck Settings options. Table 5 Option Suboption Deck Settings Options Description Name Type your custom name for the tape deck. The default name matches the deck type. Description Enter notes about the deck. Notes Displays configuration information, supplied by Avid, about the deck you have selected. Not all decks include this information. 79 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material Table 5 Option Deck Settings Options (Continued) Suboption Description Device Select your manufacturer and model from the menus. These decks have been qualified to work with your Avid system. Address For V-LAN VLXi use only (see your V-LAN VLXi documentation). If you are using direct serial port deck control, this option is unavailable. Preroll Specifies how many seconds the tape rolls before a digitize or digital cut starts. The default is based on the type of deck. n FAST CUE The Preroll option has no effect in MediaLog. Speeds up long searches; if your decks can read timecode in Fast Forward or Rewind mode. Otherwise, this option is not useful. Switch to ff/rew (seconds) When this option is selected, the system switches to fast forward or rewind if the target timecode is beyond the specified number of seconds from your current location on the tape. By default, the deck switches to fast forward or rewind to reach a target timecode that is more than 60 seconds away. If your deck shuttles very quickly, you can increase this number so the system uses fast cue only for long searches. Switch to Search (seconds) When this option is selected, the system switches out of fast forward or rewind when it is within the specified number of seconds of the target timecode. By default, the system switches to Search mode when it is 25 seconds from the target timecode. Deleting Deck Configuration Elements You can delete deck configuration elements to remove or replace them. 80 Setting Deck Preferences To delete deck configuration elements in the Avid system: 1. Double-click Deck Configuration in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. The Deck Configuration dialog box opens. 2. Click a channel box, a deck box, or the entire configuration to select it. 3. Click the Delete button. 4. Click Apply to complete the changes and close the dialog box. Setting Deck Preferences Deck preferences are global settings for basic deck control. These settings apply to all decks connected to your system, regardless of your deck configuration. You can open the Deck Preferences dialog box from the Settings scroll list of the Project window. Table 6 describes the Deck Preferences options. 81 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material Table 6 Option Deck Preferences Options Description When the deck contains no You select the timecode format (Drop Frame or Non-drop Frame) for tape, Log As logging clips when no tape is in the deck. When a tape is in the deck, the system automatically uses the existing timecode format on the tape. See “Understanding Drop-Frame Timecode and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode” on page 82). Allow assemble edit for digital cut Not Applicable. Stop key pauses deck This option defines the function of the Stop key (space bar) on the keyboard. Select this option to map the space bar to the Pause button on the deck. Deselect this option to map the space bar to the Stop button. If the videotape heads are down in “Stop key pauses deck” mode, pressing the space bar brings up the heads and pauses the deck. The Stop button in the Digitize tool and Deck Controller tool always stops the decks. (Select Tools > New Deck Controller to access the Deck Controller tool.) Shuttle holds speed The Shuttle button continues shuttling at a constant speed instead of stopping when you release it. Stop any paused decks when quitting Any paused decks are stopped when you quit the Avid application. Selecting this option saves wear on the deck heads. Poll deck during digital cut Not Applicable. Understanding Drop-Frame Timecode and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode Timecode is an electronic indexing method that denotes hours, minutes, seconds, and frames that have elapsed on a videotape. For example, a timecode of 01:03:30:10 denotes a frame that is marked at 1 hour, 3 minutes, 30 seconds, and 10 frames. 82 Understanding Drop-Frame Timecode and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode NTSC video (the video format used mainly in the United States) uses one of two formats: drop-frame timecode and non-drop-frame timecode. Dropframe (DF) timecode is designed to match the NTSC scan rate of 29.97 frames per second (fps). Two frames of timecode are dropped every minute except for the tenth minute. No video frames are actually dropped. Drop-frame timecode is indicated by semicolons between the digits; for example, 01;00;00;00. Non-drop-frame (NDF) timecode tracks NTSC video at a rate of 30 fps and is indicated by colons between the digits; for example, 01:00:00:00. Non-drop-frame timecode can be easier to work with, but does not provide accurate timing for NTSC broadcast. For example, a typical 1-hour show uses 52 minutes of video. If your program ends at 01:52:00:00 (non-drop-frame), and it is broadcast at 29.97 fps, it will last 94 frames too long (approximately 3 seconds). The final credits could be cut off. The following illustration compares the two types of timecode at the 1-minute mark. No frames are actually dropped. Non-dropframe timecode 01:00:59:28 01:00:59:29 01:01:00:00 01:01:00:01 01:00:59:28 01:00:59:29 01:01:00:02 01:01:00:03 01:01:00:02 Drop-frame timecode 01;01;00;04 PAL video (the video format used in many countries other than the United States) uses a scan rate of 25 fps. Timecode is indicated by colons. There is no need for drop-frame timecode in PAL video. You set the default timecode format for logging clips in the Deck Preferences dialog box (see “Setting Deck Preferences” on page 81). You can select Drop Frame or Non-drop Frame. 83 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material You can change the starting timecode of a clip or, for NTSC projects, the type of timecode. See the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Preparing to Log Material MediaLog provides two special tools for logging source material: • • The Logging tool, which contains: - Source deck controls - Marking and logging controls - Active track controls - Timecode information - Deck, bin, and tape name information - Comment section - Message area The Audio Project settings, which enables you to set the audio rate Accessing and Setting Up the Logging Tool Once you have opened or created a bin, use the Logging tool to enter the name of the tape you are logging and to access deck and logging controls. Use the Logging tool to plan a naming scheme; to work with source tapes; and to select tracks, bins, and sources. Accessing the Logging Tool To access the Logging tool, do one of the following: 84 t Click in a Bin window to activate it, and then select Bin > Go To Logging Mode. t Select Tools > Logging. Accessing and Setting Up the Logging Tool Setting Up the Logging Tool To select the appropriate source deck, source tape, and active track settings for your logged material: 1. Open or create your project and the bin in which you want to store your master clips. For information about opening projects and bins, see Chapter 2. 2. Select Bin > Go To Logging Mode. The Logging tool opens. Mark IN button Enable timecode button Channel Selection area Triangular opener Deck controller Guidelines for Naming Tapes Consider the following naming guidelines when you provide a name for your tape: • Devise a naming scheme. Although tapes of similar names are easy to sort and view together in a bin, distinguishing among them might be difficult when you try to quickly locate a specific tape. Name the tapes based on the amount and complexity of your source material. • Use unique names. The system cannot distinguish between two tapes with the same name and between two bins or clips with the same name. For example, if two tapes are named 001, you might encounter problems correctly associating their clips with the correct physical tapes. 85 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material • n Use alphanumeric characters (A–Z, 0–9), with no spaces before the name. Characters can be uppercase and lowercase. The maximum length of a name is 31 characters. Although the maximum length of a name is 31 characters, most online houses accept tape names of no more than 6 characters. • Select a case convention and maintain it throughout a project. A single tape can be listed as several different tapes if you alter the case of the letters. For example, if you type a single name as SUNSET, Sunset, and sunset on three different occasions, all three names appear. This can cause problems when keeping track of clips during the logging process. • Be cautious when changing a tape’s name. After you provide a name for a tape source, any change to the tape’s name automatically changes that tape name everywhere it occurs. If you decide later to change the name of one of the tapes from 001 to 999, every reference to tape 001 changes to a reference to tape 999. Inserting Source Tapes To insert a source tape in a deck to prepare for logging source material with MediaLog: 1. Set the REMOTE/LOCAL switch on the deck to REMOTE. 2. Insert a tape into the deck. 3. Select Bin > Go To Logging Mode. The Deck Controller tool opens as part of the Logging tool. Source tape timecode Fast Forward button Rewind button Shuttle button Valid timecode indicator Single-Frame Backward button Single-Frame Forward button Stop button Eject button Pause button Deck Name pop-up menu 86 Play button Source Tape Display button Accessing and Setting Up the Logging Tool Selecting Active Tracks The Logging tool captures information about the active tracks. MediaLog automatically activates the tracks that were active in the previous session. To change these settings: t Click tracks in the Channel Selection area of the Logging tool to activate or deactivate them. Selecting the Target Bin You select a target bin in which you want to organize your logged material. To select a target bin: t n Click the Bin pop-up menu in the Logging tool and make a selection. Only opened bins appear in the Bin pop-up menu. To open a bin, do one of the following: For more information on working with bins, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. t For a bin created in the current project, double-click the bin in the Project window. t For a bin created in a different project, select File > Open Bin, and then locate and open the bin in the Open dialog box (Windows) or Open a Bin dialog box (Macintosh). t Create a new bin by clicking the New Bin button in the Project window. Selecting the Source Deck In some cases, your source material might not reside on a video deck. You can also select other source devices, such as a digital audiotape (DAT). Be sure the source material has readable timecode. 87 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material To select the deck where the source material is found: 1. Click the Deck Name pop-up menu to display the available online decks. 2. Select the name of your source deck from the pop-up menu. Identifying the Source Tape To select a source tape: 1. Insert a tape into the deck. The Select Tape dialog box opens. n For information about deck preferences, see “Setting Deck Preferences” on page 81. 88 If a tape is already inserted into the deck, click the Source Tape Display button in the Digitize tool. 2. In an NTSC project, play the tape for a few seconds so the system can detect the timecode format of the tape (drop-frame or non-dropframe). Otherwise, the system maintains the timecode format set in the Deck Preferences dialog box, regardless of the format on the tape, and you might receive a message indicating a wrong tape. Accessing and Setting Up the Logging Tool n For information on tape naming conventions, see “Guidelines for Naming Tapes” on page 85. Drop-frame timecode appears in the Timecode indicator with semicolons between hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Non-drop-frame timecode appears with colons. For more information, see “Understanding DropFrame Timecode and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode” on page 82. 