Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

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Sjur Pollen

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Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostFri Jan 20, 2017 1:46 pm

The optimized media function is fantastic, but flawed. I'd like to list a few suggestions for much needed improvement. Sorry if this has been posted before. Did a quick search, and could not find anything in this forum.

-most important: some sort of fail safe. In case of crash during process one loose all the media optimized in the process, even though the actual files are still on the harddrive. Some sort of way to write a log independent of the database project file, or a relink or scan function would be very very valuable. This has happened to me too many times. Just yesterday I lost 10 hours worth of converted files, that was rendered useless due to a crash. Even if the software was 100% stable, this scenario is still releveant in case of a power loss or OS failure.

Since the generated media is stored as independent frames, a failsafe should be able to pick up and or use partially converted clips, which is very valuable for long clips that take a long time to transcode.

-A more specific progress indicator: instead of just showing a total perentage of converted media, a per/clip progress would be valuable. For instance in case one needs to abort the process, it would be beneficial to know if the process is just about to finish transcoding an especially large clip so one will not loose valuable time by aborting, say one minute before a one hour clip is done.

- Ability to delete optimized media for specified clips. The way it is now, it's either all or nothing. Also it's too easy to delete optimized media by mistake, as this option is right next to the 'use optimized media if available' option. Deleting optimized media for an entire project by mistake can be catastrophic.

-Ability to set custom resolution, not only half, quarter etc. The way it is now is somewhat confusing and also cumbersome if one for some reason needs to change project resolution during a session.
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Jay Turberville

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostFri Jan 20, 2017 7:34 pm

Sjur Pollen wrote:-Ability to set custom resolution, not only half, quarter etc. The way it is now is somewhat confusing and also cumbersome if one for some reason needs to change project resolution during a session.


Yes. 66.6667% and maybe 33.3333% would be nice options for scaling. I frequently render animation tests at 66.6667% because it halves the number of total pixels (bandwidth) rendered but only reduces linear resolution by 66.7%. I find this to be a nice compromise with a real bandwidth benefits with less detail lost than by a full half-rez render.
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostFri Jan 20, 2017 7:55 pm

I would like to see an automation added that can define a new type of 'add media to media pool" function.

I don't think this is currently in there but being able to add media and automatically background optimize it to your chosen exact resolution (support that addition as well) and format would be very helpful. Without the defined raster for the media the client/colorist will be in the dark as to what the exact resolution is, some media formats currently still have no option to playback other than optimizing media or caching no mater how powerful your system is (looking at you RED Helium)

Current implementation locks out the machine during the optimization and does not appear to be as efficient use of the systems resources as straight caching. An option to render in the background would allow you to keep working and organizing while you watch for the status of the optimized media to update.
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Alex Uzan

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostSat Jan 21, 2017 1:41 am

Sjur, you almost said everything about what BM could do about optimized medias.

Therefore, I would add :
- A visual icon on optimized media thumbnail would be nice.
- Of course, optimizing in backround.
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Sjur Pollen

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostSun Jan 22, 2017 12:26 am

To clarify my point for the custom resolution, I meant choosing actual custom (or preset) frame sizes, like 1920x1080, 3840×2160 etc. The way it is now, one ends up with different sizes for the optimized clips if the project contains mixed resolution clips in the media pool. That said, of course I see how Jay's suggestion could be useful too.

Also, a question: Why is the optimized media generated in files per frame instead of wrapping the clips in video files (.MXF, .mov etc)? This really makes copying optimized media from one drive to another very inefficient. Tried to copy about 1TB of optimized media today, but had to abort after about 80% as it had already taken 18 hours....
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Sjur Pollen

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostWed Feb 01, 2017 3:41 pm

One more thing:

Optimized media does not follow over to new version of project if you choose "save project as" and make a copy of a project with another name. This is... well, stupid.
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Sjur Pollen

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostWed Feb 01, 2017 3:48 pm

And another one:

Optimized media does not follow for autosaved projects either. If you load an autosaved project, you will find no optimized media even though it was there for the original project.

