I'm just trying to save the data to a dvd to archive the data file. I'll bring it back into Vegas for editing later. If I split the file in the track view, it is not destructive. Right?

So I'm trying to find a way to chop it up into pieces so I can spread them out over multiple dvd's.

Thanks

Thomas

If I split the file in the track view, it is not destructive. Right?

For a DV AVI file, this is correct.

So am I thinking clearly? I need to split the one long file into smaller, destructive files so that I can archive it?

If you simply cut the file, Vegas should not have to re-render the pieces, so they should be bit for bit copies of the original.

To add: If you split a RAW clip into "A" and "B" and burn each to a separate DVD, you can pull them both into Vegas later, bring "B" right up to "A" and not see any glitches. You are literally splitting at a specific frame, and rejoining that "edit" when you pull the files back together.

It's really no different than working with FAT32 drives that have a file size limitation. A "single" clip is broken down to several sub clips, but there is no evidence of the cut when they are put back-to-back on the timeline.

Check on everything you said. And forgive me, I'm more creative than logical. I know I have to cut it. But I can't do it in the timeline. If I do, the file is still recognized as one file. Am I right?

I don't have Soundforge anymore or I would open it there, highlight half the clip and drag it to make a new file and then rename it. That would see it as it's own file.

Could I do the same in the trimmer? Sorry for the ignorance. I just don't see it yet.

Thomas

1 hour footage = 3 DVDs (maybe 4 to be safe)

Load it up, cut it, delete the bits you dont want, render it out, repeat until done

QED

>>I'm more creative than logical...

I wish I could say that... :)

>>But I can't do it in the timeline. If I do, the file is still recognized as
>>one file. Am I right?

I think the thing you're missing is that after you cut it, you must then render that cut section as an AVI file.

If I have a (1) contiguious AVI file:

111111111111122222222222222333333333333

Then you make cuts (S) on the Vegas timeline:

111111111-----222222222222-----3333333333333333

(The original (big) file is still on your drive, in tact.)

Then, on the timline, you would select all of the 1's and render that to an AVI file.

Then, on the timline, you would select all of the 2's and render that to an AVI file.

Then, on the timline, you would select all of the 3's and render that to an AVI file.

You would now have 3 AVI files. (1.avi, 2.avi & 3.avi)

Now you're done. You *could* delete your original (big) file. I would check to be sure all of the seperate files play OK first.

(Time passes...)

Later, you can bring the 1 file, 2 file, and the 3 file into Vegas, butt them right up against each other on the Vegas timeline, render the whole timeline (not any "selections" like before) then you would have a duplicate of your original file you cut.

>>I don't have Soundforge anymore...

I don't believe that would be applicable to what you're trying to do.

>>Could I do the same in the trimmer?

Yes, I guess you could...but...just split it on the timeline, like stated above, and I believe you'll be happy.

>>Sorry for the ignorance...

Hey...we've all been there! :)

...and there ya go.

"I think the thing you're missing is that after you cut it, you must then render that cut section as an AVI file."

Yes, I did miss that. Thanks for the clairity. Someone tried to tell me before, but I didn't get that you would have to render again. He wrote render....

You're right about Soundforge. I have to remember that I'm doing video now.

Thanks for taking the time to explain.

Thomas

>>Thanks for taking the time to explain

Glad to help!

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I thought the original poster just wanted a way to archive a large file (video in this case) off to multiple DVDs. If that is the case, why use Vegas and re-render (and possibly lose quality)?

Just go to www.download.com and search for "file splitter", and you will find a large selection (many free) of programs that will do just that -- split a large file for archiving. For example, MaxSplitter seems to be a highly-rated free program. It will be much faster than having Vegas re-render multiple clips. Just a thought...

PigsDad, the difficulty with that is that the pieces you end up with on the separate discs may be unusable individually. If you misplace or damage one of the discs, the whole thing may be gone. If you create separate .avi files by rendering them in Vegas (and a DV->DV render is extremely fast and lossless!) then each piece can stand on it's own as a separate file. True, you could lose the part on a damaged disc, but the parts on the other discs are still usable.

For that matter, i'd go even farther and split the clip up into individual scenes rather than just going for 4.3GB divisions. It could save a lot of time later on.

"PigsDad, the difficulty with that is that the pieces you end up with on the separate discs may be unusable individually."

If you split it using PigsDad suggestion, wouldn't they still be avi files? If so, how would that be different?

Thomas

From what I know a file spliiter has no idea about frames or time, only size.

You are much better off to split the file in Vegas (by time or as suggested split by scene) and then highlight the area to be rendered to create a region. Do a render as and make sure you have region checked off.

Later when you put these clips back together you will be sure to have a complete clip exactly as the original.

Good luck.

"From what I know a file spliiter has no idea about frames or time, only size."

Good point.

I was never suggesting that you use the split files individually -- that would be absurd! When you want to use the file again, you re-join the file before use. You end up with a bit-for-bit copy of the original source file.

And if the original poster wanted small clips to use individually then yes, splitting them in Vegas is the way to go.

But strictly from a file archival viewpoint, using a file splitter would be MUCH faster than having Vegas re-render the files (a few seconds vs. minutes or hours, depending on the render output type). Also, is a DV re-render truely lossless? I know that it is very good, but I thought I had read that you can re-render a few times, but it will eventually degrade to the point where it is noticable. That is not "lossless" in my book. Please correct me if this is incorrect.

In Vegas, a cuts-only DV->DV render is completely lossless. It is only copying the frames to the new file and not actually rendering at all.

What i wanted to point out was that if you use a file splitter and then lose or damage one of the discs, the entire file is now useless. By breaking the AVI file up into smaller AVI files and burning these in their entirety to separate discs, each remaining section will remain usable even if another section is lost.