3. Provide the system with a tape name in one of the following ways: t Select the name of the tape from the list in the Select Tape dialog box and click OK. t Click the New button in the Select Tape dialog box if the tape is not in the list. A new tape name line appears in the dialog box. Type the new name and click OK. Setting the Audio Sample Rate Before you begin logging, you must select an audio sample rate. To set the audio sample rate: 1. Double-click Audio Project in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. The Audio Project Settings dialog box opens. 2. Click the Sample Rate pop-up menu, and select either 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. 3. Close the dialog box. If you select Batch Digitize in your Avid editing system, and then select the “Use the audio compression rate logged for each clip” option, you must digitize at the same rate as the audio rate at which you logged the clips. 89 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material Logging The following methods are available for logging: • Logging from a Source Tape • Logging On-the-Fly • Logging with the Deck Offline Logging from a Source Tape One method of logging is to use MediaLog tools to control a source deck, to select shots from your source tapes, and to record clip data directly to a bin. Make sure you have set up all the required information for logging, as described in “Configuring Decks” on page 72 and “Preparing to Log Material” on page 84. After you establish your settings and specify your bin, deck, and tape, the Logging tool is the only tool you need to log from a tape to a bin. The Logging tool provides flexibility in the way you mark your clips for logging, as the following illustration shows. 90 Logging Mark IN button Channel Selection area Logging Messages bar Clip name and Comment heading Go To IN button Bin name Clear IN button Go To OUT button Clear OUT button Timecode entry text boxes Source tape display button Mark IN button Mark Memory button Duration Mark button Mark OUT button Clear Memory button Go To Memory button Marking and Logging The basic logging procedure involves marking IN and OUT points. You mark IN and OUT points using the Mark buttons or by typing IN and OUT timecodes. The button in the top left corner of the Logging tool changes according to the stage of logging you are in. When the button appears as a pencil, MediaLog is ready to log the clip. To log clips directly from a source tape to a bin: 1. Insert your tape into the deck. The Logging Messages bar displays the message “Mark IN,” indicating the system is waiting for you to mark an IN point. The Mark IN button is displayed in the top left corner of the Logging tool. 2. Set either an IN point or an OUT point for the clip you want to log, using one of the following methods: 91 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material Mark IN t Use the deck controls in the Logging tool to cue your source tape to the start or end point, and click the Mark IN or the Mark OUT button. t Click the Mark IN button in the upper left corner of the Logging tool or press the F4 key. t If the footage starts at a known IN point or ends at a known OUT point, type the timecode in the text box next to the Mark IN or the Mark OUT button, press the Go To IN or the Go To OUT button to scan the tape forward to the mark, or press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) to enter the mark. Mark OUT Mark IN Go To IN Go To OUT Mark OUT and Log After you set the mark, the Mark IN button changes to the Mark OUT and Log button or the Mark IN and Log button. Mark IN and Log n c The Mark OUT and Log and Mark IN and Log buttons only appear when the Pause Deck While Logging feature is not in effect. If you want to pause the deck while you enter a clip name and comments, see “Pausing a Deck While Logging” on page 95. For an NTSC film-to-tape transfer or footage downconverted from 1080p/24, you must log the correct pulldown phase. See “Setting the Pulldown Phase” on page 171 and “Entering Pulldown Information” on page 175. 3. To finish logging the clip, do one of the following: t Set the remaining IN or OUT point on-the-fly using the Mark IN or Mark OUT buttons or by pressing the F4 key. t Click the Mark OUT and Log or Mark IN and Log button. t Type a timecode for the clip’s IN point, OUT point, or duration in the timecode text boxes next to the corresponding icon and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). The system automatically calculates the appropriate timecode for the remaining IN point, OUT point, or duration, and enters the clip into the bin. The clip name, which is automatically numbered by the system, is highlighted and ready to be changed. 92 Logging c You must enter two of the three timecode marks (IN point, OUT point, or duration) to complete the log entry. 4. Name the clip by typing a new name before clicking any of the buttons in the Digitize tool. n Consider changing the clip name immediately, because it is easy to forget the contents of each clip if you are logging many clips. You can, if necessary, accept the clip name and proceed with the logging process and change the clip names in the bin at a later time. 5. Repeat these steps until you have logged all your clips. n While viewing the footage, you can continuously update your marks onthe-fly by clicking the Mark IN or the Mark OUT button repeatedly before entering the second mark. See “Logging On-the-Fly” on page 94. Adding a Memory Mark You can add a memory mark to a particular location on a tape. Clear Memory button Mark Memory button Go To Memory button To mark the location: t Click the Mark Memory button. To move through the tape to the marked location: t Click the Go To Memory button. To clear the memory mark: t Click the Clear Memory button. 93 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material You can add one mark per tape. The memory mark is not stored on the tape. When you remove the tape from the deck and insert another tape into the decks, the mark is cleared. Logging On-the-Fly You can log clips while the tape is playing. This is called logging on-thefly. Logging on-the-fly requires the preparation described in the following sections: • “Selecting the Source Deck” on page 87 • “Identifying the Source Tape” on page 88 • “Setting the Audio Sample Rate” on page 89 You can log on-the-fly whether or not you already know where you want to mark the IN and OUT points in your clips. To log on-the-fly: 1. Insert your tape into the deck. 2. Open the bin where you want to store the clips, or create a new bin. 3. Select Bin > Go To Capture Mode. 4. Select the audio and video tracks you want to log and their tape name. 5. Play the tape. 6. Mark an IN point by pressing the E key or I key. The timecode appears and the Logging Messages bar displays the following message: “Mark OUT and Log.” 7. Mark the OUT point by pressing the R key or O key. 8. Log the clip by pressing the F4 key. The clip is logged into the bin. The clip name, which the system selects and numbers, is highlighted in the bin and is ready to be changed. The default clip name is the bin name plus a number. 9. (Option) Type a new name for the logged clip in the bin, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). 94 Logging 10. Repeat these steps until you have logged all your clips. Pausing a Deck While Logging If the deck is playing while you log clips, you can direct MediaLog to automatically pause the deck after you select an IN point and an OUT point. While the deck is paused, you can enter the name and comment for the clip you want to log. To pause the deck while logging: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings scroll list appears. 2. Double-click the Logging setting and select the Pause Deck While Logging option in the Logging Settings dialog box. 3. Start the deck playing. 4. When you reach the point where you want to start the clip, click the Mark IN button (or press the F4 key). The Mark IN button changes to the Mark OUT button, and the deck continues to play. 5. When you reach the point where you want to end the clip, click the Mark OUT button (or press the F4 key again). The Mark OUT button changes to the Log Clip button, and the deck pauses. 6. (Option) Enter a clip name and comment. 7. Click the Log Clip button (or press the F4 key again). The system logs the clip in a bin, and the deck starts playing again. Logging with the Deck Offline You can also log material without controlling a source tape deck. If the deck is not connected or not working, or if the tape is not available, you can still log material as long as you know the timecodes. 95 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material To log without a deck or tape: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings scroll list appears. 2. Double-click Deck Preferences. The Deck Preferences dialog box opens. 3. For NTSC projects, select either Non-drop Frame or Drop Frame from the pop-up menu. This selects the timecode format for logging. 4. Click OK to close the Deck Preferences dialog box. 5. Make sure a bin is selected. 6. Select Bin > Go To Logging Mode. The Logging tool opens. 7. Click the Source Tape Display button. A message box opens and asks if you want to associate a tape with the deck. 96 Logging 8. Click Yes to open the Select Tape dialog box. List of tapes 9. Do one of the following: t Double-click the name of the tape. t Click the New button, type the name of the tape you want to log, and then click OK. t Select the name from the list, and then click OK. 10. In the Channel Selection area in the Logging tool, click the tracks you want to log. For example, click V, A1, and A2. 11. Select the destination bin from the Bin pop-up menu. 12. Type the start timecode in the timecode entry text box for mark IN, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). 13. Type the end timecode in the timecode entry text box for mark OUT, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). 97 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material 14. Click the Log Clip button. 15. (Option) Rename the clip that appears in the destination bin. Logging Film Information Once you have entered or imported the basic log information into a bin, you might want to add film-related log information before digitizing. For information, see Appendix B. Modifying Clip Information After Logging You can change or modify the information logged into the bin. This is especially useful if you find that some of the data is incorrect, or if you need to update the information based on technical needs such as varying timecode formats or film specifications. There are two ways to modify clip information prior to digitizing: • You can modify the information directly by clicking in a column and by entering the new information one field at a time. • You can use the Modify command to change selected groups of clips all at once. For information on modifying the pulldown phase, see “Setting the Pulldown Phase” on page 171. c Modifying tape names and timecodes will affect any key numbers entered for the selected clips. Creating Avid Logs You can use a text editor to log your source footage manually. An Avid log lists video clips you want to capture for editing. You can create the logs in Avid format, entering data about your source tapes and clips according to Avid specifications. 