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When working on Avid Xpress Pro there might be times when you need to copy master clips and media files from one drive to another. Perhaps you need to move from one system to another or you want to back up media files on a different drive. To make copies of media files, you'll need to use the consolidate feature. Consolidating allows you to copy media files to a selected drive. To consolidate a master clip, follow these steps:
Highlight the clips you want to consolidate.
Choose Consolidate/Transcode from the Bin menu. The Consolidate/Transcode window will open (see Figure 14.19).
Select which drive you want the new media file to be saved to.
If you're consolidating to conserve space (which I'll cover shortly), you can opt to delete the original media files when done and/or skip media files that are already on the target drive. If you choose to delete, Avid Xpress Pro will copy the files and delete the original. Choose to skip media files only if you've already consolidated once.
If you're consolidating audio along with video, you'll have the option to convert the audio to a different sample rate conversion.
Once you've selected your options, click Consolidate.
Before any copying occurs, Avid Xpress Pro will need to know what you want to do with the original clip (see Figure 14.20).
If you choose the first option, the copied clips will be linked to the new media files and the new clip will have the word new appended to it (see Figure 14.21). Use this option for backing up master clips.
If you choose to relink the clip to media on the targeted drive, the original clip is linked to the new media files and the consolidated clip is linked to the old media files. The consolidated clip will have the word old appended to it (see Figure 14.22). This is a great option when you're having difficulties playing a certain clip because it breaks the link with a problem media files.
After you've decided which media files you want the consolidated or copied clips to be linked to, click OK. The consolidating process will begin. This process can be lengthy; it depends on how many media files are actually being copied.
The consolidating feature of Avid Xpress Pro really shines when you consolidate sequences and sub-clips. By consolidating a sequence, you're only copying the material needed to make the sequence play. Thus if you wanted to move a finished sequence to a different drive for backing up purposes, consolidate is the feature you want to use. Simply highlight the sequence and choose Consolidate/Transcode from the Bin menu. Because you're consolidating a sequence, you'll have the option of adding handles to the clips you're copying (see Figure 14.23).
If you need to create more drive space for a project, consolidating sub-clips might be your best option. For example, say you captured an entire speech, which lasted 22 minutes. As you edit, you realize you're only going to use about one minute from the speech. You can recapture just the one minute you need or you can use the consolidate feature to eliminate the extra 21 minutes.
To consolidate a sub-clip, follow these steps:
First make your master clip into a sub-clip.
Highlight the sub-clip.
Choose Consolidate/Transcode from the Bin menu.
Add a handle length and choose Delete Original Media Files When Done. Remember, you're trying to save hard drive space.
Click the Consolidate button. The sub-clip will be consolidated.
When you consolidate a sub-clip, Avid Xpress creates a new master clip and a new sub-clip from the new master clip. Confused? Check out Figure 14.24. The new sub-clip simply points to new points within the new clip.
Also notice the word new and a number appear on the new master clip and the new sub-clip (see Figure 14.25).
Transcoding allows you to mix the two video resolutions that are available in Avid Xpress Pro. Although you can play the mixed resolutions , transcoding the clips or sequence does not actually change the clip's resolution. For example, if you captured material at 15:1, when you transcode the clip or the sequence the clip's in, the resolution will not improve to a higher resolution.
To transcode a clip or sequence, follow these steps:
Select the clip and/or bin you want to transcode.
Choose Consolidate/Transcode from the Bin menu.
Select Transcode instead of Consolidate in the upper-left box (see Figure 14.26).
Similar to performing a consolidate, choose the target drive on which the transcoded clip will be stored.
Select a target resolution. Once a resolution is selected, Avid Xpress Pro will indicate how much drive space is required to perform the transcode.
Click on the Transcode button.
Select which media files you want the original media files to be linked to, either the new transcended file or the original file. Click OK. (see Figure 14.27).
If you're transcoding a sequence, Avid Xpress Pro will go through the entire sequence and transcode any clips necessary to play the sequence. Don't use transcoding to lay off a sequence with different resolutions to tape.
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