MM seems like it doesn't work consistently and I wouldn't use it (based on all the voluminous complaints and install issues I've read about).

And like chien, all my projects are unique, with new assets, and I am swapping out external drives all the time etc, so MM couldn't keep track of them, to be worthwhile re tagging, anyways.

Agree take it out, make it optional. I've run vegas without media manager and do just fine.

I like using a program called www.filesee.com for my media management/skimming through content, it's fast, clean and plays virtually any media I want.

Ken

Re: Filesee - Ken... I dont' see a reference to m2t (HDV) files. Have you used it to catalog or view these?

Re: MM - I use a number of outboard hard drives to manage media, jobs and projects.
MM was working GREAT in Ver 6 until I swapped a hard drive. Then hours of data entry disappeared forever - once burned, twice shy.

v

After looking at everyones opinion about MM I should feel like i know more about what I'm doing. The reason I logged on right now was to ask a question regarding MM. I have a project that I've just started and need to work the tagging option. Upon openning MM I discoverd that there were over a 2 thousand log ins. Many of the files haven't existed on my harddrive for nearly a year. They are what I call "Tombstones". I tried to delete and couldn't seem to delete more then one at a time. After trying to find a way to delete more then one I seemed to have done something to my MM. It is blank with a message in the center stating -No media library open-.
What do I do to get it back and what did i do to lose it in the first place? I will close V6 and reopen to see it I get it back.

1 no
2 tried to install twice - if a program takes more to install, i don't trust it
3 no

with the exception of my logo clip, i almost never have any media that carries over from one project to the next. Each project starts out fresh with it's own original material and i purge each project when it's finished. I suppose that means in my case that Media Manager would be full of references to material i've used in the past and will never use again, and isn't on my drive anymore anyway. So, in my case, it doesn't seem like it would be of any benefit at all.

ditto.

and i capture with scenalyser - it takes my takes - i cull in scenalyser the ng's, then id the rest - print out log, put in ring file.

never lost a log, know exactly where and on what tape everything is, and can find out during power cut, sitting in the hammock, etc.,

leslie

Hi, haven't used the filesee program w/hd files, as I'm still just doing sd shoots... good question... wouldn't surprise me if it didn't though... overall it's a great program to be able to rapidly review images/sounds/movie clips I use, so it works for my uses..

Ken

1) No.

I don't but having only recently switched to full Vegas I noticed it adds everything to it which is frustrating when you delete or rename files.
If I decide to is there a way to make it show more than 1,000 items?
I set it to 1200 in Options but it did not seem to make any difference.

1K limit? That would be a serious limitation, as I've got well over 40K media assets, including royalty free audio/video clips... also it would probably take days to index, even if it could index/tax all my stuff.. no MM for me... not missing it.

ken

Well i feel like a real IDIOT because I don't have ANYTHING in the Media Manager tab. I can create a BLANK library but I have NO CLUE where the SONY Sounds and Samples Reference Library is. It shows in Add/Remove Programs it's installed but damn if I can figure out where the hell it installed it. There are absolutely NO DIALOGs during installation (OBVIOUSLY SONY figures you know what the hell you're doing -- BOY DO I MISS THE SONIC FOUNDRY FOLKS!!!)

So...if I'm going to have to create a blank library every time i do a project, what the heck is the difference between the Media Manager Tab and the Project Media Tab?

I guess I'm too stupid to use it, even though I've been producing videos for about three years now.

It took me three tries to get Media Manager to install successfully. I have no idea what MM is or how to use it. So I guess my response is I haven't used it at all.

i've used it maybed for about 7 or 8 months now. mostly as an alternative to the windows search feature. i'm just too lazy (and don't have time really) to tag everything. i have a pretty good idea of what's in my library, and try to name my files using good naming conventions. i.e. sound fx -> gun shots -> single shots -> file name
so when it comes time to search, i have a good idea of what i'm looking for, just not necessarily where.

most of the stuff i end up searching for is sound effects and music, so their reusability can be frequent.

having said all that, i encourage people to give it a shot at least. i know that i'm nowhere near using it to it's full capacity, but i think that it can be a very valuable tool.

but still, make it an optional install. my .02

Andre'

1) Tried MM with v6 and v7. Didn't like it and don't use it.

2) I had a number of problems with functionality and security.

3) I really wish they would make it optional. *BUT* I have a manual method to make MM an "optional" install. Please read below.

Something no one has mentioned so far is the severe lack of security in MM and its underlying DB server.

Did any of you know that MM is really a Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE)? And did you know that it's also an old and possibly vulnerable version as well? (2000.80.761.0)

Even MS suggests that software developers should consider using SQL Server 2005 Express Edition instead of MSDE 2000.
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/previousversions/msde/prodinfo.mspx

Did you know that even if you're not using MM, that MSDE service is sucking down CPU cycles and memory from your system too? IE: slower processing.

Did also know that your computer will fail an MBSA (MS Baseline Security Assessment) with the way Sony has MSDE installed?

In any case, if you don't want to provide DBA services along with your multimedia services there is a way to leave the MM (Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine) off the install.