98 Importing Logs You can also modify an incompatible log to make it conform to Avid specifications. To prepare an Avid log on any type of computer, use any text editor. After you create logs, you can import them directly into MediaLog bins. Appendix A describes the format specifications for an Avid log and includes a sample Avid log. Make a separate log for each videotape, or log clips from several different videotapes into one log. After you manually create an Avid log, you can import it into MediaLog as described in “Importing Log Files into MediaLog Bins” on page 101. Importing Logs Many logging programs and film-to-tape transfer systems create logs you can import into your MediaLog project. You can open some logs directly in MediaLog bins; others must be converted to Avid format first. Importing Standard Log Files If you are transferring film to video for logging in MediaLog, ask the transfer house to log the source footage during the film-to-tape transfer. You can import some standard film-to-tape logs directly into MediaLog bins. Many other film-to-tape logs can be converted to Avid format using Avid Log Exchange and then imported into MediaLog. A number of video logging systems also produce files you can import into a MediaLog bin. Compatible Logs Use the File > Import command to import these files to a MediaLog bin: • Avid Log Exchange (ALE) • Log Right (file names that have the .ale file name extension) • Excalibur (file names that have the .ale file name extension) • Shotlister 99 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material n • Avid logs you create yourself, using a text editor (see “Creating Avid Logs” on page 98) • Logs converted into Avid format using Avid Log Exchange (file names that have the .ale file name extension) Avid recommends that you convert any files not created on an Avid system into Avid format using Avid Log Exchange. Avid Log Exchange is included with most Avid video editing applications. Table 7 lists the log formats that can be imported directly or converted for import using Avid Log Exchange (ALE). Table 7 Compatible Log Formats Log Format Requirements File Name Extension AatonBase Conversion required .atn or .atl Avid Log Import directly .ale CMX EDL Conversion required .cmx Evertz Conversion required .ftl Excalibur Conversion required .ale or .flx FLEx Conversion required .flx Keyscope Conversion required .ksl Log Producer Conversion required .llp Log right Import directly .ale OSC/R (Macintosh® only) Conversion required .asc OLE (Windows only) Conversion required .odb For information about using Avid Log Exchange, see the input and output guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. 100 Importing Logs Importing Log Files into MediaLog Bins To import log files into a MediaLog bin: 1. Open a bin and click its window to select it. 2. Select File > Import. The Select files to Import dialog box opens. For Windows, select Files of type > Shot Log Files (*.ale). For Macintosh, Shot Log Documents is already selected as the file type. 3. Navigate to the drive and then to the folder that contains the log file you want to import. If the log is on a floppy disk, insert the floppy disk into the floppy drive. 4. (Option) If you want to adjust import parameters for the shot log, click the Options button. The Import Settings dialog box opens. 5. Select one of the options from Table 8 and click OK. 101 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material Table 8 Import Settings Options Option Description Maintain events as logged. Select this option to maintain all events as originally logged. Combine events based on scene and automatically Select this option to combine all the events for a create subclips. scene into a single master clip, and then link the master clip to subclips that represent the original events for that scene. To use this option, you must have scene numbers logged into a scene column in the bin. Combine events based on camera roll and automatically create subclips. Select this option to combine all the events from a camera roll into a single master clip, and then link the master clip to subclips that represent the original events for that camera roll. To use this option, you must have camera roll numbers logged into a camera roll column in the bin for a film project. Merge events with known sources and automatically create subclips. Select this option to create subclips for events that are merged or relinked to their source clips upon import. Use this option if you have already entered master clips in a bin for each camera roll or master scene, and have subsequently logged all the events related to those clips for import. n Merge events with known master clips. Select this option to merge information in the shot log onto selected master clips based on the matching tape name. Use this option if you have already logged (or digitized) master clips in a bin for each take. n 102 You must select the clips that you want to merge before selecting this option. You must select the clips that you want to merge before selecting this option. Importing Logs 6. Select files or deselect files from the source file list by doing one of the following: t (Windows only) To add a group of files, click the first file in a group, and then Shift+click the last file in a group. t To deselect a single file from the file browser section (Windows) or import section, Ctrl+click a highlighted file name (Windows) or select a file name and click Remove (Macintosh). 7. Click Open (Windows) or Done (Macintosh) to import the selected logs to the bin, or click Cancel to cancel the operation. The bin fills with master clips derived from the information in the imported shot log. Any additional information logged with each clip is also imported. 8. To save the new master clips that came from importing the log, save the bin. Transferring Bins from Another MediaLog System MediaLog bins are interchangeable with those of other releases. In general, later releases of the MediaLog application accept bins from earlier releases. To transfer a bin from one MediaLog system to another MediaLog system: 1. Save MediaLog project bins from the first MediaLog system on a floppy disk. 2. Go to your second MediaLog system, and quit or minimize the MediaLog application. 3. Double-click the Avid Projects folder in the Select User and Project dialog box. Double-click the project folder where you want to store MediaLog bins. 4. Insert the transfer floppy disk into the floppy drive on the second MediaLog system. 5. Navigate to the floppy drive. 103 Chapter 4 Logging Source Material 6. Position the floppy drive window and your MediaLog project folder window so you can see both. 7. Select (click) the MediaLog bins in the floppy drive window, and drag them to your MediaLog project folder. 8. When you start your MediaLog program, open the imported bins in the same way you open standard MediaLog bins. 104 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins The Avid system provides powerful database tools for organizing and managing your digitized material. You can view bins in two different display views. You can rename, print, sort, sift, duplicate, and delete clips. This chapter covers the following topics: • Preparing to Work with Bins • Understanding Bin Display Views • Basic Bin Procedures • Using Text View Preparing to Work with Bins There are several procedures you might want to perform before organizing your project because they affect the display of information in bins or the way the clips play back during screening: • When working with film projects, organize digitized clips according to scene. This practice keeps crowded bins to a minimum. See “Film Scene Workflow” on page 106. • If you want to customize the types of objects displayed in a bin, see “Setting the Bin Display” on page 106. • If you need to group or multigroup material, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Film Scene Workflow During the organizing phase, common practice on film productions is to organize the digitized clips according to scene. This helps to simplify the work environment for the editor, and keeps crowded bins to a minimum. Use the various procedures described in this chapter to organize scene bins according to the following basic workflow: 1. Create one bin for each scene using the procedures described in “Creating a New Bin” on page 48. 2. Gather clips according to scene using one of the following optional procedures: t Copy clips for each scene from the digitize bins into the appropriate scene bin, using procedures described in “Copying Clips” on page 115. t Duplicate the clips and then move the duplicates into the appropriate scene bin, using procedures described in “Duplicating Clips” on page 114. 3. Proceed to sort, sift, and organize the clips within each scene bin, according to the editor’s preferences. It is good practice to copy or duplicate clips as you reorganize them in bins. As a result, the original source clips will remain in the appropriate dailies bin if you ever need to redigitize according to source tape. Setting the Bin Display By default, your bins display all existing media objects except source clips. To reduce crowding in the bin and to display only those objects that you need to organize your project, you can display selected media objects. You can use the Set Bin Display option to display clips referenced by a sequence, even if the clips were not previously in the bin. Place a sequence in a new bin and follow this procedure. 106 Preparing to Work with Bins To set the bin display: 1. Click the window of the bin that you want to display. 2. Select Bin > Set Bin Display. The Set Bin Display dialog box opens. Table 9 describes the object icons listed in the Set Bin Display dialog box. 3. Select the object types that you want to see: usually master clips and subclips. 4. The option “Show clips created by user” is selected by default. Deselect this option only if you want to hide all objects except those created by the system. 107 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins 5. Select the option “Show reference clips” to automatically display objects that are referenced by sequences in the bin, whether those clips were previously in the bin or not. 6. Click OK. The bin displays objects according to your specifications. Table 9 describes the object icons. Table 9 Object Icon Object Icon Descriptions Object Description Master Clips Clips that reference audio and video media files formed from digitized footage or imported files Subclips Clips that reference selected portions of master clips Sequences Clips that represent edited programs, partial or complete, that you created from other clips Sources Clips that reference the original videotape source footage for master clips Effects Clips that reference unrendered effects that you created Motion Effects Files in the bin that reference effect media files generated when you create motion effects Rendered Effects Clips that reference effect media files generated when you render an effect Groups (For MultiCamera editing) Clips containing two or more grouped clips, strung together sequentially according to common timecodes Understanding Bin Display Views There are two display views for viewing and working with clips in a bin: Brief view and Text view. This section briefly describes each view. 108 Understanding Bin Display Views n You can resize each display view by clickingthe lower right corner of the Bin window and and dragging it. The size of the display view is saved as a user setting for that bin. The bin view retains its set size every time you open that view of that bin, even in separate editing sessions. Each bin view can have a different size. Brief View In Brief view, the system displays five standard columns of information about the clips. You cannot customize the column headings in Brief view. This view helps you manage your screen real estate. To enter Brief view: t n Click the Brief tab in the bin. A different set of column headings appears for film projects. Text View For information on Text view features, see “Using Text View” on page 124. In Text view, clips are displayed in a database text format, using columns and rows, with icons representing the various objects. You can save various arrangements of columns, text, and objects as customized views. See “Customizing Bin Views in Text View” on page 111. 109 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins To enter Text view: t Click the Text tab in the bin. Text tab Column headings Object icon Bin Fast Menu button Bin View pop-up menu Bin Views To the right of the Fast Menu button is the Bin View pop-up menu (Text view only) for selecting different bin views. Bins have three default views that are automatically installed: For more information on film and statistical column headings, see “Bin Column Headings” on page 141. 