Where are project files stored?

Would they have more than the 2 million users they're estimated to have today if they used a traditional project file instead? It doesn't seem like they're hindered by it.

Which features would you give up for having it?

I suppose they could use a two-step process where Save actually does a database save and then an Export.

Or you could just hit Ctrl/Cmd + E.

Would they have more than the 2 million users they're estimated to have today if they used a traditional project file instead? It doesn't seem like they're hindered by it.

You missed the point.

The majority of the new users are having problems with understanding the system. What is needed is a decent short guide by BMD to explain it all. The manual definately isn't it and the training resourses are no use either as they seem to be aimed at a differtent market.

BMD is clealry chasing the "YouTube" market and they will have to change their manual and support resources.

Would they have more than the 2 million users they're estimated to have today if they used a traditional project file instead? It doesn't seem like they're hindered by it.

It didn't seem like people were hindered to take a plane when smoking in it was still allowed.

Would they have more than the 2 million users they're estimated to have today if they used a traditional project file instead? It doesn't seem like they're hindered by it.

It didn't seem like people were hindered to take a plane when smoking in it was still allowed.

+1

Quite. However it was Public opinion that caused the no-smoking rule (and exonomics)

With Resolve you have millions of users (admittedly many are using the Free version) who are complaining about the database project system. The problem is due to the attitude of many "professionals" on this forum the discussions are usually in other places. Many of the "YouTube" users don't feel welcome here.

I don't want to use the Project Manager or Dynamic Project Switching. I just want to have my projects saved where I want.

As noted, Ctrl-E saves your project wherever you want, at any time.

The "library" will contain all of my current projects and their snapshots, so that could be a clutter of hundreds of files that are not where I keep the rest of my projects, they're "somewhere" i a database on the system disk.

A library (database) only contains the projects and snapshots you choose to keep in it. It's entirely up to you how many projects you keep in there. You can keep it entirely empty if you want. For example, you can start your session by double clicking the project file on disk and it will open in the UI. Yes, it 'imported' the file to your otherwise empty library in the background, but that required no user interaction and you can happily ignore it. You work on your project saving snapshots to disk, as usual, whenever you like (Ctrl-E). At the end of the session you again save your project, as usual (Ctrl-E)... and then (and here's the extra effort) you delete the project from the library (Shift 1, Ctrl W, Shift Delete) before closing the app the as usual. Ok, am still not really sure why you'd want to go to the albeit minimal trouble of deleting the project that you are just going to load back in next session, but I do understand thats your choice.

I don't want to need to "export" or "import" my projects.

You might be getting a little hung up on the semantics here. In Premiere, "opening" a project causes that stored data to be read from the project file into the application's working data structure (the data is imported), and then saving the project causes the data in the working data structure to be written back to disk in its project file format (the data is exported).

Bottom line, this software is for someone else, not for me. I'll have to keep dealing with Premiere. Unfortunately.

No worries, Luka. If you change your mind you'll be welcome back any time.

but again, 150K views for this thread

I wouldn't read altogether too much into the supposed view count Michael, its just bots, webcrawlers and such indexing the content for search engines etc .. this thread was first opened six years ago. In all that time it looks like theres maybe less than 10 (unique) posters looking for help?

The majority of the new users are having problems with understanding the system.

With Resolve you have millions of users ... who are complaining about the database project system.

The silent majority, millions of them, screaming into the void (or 'other places')... all non-smokers. ;)

Seriously tho, it does seem like it would be quite easy for BMD to provide an option to hide the backend, so users who prefer can just work in 'project only' mode.

The majority of the new users are having problems with understanding the system.

With Resolve you have millions of users ... who are complaining about the database project system.

The silent majority, millions of them, screaming into the void (or 'other places')... all non-smokers.

The are VERY far from a silent majority. They are quite a loud majority. Just not on here.

Just because you are in a small ivory tower of 1% of users that is one of the problems of this forum a small number of "professionals" with their heads in the sand. (suggestuing that a lot of the 150K views are "bots" when other threads have single figure views.) There are many other places where BMD and Resolve is discussed that has a far bigger impact on future sales of Resolve than this forum.

but again, 150K views for this thread

I wouldn't read altogether too much into the supposed view count Michael, its just bots, webcrawlers and such indexing the content for search engines etc .. this thread was first opened six years ago. In all that time it looks like theres maybe less than 10 (unique) posters looking for help?

Bots?! I hope you're joking. You will have a hard time finding posts with more views here. And this is just one thread concerning database confusion, they constantly pop up since years.

What good does denying the clearly existing trouble so many users have with it?!