Ugh... I'm on my first large project editing in Resolve, and I am increasingly regretting this decision. Hope the optimized media function will be improved substantially for next release.
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Sjur Pollen

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostWed Feb 01, 2017 6:20 pm

Sjur Pollen wrote:And another one:

Optimized media does not follow for autosaved projects either. If you load an autosaved project, you will find no optimized media even though it was there for the original project.

Ugh... I'm on my first large project editing in Resolve, and I am increasingly regretting this decision. Hope the optimized media function will be improved substantially for next release.



Regarding my two last posts, this seems to be an inconsistent bug. Now I suddenly lost optimized media for my original project, but when i loaded the same autosave as before (that did not include optimized media) - the optimized media was there. So basically the function is just really buggy. :-(
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Erik Wittbusch

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostThu Feb 02, 2017 7:05 am

I have several big projects running.

Optimized media causes lots of rerenderings. That's why I optimize media just before importing now.
Especially all H.264 codec variants.
Saves me a lot of headaches.
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Sam Steti

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostThu Feb 02, 2017 8:37 am

Sjur Pollen wrote:Ability to delete optimized media for specified clips. The way it is now, it's either all or nothing.

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Peter Cordes

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostThu Feb 02, 2017 8:39 am

Hi,

optimized media should also be possible on the results of fusion connect.

Thanks
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Uli Plank

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostFri Mar 10, 2017 7:43 am

Optimize media is still very unreliable for me. I made optimized media for a large project only for the H.264 clips (the rest is ProRes). When I close the project and start working again later, some of those clips disappear randomly from the timeline and show as "Offline". The respective clips are still listed as having "optimized media" in the list view.

If I ask Resolve to generate new optimized media for one of those clips, sometimes it reappears in my timeline, sometimes Resolve just crashes. I switched off the use of optimized media complete under "View" and things went back to normal (albeit choppy when editing).

I'm under MacOS El Capitan and apart from this problem Resolve runs quite stable on my machine. The drive where those files reside was checked with Disk Warrior and showed no errors.

So, for me that 'proxy' function seems completely useless and I'll have to convert all my footage.
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Al Spaeth

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostFri Mar 10, 2017 10:03 pm

Add Cineform codec please!! :)
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SantenPlu

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostMon Mar 19, 2018 11:19 pm

How is the current status of the adressed problems?

We are just at the beginning of a bigger project and some of the issues would be absolute deal breakers.
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Andrew Kolakowski

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostTue Mar 20, 2018 12:10 am

Alex Uzan wrote:- Of course, optimizing in backround.


Optimizing is nothing more than transcode.
It still takes your machine resource and in some cases like RED it actually kills it.
Doing it in background may be useful in some cases, but it won't solve all problems related to it.
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Kye Leslie

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostTue Mar 20, 2018 12:55 am

A little thing, but I'd like the option of including audio in Optimised media.

If this was added then I could do away with my offline proxy workflow and just use Optimised Media instead, which would be incredibly easier and faster!
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Uli Plank

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostTue Mar 20, 2018 11:19 am

Andrew Kolakowski wrote:Optimizing is nothing more than transcode.
It still takes your machine resource and in some cases like RED it actually kills it.
Doing it in background may be useful in some cases, but it won't solve all problems related to it.


Well, since optimizing is creating tiny files (one frame each?) it could be interrupted at any time. So why not have it running in the background when we are thinking and gracefully pausing when we act?
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Jim Simon

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostTue Mar 20, 2018 4:09 pm

Sjur Pollen wrote:Ability to set custom resolution, not only half, quarter etc.


I like this option myself. In Premiere Pro, I can use 1280 x 720 Cineform proxies, regardless of original resolution. Comes in handy when shooting both 1080 and UHD.
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Kye Leslie

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostWed Mar 21, 2018 1:16 am

Uli Plank wrote:
Andrew Kolakowski wrote:Optimizing is nothing more than transcode.
It still takes your machine resource and in some cases like RED it actually kills it.
Doing it in background may be useful in some cases, but it won't solve all problems related to it.