110 • Custom view: Allows you to create and save customized views. The only required column heading is the Name heading, which is displayed by default. You can customize the view by adding, hiding, or rearranging column headings. • Film view: Has film-related column headings, including key number, ink number, pullin, and so on. If you are working on a non-film-related project and select the Film view, a dialog box informs you that only the non-film-related columns will be displayed. • Statistics view: Uses the standard statistical column headings derived from information established during capture, such as start and end timecodes, duration, resolution, and so on. Understanding Bin Display Views If you import a log file from your telecine transfer, most of this information will be placed in the bin when you import the log. If you do not have a film log, then you can enter this information manually by highlighting the field in the bin and typing the information. Customizing Bin Views in Text View You can create and save customized bin views that you can easily access from the Bin View pop-up menu. You can customize the bin view by resizing the Bin window and adding, hiding, or rearranging bin columns. The only required column heading is Name, which is displayed by default. There are several ways to customize views of the bin: • Alter the arrangement of existing columns in the standard Statistics view or Film view to suit your needs, without adding or hiding columns. These arrangements will be recalled each time you select Statistics view or Film view. • Add or hide columns of information to create customized Statistics or Film views. They will be saved as additional view settings in numerical order: for example, Statistics.1, Statistics.2, and so on, unless you select another name. • Add, hide, copy, or rearrange standard or customized columns in any combination to create your own custom views. You can name and save these views to suit your needs. When you create a new bin view, the system saves the settings for this view so that you can later access and alter, copy, or delete these settings. New bin view settings appear in the Settings scroll list of the Project window. Saving a Custom Bin View Any time you add, hide, or delete a column, the bin view name changes to an italicized name with the file name extension .n to indicate that it no longer matches the original view. If you select a new bin view setting while the current setting is untitled or italicized, the system discards the current setting. 111 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins n If you do not save the view after adding or deleting headings, it is discarded. To save a bin view: 1. Open a bin and click the Text tab. For procedures on adding, hiding, and deleting bin columns, see “Arranging Bin Columns” on page 124. 2. Add or hide columns according to preference. The bin view name becomes italicized. 3. Select Bin Fast > Save As. The View Name dialog box opens. 4. Type a name for the custom view, and click OK. Bin Fast Menu All Bin menu commands are also available in the Bin Fast menu located in the lower left corner of every bin. The Bin Fast menu is especially convenient when you are working with several open bins and need to access Bin menu commands quickly. To open the Bin Fast menu: t 112 Click the Fast Menu button in the appropriate bin display view. Basic Bin Procedures Basic Bin Procedures There are some basic procedures that you can use in either bin display view for manipulating clips in the bin. They include selecting, deleting, duplicating, moving, copying, and sifting clips. You can also change the font and point size of the text in a bin. See “Changing Font and Point Size” on page 64. When you are working with bins, an asterisk (Windows) or a diamond (Macintosh) appears before the bin name in the bin’s title bar. The asterisk (Windows) or diamond (Macintosh) indicates that the changes to the bin have not been saved. Once you save the bin, the asterisk (Windows) or diamond (Macintosh) is removed. n To view a complete list of the bins in your project, see “Using the Bins Display” on page 46. Selecting Clips To select a clip in a bin: t Click the clip icon. To select multiple clips in a bin, do one of the following: t (Windows) Ctrl+click additional items. t (Windows) Shift+click the first and last items. t (Macintosh) Shift+click additional items. t Lasso several clips. To reverse your selection: t Select Bin > Reverse Selection. The items that you previously selected are deselected, and those items that were previously deselected are selected. 113 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Duplicating Clips When you duplicate a clip, the system creates a separate clip linked to the same media files. You can move, rename, and manipulate this clip without affecting the original clip. To duplicate clips: 1. Select the clip that you want to duplicate, or select multiple clips. 2. Select Edit > Duplicate. A copy of the clip appears in the bin, with the original clip name followed by the file name extension .Copy.n, where n is the number of duplicates created from the original clip. Moving Clips You can move clips to other bins in order to group and organize various types of material based on project needs. To move clips from one bin into another: 1. Create or open another bin. Give the bin a name that represents its purpose or contents. 2. Position or resize the bins so you can see both of them at the same time. 3. Select the clip that you want to move, or select multiple clips. 4. Click the clips and drag them to the new bin. n 114 If the destination bin’s display has been set to show reference clips, the referenced object types do not appear until you save the bin. For more information on setting the bin display, see “Setting the Bin Display” on page 106. Basic Bin Procedures Copying Clips When you copy clips, you are essentially cloning the same clip in another bin. Any change you make to the copy will affect the original as well. The system does not add the .Copy.n file name extension to the clip as it does when duplicating. You cannot copy clips to the same bin, and you cannot return a clip copy to the same bin where the original resides. When you copy clips from one bin to another, the custom columns that you created in the first bin are also copied to the second bin. The custom columns appear in the order in which you created them. To copy clips from one bin to another bin: 1. Position or resize the bins so that you can see both of them at the same time. 2. In the original bin, click the clip that you want to copy, or select multiple clips. 3. While pressing the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh), drag the clips to the destination bin, and release the mouse button. The copies appear in the destination bin and the originals remain in the source bin. If the destination bin’s display has been set to show reference clips, the referenced object types do not appear until you have saved the bin. Deleting Clips and Subclips To delete clips and subclips from a bin: 1. Select the clips and subclips you want to delete. 2. Select Edit > Delete, or press the Delete key. The Delete dialog box opens and shows information about the selected items (for example, one master clip). To protect you from accidentally deleting important information, the master clips, by default, are not marked for deletion. 115 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins 3. To mark a master clip for deletion, select the check box next to the item. To exempt the master clip from deletion, select the check box again. 4. Click OK. Assigning Colors to Bin Objects You can assign colors to clips and subclips to help you manage and organize the bin objects. Colors assigned to bin objects are referred to as source colors. Adding a Color Column to a Bin To add a Color column to a bin: 1. With a bin in Text view, select Bin > Headings. The Bin Column Selection dialog box opens. 2. Ctrl+click (Windows) or click (Macintosh) Color from the scroll list to select it. 3. Click OK. The Color column appears in the bin. n By default, a new column appears as the last column in the bin. To move the Color column, click the Color column heading and drag it to the left. Assigning a Source Color To assign a color to a clip or subclip in a bin: 1. With a bin in Text view, select the bin objects to which you want to assign a color. 2. Select Edit > Set Clip Color, and select a color from the submenu. The color appears in the Color column and on the clip icon. n 116 You can also assign a color by clicking in the Color column and choosing a color from the pop-up menu. Basic Bin Procedures Assigning a Custom Source Color To assign a custom color to a clip or subclip in a bin: 1. With a bin in Text view, select the bin objects to which you want to assign a color. 2. Select Edit > Set Clip Color, and select Pick from the submenu. The Windows Color dialog box or the Macintosh Color Picker opens. 3. Select a color from the Windows Color dialog box or the Macintosh Color Picker, and click OK. The custom color appears in the Color column and on the clip icon. n After you assign a custom color, the color appears as Other in the Set Clip Color submenu. Limiting Color Choices When assigning colors to bin objects, you can limit the color choices to only the colors currently used in the bin. To limit the colors available when assigning colors to bin objects: 1. With a bin in Text view, select the bin objects to which you want to assign a color. 2. Alt+click (Windows) or Option+click (Macintosh) in the Color column in the bin. A menu of all the colors you are using in the bin appears. Any custom colors you assigned are labeled Other. 3. Select one of the colors. The color appears in the Color column and on the clip icon. Sifting Clips When you sift clips, the bin displays only those clips that meet a specific set of criteria. For example, you can do a custom sift to display only those clips containing the word “close-up” in the heading column. The Custom Sift dialog box provides six levels of criteria. 117 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins To sift clips: 1. Select Bin > Custom Sift. The Custom Sift dialog box opens. Criterion pop-up menu Text to Find text box Column or Range to Search pop-up menu 2. Click the Criterion pop-up menu and select one of the sifting options. 3. Click the first Text to Find text box, and type the text that you want to use as a sift criterion. When sifting by color, type the exact name of the color (using uppercase and lowercase letters) in the text box. 4. Click the Column or Range to Search pop-up menu, and select a column heading to which you want to apply the criterion. 5. Type additional sift criteria, and make additional column selections as necessary. 6. Click OK. Only the clips that meet your criteria remain in the bin, with the word “sifted” added to the bin name. 118 Basic Bin Procedures After you have sifted the clips in a bin, you can display the bin in a sifted or an unsifted state. To view the entire bin: t Select Bin > Show Unsifted. To view the sifted bin: t Select Bin > Show Sifted. The word “sifted” appears in parentheses after the bin name when you view the bin in its sifted state. Sifting Timecodes or Keycode Ranges You can sift on a timecode (or keycode) number within a specific range. For example, you can sift for all the clips that start before and end after a particular timecode. Before custom sift Type 01:08:32:00 in the Text to Find text box in the Custom Sift dialog box, and select Start to End Range from the Column or Range to Search pop-up menu. 119 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins After custom sift The clips that encompass the timecode number 01:08:32:00 Some column pairs explicitly define a range; for example, Start and End or Mark IN and Mark OUT. Other columns define the beginning of a range, and the end of the range is determined by the Duration column. For example, Auxiliary TC1 implies a range that begins at the value in the Auxiliary TC1 column, and ends at that value plus the value in the Duration column. If you display any column in the bin that is associated with ranges, either explicit or implicit, the corresponding range menu item appears in the Column or Range to Search pop-up menu of the Custom Sift dialog box. For example, if you select to display the Start column and the Auxiliary TC1 column in the bin, the Start to End Range and Auxiliary TC1 Range menu choices will appear in the Column or Range to Search pop-up menu. When specifying a timecode or keycode number, you do not need to enter colons or semicolons, and the leading zero can be omitted. For example, you can enter 3172000 as a timecode number. Keycodes contain letters, numbers, and a dash before the feet and frames; for example, KJ236892 -0345+13. When sifting on a keycode number, you only have to enter the numbers after the dash (the actual counter portion). 