V5 and external Hard Drives

GmElliott wrote on 4/28/2004, 8:28 AM
I want to set up a workflow where I can work on projects at home on my desktop and on the road with my laptop w/ external hd. I'd have to put all the media and .veg files on the external and swap them from machine to machine during the length of the project.

1-Are there any problems with this workflow?

2-What if I do some prerenders on my desktop computer (which is configured to render it out to an internal drive)....once I move the project to my laptop will the prerenders simply just NOT be available...or will Vegas recognize it and ask me to search for them?

3-I know you can set up the Vegas presets to define where you want the default drives for capture, prerenders, temp files, and recorded files. Is there a way to save the location of these within the .veg file? In other words can I have it so when I load a project off my external drive on my desktop it will look to the external for the prerenders/temps, etc? In other words can you define the drive locations specific to a project (.veg)?

4-Lastly, if you cannot do what I asked above...and I set my laptop to save the prerenders, temps, etc to the external drive on my laptop...what happens when I open up Vegas on my laptop WITHOUT the external drive there? Does it automatically save prerenders, etc...to the default locations. Will it throw me an error message?

Thanks in advance!

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Comments

DuncanS wrote on 4/28/2004, 9:26 AM
1. No problems I can see - What would help enormously is to use Computer Management > Disk Management to make sure the external drive gets assigned the same drive letter on both machines.
2. Set your prerenders folder to the external drive.
3. Prerendered files are a project-specific setting.
4. it'll give you an error message.

GmElliott wrote on 4/28/2004, 11:58 AM
Re: 4. If say I want to mess around in Vegas with some generated media and I don't want to go through the hassle of connecting the external drive. Can't I just create a new project and go in and change the locations for prerenders, etc and make sure the "open all new projects with these settings" isn't clicked?

What if I do open a new project with my preferences set to store my prerenders on the external drive, and the external drive isn't attached. When will it give me an error...when I go to prerender something or immediatly when I begin the new project?
Lastly does the error message give you the option to choose another location beings the drive is offline for prerenders, etc?
DuncanS wrote on 4/28/2004, 2:40 PM
re 4. - actually it doesn't give an error, it just defaults back to Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Sony\Vegas\5.0\
Flack wrote on 4/28/2004, 2:53 PM
This is exactly the setup I use and it works great, just like the post above says make sure you assign the drive letter to disk management so it does not change. I have a 160 gig drive in an external caddy and connect it my desktop / laptop via USB 2.

One thing I have found with this setup is to make sure you only switch the external drive off when Windows has shut down.

This is because I have found that if you don't do it this way Windows does not recognise the drive on startup of windows and throws up an error saying it can't load the driver.
If you do it this way it works perfectly all the time. The caddy I bought can also be changed to hold CD/DVD writer or a tape drive making it very versatile.

Flack.
GmElliott wrote on 4/29/2004, 6:51 AM
That's pretty cool- where did you get this "caddy"?

Regarding removing and turning off the drive in XP, it's best to use the remove hardware wizard that is in the lower right of the screen. It disconnects the link to it prior to turning it off and removing it.
Libertywithout wrote on 4/30/2004, 8:13 AM
I suggest buying external enclosures and internal drives (including HDD drives). Cheaper and more flexible. I have (4) Plumax enclosures for internal HDDs and plan to house a DVD burner in an external enclosure. IMO, its the only way to go1

Here's a best price for enclosures (cheaper than I paid for Plumax - I like the case for assembly, but its not aluminum but who cares. Get the 5/14". The 3 1/2" boxes have a separate ac-dc converter (as opposed to built in) which is a pain. Besides, you can use 5 1/2" enclosures to house CD/DVD internal devices.

http://www.dealsonic.com/exen.html
GmElliott wrote on 4/30/2004, 8:20 AM
Wow that's great- how easy is it to configure. Inside the enclosure what do they have?.....A connection for power and connection for usb/firewire that attaches to the IDE slot? I can save so much money doing it this way- a recent external 8x Sony burner cost me $270. I can buy the internal drive for $150 and the enclosure for 40.

Thanks.
Libertywithout wrote on 4/30/2004, 7:43 PM
GM -

You got it! I have been preaching this all over to anyone who is considering an external "XX".
I've even asked vendors 'why anyone would NOT do this". The answer seems to be ignorance and some people don't want to assemble anything. Yep, just like inside a desktop computer, connect the 4-pin power connector and the data ribbon ((2) provided - HDD type and smaller CD/DVD/floppy type). I cannot vouch for DVD recorders yet from experience - I'm sure it works since the box says it works for CD-R and DVD. I'm assuming the data connector for DVD recorders is identical to the standard CD/floppy type. 4 screws provided hold the HDD (or other device) in the case. These enclosures were update some time ago to house up to 250GB HDDs.

AC power cord connects to the case exterior where the on-off switch is located. The built in fan seems to cool fine - hence no need for aluminum case. USB/firewire or combo ports are on the back also. AC cord and USB/firewire data cords included. If firewire, a second small black style cord is provided for daisy chaining multiple firewire enclosures - something you can't do with USB. I paid extra for the first one - a combo USB/firewire. The other three are just firewire. Consider whether you will be moving around much. Each time I buy a new drive I have to put the new one into the combo enclosure (not hard to do, but another step). The laptop only has one firewire, so output on it must be USB.

I had to purchase a firewire cable separately that had the small 4-pin connector at one end because I connect to a laptop with a small 4-pin firewire port. The Plumax only comes with the larger connector at each end. Firewire enclosures include a second short 6-6 pin cable for daisy chaining additional drives. So order a 4-6 pin (I think it's "6") cable if you need one. There are cheap cables and better ones. The good ones that are more flexible appear to be a braided silver with clear insulation. Plumax provides the cheaper more rigid black ones.