Importing from more SD cards - without restart of VEGAS?

walter-i. wrote on 11/21/2018, 3:19 AM

Have you tried opening Vegas in multiple instances and importing in parallel?

klt wrote on 11/21/2018, 3:49 AM

Thanks for your input.

That's my horrible english, sorry. I was not clear.

I have 4 SD cards full, from 2 cameras (AVCHD).

What I 'd like to do is:

-start Vegas

-import card1

-import card2

-import card3

-import card4

-start working with the edit.

I can't do this. What I have to do is:

-start Vegas

-import card1

-quit Vegas

-change card in reader

-start Vegas

-import card2

-quit Vegas

-change card in reader

-start Vegas

-import card3

-quit Vegas

-change card in reader

-start Vegas

-import card4

-start working...

That's so an awful process. I'm doing something wrong, or I'm the only one who needs to import more cards at a time?

Rainer wrote on 11/21/2018, 1:39 PM

Your process sounds wrong. Import the cards content to your computer first. Then start Vegas and drag (or import) the content from your computer into Project Media.

klt wrote on 11/21/2018, 1:47 PM

Thank you.

You mean I should copy all the cards contents to somewhere on my HDD, and the browse to those directories in device explorer and do the import?

I'll try this technique...

Marco. wrote on 11/21/2018, 1:57 PM

The prefered way to import SD card media is to use the Vegas Pro Device Explorer, e.g. because this way Vegas Pro automatically merges 2 GB chunks of larger clips.

Don't know which version and build of Vegas Pro you use and which way you try to import, but on my notebook it is easy to import media from several SD cards without restarting Vegas Pro. I don't even have to close the Device Explorer. Once I pull the current SD card off it automatically clears the content of the Device Explorer and once I put in the next SD card it automatically reads the clips of the new SD card.

klt wrote on 11/21/2018, 2:17 PM

Thank you Marco. What you described is the behavior I also would expect from removing the SD card. At least I know now that the problem is my device.

I'm on Vegas 16 now, but I this problem is hurting me since Vegas 14.

I have a "4 in 1" USB3 card reader plugged in my desktop computer. No matter how I remove the card, just pull off, or tell Windows to remove it, the contents stay there in Vegas device explorer.

Marco. wrote on 11/21/2018, 2:33 PM

Any chance to try another SD card reader?

Already checked if the latest drivers are installed?

Which build of VP16?

klt wrote on 11/21/2018, 2:47 PM

Thanks Marco. I blamed Vegas because this seemed a generic problem to me. Now it's about VP16.307, but the same was with all builds of VP15, and VP14 before. In addition VP14 ran still on Windows 7. There are no special drivers installed.

I'm going to try another card reader, I start to think it is the culprit.

Former user wrote on 11/21/2018, 3:03 PM

My card reader is a multi format card reader. I have to unplug it from the USB each time I change the card for it to read the new card. Might try that first.

walter-i. wrote on 11/21/2018, 3:49 PM

The prefered way to import SD card media is to use the Vegas Pro Device Explorer, e.g. because this way Vegas Pro automatically merges 2 GB chunks of larger clips.

I did not know that - learned something again!
I've always copied the individual clips with Windows to the hard drive, and then loaded on the timeline.
But 2 gig files, that shortens the time, when opening the project enormously!

Thanks Marco!

Red Prince wrote on 11/21/2018, 8:30 PM

Maybe you could burn all those files to a BD (Blu-ray Disc), I mean the files themselves, as data. And then you could use the BD as your source in Vegas. That way you have a nice backup of the files and you do not have to swap cards every time.

Rainer wrote on 11/21/2018, 10:08 PM

I'm missing something here. I've always either copied the files to a hard drive first or used the camera software to transfer concatenated large files, then imported them into Vegas, always from the hard drive. If you import files using the Device Explorer, don't you have to still save your files to your working drive each time you've imported them by saving and "copying media with project" with the card still in the reader and which takes just as long and is a step you tend to forget every other time? Or otherwise the project still needs the SD card? Genuinely confused.

Former user wrote on 11/21/2018, 10:21 PM

If you use the Device Explorer, it copies the files to the folder you select as it joins them together.

Rainer wrote on 11/22/2018, 1:58 AM

Thanks David. Had not used Device Explorer on 16, but gave it a go and it's not working. I'm starting a new thread

Edit: No new thread. There's a considerable body of opinion that Device Explorer only ever worked on AVCHD files, and despite contrary views I'm inclined to agree.