120 Basic Bin Procedures Any information before the dash is ignored. If you do enter characters before the dash, they must match the corresponding characters in the bin column exactly. Table 10 lists all columns associated with explicit ranges and their corresponding menu choices: Table 10 Range Menu Items for Explicit Ranges Bin Column (Explicit Ranges) Column or Range to Search Pop-up Menu Item Start, End Start to End Range Mark In, Mark Out Mark In to Out Range KN Start, KN End KN Start to End Range KN Mark In, KN Mark Out KN Mark In to Out Range Table 11 lists all columns associated with implicit ranges and their corresponding menu choices. Table 11 Range Menu Items for Implicit Ranges Bin Column (Implicit Ranges) Column or Range to Search Pop-up Menu Item Duration Determines the end of an implicit range Film TC Film TC Range Sound TC Sound TC Range Auxiliary TC1 Auxiliary TC1 Range Auxiliary TC2 Auxiliary TC2 Range Auxiliary TC3 Auxiliary TC3 Range 121 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Table 11 Range Menu Items for Implicit Ranges (Continued) Bin Column (Implicit Ranges) Column or Range to Search Pop-up Menu Item Auxiliary TC4 Auxiliary TC4 Range Auxiliary TC5 Auxiliary TC5 Range Ink Number Ink Number Range Auxiliary Ink Auxiliary Ink Range Sifting Within a Range To sift for a timecode or keycode number within a specific range: 1. Select Bin > Custom Sift. The Custom Sift dialog box opens. Criterion pop-up menu 122 Column or Range to Search pop-up menu Basic Bin Procedures 2. Type the timecode (or keycode) number for which you want to sift in a range. 3. Select a range from the Column or Range to Search pop-up menu; for example, Start to End Range or Mark In to Out Range. The criterion “contain” is displayed in the Criterion pop-up menu. If you try to change this criterion, a blank will be displayed in the Column or Range to Search pop-up menu. 4. Click OK. The bin will display those clips that encompass the timecode (or keycode) number that you entered. Locking and Unlocking Items in a Bin You can lock items in a bin to prevent deletion. When you lock clips in a bin, you lock their associated media files on your desktop as well. To lock items: 1. Click a clip or subclip to select it. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Shift+click (Macintosh) additional clips, if necessary. 2. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl+Shift+click (Macintosh) and select Lock Bin Selection. For more information on displaying columns, see “Showing and Hiding Columns” on page 125. A Lock icon appears for each locked clip in the Lock column of the bin in Text view. 123 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Lock icon To unlock previously locked items: 1. Select the items in the bin. 2. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl+Shift+click (Macintosh) and select UnLock Bin Selection. Using Text View Text view provides the most complete view of clip information. It uses database columns you can rearrange and customize to suit your needs. For information about saving a custom bin view, see “Saving a Custom Bin View” on page 111. To enter Text view: t Click the Text tab in the bin. Arranging Bin Columns This section provides procedures for moving, aligning, showing and hiding, deleting, duplicating, adding, and changing columns in a bin. 124 Using Text View Moving and Rearranging Columns To move a text column in a bin: 1. Click the heading of the column you want to move. The entire column is selected. 2. Click the column and drag it to the position you want, and release the mouse button. The column appears in the new position, and columns to the right are moved to make room. Aligning Bin Columns When you align bin columns, the system maintains the same order of columns from left to right, but spaces them according to the length of contents. This is especially useful for removing spaces left after moving or rearranging columns. To align bin columns: t Select Bin > Align Columns. Showing and Hiding Columns You can select individual or multiple headings to be displayed or hidden in the bin. For a complete description of each column heading, see Table 16. To select column headings: 1. With a bin in Text view, select Bin > Headings. The Bin Column Selection dialog box opens. 125 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins 2. Select the headings you want to add to the bin: t Click the name of a heading to select it. t Click a selected heading to deselect it. t Click All/None to select or deselect all the headings. 3. Click OK. Only the headings selected in the Bin Column Selection dialog box appear in the bin or bin view. Deleting a Column Deleting a statistical column is the same as hiding the column; you can restore the column at any time using the Bin Column Selection dialog box, as described in “Showing and Hiding Columns” on page 125. When you delete a custom column, however, you must re-create the column. 126 Using Text View To delete a column: 1. Click the column heading in a bin. 2. Select Edit > Delete or press the Delete key. The column disappears from the view, and surrounding columns fill the empty space. Duplicating a Column You can duplicate existing columns containing timecode information into other compatible columns that you target in a dialog box. To duplicate a timecode column: 1. Select the column you want to duplicate by clicking its heading. 2. Select Edit > Duplicate. The Select dialog box opens. Columns that may appear 127 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins In the example, “Copy ‘Start’ column to:” appears at the top of the dialog box because the user selected the Start column for duplication. 3. Select a column name from the list. The column must contain the same type of data for the copy to occur. For example, you can copy start timecodes to the Auxiliary TC column, but you cannot copy timecodes to the Pullin column. 4. Click OK. The column of information appears in the column you designated. When you duplicate a timecode column (Start, TC 24, TC 25, TC 25P, or TC 30), the values for master clips and subclips are converted to the appropriate timecode. For more information, see “Displaying Timecodes in a 23p, 24p or 25p Project” on page 138. Adding Customized Columns to a Bin In addition to the standard statistical or film column headings, you can add your own column headings to describe information about clips. For example, you might want to add a column heading to describe what kind of shot (close-up, wide shot, master shot, extreme close-up, and so on) is used in a clip. To add a new custom column: 1. Click an empty area to the right of the current headings in the headings box. 2. Move any existing column to the right or left in order to create an empty area. 3. Type the column heading you want, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). Column headings must contain fewer than 14 characters, including spaces. This places the pointer in the data box, beside the first clip in the bin. 4. Select Bin > Align to Grid after you have entered the new column heading. 5. Type the information, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) to move to the next line. 128 Using Text View Changing a Custom Column Heading You can change the heading name of custom columns only. You cannot change any of the standard column headings. To change the name of a custom column: 1. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh), and click the heading to highlight it. 2. Type the new text for the heading, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). Managing Clip Information in Text View For additional bin shortcuts, see the quick reference guide for your Avid editing system. There are several ways to manage clip information in bin columns. These methods include copying information between cells, moving information between whole columns, sorting clip information, and modifying clip data, as described in this section. Moving Within Column Cells Use the keyboard shortcuts to move from cell to cell in bin columns: • Tab: Moves the pointer to the parallel cell in the next column. You can continue to press the Tab key to scroll through the cells to the right until the cell in the last column is highlighted. The next time you press the Tab key, the cell in the first column is highlighted. • Shift+Tab: Moves the pointer left to the cell in the previous column. You can continue to press the Shift+Tab keys to scroll through cells to the left until the cell in the first column is highlighted. The next time you press Shift+Tab, the cell in the last column is highlighted. • (Windows) Enter key on the main keyboard: Enters any new information typed into the cell and moves the pointer down to the cell in the next row. You can continue to press Enter to scroll down the column until the last cell in the column is highlighted. The next time you press the Enter key, the first cell in the column is highlighted. 129 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins • (Windows) Shift+Enter keys on the main keyboard: Move the pointer up to the cell in the previous row. You can continue to press the Shift+Enter keys until the cell in the top row is highlighted. The next time you press the Shift+Enter keys, the cell in the last row is highlighted. • (Macintosh) Return: Enters any new information typed into the cell and moves the pointer down to the cell in the next row. You can continue to press Return to scroll down the column until the last cell in the column is highlighted. The next time you press the Return key, the first cell in the column is highlighted. • (Macintosh) Shift+Return: Move the pointer up to the cell in the previous row. You can continue to press the Shift+Return keys until the cell in the top row is highlighted. The next time you press the Shift+Return keys, the cell in the last row is highlighted. Modifying Clip Information You can change or modify the information in certain columns for your master clips, subclips, tapes, and other objects stored in the bin. This is especially useful if some of the data is incorrect, or if you need to conform information for organizational purposes. The following conditions apply to modifying clip information: 130 • When you modify a clip’s information, related objects are automatically updated to reflect the new data. For example, if you change the name of a clip, the updated name appears in the sequences that use the clip. • Some data cannot be modified after digitizing because changes would prevent you from playing back and editing the material successfully. • Sequence data cannot be changed, even though it appears in your bin. The only way to modify sequence data is to edit the sequence itself. You can, however, change the name and start time for the master timecode track. For more information, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Using Text View There are two ways to modify data: • You can modify some data directly for master clips, subclips, and other objects stored in a bin. • You can use the Modify command to change specific information for master clips only. Modifying Data Directly When you modify information in a bin directly, you click a cell and type the new information. For example, you can type a new name for a clip, or correct the start and end timecodes. You can directly modify any data in the bin while logging and prior to digitizing. After the footage is digitized, however, you can directly modify information only in selected headings, with restrictions, as shown in Table 12. n For more information on these headings, see “Bin Column Headings” on page 141. Table 12 Modifiable Bin Headings Heading Restrictions (Clip) Name No restrictions. Mark IN Altering the mark IN also alters the IN to OUT duration. This replaces any previous mark. Mark OUT Altering the mark OUT also alters the IN to OUT duration. This replaces any previous mark. Color No restrictions. Color Framing Must be according to tape specifications. Auxiliary timecodes, 1–5 No restrictions. 