Remove all unused media

Hello all,

I'm trying to clean a project by removing all unused medias from bins. Media mangement can do it but to copy only used files on another location. Actually, I'd just need to "clean" the project without copying / moving anything.

Is this possible?

Thanks.

In the media pool you can switch to list view, and make sure the Usage Column is visible, then delete the unused media. There's a catch or two. First, the usage column doesn't update, so you have to right click in the media pool and select Update Usage. The second thing to watch out for, is that some things like Timelines and Color Page Mattes don't show up as used so don't blindly delete everything that doesn't have marks in the usage column. But once you have the usage updated, you can sort your media and delete unused media pretty fast.

That's perfect, thank you!

I know it's old thread, but the easiest way to do that (in 16.2) is to create smart bin that include all files with "0" usage, and exclude file type like timelines. Call it "remove" and erase ale files that shows up.

I know it's old thread, but the easiest way to do that (in 16.2) is to create smart bin that include all files with "0" usage, and exclude file type like timelines. Call it "remove" and erase ale files that shows up.

I find this is one of the best answer to this not-so-easy export procedure.

TNX!!

In the media pool you can switch to list view, and make sure the Usage Column is visible, then delete the unused media. There's a catch or two. First, the usage column doesn't update, so you have to right click in the media pool and select Update Usage. The second thing to watch out for, is that some things like Timelines and Color Page Mattes don't show up as used so don't blindly delete everything that doesn't have marks in the usage column. But once you have the usage updated, you can sort your media and delete unused media pretty fast.

HI, what are Color Page Mattes? And are there other clip type that has the 0 usage just like timeline and Color Page Mattes?

Tnx!!

A simple "clean" button would be much easier. This exists on Sony Vegas for 15 years.

In the media pool you can switch to list view, and make sure the Usage Column is visible, then delete the unused media. There's a catch or two. First, the usage column doesn't update, so you have to right click in the media pool and select Update Usage. The second thing to watch out for, is that some things like Timelines and Color Page Mattes don't show up as used so don't blindly delete everything that doesn't have marks in the usage column. But once you have the usage updated, you can sort your media and delete unused media pretty fast.

HI, what are Color Page Mattes? And are there other clip type that has the 0 usage just like timeline and Color Page Mattes?

Tnx!!

By the time the post was written (2018) some files where not tagged correctly as used.

It should be fixed now.

In the media pool you can switch to list view, and make sure the Usage Column is visible, then delete the unused media. There's a catch or two. First, the usage column doesn't update, so you have to right click in the media pool and select Update Usage. The second thing to watch out for, is that some things like Timelines and Color Page Mattes don't show up as used so don't blindly delete everything that doesn't have marks in the usage column. But once you have the usage updated, you can sort your media and delete unused media pretty fast.

HI, what are Color Page Mattes? And are there other clip type that has the 0 usage just like timeline and Color Page Mattes?

Tnx!!

By the time the post was written (2018) some files where not tagged correctly as used.

It should be fixed now.

I have just tried the usage tabs and it lists one one my media files as 0 used and the timeline as not being used. Both are used though.

I see a one potential caveat.

1) Create a clip from master file.
2) Use that clip.
3) Go to media bin to show usage.
4) Master file will have usage 0, but deleting it will take the clip offline without any warning.

Am I missing something?

Even trickier situation can arise with 2 clip from the same master file.
If one of those clips is not used, you might be tempted to navigate to its master file and delete it, but then again, you would take your second clip offline.

Is there any way to view a tree of subclips including their usage? Or accumulated usage of a file and all its subclips?

Well... it is a one year anniversary of me looking for this feature.

Please, can there be a column in Media Storage, that shows a Usage count of each file.

A simple button to click would be simple/better. Like it exists in Vegas.

Well... it is a one year anniversary of me looking for this feature.

Please, can there be a column in Media Storage, that shows a Usage count of each file.

There is…..

Well... it is a one year anniversary of me looking for this feature. Please, can there be a column in Media Storage, that shows a Usage count of each file.

We've had this feature for at least 4-5 years that I know of, going back to like Resolve 15.



All covered in the manual. You may need to refresh it a few times, but once that's done, you should be able to safely delete any "0 usage" clips in the Media Page.