Seriously tho, it does seem like it would be quite easy for BMD to provide an option to hide the backend, so users who prefer can just work in 'project only' mode.

See, you came up with an idea in just a few minutes, so user experience can probably be vastly improved. And I believe it should be if BMD aim Resolve towards a broader user group of 'creators'.

"Vastly improved"?

Of all Resolve's many impenetrable mysteries, this is what folks complain about, endlessly? Something anyone can learn in a few minutes? Those 2 million other users are all geniuses?

True, this approach to organizing work reflects workplace requirements which may not have great attractions to home users on single workstations, but so what? Take the time to learn it -- all ten minutes! -- and you may actually come to appreciate databases, which store unique system settings as well as projects. Imagine the possibilities.... You might even create more than one database, based on projects or different users! And keep everything organized! What a horror....

but so what? Take the time to learn it -- all ten minutes!

Yea no-one of all these idiots tried...

I know this kind of resilience back from Avid users. Look where that is going now.

Just because you are in a small ivory tower of 1% of users that is one of the problems of this forum a small number of "professionals" with their heads in the sand.

Seems a bit harsh putting me in an ivory tower, just because I'm not disgruntled. For what its worth, I'm currently working out of a cluttered box room in the basement of mid-terraced house on a non-descript street in Hereford. An ivory tower would be lovely, if its high enough I could probably see Birmingham. ;)

suggestuing that a lot of the 150K views are "bots" when other threads have single figure views.)

Bots?! I hope you're joking.

Yeah, apologies, that's fair criticism. As a test, I posted in the rarely visited 'Off Topic' forum earlier. My post immediately showed a view count of 5 and instantly climbed to 14 when I refreshed the page. I can pretty much guarantee no person actually read it in the 10 seconds it took me to test that... but it hasn't climbed at all since then (because no one is here for the 'off topics'!), nor did the count climb inappropriately when I replied to myself, so 150k - 14 is clearly not a big skew. Myth busted.

Honestly, There are many other places where BMD and Resolve is discussed that has a far bigger impact on future sales of Resolve than this forum.

Ah, 'those' places, where all the impact happens. Well, goodness. Millions of Resolve users then, millions of them, all pledging amongst themselves to ... err, something ... never buy the paid version? ... because 'Project Manager'. Poor old BMD, they're buggered.

I was thinking about why long-term users of Resolve feel the need to defend the status-quo (myself included, sometimes) when a relatively new user to the product identifies an unintuitive or unfamiliar paradigm in the way certain behaviours are implemented. I suppose it serves to add a negative vote to the ask in the hopes that BMD will see that not all users agree with a proposed change. I'm not sure if this is needed, though but I also don't know how BMD goes about gathering product change requests - I wonder if they really look at vote count (according to forum posts)?

I personally like the database paradigm but I can certainly see why it isn't everyone's cup of tea. I wouldn't want to lose the database (aka library) paradigm but I am certainly comfortable with the idea that BMD could develop a more familiar alternative as suggested earlier.

I would love to see a series of short video tutorials outlining the use of the library paradigm starting with how projects are stored and how to create your own custom storage location for these libraries. Beyond this, how to backup and restore projects, project archives, libraries and best practices to address a variety of workflow concerns.

I would love to see a series of short video tutorials outlining the use of the library paradigm starting with how projects are stored and how to create your own custom storage location for these libraries. Beyond this, how to backup and restore projects, project archives, libraries and best practices to address a variety of workflow concerns.

+1

Did I mention +1 for a "like" button too

What difference does it make if they're using PostgreSQL or whatever... They're saving it into the system drive and they're making users have all their projects in that convoluted folder.

Use PostgreSQL or whatever you want, just let people save it where they want, so they can have their own structure of saving projects.

My projects usually contain a combination of Premiere, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, Photoshop, Audition and more... Can you imagine if each of these programs kept all my project files in their own databases and each time I jump in and out of one I have to worry about "exporting" my project files and wondering which version of what project is where? That would be a nightmare.

I don't know why such a performant and quality product is supporting this idea of a nightmare.

My projects usually contain a combination of Premiere, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, Photoshop, Audition and more... Can you imagine if each of these programs kept all my project files in their own databases and each time I jump in and out of one I have to worry about "exporting" my project files and wondering which version of what project is where? That would be a nightmare.

True. I manage all my assets in a project-oriented folder structure on an external drive and place my Resolve project backups within that folder structure so that I more or less have a self-contained project asset storage location. While I'm working on a project in Resolve, I export my project to that location periodically for backup purposes. I also use the project asset location to store my other project files generated by applications such as Blender, Photoshop and Pro Tools. I used to use a similar approach with Avid Media Composer because it also keeps its project files in a separate folder structure unique to Avid (and separate from my project asset folder hierarchy).