Marco. wrote on 11/22/2018, 3:40 AM

The Vegas Pro Device Explorer works with SD- and CF-media (or harddisc media stored with same file structure) based on AVCHD, XDCAM EX, NXCAM, XAVC, XAVC-S, P2 and RED.

klt wrote on 11/22/2018, 7:56 AM

Thank you all.

@Former user : I also have to unplug this reader. If I do this, Vegas recognizes the card change. Can't say enough thank you!

@Rainer : "I've always either copied the files to a hard drive first or used the camera software to transfer concatenated large files, then imported them into Vegas,"

It's about a JVC GY-HM600, and a Canon XA-10. I'm not aware of a dedicated import software for them, but didn't look for it, because Vegas could do the job. Just this card exchange process was driving me crazy :)

@walter-i : "I've always copied the individual clips with Windows to the hard drive, and then loaded on the timeline." Yes that works too, but only if the clips are short enough. Having a 2 hours long stage-shot, this is not the case. Of course it's still possible to do that, if I don't need the audio. I can "concatenate" the files on the timeline, and it will be fine with the picture, but there will be a short drop out in the audio. If I also need the audio this does not work. So the only option is to import the media correctly via device explorer - at least as I see.

So the solution to my problem is to remove also the card reader, not just the card from it.

Can't say why I never thought on this....

walter-i. wrote on 11/25/2018, 4:48 AM

The prefered way to import SD card media is to use the Vegas Pro Device Explorer, e.g. because this way Vegas Pro automatically merges 2 GB chunks of larger clips.

@Marco. Could you please explain how you can set, that Device Explorer automically merges clips?
My Device Explorer imports separate clips from SD-Card as it do, if I use windows explorer.

Former user wrote on 11/25/2018, 8:48 AM

I don't think there is a setting, mine just does it automatically. It does not merge individual clips, it merges clips that exceed the 2gb file size limit, but are one continuous clip.

klt wrote on 11/25/2018, 9:34 AM

@walter-i. : It does not merge all clips. It merges only those clips, which were split during recording because of a filesize limit. Heres an example, the device explorer shows 11 clips however there are 13 files in streams. Just like david-tu says.

If you always work with short shots, you never need to do the merge.

walter-i. wrote on 11/25/2018, 11:07 AM

@walter-i. : It does not merge all clips. It merges only those clips, which were split during recording because of a filesize limit. Heres an example, the device explorer shows 11 clips however there are 13 files in streams. Just like david-tu says.

If you always work with short shots, you never need to do the merge.

Thanks @Former user and @klt - I afraid, I anderstood Marco not correctly.

I hoped for an advantage, when many short clips were automatically merged - because vegas opens faster, if not so many events are on the timeline.

jyoungl6 wrote on 11/25/2018, 9:27 PM

My bet is that this is an issue with the card reader. Card readers do not need any special drivers, as the firmware presents itself as just another removable storage device. That being said, a devices firmware can have bugs and problems that make the device behave oddly, depending on the OS being used. I would try another card reader.

Another thing to try is making sure you are properly ejecting the media (using the taskbar icon) before yanking it out of the card reader.

OldSmoke wrote on 11/26/2018, 6:08 PM

The Vegas Pro Device Explorer works with SD- and CF-media (or harddisc media stored with same file structure) based on AVCHD, XDCAM EX, NXCAM, XAVC, XAVC-S, P2 and RED.

Well, I don't seem to have luck with my a6300 and AX700 XAVC-S recorded SD cards, both are not recognized by the Device Explorer or is this exclusive to VP16?

Marco. wrote on 11/27/2018, 5:37 AM

Not exclusive to VP16. Device Explorer was introduced many versions before, maybe 10 or 11.

Did you try to use the Device Explorer with the SD card inserted/connected or did you copy the files before?

OldSmoke wrote on 11/27/2018, 7:15 AM

Not exclusive to VP16. Device Explorer was introduced many versions before, maybe 10 or 11.

Did you try to use the Device Explorer with the SD card inserted/connected or did you copy the files before?

I tried it all ways. I was always under the impression that the last time this worked was for AVCHD file structures but never for XAVC-S 4K. It isn’t a big deal as the 4K files aren’t size limited at all.