Well, since optimizing is creating tiny files (one frame each?) it could be interrupted at any time. So why not have it running in the background when we are thinking and gracefully pausing when we act?


It will only be creating separate files if your optimised media format is separate files - if it's a video codec then I think it will generate one optimised media file per clip in the media page.

You'd want this to be an option rather than the default. Not everyone would want Resolve working flat out in the background burning CPU time, battery reserves (on laptops), and gradually filling up their hard drives without them asking for it or even knowing that it was happening!!
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostWed Jul 18, 2018 11:00 pm

Kye Leslie wrote:[

It will only be creating separate files if your optimised media format is separate files - if it's a video codec then I think it will generate one optimised media file per clip in the media page.



No, it generates thousands of small files. Just watch into the cache folder.
Which are also hard to delete. There´s also no optimized media management. You have to delete the whole folder or have to go to each project and purge optimized media.

Blackmagic! Just give us usable proxy files which are stored in a subfolder to the original footage and therefore can be archived and used in other programs!

It´s a no go for a big project to work with optimized media in the current form. The risks are to high to lose or disconnect the media especially DR is the least stable of current NLEs.
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SantenPlu

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostMon Nov 11, 2019 1:31 am

any news?
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Uli Plank

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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostMon Nov 11, 2019 8:33 am

I don't really care. I generate proxies from a rough cut using Media Management and call it a day.
Even faster than optimize.
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostMon Nov 11, 2019 9:47 pm

SantenPlu wrote:
Kye Leslie wrote:[

It will only be creating separate files if your optimised media format is separate files - if it's a video codec then I think it will generate one optimised media file per clip in the media page.



No, it generates thousands of small files. Just watch into the cache folder.
Which are also hard to delete. There´s also no optimized media management. You have to delete the whole folder or have to go to each project and purge optimized media.

Blackmagic! Just give us usable proxy files which are stored in a subfolder to the original footage and therefore can be archived and used in other programs!

It´s a no go for a big project to work with optimized media in the current form. The risks are to high to lose or disconnect the media especially DR is the least stable of current NLEs.


I am having so many problems with optimized media right now on a project. It's really ashame. It's close to being great, but also so far. I am pretty sure the rediscover button does nothing at all.
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostMon Nov 11, 2019 9:48 pm

SantenPlu wrote:
Kye Leslie wrote:[

It will only be creating separate files if your optimised media format is separate files - if it's a video codec then I think it will generate one optimised media file per clip in the media page.



No, it generates thousands of small files. Just watch into the cache folder.
Which are also hard to delete. There´s also no optimized media management. You have to delete the whole folder or have to go to each project and purge optimized media.

Blackmagic! Just give us usable proxy files which are stored in a subfolder to the original footage and therefore can be archived and used in other programs!

It´s a no go for a big project to work with optimized media in the current form. The risks are to high to lose or disconnect the media especially DR is the least stable of current NLEs.


I am having so many problems with optimized media right now on a project. It's really ashame. It's close to being great, but also so far. I am pretty sure the rediscover button does nothing at all.
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostMon Nov 11, 2019 10:42 pm

Optimized Media is a great idea in concept, but in practice, it has very, very limited advantages, but a LOT of gigantic disadvantages in its current implementation. I’ve tried so hard to make it work for me, but I’ve concluded that it’s a feature that just doesn’t work well, and any attempts to force it to work in the way I want/expect it to is simply not worth it. At that point you might as well make proxy transcodes and use Conform from Media Folders to swap them in and out.

It’s really a bummer, because the simplicity of the way Optimized Media works is fantastic. But the way that it’s tied into the CacheClip folder (which I consider to properly contain media that is expendable at any moments notice), as well as the fact that the files are linked based on the apparent UUID of the original database project that originally generated the media (which makes it impossible to relink the Optimized Media if you open the exported .drp of the project on another computer), makes it pretty much useless for anything but the simplest of workflows.

