Vegas Studio and Vegas Pro are absolutely identical in this respect. Please read the answer i posted to you in the Vegas Pro forum. It Applies exactly the same here except change ".veg" to ".vf" ...

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=837781&Replies=25=

Short answer is that there is no such thing as a "master video folder" as far as Vegas is concerned. It uses the files from wherever YOU put them. So make sure you know where you are putting them to begin with.

Long answer.

To make things less crazy...I hope, here's some of the default folders set up with Movie Studio 12 Platinum. (the principles are the same for some other versions)

(This is all assuming you are using an English version of things and haven't respecified any default folders.)

[Title]1.Source media files[/Title]

For importing media into your Movie Studio project, on the main menu banner under Project > Import Media, MS will display all 'importable' files in the default folder:

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Movie Studio Platinum 12.0 Projects

This 'window' doesn't give you the option to reassign this default directory (except, see below about the 'Recent' button).

You don't have to put your source media there, but at the same time it can't hurt. I rarely keep my source media on the C: drive; but that said, if you have the disk-space and the Movie Studio application (executable file) is on one drive (usually C:), I think sometimes it's better for beginners to keep their source media on - at minimum - the same drive. This will cause less problems at start-up.

This is the folder I think you meant in your original post for 'where is the master video folder located?'

The user interface dialogue, or the 'window' gives you the possibility also to select most or all of the most recent folders used from a drop-down list displayed by clicking on 'Recent'. The application will now default to the most recent folder you redirect it to - this is the only way to change the 'default' folder location.

For a comparison with older versions of Movie Studio, let's say, 9.0 Platinum, the default folder is:

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Vegas Movie Studio HD 9.0 Projects\Project Media

Not exactly the same, but you get the idea.

You can jump to the bottom section, 'Back to the original post', now, to avoid cluttering your brain.

[Title]2. Recorded files folder[/Title]

'Recorded files' are of two types with respect to folders. On the main menu, under Project > Project Properties under the 'Folders' tab you will see, near the bottom, two default folders:

a. Recorded files folder (which is the same as above):

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Movie Studio Platinum 12.0 Projects

This default folder can be reassigned by clicking the 'Browse...' button.

b. Prerendered files folder:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Sony\Movie Studio Platinum\12.0

Now, if you explore your hard drive looking for this folder, you will need to had have made your 'hidden folders' visible through the Folders settings in control panel based on your computer's operating system. There is rarely a reason to want to find this folder though.

This default folder can also be reassigned by clicking the 'Browse...' button, but I suggest leaving it as is.

[Title]3. Temporary files[/Title]

Under Options > Preferences and on the General tab, the 'temporary files folder' can be specified. It defaults to:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Sony\\Movie Studio Platinum\12.0

Which, as above for 2.b, is a hidden folder and can be found by changing your Folder settings for your computer's operating system.

It can be respecified by clicking the 'Browse...' button. But, I would leave it as the default for now.

[Title]4. Saved Movie Studio projects folder[/Title]

Under Project > Save As on the main menu, the program defaults to save into the following directory:

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Movie\Movie Studio Platinum 12.0 Projects

Now, I rarely have used that folder for storing my Movie Studio projects (only by accident). You can easily redirect the program to save to a different file folder or directory, even though (a lack of continuity?) there is no 'Browse...' button here.

Notes:
i. There is no backslash between '12.0' and 'Projects'
ii. although I specified at the top this is for English language use of Movie Studio, the 'Users' and the 'Documents' folder names can be different on your actual hard-drive (e.g. 'Utenti' and 'Documenti' on Italian computers), but your operating system and Movie Studio work together intelligently (usually) to understand and overcome nomenclature differences.

[Title]Back to the original post[/Title]

Now, where your raw media is when imported from your memory card or similar, all depends how you brought the media onto your computer. When you import, copy, drag and drop, et cetera; you or an application can direct it anywhere you like.

So for VMS12, you can just simplify things for now and bring it to:

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Movie Studio Platinum 12.0 Projects (or similar, see section 1, above)

While working on your Movie Studio file, VF (Vegas Studio File, hence the vf extension), you also have the option of ticking (checking, toggling) the box labelled 'Copy media with project'. This will copy the source media files you're using in your project to the same folder as your VF file making it easier to gather up all of it and store it together in a new location, later on outside of MS.

You may want to select on the main menu banner Tools > Clean Project Media, so that no unrequired or unused media files are copied unnecessarily before selecting that 'Copy media with project' option.

How's the craziness level, now?

"you will need to had have made* "

** Except in middle school.

"where is the master video folder located?" The answer is wherever you decide to put it !!!

For me, it's a matter of organization and saving where I want it to be. When I start a new VMS project, I create a folder "New VMS Project" (or similar) on my 3rd internal drive. (Drive 1=OS/programs, drive 2=Pro-Tools audio sessions, and drive 3=VMS sessions. Backups on externals.) Inside this folder "New VMS Project", I make sub-folders called "Source Media", "Renders", "Prepares", and "Old Edits". The current "VMS session" file & "DVD ARCH session" file just live inside "New VMS Project".

My intention is to have ALL items for ONE session in ONE folder, well organized and easy to find. Never on the C drive, and never to the default save location. Session bkup is a simple copy of the entire folder. My 2 cents.