Yes but this just removes from media pool and project but does not delete original media.

A big note this does not take into account media used in Fusion at all.

I looking for a solution to media manage a timeline but currently resolve does not archive media only used in fusion comps.
Example
If I am attempting to collect a timeline that has 1 fusion comp, and that fusion comp uses a jpg.
Media manager will not grab that jpg for me. and usage for the jpg shows as "0" even if it is used in the fusion comp that sits in my timeline.

Black Magic please please make media manager collect assets from Fusion comps too, otherwise archiving projects with fusion comps is useless.

Yes but this just removes from media pool and project but does not delete original media.

For that, you have to know how to manage "good workflow practices," and for us, that generally means using multiple drives, using Media Management, and knowing when to Trim media and when not to. Transcoding to high-quality proxies is necessary under some conditions, but we'll usually stick with the Camera Raw whenever possible.

I don't expect Resolve to actually delete files off the hard drive, but I make an effort stay on top of how the source file folders are organized so that I know when files aren't getting used or are unnecessary. Backups are another big part of that.

Workflow isn't just one thing... it's a whole bunch of little things that add up across the project and across the color/edit room.

Black Magic please please make media manager collect assets from Fusion comps too, otherwise archiving projects with fusion comps is useless.

Sounds like a good proposal.

In the media pool you can switch to list view, and make sure the Usage Column is visible, then delete the unused media. There's a catch or two. First, the usage column doesn't update, so you have to right click in the media pool and select Update Usage. The second thing to watch out for, is that some things like Timelines and Color Page Mattes don't show up as used so don't blindly delete everything that doesn't have marks in the usage column. But once you have the usage updated, you can sort your media and delete unused media pretty fast.

This is crazy, Resolve shows timelines also as used 0 times so I deleted my main timeline...

This is crazy, Resolve shows timelines also as used 0 times so I deleted my main timeline...

A Timeline itself is not "media," so it would show as 0 in the "Used" section. Don't delete it.

A simple "clean" button would be much easier. This exists on Sony Vegas for 15 years.

+11111111111111

This is crazy, Resolve shows timelines also as used 0 times so I deleted my main timeline...

A Timeline itself is not "media," so it would show as 0 in the "Used" section. Don't delete it.

I learnt my lesson. I just wanted to clean the media pool from all unused media.

The confusion here comes from the fact that Resolve works from reference movies - the clips that are on the timeline. The actual footage is stored someplace else. The result is that the Resolve project is very small, and easily transported. The original footage is never touched, and can sit safely on a different drive, like a network server. FCPX offers this as a user choice as well.

The workflow for this is pretty simple.

1. Copy the camera original on your original server. This server needs to be fast enough to source as any streams of original as you will be using, but can be large, and comparatively slowin comparison to an SSD.
2. Back the original server up.
3. Erase the camera cards for reuse.
4. Start editing in Resolve from a library located on your fastest SSD. Since the Resolve Project is very small, a SSD doesn’t have to be very large to hold it.
5. The cache should ideally be on a fast SSD as well.

The workflow for this is pretty simple.

1. Copy the camera original on your original server.

…

This appears to be an answer to a very different question from the one that started the thread:

I'm trying to clean a project by removing all unused medias from bins.
…
I'd just need to "clean" the project without copying / moving anything.

I also would like to do this, e.g. after "saving time" by importing a whole media folder instead of selecting individual media files in the import dialog.
From what I gather in some of the other answers (which may be outdated?), the method with the media pool list view and usage count cannot be made to consistently register fusion comps. Is this still the case?

A simple button to click would be simple/better. Like it exists in Vegas.

+1

The problem is also that it seems to be buggy. when i have a project lets say with 5 timelines, and i delete 4 of them and just want to keep the media from one timeline, it seems to always keep all the files. I dont know why, but most files still show up as "used", although they are not part of any timeline in the project. not sure what I could do about that.

Reviewing this old thread, here's some reminders on Media Management in Resolve:

1) limit your session to just the files actually used in the session (that is, make sure no unnecessary files are sitting in bins)

2) Render-in-Place all H.264, JPG, TIFF, and PNG graphics clips to ProRes or DNxHR so that now the clips have embedded timecode and (preferably) unique file names

3) for camera clips with embedded audio, my opinion is you're better off if you strip the sound out as a WAV file that lives in the session

4) be aware that Titles can be a bit dodgy and don't always survive the changeover with Media Management. (I would say the same thing with Fusion sequences, which I would render out and treat as a separate transcoded element.)

