Production Assistant "Archive" Question

CClub wrote on 5/15/2009, 8:29 PM

I'm testing out the PA demo... if I use the "Archive" function, I then have the full project (including nested) in a folder. If I then delete the original files, how would I get Vegas to then consider all of those new "Archived" files as the originals and pull them onto the timeline to replace the original files?

Comments

BrianStanding wrote on 5/16/2009, 8:43 AM

If it works the way the similar function in Ultimate S works, then it should create a new veg file in the target directory that points to the correct files.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 5/16/2009, 8:53 AM

Archive Nested Projects creates a new project file with all of the media pointing to the correct place. Just go to the folder that you archived to and open the new project (which will have the same name as the original project). Everything will already be pointing to the archive folder with no dependencies on the original files.

The typical use of this function is to point to a folder on a removable drive and then take that drive with you to another location to edit with everything (including the project and all nested media) in one place. That new folder is now self sufficient and if you used a format that Vegas can trim (like AVI) it will only contain the sections of the original files that you actually used. (i.e., it trims the media)

~jr

CClub wrote on 5/16/2009, 9:53 AM

JR,
Thanks for your help... as always. I find out amazing things about Ultimate S all the time. I didn't even know that it did this!

I guess the primary question for me as a current Ultimate S Pro user, is this: if we currently have many of the PA functions with Ultimate S, is the primary upside to PA the "slug" replacement function? That's a new term to me, so I'm not sure if I'm using it correctly.

For me with my current business projects, I've been developing consistent customers over the past few years, and I see the potential need for the "slug" replacement. I'm not sure if I'm quite there yet, and I'm trying to determine if I just need Ultimate S Pro right now and get PA if I see a little more consistency from project to project.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 5/16/2009, 11:20 AM

> ...is the primary upside to PA the "slug" replacement function?

Being able to create project templates with video and audio media slugs and then instantly creating projects with substitute media is certainly a big part of what Production Assistant does but that's not all. The part for me which is even bigger is the process automation capability of chaining functions together.

Ultimate S Pro is an interactive editing tool. It is a collection of productivity aids to use while editing. You apply a tool and keep editing. Production Assistant has the ability to chain its tools together to automate editing. So if you need to add an network bug in Vegas you would just drop the bug on a track and keep editing; but if you needed to add a network bug to 20 videos and then crop them all to 16:9, apply a film look, speed them up by 10%, etc. and output them in 3 different web formats, Production Assistant can do all that for you with just a few clicks. It's all about automation.

~jr