131 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Table 12 Modifiable Bin Headings (Continued) Heading Restrictions KN (Key Number) Start Only for 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects. Altering the starting key number also alters the KN End to maintain the duration. This can cause discrepancies with any auxiliary timecode information you entered manually. KN (Key Number) End Only for 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects. Altering the KN End also alters the KN Start to maintain the duration. Pullin Only for 24p projects and matchback projects. Pullin data imported from a telecine-generated list can be altered directly only before digitizing or after unlinking. See “Setting the Pulldown Phase” on page 171 (NTSC only). Pullout Automatically calculated. This field cannot be modified. c Modifying tape names and timecodes will affect any key numbers entered for the selected clips. To modify the clip data directly in a bin: 1. Click the Text tab in the bin to enter Text view. 2. Click the cell you want to modify. Select only one item at a time. In this example, the timecode data is highlighted. 3. Click the cell again to enter text. 132 Using Text View If the pointer does not change to an I-beam, you might be attempting to modify a column that cannot be directly modified. 4. Type the new information, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). Using the Modify Command to Modify Data The Modify command gives you specialized control over groups of clip information. For example, you can use the Modify command to change the name of source tapes, or to increment or decrement the start and end timecodes by a specified length of time for one or several clips at once. For a complete description of the Modify dialog box options, see the input and output guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. You can apply changes with the Modify command to master clips only; subclips cannot be altered in this way. In addition, you can only perform modifications that alter the end timecodes or the tracks before digitizing, as described in Table 13. Table 13 Modify Command Options Type of Modification Options Description Set Timecode Drop/ Nondrop Drop, Nondrop Changes the timecode format between dropframe and non-drop-frame. Setting must match the timecode format of the tape. Set Timecode By Field Start or End Changes either the start or end timecode. Only start timecode can be altered after digitizing. Hour, Minutes, Seconds, Allows you to enter custom timecode. Frames Increment Timecode Start or End Changes either the start or end timecode. Incrementing the start timecode automatically modifies the end timecode by the same amount. Only start timecode can be incremented after digitizing. Timecode text box Allows you to enter custom incremental timecode. 133 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Table 13 Modify Command Options (Continued) Type of Modification Options Description Decrement Timecode Start or End Changes either the start or end timecode. Decrementing the start timecode automatically modifies the end timecode by the same amount. Only start timecode can be decremented after digitizing. Timecode text box Allows you to enter new decremental timecode. Set Key Number Generic (Prefix) Key Number text box Allows you to enter a custom generic key number. Only for 23p, and matchback projects. See “Entering Key Numbers” on page 180. Set Pullin A, B, C, or D Selects the pulldown phase to match to the timecode entry (23p and matchback projects only). For more information, see “Entering Pulldown Information” on page 175. Set Tracks V, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, and A8 track selector buttons Changes the clip’s configuration of tracks (film projects only). The clip must be unlinked. For information on unlinking clips, see the editing guide or user’s guide for your Avid editing system. Set Source None Opens the Select Tape dialog box. Selects another source tape name for the clips that should match the original source tape name. To modify selected data, using the Modify command: 1. Open the bin and click the Text tab. 2. Click the icon to the left of the clip or other object you want to modify. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Shift+click (Macintosh) each additional object you want to modify. 3. Select Special > Modify. The Modify dialog box opens. 134 Using Text View Modify Options pop-up menu 4. Select an option, such as Modify Options > Set Timecode By Field. 5. Select an option or type information into the text boxes (timecode values, for example) when they appear. 6. Click OK. The modification takes effect. Copying Information Between Columns The following procedure describes how to copy all the information in one column to another column, or just to copy information from a cell to a column. The procedure uses an example of copying timecode information in one column to a new column. 135 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins To copy column information to another column: 1. Select the timecode column you want to copy. 2. Select Edit > Duplicate. The Select dialog box opens, prompting you to target a timecode column for the data. 3. Select the target column for the data, and click OK. To copy information from another cell in a custom column: 1. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh) while you click in the destination cell to reveal a pop-up menu of all items entered in that column. 2. Select the text from the menu. The text appears in the cell. Sorting Clips in Text View Sorting clips arranges them in either numerical order, alphabetical order, or by color, based on the data in the column you select as the sorting criteria. You can sort clips in several different ways, including an ascending sort, a descending sort, or a multilevel sort. Sorting Clips in Ascending Order To sort clips in ascending order: 1. With a bin in Text view, click the heading of the column you want to use as the criterion. The column is highlighted. 2. Select Bin > Sort. The objects in the bin are sorted in ascending order. n 136 If the Sort command appears dimmed in the menu, you have not selected a column. Using Text View To reapply the last sort: t Select Bin > Sort Again with no column selected. This step is especially useful after you have added new clips to a sorted bin. Sorting Clips in Descending Order To sort clips in descending order: 1. With a bin in Text view, click the heading of the column you want to use as the criterion. The column is highlighted. 2. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh) while you select Bin > Sort Reversed. The objects in the bin are sorted in descending order. Multilevel Sorting with Columns You can select multiple columns in a bin and perform a multilevel sort using the information in the columns. To perform a multilevel sort using the information in the bins: 1. With a bin in Text view, arrange the columns in the bin to establish the primary column. The column that appears farthest to the left in Text view becomes the primary criterion for the sorting operation. 2. Select the columns you want to sort. The columns are highlighted. 3. Select Bin > Sort. The objects in the bin are sorted. Sorting Clips by Color You can sort the clips by color if you assigned colors to the clips. See “Assigning Colors to Bin Objects” on page 116. 137 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins To sort clips by color: 1. Click the Color column heading in the bin. 2. Select Bin > Sort. The objects in the bin are sorted by color. n Colors are sorted by hue, saturation, and value. Displaying Timecodes in a 23p, 24p or 25p Project When you are working with 23p, 24p and 25p projects, you can add timecode columns to bins to enter and display starting timecodes in several timecode formats for master clips and subclips. After you add a timecode column (TC 24, TC 25, TC 25P, or TC 30) to a bin, you can use the Duplicate command to convert the values for master clips and subclips to the appropriate timecode for that column. For example, when working with a 24p NTSC project, if you duplicate the Start column values to one of the timecode columns and the Start column contains a master clip with the timecode 01:00:00:15, the timecode is converted to the timecode of that column. Table 14 shows the converted timecode for each timecode column. All of the values are equivalent. Table 14 138 Timecode Columns Bin Column Timecode TC 24 01:00:00:15 TC 25 01:00:00:15 TC 25P 01:00:00:16 TC 30 01:00:00:19 Using Text View n The TC1 track in the Timeline represents the timecode of the project in which you are working. For example, when you are working in a 24p NTSC project, the TC1 track displays the same timecode as the TC 30 track. Frame Counting for Timecodes Table 15 shows the frame count for each of the timecodes. The timecodes are listed as 24 for 24 fps, 25 for 25 fps, 25P for 25 (PAL with pulldown), and 30 for 30 fps (the count skips 6 frames to fit 30 frames into 24 fps). Table 15 Timecode Frame Counts for Record Timecode Frames 24 00 0 0 0 0 05 06 0 08 0 1 1 1 13 1 1 16 17 18 1 2 2 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 7 9 0 1 2 4 5 9 0 1 0 25 00 0 0 0 0 05 06 0 08 0 1 1 1 13 1 1 16 17 18 1 2 2 22 23 2 1 2 3 4 7 9 0 1 2 4 5 9 0 1 4 25P 00 0 0 0 0 05 06 0 08 0 1 1 1 14 1 1 17 18 19 2 2 2 23 24 0 1 2 3 4 7 9 0 1 3 5 6 0 1 2 0 30 00 0 0 0 0 06 08 0 10 1 1 1 1 16 1 1 20 21 23 2 2 2 28 29 0 1 3 4 5 9 1 3 4 5 8 9 4 5 6 0 Adding Timecode Columns to a Bin To add timecode columns to a bin: 1. Select Bin > Headings. The Bin Column Selection dialog box opens. 2. Ctrl+click (Windows) or click (Macintosh) the timecode columns you want to display. 3. Click OK. The timecode columns appear in the bin. 139 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Adding Timecode Values to the Timecode Columns To add timecode values to the timecode columns: 1. Open a bin. 2. Add the Start column and the timecode column with the format you want to use. 3. Select the Start column. 4. Select Edit > Duplicate. The Select dialog box opens. 5. Select the timecode heading from the list. 6. Click OK. The values for master clips and subclips in the Start column are converted to the appropriate timecode format and are entered into the column you selected. 140 Using Text View Bin Column Headings You can select individual or multiple headings to be displayed or hidden in a bin. Table 16 describes the Bin Column Selection headings. For a procedure on how to select column headings, see “Showing and Hiding Columns” on page 125. Table 16 Bin Column Selection Heading Description Name This heading does not appear as a column selection, but it always appears in the bin. The column contains the name of the clip (you can rename a clip after it has been digitized). Audio The audio resolution (sample rate). Audio Format The audio format of master clips (AIFF-C, SDII, or WAVE). Auxiliary Ink Auxiliary ink format settings allow you to display two types of ink numbers at the same time. This lets you track additional types of film information for different film gauges. Used for 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. Auxiliary TC1 through TC5 You can enter an auxiliary timecode, such as Aaton® or Arri®, or another timecode for editing film or audio timecode for film. (Not restricted to film projects.) CFPS The captured frames per second. Camera The camera used to film this clip. This feature is used in multicamera shoots. Camroll The camera roll containing this clip. Used for 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. Color The color of the bin objects for organizing the objects. Color Framing The color framing for the tape. For NTSC, the choice is Even or Odd. For PAL, the choices are A Standard, A Non-Standard, B Standard, or B NonStandard. n After you add the column to the bin, click in the column and choose a color framing option from the pop-up menu. 141 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Table 16 142 Bin Column Selection (Continued) Heading Description Creation Date The date and time the clip was logged or digitized. Drive The last known drive on which the media for that master clip existed. Duration The length of the clip. End The timecode of the clip’s tail frame. FPS The play rate: the number of frames to be displayed each second. The default is 29.97 for NTSC and 25 for PAL for video. The play rate can also be 24 or 23.98. Film TC The timecode used on film. Used for 23p, 24p and 25p projects only. Frame Displays the same frame that is displayed when you select Frame view for the bin. The frame will only appear in the bin after the media is digitized in the Avid editing application. IN-OUT The length of the marked segment, if any. Ink Number The ink number for the clip. