Re-linking subclips!

Please correct me if I am wrong, but:
Currently it seems impossible to relink subclips.
I've already had this problem with Resolve years ago.
I'm referring to the "Replace Selected Clip" feature.

All I want is the possibility to re-link a clip to any other footage on my HDD.
When I was using Vegas, I once had to convert all clips. They had different names, were at a different location and had a different extension. Vegas didn't care. It said "okay" and ate them up re-linking all generated subclips that came from the re-linked media.
Resolve...not.

I do not see a way to re-link subclips in Resolve! When you try to re-link a subclip, it will just replace the complete subclip with that selected piece of media. I don't have the media of the subclips on my HDD, obviously! That's why they are subclips! It's Resolve's job to figure that out as soon as the media, the sub-clips originated from, has been relinked in the Media Pool.

The only way, I found to re-link subclips is to completely re-create them and jump through 10 hoops to get them to re-link. Re-creating hundreds of clips for a single project is not an option!

Edit:
The Media Pool even displays a column "File Path" pointing to the source file.
It seems like when re-linking a clip, the file path of all subclips of that clip don't get updated.
All Resolve would have to do is:
- Relinking a clip, huh?
- Re-link clip
- Check which subclips have been created from that clip (which other clips point to the path of the old file)
- Update File Path of these subclips to the new clip.
Or if we could at least batch-edit that attribute to the new file!

Heck, we could even do it ourselves, if the API supported it, but so far setClipAttribute('File Path', [path]) doesn't seem to work.

Demo and comparison to Vegas Pro:

[Shrinivas Ramani]

While marker clips and subclips have similarities, a subclip is suited for workflows where there are advantages in considering it a distinct piece of media... like a continuously ingested reel with discrete logical clips, or an offline reference that a colorist/editor is forced to use in remote workflows. Subclips offer the ability to break the reel up logically or discretely and incrementally replace this offline reference without affecting other sibling clips that may or may not be available.

If you need the media, its metadata, clip attributes etc to be shared on the other hand, a marker clip is what you're looking for.

Please refer to this similar discussion: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=91774#p589863

The way I work is:
I create subclips from longer clips (e.g. through scene detection) and assign separate Keywords to them.
This way, I have a huge list of thumbnails and have always an overview of my media. I don't have to scrub through footage. I just scroll through the thumbnails and find the scene, I need. On top of that I can assign keywords, add clip colors and flags etc..
You can do a ton of organizing, which will later speed-up your workflow.
I could then use the keywords to quickly find all shots with the keyword "Sunrise", "Forest", "Rain", "Night" or "Cloudy" and rate their "usability" using flags.

If you need the media, its metadata, clip attributes etc to be shared on the other hand, a marker clip is what you're looking for.

Duration markers don't let me do that. No separate clips with thumbnails, no keywords, no clip colors, no flags, nothing.

SubClips are exactly what I need. They behave exactly the way, I need them to, apart from the re-linking.
And Resolve has all the data to do it:
It has the File Path of the source file of the subclip and the Timceode In and Out.

Subclip filepath.png (5.85 KiB) Viewed 2691 times

- When a clip is re-linked via Replace Selected Clip or via Relink Selected Clip:
- Check if there are more clips with that original source File Path and ask the user if they want to Relink them to that same footage.
- That would re-link all subclips.

You literally only have to update the File Path of the subclips.
Unfortuantely, in the scripting API that attribute is read-only.
Otherwise, I would already have a script for re-linking subsclips.

Since the re-linking of subclips is optional, subclips can remain absolutely independent, as you described and as you guys inteded to. Relinking a clip would work just like it does now without affecting any clips that came from the same source file.


Another stopgap solution would be:
- When using SCene Detection to create the subclips:
Save an EDL
- If you didn't save an EDL after Scene Detection, you could still make a Timeline from all offline clips and export that EDL.
- To re-link:
- Import the EDL
- Now you have all clips in the timeline
- But you cannot create subclips from there! Ahhh!
So close! It's all there! Just let us create subclips from the timeline.
- Then we could "Re-conform from Bins" to re-conform missing timeline clips to the new subclips.

TL;DR: I need that Re-linking/replacing feature for subclips. Pretty please!