It's not a perfect solution but I got used to it with Avid and so I didn't find Resolve as much of a departure, but I totally get where you are coming from.

What difference does it make if they're using PostgreSQL or whatever... They're saving it into the system drive and they're making users have all their projects in that convoluted folder.

Use PostgreSQL or whatever you want, just let people save it where they want, so they can have their own structure of saving projects.

My projects usually contain a combination of Premiere, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, Photoshop, Audition and more... Can you imagine if each of these programs kept all my project files in their own databases and each time I jump in and out of one I have to worry about "exporting" my project files and wondering which version of what project is where? That would be a nightmare.

I don't know why such a performant and quality product is supporting this idea of a nightmare.

So you want BMD to only support your way of working and ignore the vast majority of users?

I don't however I think a good short tutorial on how the BMD system works and is intended to be used in various senarios would solve a lot of problems. I came from FCPX and was baffled by the Resolve system. I could not find any sensible destription of how Resolve worked. Like everyone else I resorted to Youtube because there was no sense to be had here or in the Resolve manual.

What is needed is BMD to do a Youtube video in how it works in less than 20 minutes.

What difference does it make if they're using PostgreSQL or whatever... They're saving it into the system drive and they're making users have all their projects in that convoluted folder.

Use PostgreSQL or whatever you want, just let people save it where they want, so they can have their own structure of saving projects.

You do know that databases can be created and stored wherever you want, and that within them projects can be organized however you want -- folders, sub-folders, pool, etc.?

My projects usually contain a combination of Premiere, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, Photoshop, Audition and more... Can you imagine if each of these programs kept all my project files in their own databases and each time I jump in and out of one I have to worry about "exporting" my project files and wondering which version of what project is where? That would be a nightmare.

You can of course store databases in the same location as project files from other software. That won't satisfy you if you want autonomous project files (which would be of no use in third-party software anyway?), but why are you exporting files, as opposed to actual programs? For what purpose?

In Resolve parlance, when you "export" a project, you export a backup, which is a compressed project file with a "drp" extension. The versioning and organization is up to you. The current working project (or any number of versions you may store there) resides in the database. You evidently don't like this way of doing things, but many of us manage it without grief (or nightmares).

I was thinking about why long-term users of Resolve feel the need to defend the status-quo (myself included, sometimes) when a relatively new user to the product identifies an unintuitive or unfamiliar paradigm in the way certain behaviours are implemented. I suppose it serves to add a negative vote to the ask in the hopes that BMD will see that not all users agree with a proposed change. I'm not sure if this is needed, though but I also don't know how BMD goes about gathering product change requests - I wonder if they really look at vote count (according to forum posts)?

Good thoughts and good question how they gather and then rate user feedback.

Btw I'm a long-term user (Resolve 8) but I still think the way databases are handled is far from intuitive and that's how creative software needs to be today, like it or not fellow dinosaurs.

Btw I'm a long-term user (Resolve 8) but I still think the way databases are handled is far from intuitive and that's how creative software needs to be today, like it or not fellow dinosaurs.

+1
All I am asking for is an "idiots guide" to Resolve databased and projects (and the logic behind it)

NO the manual isn't the answer and neither is the current training material otherwise this would not be such an ongoing topic.

All I am asking for is an "idiots guide" to Resolve databased and projects (and the logic behind it)

The "idiots guide" (I know you are asking for a friend and don't class yourself as an idiot) is really quite simple and I suspect the comments below aren't giving you any new information.

In general, don't do anything - let the database do the management for you. When you do need to do something, use Project Manager.

New Project - create "New Project" in Project Manager.

Backup an entire Library -In the Library pane on the left, click on the "Info" button for the Library and the the "Back Up" button.
Restore an entire Library - In the Library pane on the left, click on the "Restore" icon

Backup a single project. - In the main pane, highlight a project and click on "Export" at the bottom. This creates a drp file.
Restore a single project - Either click on the drp file to automatically bring it into Resolve, or use Project Manager to select the target folder for the project and click "Import".

Move a project - this is the only time you need to worry about actual files.
1. Export the project
2. Transfer the drp file to the new computer
3. Transfer all the source files to the new computer or make them available on the new computer over the network.
4. Import the drp file from step 2 into Resolve in the new computer.
5. Depending on how the source files were transferred/made available, you may need to relink the source files in new project. It is a lot easier if the source files/folders mimic the original structure.