The simpler you make your session, the better the potential for successful Media Management. The moment you have a filename clash or a timecode conflict, it can fail. I wish Resolve had better error trapping so that when it did encounter an error, it just popped up a message with a list of problems, rather than just bailing on the Media Management entirely.

If your file copying is failing for another reason, try Nikolai Waldman's Resolve Collect and I bet it'll get you at least 98% there without errors. His program has been a lifesaver for me over the last 6-7 years.

http://www.niwa.nu/resolve-collect/

Another possibility (which I haven't tried) is EditSpy for Windows:

http://edlspy.felixhuesken.de/

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I just survived a very challenging conform / media management project in the last 2 weeks, and I can say that Resolve 18.1.4 now has better handling of H.264, JPG and other graphics formats. We did have some weirdness with some PNGs, but that was a simple fix.

A simple "clean" button would be much easier. This exists on Sony Vegas for 15 years.

As of 18.6, there is a feature for this.
In Media Pool, look for 3 dots at top right corner, where you'd enable Smart Bin and Power Bin, there is now a feature called "Remove unused clips..."

As of 18.6, there is a feature for this.

I haven't needed to use this yet, but does it correctly account for media that is not directly included on the timeline but used in a fusion composite? (See dedpnda's earlier message ).

As of 18.6, there is a feature for this.

I haven't needed to use this yet, but does it correctly account for media that is not directly included on the timeline but used in a fusion composite? (See dedpnda's earlier message ).

If you bring in the media via a loader node, then no, not from my testing. However, if you bring it in through the media pool, yes.

This is crazy, Resolve shows timelines also as used 0 times so I deleted my main timeline...

A Timeline itself is not "media," so it would show as 0 in the "Used" section. Don't delete it.

Haha. Not sure if there is a setting for Timeline's not to include but the closest thing I could come up with this was to add Metadata - Clip Details > File Name > does not contain > Timline and then just always be sure to keep Timeline in the name.

Is there a way to refresh the usage? I had multiple timelines and deleted all the unused media to make an archive, and thankfully, I switched to another timeline to see I had a bunch of offline media. I could undo it, and when selecting the clips in the other timeline, option+f to Find In Media Pool showed zero usage. I quit DaVinci Resolve 18.6 and restarted and opened the same project, and they all updated to the proper usage. Not sure what caused this, but scary.

A simple "clean" button would be much easier. This exists on Sony Vegas for 15 years.

This has existed in many softwares for decade+
There are COUNTLESS features that DaVinci doesn't have that have easily existed in every other program. I think DaVinci is on its way to being abandonware because for years we're not getting any fixes.

[Peter Chamberlain]

The original usage column in the media pool was added in version 1.

As noted above, from 18.6, there is are improvements to the feature set allowing you to update the usage for the entire project. This requires loading all the timelines that are not loaded into memory, which could be 100s, and building the usage list, so it can take some time.

"In Media Pool, look for 3 dots at top right corner, where you'd enable Smart Bin and Power Bin, there is now a feature called "Remove unused clips..." "

As noted above, from 18.6, there is are improvements to the feature set allowing you to update the usage for the entire project. This requires loading all the timelines that are not loaded into memory, which could be 100s, and building the usage list, so it can take some time. "In Media Pool, look for 3 dots at top right corner, where you'd enable Smart Bin and Power Bin, there is now a feature called "Remove unused clips..." "

That is excellent. I assume it just removes the files from the session but not permanently deleting it from the drive. Still a useful feature!

Dumb question - how do you load all timelines into memory? Do they all have to be open in tabs?

[Dwaine Maggart]

Probably the easiest way is to go into Resolve Preferences - User - Project Save and Load and check the "Load all timelines when opening projects" checkbox.

Probably the easiest way is to go into Resolve Preferences - User - Project Save and Load and check the "Load all timelines when opening projects" checkbox.

Duh! Thanks Dwaine - I totally forgot about that option