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. KN Duration The length of the clip, expressed in feet and frames. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. KN End The ending key number for the clip. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. KN IN-OUT The Mark IN and Mark OUT key number for the clip. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. KN Mark IN The key number for the IN point, if you set one for the clip. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. KN Mark OUT The key number for the OUT point, if you set one for the clip. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. KN Start The starting key number for the clip. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. Labroll The labroll containing the clip. Using Text View Table 16 Bin Column Selection (Continued) Heading Description Lock Specifies whether the clip is locked against deletion. Mark IN The timecode for the IN point, if you set one for the clip. Mark OUT The timecode for the OUT point, if you set one for the clip. Modified Date The date and time a sequence was last edited or changed. Offline The track names for any media files that are offline. Perf The film edge perforations format used for 3-perf projects. Used for 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. Project The project under which the media was originally digitized. Pullin The telecine pulldown of the first frame of the clip (pulldown phase). Pullin can have the values A, B, C, or D. Used for 24p projects and matchback projects only (NTSC only). Pullout The telecine pulldown of the last frame of the clip (pulldown phase). Pullout can have the values A, B, C, or D. Used for 24p projects and matchback projects only (NTSC only). Reel # The source reel number. Used for 23p, 24p and 25p projects only. Scene The scene number of the clip. Shoot date The date the footage was shot. Slip The number and direction of perfs for subclips (audio clips only). Used for 24p and 25p projects only. Sound TC The timecode for audio. Soundroll The sound roll this clip came from. Used for 23p, 24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback projects only. Start The timecode of the clip’s head frame. TC 24 The 24-fps timecode. Used for 24p and 25p projects only. TC 25 The 25-fps timecode, no pulldown. Used for 24p and 25p projects only. 143 Chapter 5 Organizing with Bins Table 16 144 Bin Column Selection (Continued) Heading Description TC 25P The 25-fps timecode with PAL pulldown. Used for 24p and 25p projects only. TC 30 The 30-fps timecode with 2:3 pulldown. Used for 24p and 25p projects only. Take The take number of the scene. Tape The source tape name. Tracks All tracks used by this media object. VITC The vertical interval timecode. Video The resolution under which the media for that clip was digitized. Chapter 6 Creating MediaLog Output Once you have finished logging your tapes, you can print the bins to create a paper record of your log, export the bin files for use in a different application, or transfer the bins to an Avid editing system for digitizing and editing the footage. This chapter covers the following topics: • Printing Bins • Exporting Bins • Transferring Bins to an Avid Editing System • Transferring Projects and Bins Using AFE Files Printing Bins Before you print MediaLog bins, make sure a printer driver has been installed and your computer recognizes the driver. If the driver is installed properly, simply restarting your computer will cause the system to recognize the driver. n Directions for installing the printer driver and selecting the printer should be included in the documentation for your printer and for your computer system. The Avid application allows you to print entire bins or individual frames in hardcopy form. Chapter 6 Creating MediaLog Output To print entire bins in Brief or Text view: 1. Make sure your printer is correctly set up. See the Help or your system administrator. 2. Click the Brief tab (Brief view) or Text tab (Text view) of the bin to select the view you want to print. 3. Select File > Page Setup. The Page Setup dialog box opens, reflecting the specific options for your printer. 4. Select the Page Setup options. 5. Click OK. 6. Select File > Print Bin. The Print dialog box opens, reflecting the specific options for your printer. 7. Select the Print options. 8. Click OK (Windows) or click Print (Macintosh). The system prints the active bin. Exporting Bins You can save the bin information in a text file for use with other applications. The information is saved in an ASCII file (TAB Delimited) and is organized in the following way: • Line 1 is a list of the headings in the current Bin view. This line is optional. • Each remaining line is data for an individual clip, with tabs delimiting each category of information. These lines are separated by carriage returns. The file can be opened in any word processing or text editing package, or it can be imported into a database file created by applications like Microsoft Excel and Claris® FileMaker®. 146 Exporting Bins The information can also be saved as a shot log in Avid format (ALE) for importing to an Avid editing system bin. You can export a shot log file from the Avid system in one of two formats for making adjustments in a text processor or for importing into another system. To export a shot log based on clip information in a bin: 1. Open the bin containing the clips you want to export. If necessary, click the Text tab to display all clip information. 2. Click a Clip icon to select it. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Shift+click (Macintosh) each additional clip you want to export. 3. Select File > Export. The Export As dialog box (Windows) or Destination dialog box (Macintosh) opens with a default file name in the File name text box (Windows) or Export As text box (Macintosh), based on the file type. 4. Select the Export setting by doing one of the following: t If you have previously created an Export setting for exporting shot log files, click the Export pop-up menu, and select the setting. Then, go to step 9. t If you want to review or edit Export settings, go to step 5. 5. Click Options. The Export Settings dialog box opens. 6. Click the Export As pop-up menu, and select one of the following: n t Select Avid Log Exchange to export the selected bin as a shot log file that complies with ALE specifications. For information about Avid Log Exchange, see Table 7 on page 100. t Select Tab Delimited to export the selected bin as a tab-delimited ASCII text file. ALE and tab-delimited files include information for master clips and subclips only. Information for other objects, such as group clips, sequences, and precomputes, is not included. 147 Chapter 6 Creating MediaLog Output 7. To modify an existing setting, select Save. 8. To save the setting with a new name, select Save As and type a name in the dialog box that opens. The Export Setting name is added to the list of formats available from the Export dialog box. 9. Click Save to close the Export As dialog box (Windows) or the Destination dialog box (Macintosh). 10. (Option) Change the file name. In most cases, keep the default file name extension. Select the destination folder for the file and click Save.The file is exported and appears at the selected destination. Transferring Bins to an Avid Editing System Bins you have created on a MediaLog system can be transferred to an Avid editing system and then opened directly from within an Avid editing project. The clips logged in the transferred bins are ready for batch digitizing; no additional preparation is required. It is best to transfer only bins, without projects, to the Avid editing system. Then if you want, you can digitize the bins using a different video resolution. You can transfer bins in the same way you transfer any files: on a floppy disk, removable disk, or over a network. To transfer MediaLog bins to an Avid editing system: 1. On your computer desktop, locate and double-click the Avid Projects folder in the Select User and Project dialog box (see “Setting Up Project Files and Folders” on page 31). The default locations for project folders are as follows: 2. Double-click the project from which you want to transfer bins. 3. Select the bins you want to transfer. 148 Transferring Projects and Bins Using AFE Files 4. Copy the MediaLog bins to a formatted floppy disk, removable disk, or network drive. 5. At the Avid editing system, quit the Avid editing application, if it is open. 6. Double-click the Avid Projects folder. Then double-click the project folder where you want to store MediaLog bins. 7. If using a floppy disk for transfer, insert the floppy disk into the Avid editing system floppy drive. 8. Double-click drive icon. 9. Select the MediaLog bins, and copy them into the appropriate project folder. 10. Start the Avid editing system and open the project. The MediaLog bins appear in the list of bins. Transferring Projects and Bins Using AFE Files AFE (Avid File Exchange) files are an efficient way to transfer project information between Avid applications. For example, you can use AFE files to transfer projects and bins from an offline Media Composer to an Avid|DS finishing system. n Currently you can import an AFE file into Avid|DS v6.0 or later only. AFE files are based on AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) technology. AFE files, however, are especially designed for sharing project information among Avid applications. AFE files let you transfer one or more bins, their contents, and information about the contents, including master clips, subclips, titles, and sequences. n Specific information for transferring projects to Avid|DS is contained in the Avid|DS Conform Guide, which is available from the Avid Customer Support Knowledge Center or the Avid|DS Web site. For information on accessing the Knowledge Center, see the release notes for your Avid system. 149 Chapter 6 Creating MediaLog Output To create an AFE file: 1. Do one of the following: 150 t To create a file that includes all bins in a project, click the project window and select File > Export. The Export Project As dialog box opens. Select a location, name the file, and click Save. t To create a file that includes the contents of a single bin, open the bin, click the bin, and select File > Export. The Export Bin As dialog box opens. Select Avid File Exchange (*.afe) from the Export Bin As list. Select a location, name the file, and click Save. Transferring Projects and Bins Using AFE Files 2. Transfer the AFE file to a location you can access from the other Avid application. You can use removable media, a network connection, or an Avid UnityTM shared storage system. 