The rationale for a database is that it does a lot of the management work for you, particularly retaining integrity when unexpected things happen with Resolve. I think everyone has lost power at one stage or another. It also make it a lot easier to collaborate on projects. The database itself is pretty lightweight on Resolve resources meaning it can be located on the local computer, a local server, or the cloud with very little difference in performance, unlike the source files which should preferably be on the editing computer. 2nd preference is on a local server with a very fast network. Myself, I use a local server for the source files, but render to a disk on my workstation.

Hope this makes it clearer.

Darryl

Yeah, no...

All I want is File > Save As... and File > Open.

That's it. No guides for idiots, no libraries and whatnot.

but why are you exporting files, as opposed to actual programs? For what purpose?

Obviously, I'm not "exporting" files. I use project files for all this different software in an easily accessible organized folder structure for each project I'm working on. Every project is different... The only time I need to "export" a project is if I need to hand over an xml to a post prod company. That's as much as I'm willing to do. Once Resolve lets users organize their own files I'll consider using it.

All I want is File > Save As... and File > Open.

Every App has their own style. And this is Resolve. Unique and different from others. For now we can familiarize ourself with this kind of style.

Once Resolve lets users organize their own files I'll consider using it.

Fair enough. Your choice, of course. For others who are simply uncomfortable with the notion of a project library and need to know how to implement various workflows, a quick start guide would be very useful.

Once Resolve lets users organize their own files I'll consider using it.

Fair enough. Your choice, of course. For others who are simply uncomfortable with the notion of a project library and need to know how to implement various workflows, a quick start guide would be very useful.

Many NLEs have Libraries and projects. That is not the problem. It is, as with most things in Resolve, a lack of an explination and support resources. Yes I have seen the un-indexed 4K page manual and the multiple hour long training stuff. Which is why most new users seem to go to tYouTube for the 5, 10, 15 minute videos explaining Resolve. None of which are done by BMD.

BTW FCPX has libraries, events and projects You can create a Library at any time and have a choice of accessing any of them (not just one) when FCPX is running. Howeverr you can also close (disconnect) any Library/database at any time, move it and re-open it in any other FCPX and it just works. No"re-linking" required.

I looked at one of the training projects from Resolve and you had to spend half an hour re-linking and finding files and directories in a way you don't have to in FCPX. I gave up as it was more trouble that it was worth (and went to YouTube forthe answer)

The answer is to gfet a Technical Authour with no prior experience of Resolve to do a short Idiots guide to Databases and projects. It has to be some one with no experience of Resolve as they will ask the questions new users will ask.

All I am asking for is an "idiots guide" to Resolve databased and projects (and the logic behind it)

The "idiots guide" (I know you are asking for a friend and don't class yourself as an idiot) is really quite simple and I suspect the comments below aren't giving you any new information.

Darryl

Thansk for that. You are Correct I am not an idiot. I was asking for a friend. For me I need foolproof answers......

Yeah, no...
Once Resolve lets users organize their own files I'll consider using it.

Hi Luka,

I don't understand your comment about organising files, so please help me understand where you are coming from. That’s not at all my experience but I don't want to respond until I better understand your experience.

Darryl

Btw I'm a long-term user (Resolve 8) but I still think the way databases are handled is far from intuitive and that's how creative software needs to be today, like it or not fellow dinosaurs.

+1
All I am asking for is an "idiots guide" to Resolve databased and projects (and the logic behind it)

NO the manual isn't the answer and neither is the current training material otherwise this would not be such an ongoing topic.

I often wonder why people say that using the User Guide is not the answer to finding out how the software works. What is it about reading information that some people find difficult?

Peter, it can be overwhelming - those 4000+ pages... The manual is a reference guide which means that if you more or less know what to look for, it is an excellent source of detailed information. However, if you are just getting started, it isn't as welcoming as a quick start guide. I'm a visual learner so I find video tutorials to be a faster way to get up to speed. I'd love to see a series of short tutorials covering the data management workflows such as export/import and archive/restore operations, details the hows, whys and wheres for new users, particularly given that many users comes from other products that work in a decidedly different way.

I often wonder why people say that using the User Guide is not the answer to finding out how the software works. What is it about reading information that some people find difficult?

Peter,

I am very comfortable reading and digesting manuals and often the Resolve manual is open while I am using it. However it doesn't always work! Sometimes you need to see it in action to properly comprehend what the words are saying and the degree to which that is necessary varies from person to person. Sometimes you just can't find what you are looking for. It's very easy to hide things in plain sight in a 4,000 plus page document. The biggest problem I usually have is searching for the right word. Once you know the right word, the manual often just opens up. Even then a particular topic can overlap in multiple areas and knowing which of those is the most relevant can be a challenge.