Edit: Even if I didn't use Subclips that extensively: Right now there is no option to just re-link them if the original file name or extension have changed. You just can't. When the original media goes offline, so do the clips and you cannot relink them, because that would just replace them with the full original media footage. That's just ridiculous. By using subclips, you are taking a risk of losing all these clips in your media pool, when for whatever reason the name or extension of the original media changes.

For the clips, I used in a Timeline, I can use "Reconform From Media Storage" and when I'm lucky, I can re-conform the timeline.
But that doesn't bring back my hundreds of subclips! And that's the problem.
I poured hours into building this library of subclips, assigning keywords, clip colors, flag colors, mabye even naming them and in an instant it could all be gone. Yet the solution is so simple. Just update the File Path. Or at least expose it in the API as writable.

[Shrinivas Ramani]

Having red through the response twice, it sounds like you want to treat them as discrete media for some actions but not as discrete media for others.

One way to address it would be to use smart bins to cluster clips by file path (or a common keyword if you are inclined to use that) and relink all of them at the same time.

Having red through the response twice, it sounds like you want to treat them as discrete media for some actions but not as discrete media for others.

One way to address it would be to use smart bins to cluster clips by file path (or a common keyword if you are inclined to use that) and relink all of them at the same time.

Thank you for your answer, but that's not working, because:
You cannot use "Relink Selected Clips" or "Change Source Folder", if the filename changed!
And "Replace Clips" kills the in/out points.

We assume the filename or extension of the source media has changed.
Relinking is not working on them if the source name or extension has changed. No matter how you do it. So, "Relink Selected Clips" and "Change Source Folder" are out of the question. Those would work if the file name hasn't changed.
The only option left is "Replace Clips", which replaces the clip completely.
There is currently no way to re-link subclips to a file with a different filename while retaining the in and out points.
I would welcome another option, let's call it "Replace Clip And Keep In/Outs", the more intelligent brother of "Replace Clips":

What Replace Clips does, is it completely disregards the start/in and end/out timecode of the subclips. As soon as you point the clip to a new media file, it takes that whole file's range as start and end timecodes.
And that is the problem for subclips. I mean: Subclips are defined by their start and end TCs! That's what differentiates them from the originally imported clip!
Replace Clips And Keep In/Outs on the other hand, would take the new media file and only update the File Path attribute. The timecode start and end times stay the same. That's it. Done.
Obviously, it would have to work on multiple selected clips, not just one, as "Replace Clip" does.

This way you can sort your subclips by filename and relink all subclips that point to the same file. You could relink them to completely different media if you wanted to, as long as the media has enough length for the largest end timecode in all of the subclips.

The problem in images:
After creating subclips (look at the timecodes and file path):

01.png (25.1 KiB) Viewed 2673 times

Then, we re-link the original clip and the first subclip:

02.png (6.95 KiB) Viewed 2673 times

Boom. The subclip's start and end TCs have been overwritten. The subclip has been destroyed.
We now have two clips with identical contents, which we don't want in case for subclip re-linking.

03.png (13.16 KiB) Viewed 2673 times

"Replace Clips And Keep In/Outs" would do the same operation, but keep the timecodes. It's literally just an update of the File Path attribute.

Sorry for writing that much, but I'm just trying to get my point across.

yep. Subclips are not really Subclips. BMD doesn't really understand this. We started out using Resolve like Avid/Premiere and these kinds of gotchas pop up when you're deep into the project.

Resolve has a LOOOOOONG way to to go for true editorial.

yep. Subclips are not really Subclips. BMD doesn't really understand this. We started out using Resolve like Avid/Premiere and these kinds of gotchas pop up when you're deep into the project.

Resolve has a LOOOOOONG way to to go for true editorial.

I agree. Before I left Adobe, I used Prelude to create my sub-clips, which were automatically imported into Premiere, editable (in case I inadvertently placed the in/out in the wrong places), and could contain far more metadata than Resolve currently allows.

The only product that I've seen that comes close to Prelude that has any compatibility with Resolve, is Kyno. Problem is that Kyno won't run reliably on my system... AND Resolve doesn't support all the metadata Kyno (or Prelude would hold, for that matter) allows the user to save with a sub-clip.