151 Chapter 6 Creating MediaLog Output 152 Appendix A Avid Log Specifications This section explains the Avid log file format. The Avid editing system can import logs that meet Avid log specifications. These logs must follow the formatting requirements described in this appendix. Understanding Avid Log Specifications You can prepare an Avid log on any type of IBM®-compatible or Macintosh computer by using a word processing application or a text editor. You can use the file name extension .txt, but it is not required. To ensure accuracy, you must follow the Avid log specifications described in this appendix. An Avid log is composed of three sections, in this order: • Global headings • Standard and custom column headings • Data headings When you create an Avid log, you must follow the order precisely. The tables in this section follow this order. For an example of a simple log file, see “Sample Avid Log” on page 162. Appendix A Avid Log Specifications Avid Log Specifications This section contains tables that show how to enter headings and data to create an Avid log. The tables use the following conventions: • A heading appears in the first column, without angle brackets or standard brackets. For example, FIELD_DELIM is the first global heading. • Ais surrounded by angle brackets. appear underneath, also in angle brackets. You must enter exactly one of these values. For example, <29.97> is one of the supported values for the FPS heading; to specify that value, type 29.97. • is also surrounded by angle brackets, but it is italicized. For example, is the data entry for the Start heading; type the correct timecode, in the format 08:19:10:00 (or 08;19;10;00, for drop-frame timecode). • [Tab] and [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (Macintosh) keys are surrounded by standard brackets. • A column contains the word “Required” if the heading must be included in the log. • The final column contains notes about the heading or values. You can decide not to display a defined heading (including a required heading), except for Name. Name must always be displayed. The maximum number of combined global, standard, and custom headings in a log file is 64. Global Headings The global headings must come first in an Avid log file, and you must enter one value for each heading. Table 17 shows the format for the global headings and the supported values for each heading. 154 Avid Log Specifications Table 17 Avid Log Global Headings GLOBAL HEADINGS: Global headings are case sensitive and must be spelled exactly as shown. Include all required headings. Other headings are optional but might be necessary for your project. The maximum number of combined global, standard, and custom headings in a log file is 64. Heading [Enter] or [Return] Required This marks the start of the global headings. Enter TABS to show that the file is Tab delimited. FIELD_DELIM [Tab] [Enter] or [Return] Required VIDEO_FORMAT [Tab] [Enter] or [Return] Required FILM_FORMAT [Tab] <16mm> <35mm,3perf> <35mm,4perf> [Enter] or [Return] AUDIO_FORMAT [Tab] <22kHz> <24kHz> <44kHz> <48kHz> [Enter] or [Return] TAPE [Tab] [Enter] or [Return] Required Name of the videotape reel you are logging. If you omit this heading, the file name becomes the global tape name. You can override this for individual clips. FPS [Tab] <23.98> <24> <25> <29.97> [Enter] or [Return] Required Capture rate is 23.98 fps (23.978 fps) for NTSC, 24 fps for NTSC or PAL, 25 fps for PAL, or 29.97 fps for NTSC. Audio sampling rate for digitizing. You can override this for individual clips. 155 Appendix A Avid Log Specifications Table 17 Avid Log Global Headings (Continued) [Enter] or [Return] Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) a second time after entering the FPS value. This marks the end of the global headings. Column Headings The standard column headings appear after the global headings in the Avid log file. You do not enter the data for a column heading along with the heading. You enter the data later, in a separate data section. You must include the five required standard column headings; they are listed first in Table 18. You can create your own custom column headings. Enter them after the standard headings (see the last heading in Table 18). To create a custom heading, substitute the custom heading name for . You can create several custom headings, as long as the total of global, standard, and custom headings does not exceed 64. Table 18 Avid Log Column Headings COLUMN HEADINGS: Column headings are case sensitive and must be spelled exactly as shown. Note that the first five headings are required. Other headings are optional but might be necessary for your project. This table lists only the column headings that are relevant to shot log files. Some data, such as Creation Date, is gathered by the system. The following table does not include headings for such data. The maximum number of combined global, standard, and custom headings in a log file is 64. Column [Enter] or [Return] Required Indicates the start of the column headings. Name [Tab] Required Heading for clip name. Tracks [Tab] Required Heading for tracks you select for digitizing. 156 Avid Log Specifications Table 18 Avid Log Column Headings (Continued) Start [Tab] Required Heading for video timecode of sync point — the timecode IN for clip. From address track of video. End [Tab] Required Heading for timecode OUT for clip. From address track of video. Audio [Tab] Heading for the audio resolution (sample rate). If omitted, the global entry for AUDIO_FORMAT applies. Auxiliary Ink [Tab] Heading for a second ink number used for the clip. Auxiliary TC1 [Tab] Heading for auxiliary timecode. Auxiliary TC2 [Tab] Heading for auxiliary timecode. Auxiliary TC3 [Tab] Heading for auxiliary timecode. Auxiliary TC4 [Tab] Heading for auxiliary timecode. Auxiliary TC5 [Tab] Heading for auxiliary timecode. Camera [Tab] Heading for the camera used to film this clip. This feature is used in multicamera shoots. Camroll [Tab] Heading for the camera roll ID containing this clip. Duration [Tab] Heading for timecode Start to timecode End, the length of the video clip. FPS [Tab] Heading for video frames per second rate for digitizing the individual clip. If omitted, the global entry applies. Film TC [Tab] Heading for the timecode used on the film. Ink Number [Tab] Heading for the ink number used for the clip. KN Duration [Tab] Heading for the length of the clip, expressed in feet and frames. KN End [Tab] Heading for the ending key number for the clip. KN Start [Tab] Heading for the starting key number for the clip. Labroll [Tab] Heading for the lab roll ID for the clip. Lab rolls are a combination of several camera rolls. 157 Appendix A Avid Log Specifications Table 18 Avid Log Column Headings (Continued) Perf [Tab] Heading for the film-edge perforations format used for 3-perf projects. Pullin [Tab] Heading for the telecine pulldown of the first frame of the clip (pulldown phase). Pullin can have the values A, B, C, or D. Pullout [Tab] Heading for the telecine pulldown of the last frame of the clip (pulldown phase). Pullout can have the values A, B, C, or D. Reel # [Tab] Heading for the source reel number. Scene [Tab] Heading for the scene number of the clip. Shoot date [Tab] Heading for the date the footage was shot. Sound TC [Tab] Heading for Nagra timecode, Aaton code, Arri code, and so on, at the sync point. Syncs with the Start timecode. Required if tracking the sync sound. Capture rate can be 25 or 30 fps. Soundroll [Tab] Heading for sound roll ID for clip. TC 24 [Tab] Heading for 24-fps timecode. TC 25P [Tab] Heading for 25-fps timecode with pulldown. TC 25 [Tab] Heading for 25-fps timecode. TC 30 [Tab] Heading for 30-fps timecode. Take [Tab] Heading for take ID for clip. Tape [Tab] Heading for source tape ID for the individual clip. If omitted, the global entry applies. DESCRIPT [Tab] Heading for description of clip. COMMENTS [Tab] Heading for comments about clip. [Tab] Add any category of information you want. Add as many headings as you want, but do not use more than a total of 64 global and column headings in the file. Press the Tab key between each heading. Do not press the Tab key after the last heading. 158 Avid Log Specifications Table 18 [Enter] or [Return] Avid Log Column Headings (Continued) [Enter] or [Return] Press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (Macintosh) twice (do not press Tab) after the last heading. Data Entries The data entries come after the Custom column headings. Table 19 shows the format for entering data. Enter a line of data in this format for every clip. Be sure to start the data section for each clip with the word Data [Enter] (Windows) or Data [Return] (Macintosh). Table 19 Avid Log Data Headings DATA HEADINGS: The word Data marks the start of the data for each clip. Data [Enter] Required or [Return] Enter the word Data to mark the start of the logged clip entries. DATA FOR EACH CLIP: Enter a line of data for each clip. Enter the data so it aligns with its column heading. (The data that goes with the ninth column heading must be the ninth data entry.) Be sure to enter data for all the required values. To leave a data position unfilled, press the Tab key instead of typing data. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) at the end of each line. Your Avid system supports up to four audio tracks in imported and exported logs. [Tab] Required Under Name heading. Enter a clip identifier (32 characters maximum). [Tab] Required Under Tracks heading. Enter the tracks you want digitized for the clip. Enter V for MOS takes. Enter A1, A2, or A1A2 for wild sound. [Tab] Required Under Start heading. Enter the video timecode for the sync point, the first frame of the clip. Use colons for nondrop-frame (for example, 01:00:12:20). Use one or more semicolons for drop-frame (for example, 01;18;00;02). 159 Appendix A Avid Log Specifications Table 19 Avid Log Data Headings (Continued) [Tab] <22kHz> <24kHz> <44kHz> <48kHz> [Tab] Under Audio heading. Enter the audio sampling rate for this clip only. If omitted, global entry applies. [Tab] Under Auxiliary Ink Number heading. Identify a second ink number for the start of the clip. [Tab] Under Auxiliary TC heading. Enter a Nagra timecode, Aaton code, Arri code, and so on, for the sync point. Syncs with the Start timecode. [Tab] Under Camera heading. Identify the camera, using letters or numbers. For multicamera shoots. [Tab] Under Camroll heading. Identify the camera roll, using letters and numbers. [Tab] Under Duration heading. Enter the length of the video clip, Start to End. <23.98> <24> <25> <29.97> [Tab] Under FPS heading. Enter the video capture rate for this clip only. If omitted, the global entry applies. Use 23.98 fps (23.978 fps) for NTSC, 24 fps for NTSC or PAL, 25 fps for PAL, or 29.97 fps for NTSC. [Tab] Under Film TC heading. Identify the timecode used for the film, usually at 24 fps. [Tab] Under Ink Number heading. Identify the ink number for the start of the clip. [Tab] Under KN Start heading. Identify the complete key number for the start of the clip, for example, KU 31 2636-8903&12. [Tab] Under KN End heading. Identify the key number for the end of the clip. You need to identify only feet and frames, for example, 0342&07. [Tab] Under KN Duration heading. Identify the length of the clip, in feet and frames. 160 Required Under End heading. Enter the video timecode for the last frame of the clip. Avid Log Specifications Table 19 Avid Log Data Headings (Continued) [Tab] Under Labroll heading. Identify the lab roll, using letters and numbers. <1> <2> <3> [Tab] Under Perf heading. Edit the perf for this clip only. [Tab] (matchback only) Under Pullin heading. Identify the telecine pulldown of the first frame of the clip (pulldown phase). NTSC only. [Tab] (matchback only) Under Pullout heading. Identify the telecine pulldown of the last frame of the clip. NTSC only. [Tab] Under Reel # heading. Identify the reel, using numbers. [Tab] Under Scene heading. Identify the scene, using letters and numbers. [Tab] Under Shoot Date heading. Identify the date the footage was shot, in numbers or in letters and numbers. [Tab] Under Sound TC heading. Identify the sound timecode at the sync point. Syncs with the Start timecode. [Tab] Under Soundroll heading. Identify the sound roll, using letters and numbers. [Tab] Under TC 24 heading. Identify the start of the clip for 24p timecode. [Tab] Under TC 25p heading. Identify the start of the clip for 25p timecode (PAL pulldown). [Tab] Under TC 25 heading. Identify the start of the clip for 25-fps timecode (PAL). [Tab] Under TC 30 heading. Identify the start of the clip for 30-fps timecode. 161 Appendix A Avid Log Specifications Table 19 Avid Log Data Headings (Continued) [Tab] Under Take heading. Identify the take, using letters and numbers.
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