v7 files backwards compatible ?

Strangeman wrote on 9/23/2006, 2:27 PM

I ran up a project using the version 7 demo, which was coming along quite nicely. Unfortunately when my purchase arrived from Amazon UK, it was version 6, which almost loads up the project OK but all the events are empty and I get a message asking whether I have rights to a certain file.
The two versions of VMS have been installed on different XP partitions on the computer (although my media files are accessible from either instance of the o/s), so I was wondering whether VMS creates some sort of reference files on the c: drive (I have looked but cannot find anythin), or is it just that projects created in v7 will not open correctly in v6?

Comments

stevec5375 wrote on 9/23/2006, 4:48 PM

Firstly, it is VERY important to backup your data BEFORE opening it with a new version of software so that if you need to return to the previous version, you can.

As a former software developer, I would safely make the assumption that you can not go backwards. There are probably new or altered data in the version 7 files that version 6 knows nothing about. Only the developers can be certain of this however.

Chienworks wrote on 9/23/2006, 6:22 PM

All the SONY software as been like this all along. Project files from version X will not open in version X-1. Never have; probably never will. The SONY programmers have verified this publicly. Often even mid-version updates updates will do the same thing too. 6.0a will not open 6.0b files, 3.0b will not open 3.0c files.

Of course, you shouldn't ever have to go back, unless you've tried a demo and chosen not to upgrade. In those cases you probably shouldn't be doing any real work with your live projects with the demo anyway. As Steve mentioned, always use copies of your project files when trying them out in the demo or higher version. Keep older version backups safe.

IanG wrote on 9/24/2006, 4:44 AM

I'd contact Amazon and Sony to see about getting an upgrade to v7 - if you bought your copy after v7 was released you should be entitled to a free one.

Your project file proably hasn't been changed, so I doubt if you've lost any work - your media files wouldn't be changed anyway!

Ian G.

Strangeman wrote on 9/24/2006, 9:06 AM

Thanks, I'm already on the case with that one. The project files are fine, and luckily I did a thorough job of marking all my clips as regions in the original video file, so it probably won't take long to sort out, because I have all the blank events in the v6 file to use as a reference for placing the clips back in (which has been made easier now I have discovered that you can expand a video track to make it easier to see crossfades etc).

Strangeman wrote on 9/26/2006, 4:30 AM

Now running version 7 thanks to an incredibly efficient Customer Service representative from Sony.

Plus ... amazon offered me a 20% refund to compensate me for my inconvenience.