Of course you can supposedly preserve Optimized Media links if you make a “Project Archive” (.dra), but that is a terrible workaround when you have a project containing Terabytes of original source media that you don’t need to keep in the .dra archive.

So my #1 feature request for Optimized Media would be to make it a true “proxy” based system that generates media that is both human readable at the file system level, as well as linkable inside of other projects on different computers.
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostMon Nov 11, 2019 10:50 pm

[quote="Mel Matsuoka”]

So my #1 feature request for Optimized Media would be to make it a true “proxy” based system that generates media that is both human readable at the file system level, as well as linkable inside of other projects on different computers.[/quote]

Agreed. This would be amazing.
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostThu Nov 14, 2019 11:40 am

Mel Matsuoka wrote:So my #1 feature request for Optimized Media would be to make it a true “proxy” based system that generates media that is both human readable at the file system level, as well as linkable inside of other projects on different computers.


This!
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostThu Nov 14, 2019 12:07 pm

Hmm...there is a proxy workflow that includes the transcode function in media management window and conforming that footage in the media page...it's (sort of) described in the manual, but I haven't as yet tried it and can't get my head around it...

I love how AE do it, Fusion does it as well, albeit the latter is less suitable to some of my workflows
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostTue Nov 19, 2019 5:18 am

This still hasn't happened and I'm having a real hard time managing this cache.

Can someone please help me to understand the workflow of using optimised media?
I can't be expected to open each individual project I'm working on (potentially 10+ at a time) and "delete optimised media" for each one can I?

Yet the cache get's huge, and there's no identification of what media is what so how can I remove optimised media from a particular project after I've archived that project? You telling me I need to re-open the project, dig up the file and then delete it from within the app? This seems ridiculous. Meanwhile I've got months of media eating hdd space I can't remove without losing potentially still live projects..
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostWed Nov 27, 2019 3:11 am

acasonj wrote:This still hasn't happened and I'm having a real hard time managing this cache.

Can someone please help me to understand the workflow of using optimised media?
I can't be expected to open each individual project I'm working on (potentially 10+ at a time) and "delete optimised media" for each one can I?

Yet the cache get's huge, and there's no identification of what media is what so how can I remove optimised media from a particular project after I've archived that project? You telling me I need to re-open the project, dig up the file and then delete it from within the app? This seems ridiculous. Meanwhile I've got months of media eating hdd space I can't remove without losing potentially still live projects..


Yes, the cache management is fairly primitive, but the "delete optimized media" does now seem to work faster than it did (it used to take ages, and you were better off deleting at the OS filesystem level with the risk of getting it wrong....)

You can sort of find the cache files by reading the .txt file in the cache which has the project name in it, but as you say, it's far from perfect. You also can't open up the cache to check the files because of the weird single-frame files that Resolve creates that can't be played back on any normal software.
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Re: Optimized media, suggestions to improve this function

PostThu Nov 28, 2019 11:57 am

Mel Matsuoka wrote:Optimized Media is a great idea in concept, but in practice, it has very, very limited advantages, but a LOT of gigantic disadvantages in its current implementation. I’ve tried so hard to make it work for me, but I’ve concluded that it’s a feature that just doesn’t work well, and any attempts to force it to work in the way I want/expect it to is simply not worth it. At that point you might as well make proxy transcodes and use Conform from Media Folders to swap them in and out.

It’s really a bummer, because the simplicity of the way Optimized Media works is fantastic. But the way that it’s tied into the CacheClip folder (which I consider to properly contain media that is expendable at any moments notice), as well as the fact that the files are linked based on the apparent UUID of the original database project that originally generated the media (which makes it impossible to relink the Optimized Media if you open the exported .drp of the project on another computer), makes it pretty much useless for anything but the simplest of workflows.

Of course you can supposedly preserve Optimized Media links if you make a “Project Archive” (.dra), but that is a terrible workaround when you have a project containing Terabytes of original source media that you don’t need to keep in the .dra archive.

So my #1 feature request for Optimized Media would be to make it a true “proxy” based system that generates media that is both human readable at the file system level, as well as linkable inside of other projects on different computers.


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