Simply run the Vegas 7 install file "vegas70c_enu.exe", select a location to save the install (extracted) files, but then cancel the install. Then goto the location where you extracted the Vegas install files and look at the folder structure. You will see a folder called "mediamgr". Simply delete/move that folder from the extract location then re-start your Vegas install using the "Setup.exe". The install of Vegas will execute and at the end of the install it will say "Installing MM" but since you removed MM (MSDE) the files it won't actually install.

The first time you start Vegas it will give you an error saying that it cannot find MM, but then says it will just disable it in any case.

Problem solved.

I hope this helps those of you who would like a bit more system resources and a more secure computer to boot.

I just checked but I cannot find sqlservr.exe running on my Vegas systems. I installed it as part of the standard install and then disabled it.
I think I can safely assume it's not running gobbling up resources.

On other machines that do run SQL Server for other purposes, yes, sqlserver is loaded and running.

1. Yes. Since V5. It was quirky and unstable at first, but after I uninstalled all my Sonic Foundry/Sony apps and plugins, and removed all traces of "Sonic Foundry" from C: and the registry, and then reinstalled, it has worked perfectly. (that fix has been posted in more detail elsewhere)

2. Very handy and fast for sorting and selecting media (video, photos & audio). The things I wish it had are:
- short-cut keys for "rating" (number of stars) such as ctrl-1, ctrl-2, ..., ctrl-5. Optional display of star rating on thumbnails. Enable rating to be set during capture, in project media and on timeline.
- batch rename, batch move of files, and batch edit of metadata, including rename using metadata and tags, and modifying dates (like add/subtract hours). [or better yet full scripting for MM so we can build our own extensions.]
- integration with project media tab, capture, subclips, etc. (mentioned by others)

3. Should be optional install. Anyone with a large online media collection should give it a fair trial. I think MM is great!

1) Don't use it. Tried it for a couple weeks. But hated it. Just don't need the overhead for my work flow.

3) I think it should be a choice at install, not forced to cancel the install and then again disable in Preferences. It kind of feels like a bug to have to resist and disable it the way we do now.

To JohnyRoy

Windows has support symbolic links since windows 2000. They are called junctions (for folders) and hard links (for files). Get NTFS Link tool (http://www.elsdoerfer.info/=ntfslink)

I install this on all my machines. Junctions can be created across hard disks (but not network shares :( ) and Hardlinks can only reference other files on the same drive. Window treats junctions and hardlinks exactly the same as real files. Deleting a junction will not delete the original media. A hard linked file will not be deleted until all hard links are deleted (a file is just a hard link)


By the way, Media Manager is great. I rely heavly on it to sort, organize my thousands of media files.

It really expidites working together with someone. They say "Do you have some thing like X?" and it very quick fo me to say yes or no using Media Manager.

> Windows has support symbolic links since windows 2000.

Yes, but the implementation is severely broken. Unlike Unix where symbolic links behave like the real thing, Windows links only work to a point. I tried using them in ACID before there was a Media Manager with limited success. ACID would follow them but could not traverse back up the chain. Other applications can't follow them at all. All of the VASST Script plug-ins use Windows symbolic links to install in their own folder yet still appear in the Vegas Script Menu. So I'm well aware of what Windows symbolic links can and cannot do. Even Windows' own Explorer treats them different i.e., they don't sort correctly so that links to folders show up with the files. This does not happen in Unix. Try placing your My Pictures folder on another drive and create a symbolic link under My Documents for it. No programs will recognize it as the "official" My Pictures folder. It is definitely a broken implementation.

I'll look at the utility you pointed me to and see if it adds any additional functionality. Perhaps they have compensated for Microsoft's incompetence.

~jr

I am just learning the media manager, and find it really great, cause I have a growing amount of stock clips that I use and add to different projects.
One question: does anybody know how to import your own tag icons? The ones there are great, but I would like way more to help keep things straight visually.
Thanks

I'd be intersted in doing that, also.

Be careful with creating/editing tags! I have somehow gotten into a situation that whenever I try to edit/change the icon for a tag, MM crashes. Not sure how I got there, but I can't correct the problem. So now I'm no longer able to change the icon for a tag, regardless of the database I'm using.

1. No
2. The W2K File Manager works fine for me except that DVDA(4) keeps going back to the last directory I was in instead of the two default ones I use. (I have different directories for my .dar and my .mpg/.ac3 rendered files)
3. No, and how do I get rid of it?
Please tell me I can get rid of it.

So is there a way to make Media Manager use SQL Server 2005 Express Edition instead of ye ancient MSDE honeypot?

Might even make MM more stable, in addition to being less of a "key under the door mat" for hackers and identity thieves.

>>>>3. No, and how do I get rid of it?
>>>>Please tell me I can get rid of it.

I simply uninstalled it in the Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs page and then checked it off in Preferences. I tried so hard to use it and like it because there were very many promising things about it but the hassles that came along with owning it wasn't worth anything. I learned to hate it instead of like it. Good riddance.