I have a lot of long format recordings (sporting events, conferences, ceremonies, etc.) and REALLY need a good sub-clipping system in Resolve that will allow me to Smart Bin sub-clips for multiple different timeline assembly. That way I only have to go through a file once, get all the sub-clips I need and then assemble them as needed, as my convenience.

FWIW, this would be an ideal use of the Cut Page, but so far as I know, it doesn't even sub-clip. And, frankly, I haven't been able to see any improvement in my timeline assembly with the Cut Page over the Edit Page. Maybe I'm just not "wired" for thinking that way.

My $.02...

Scott

yep. Subclips are not really Subclips. BMD doesn't really understand this. We started out using Resolve like Avid/Premiere and these kinds of gotchas pop up when you're deep into the project.

Resolve has a LOOOOOONG way to to go for true editorial.

I agree. Before I left Adobe, I used Prelude to create my sub-clips, which were automatically imported into Premiere, editable (in case I inadvertently placed the in/out in the wrong places), and could contain far more metadata than Resolve currently allows.

The only product that I've seen that comes close to Prelude that has any compatibility with Resolve, is Kyno. Problem is that Kyno won't run reliably on my system... AND Resolve doesn't support all the metadata Kyno (or Prelude would hold, for that matter) allows the user to save with a sub-clip.

I have a lot of long format recordings (sporting events, conferences, ceremonies, etc.) and REALLY need a good sub-clipping system in Resolve that will allow me to Smart Bin sub-clips for multiple different timeline assembly. That way I only have to go through a file once, get all the sub-clips I need and then assemble them as needed, as my convenience.

FWIW, this would be an ideal use of the Cut Page, but so far as I know, it doesn't even sub-clip. And, frankly, I haven't been able to see any improvement in my timeline assembly with the Cut Page over the Edit Page. Maybe I'm just not "wired" for thinking that way.

My $.02...

Scott

Have you used duration markers at all? I find I can do a lot more with duration markers vs traditional subclips especially since they are non-destructive.

Has this been resolved?

I've followed your first thread on this, viewtopic.php?f=21&t=72327, having just stumbled upon the same issue. I agree with you on this.

Please fix!

Having red through the response twice, it sounds like you want to treat them as discrete media for some actions but not as discrete media for others.

One way to address it would be to use smart bins to cluster clips by file path (or a common keyword if you are inclined to use that) and relink all of them at the same time.

Thank you for your answer, but that's not working, because:
You cannot use "Relink Selected Clips" or "Change Source Folder", if the filename changed!
And "Replace Clips" kills the in/out points.

We assume the filename or extension of the source media has changed.
Relinking is not working on them if the source name or extension has changed. No matter how you do it. So, "Relink Selected Clips" and "Change Source Folder" are out of the question. Those would work if the file name hasn't changed.
The only option left is "Replace Clips", which replaces the clip completely.
There is currently no way to re-link subclips to a file with a different filename while retaining the in and out points.
I would welcome another option, let's call it "Replace Clip And Keep In/Outs", the more intelligent brother of "Replace Clips":

What Replace Clips does, is it completely disregards the start/in and end/out timecode of the subclips. As soon as you point the clip to a new media file, it takes that whole file's range as start and end timecodes.
And that is the problem for subclips. I mean: Subclips are defined by their start and end TCs! That's what differentiates them from the originally imported clip!
Replace Clips And Keep In/Outs on the other hand, would take the new media file and only update the File Path attribute. The timecode start and end times stay the same. That's it. Done.
Obviously, it would have to work on multiple selected clips, not just one, as "Replace Clip" does.

This way you can sort your subclips by filename and relink all subclips that point to the same file. You could relink them to completely different media if you wanted to, as long as the media has enough length for the largest end timecode in all of the subclips.

The problem in images:
After creating subclips (look at the timecodes and file path):

01.png

Then, we re-link the original clip and the first subclip:

02.png

Boom. The subclip's start and end TCs have been overwritten. The subclip has been destroyed.
We now have two clips with identical contents, which we don't want in case for subclip re-linking.

03.png

"Replace Clips And Keep In/Outs" would do the same operation, but keep the timecodes. It's literally just an update of the File Path attribute.

Sorry for writing that much, but I'm just trying to get my point across.