Recuva is free and will do the job.

But, Bud, you do know that prerendered files are TEMPORARY don't you? From the Sony Help files (which I strongly recommend you read):
"...choose Selectively Prerender Video to render

Being temporary, there is no reason for Vegas to leave them behind.

It's not at all unsettling. I don't want my hard drive littered with temporary files. I applaud Vegas for purging my drive for me.

I have a few comments and criticisms here.

First, as TLF explains, prerenders are temporary. By default they'll be deleted when you close Vegas. However, there's a preferences setting to save active prerenders when you close Vegas and this will preserve them for the next session.

Second, prerenders are usually a source of frustration for people because they disappear very easily. One thing to keep in mind about prerenders is that they are of stretches of the timeline, not of the media. If you move a lone clip around on the timeline the prerender will be discarded. It's counterintuitive for some people.

Now for criticism. You shouldn't have been sitting there working for the night without having saved your project. Yes, Vegas saves backups, but get into the habit of saving your project. Vegas indicates that the project could be saved with an asterisk on the title bar. Something to watch for. Save early, save often.

Finally, just a nit about forum writing style. You really need to watch out for paragraphs "out of nowhere". For example, the "I don't normally..." sentence gives no indication of what you're talking about or how it relates to the rest of the post. It's just out of the blue. I mention this because you've started out a few threads in this out of the blue style and it's the sort of thing that can draw a bad reaction. Like a lone guy on a bus who just starts talking. So just take your time, read your posts before posting, and look out for things that read as though they were coming out of nowhere.

Rob Mack

I didn't mean unsettling that the temp files were gone.. Unsettling when files you expect to be there are not.

Ah, I thought you were alluding the the problem you had when your render failed at 100% and the file disappeared!

I wish Windows were as thorough as Vegas when it comes to purging temporary files. In the days when I worked with Magix Movie Edit Pro, we were delighted when Magic created a program to delete all the temporary files MEP left scattered around. Unfortunately, that utility was too aggressive and would delete some of the files you really did need to keep.

And that WAS unsettling.

Sorry.

My brain jumps around because of ADHD. Like changing channels on the TV. A lot of times my paragraphs are out of order too.

I DO try to conform my writing style, but I don't recognize everything that others might.

I have no intention of being rude or obnoxious or anything negative when I'm posting. I try to remember those that have lesser tolerance of me, and don't respond to their chiding.

I want to interact with this forum, but not so much as a "student/teacher" thing. I hope most here would overlook my peccadilloes and not feel a need to control even my grammar because I will have no hope.

================================================================
Finally, just a nit about forum writing style. You really need to watch out for paragraphs "out of nowhere". For example, the "I don't normally..." sentence gives no indication of what you're talking about or how it relates to the rest of the post. It's just out of the blue. I mention this because you've started out a few threads in this out of the blue style and it's the sort of thing that can draw a bad reaction. Like a lone guy on a bus who just starts talking.

My thinking must be wrong then.

What I did THIS TIME is put all my source AVCHD material on the timeline, then selective pre-rendered to MXF, then deleted the AVCHD's from the project and loaded up the MXF files.

I get a nice split of everything and can identify sequences easily, and when I closed the program THIS TIME it did not delete the MXF files.

Can someone clue me in? I'd appreciate it.


===================================================================
But, Bud, you do know that prerendered files are TEMPORARY don't you? From the Sony Help files (which I strongly recommend you read):
"...choose Selectively Prerender Video to render temporary preview files for the sections of your project that cannot be rendered in real time. These temporary preview files are used when you play back that section of the project.".

Being temporary, there is no reason for Vegas to leave them behind.

For what you're doing, I'm not understanding why you would pre-render? As others have pointed out, this is really only for previewing smoothly.

What you can do, is put all your AVCHD on the timeline and just render it out to a MXF file. Or use regions and use the batch render script to render out either all the files separately or the parts you want to keep to MXF.

And as John pointed out, CTRL-S all the time!

kairosmatt

OK, I deleted that reference to the utilities I use. I failed to mention the other features that do scramble, hash, find, encrypt, patch, and a lot of other useful things. I certainly wouldn't pay $30 just to recover files.

OK, thanks.

.......My brain jumps around because of ADHD
Overshare... I'm old and forget stuff,, but i doubt anyone gives a shi@

"I'm old and forget stuff,, but i doubt anyone gives a shi@ " Isn't this "We give a shi@ forum"...or.... is it "We don't give a shi@ forum, especially about Apple!" ;-) Of course "being old" having a forum about " shi@" may interest you, ;-) I know a few microbiologists that talk about " shi@" all the time and they seem to enjoy examining it way too much! ;-) And I do try not to edit " shi@" all the time, but avoiding output that looks like " shi@" is getting tougher....... ;-)

I want to interact with this forum, but not so much as a "student/teacher" thing.

Interaction is good, but why not as a student teacher thing? Are you afraid to be a student? If so, that is such a shame.

I've been editing for years (for fun) and the great thing about this forum is that I can come and openly admit my ignorance, and in doing so I will find an answer; someone else may also be helped.

Other times, I might be the teacher, helping someone else resolve an issue.

One thing I have learned from being a teacher is that the best pupils ask searching questions. In so doing, they recognise their own shortcomings, and are willing to do something about it.

That attitude is one that most people would respect.

Instead of thinking along the lines of student/teacher, think novice/expert. I am happy to admit that I am mainly novice, with pockets of expertise.

I'll also admit to watching your YouTube clip and learning something from that. Something that I am now going to try for myself.

"I'll also admit to watching your YouTube clip and learning something from that. Something that I am now going to try for myself."--------- could you post the link again, I'm not sure if I saw it. ;-(

The video is in this thread:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?Forum=4&MessageID=689496

It's simple compositing, but is something I'd never tried before. Yet being simple, it's quite effective, I think, so I've been toying with compositing this morning, and I'll be using it in my 2009 Family Movie edit.

Hmmm ...

Options>Preferences>General and make sure that Save active prerenders on project close is checked.

Tom

A-ha, now THERE's a good answer!

> What I did THIS TIME is put all my source AVCHD material on the timeline,
> then selective pre-rendered to MXF, then deleted the AVCHD's from the
> project and loaded up the MXF files.

WTF kind of work flow is that?

As others have mentioned, PRErenders are for playback convenience only. Use PRErendering to test out effects, complex edits, short bits of the timeline, etc.

If you want to generate new files to edit, RENDER AS new files from the File menu.

The moon mask?

===============================================================
It's simple compositing, but is something I'd never tried before. Yet being simple, it's quite effective, I think, so I've been toying with compositing this morning, and I'll be using it in my 2009 Family Movie edit.

I just got back from a visit to my parents with my family. I am 48 but my father still corrects my grammar. To say it is irritating is a vast understatement. Please feel free to shoot me if I ever do that to any of you. I just want to talk about video editing here, and as long as I can understand the ideas exchanged I am happy.

Aye, the moon mask. A lovely effect.

For the first time, I've been investigating not just compositing but parent/child tracks too. Great fun. And full frame rate playback, too.