Blackmagic Forum

Hi. Using trim for storage will reduce my project from 1.5TB to <300GB. I need to use it, but...

After its done, the trimmed media is in a new location, but there is no .drp file. How can I next create a .dra if the project can't be opened?

I think the .drp is smaller than the .dra (without trim) but I can't see how to open it again as a project.

If a .drp can be converted to .dra, will it save even more space?

NickMDal wrote:Hi. Using trim for storage will reduce my project from 1.5TB to <300GB. I need to use it, but... After its done, the trimmed media is in a new location, but there is no .drp file. How can I next create a .dra if the project can't be opened?

One key is that you have to select "Relink to New Files" before the Media Management process starts. Once you do that, then the DRP session file you currently have IS the project. Archive that and you're ready to go.

Media Management is a little tricky but can work perfectly under the right circumstances.

Thanks for helping! One little complication is the drive containing the project is full (2TB project), so I have to run trim to another drive.

So, is there a way to trim to another drive and have the .drp associated with the trim media location?

yeah, trim & consolidate your clips from the used timeline(check consolidate multiple clips for this to work best, also preserve hierarchy if there are multiple clips with the same file name)

dupe your project

import media managed clips into a bin

select all clips in timeline, right clip, uncheck conform lock

right clip timeline, reconform from bins

tell it just to reconform to the media managed clip bin, with timecode and file name

Timeline should now be linked to your media managed clips (note, this wont work so simply with remote grades, so if you use them, copy them to local first)

Repeat for any other timelines in project.

Resolve should also create a .drt when it does the media management for timelines which you can also use.

Why so complicated? What Marc suggested works when trimming to another target just as well.

on my system you cant relink if you trim the clips with handles.

Does DR see proper timecode for those clips?

Marc Wielage wrote:

NickMDal wrote:Hi. Using trim for storage will reduce my project from 1.5TB to <300GB. I need to use it, but... After its done, the trimmed media is in a new location, but there is no .drp file. How can I next create a .dra if the project can't be opened?

One key is that you have to select "Relink to New Files" before the Media Management process starts. Once you do that, then the DRP session file you currently have IS the project. Archive that and you're ready to go.

Media Management is a little tricky but can work perfectly under the right circumstances.

Hi Marc. After a few near catastrophic mistakes (thank god for the goodsync drive backup), I successfully trimmed (to a new drive location). As you mentioned, I selected "Relink to New Files."

So the project is still open. I then ran Archive and see that it is producing a massive archive. It seems to not be archiving the trimmed version (new drive location), but the untrimmed. So I cancelled Archive.

Relinking did not seem to work. Am I supposed to delete the media files and paste the trimmed into the original project folder?

mattfezz wrote:yeah, trim & consolidate your clips from the used timeline(check consolidate multiple clips for this to work best, also preserve hierarchy if there are multiple clips with the same file name)

dupe your project

import media managed clips into a bin

select all clips in timeline, right clip, uncheck conform lock

right clip timeline, reconform from bins

tell it just to reconform to the media managed clip bin, with timecode and file name

Timeline should now be linked to your media managed clips (note, this wont work so simply with remote grades, so if you use them, copy them to local first)

Repeat for any other timelines in project.

Resolve should also create a .drt when it does the media management for timelines which you can also use.

Do I first delete all the media in the project other than timelines? What about fusion clips?

I tried reconform (importing file structure into the master bin. Then to bins and to media. No luck reconforming.

If I'm following what you've done Nick, you've made a copy of your project, and then used the Media Management tool to create a trimmed subset of all the used media in the project, with that trimmed media now linked to the project copy. (If you're not sure, select any clip in the timeline and check the file path in the Metadata panel... if its correctly linked to the trimmed copy then that'll be where the reference is pointing.)

Assuming that's all worked correctly, and if I'm understanding your process, you've now successfully handled the used media... but what have you done with the unused media in the project? Is that all still online and linked in the project? If so, that's likely why you're getting a much bigger archive than you expected.

Create a Smart Bin to Match "All" clips where "MediaPool Properties Usage is 0" ... that should reveal all the media that is currently still referenced in your project, but not being used.
if you want to keep the project references, but not the media, then select all, right click and choose 'Unlink Selected Clips'.
if you don't want the references at all, then select all, right click and choose 'Remove Selected Clips...'.

At this point the only linked media references left in your project should be to your trimmed media.
Scrub through the timeline(s) and check that everything, including Fusion comps etc, are looking good and behaving correctly. If there's anything that needs fixing, check where the problem lies and revert as necessary. if its all good, go ahead with the archive and see if it's more of a manageable size.

Thank you Andy! I have Media Usage 0 and 1 folders that show the trim mostly worked.

One unexpected result is the timelines themselves are Media Usage 0. The one fusion clip is properly "1." Did I cause the timeline exclusion somehow? Definitely want to save those!

As I'm already past trim, is it possible to change the timeline usage status?

Because of a huge beginner error last night, I do not have a pre-trim version of the project.

NickMDal wrote:Thank you Andy! I have Media Usage 0 and 1 folders that show the trim mostly worked.

One unexpected result is the timelines themselves are Media Usage 0. The one fusion clip is properly "1." Did I cause the timeline exclusion somehow? Definitely want to save those!

The Timelines should be in a separate bin. Don't delete those. I usually use a Timeline Bin, which will automatically be created when you have that checked off in the Project Config settings.

NickMDal wrote:One unexpected result is the timelines themselves are Media Usage 0. The one fusion clip is properly "1." Did I cause the timeline exclusion somehow? Definitely want to save those!

Yep, you definitely want to save your timelines! :)
You can exclude them from your search by adding a second search term, to refine the result.
Right click the Search Bin and choose Edit... then click the '+' button at the end of the first search term, and set the second term to "MediaPool Properties Clip Type is not Timeline". That should do it.

NickMDal wrote:I do not have a pre-trim version of the project.

Ouch. Well we all make mistakes Nick, but you're only allowed to make this mistake once. Always have a backup. In future, try to get in the habit of regularly exporting a DRP of your project at the end of every edit session and/or prior to any major change. And, as an extra safety net, go to your user Preferences > Project Save and Load, and in your Save Settings, enable automatic 'Project backups'. Nothing beats a manual save from a specific state, but in the event that you forget, an autosave is the next best thing.

Cheers
Andy

Success creating the trimmed archive! ~2TB down to 280GB!

I found the automatic timeline bin creation option and autosave is enabled.

Now there's plenty of space for the next enormous project Thank you so much!