Lastly is the style of the manual. It is very definitely written as a reference manual not a tutorial (with a few exceptions) and in that role it is very good. Reference manuals are very good at telling what happens with each button, function, etc. but not so much on how to use them in a real world context. I used to be a tech writer and this was one of the things I struggled with. Both are useful docs but it is near impossible to combine them together and make it coherent when you have large systems. The biggest thing missing from reference manuals is the consequences of actions as they need to be formal to retain accuracy and minimise ambiguity. For example, if you set the working resolution of a project to low, what are the limitations on the Deliver Page. These are the things best covered in tutorials.

I know this is a long response, but I hope it helps answer the question.

Darryl

Not sure of this will be helpful or if it's even wise of me to enter the fray, but here goes...

1. Software terms don't travel. One man's Project is another's library is another's vault & etc. Don't assume that a Library or project or archive or anything is the same in Resolve as in FCP or Premiere.

2. A Library in Resolve is an SQL database. They've been around for a very long time, are a very robust and efficient means of storing data. Lots and lots of data. You can have multiple Libraries, for example by year, or by type, or if you're a larger facility by client. You can put the library anywhere you want.

3. A Library contains Projects, as many as you want, each may be sorted and organized however you want. Projects always live inside the Library (e.g. the database). So if you have a Library named Netflix (your client) you may have Projects for After Maria, Young Wallander, Dead End, The Sinner. They may be organized into folders, or seasons, etc. Or you could make a library for each show and a project for each season. Many ways to organize things. When you are dealing with hundreds of projects, flexibility and organizational efficiency are good things to have.

4. A Project contains project settings, links/pointers to your media and other assets, and Timelines. All of these are (as far as I can tell) database records (remember the Library..?) and essentially pointers to the actual assets and resources (e.g. plugins & settings) being used. There's no media, no assets, nothing else there, just records that describe the project, it's assets and structure.

5. Since the media & other assets and the project files are completely separate entities, you can store a Library (database) anywhere (NAS, Shared drive, the new Blackmagic Cloud, etc) as it's relatively lightweight and efficient, while your media files can be on high-capacity high-bandwidth storage (SAN, etc). Separating the two allows for more flexibility, especially in a commercial multi-user environment, which is where Resolve originated (as did Fairlight).

6. Resolve was and is (disclaimer - my understanding and opinion only here) aimed at commercial/enterprise users, typically post-production facilities, broadcasters and the like. The fact that they made a free version doesn't change their core market, it only allows more people who are curious about it to check it out. If I was doing TikTok videos on my iPhone, just because I could borrow an Arri or Red camera for free to shoot with doesn't mean I'm going to do better work or find it an easier experience, nor would I expect those companies to cater to my needs and change their product accordingly, despite there being millions of TikTok creators, compared to a far smaller number of professional DPs shooting commercial content. Different tools for different markets/audiences.

7. There are different types of Libraries, Local, Network, and Cloud, but I don't want to make this more complicated than it needs to be.

8. I'm not sure Resolve is made to be intuitive, I think it's designed to be extremely efficient in fast paced environments and is focused on effective workflow management. As with many professional tools, it requires training and knowledge to get the best out of it - experienced operators. It's not an "anyone can do it" kind of thing, its a "professional's tool" one. That may be why they offer (free) courses to learn the platform, or parts of it. As a personal aside, I wouldn't call ProTools or Reaper intuitive either, until you've used them for a while and understand how they organize their workflow (I'm an audio guy, thus the audio references).

9. Yes the manual is extremely long, I find using the search function usually turns up a few pages outlining exactly what I'm looking for. Based on my own experience, I would suggest investing the time in either the free online tutorials/courses on the BMD website, or signing up for one of the (also free) online courses they hold several times a year. I know the expectation is that once you know one system, you should be able to easily move to another, but from my own experience transitioning through several DAWs in my career, that's often not the case. Especially for more experienced users who have established their own way of working, when the new system really calls for a different one. It can be a pretty big transition!

Page 71 of the manual describes Libraries, what they are and how they work, as well as how to manage projects within them.

Page 67 walks through projects and project management (within a Library, or database as they used to be called)

Page 81 explains how to use Dynamic Project Switching.

Page 3951 gives a more in-depth look at Libraries, Projects and the like, which I've tried to summarize here.

(All references in regards to version 18 of the software).

I hope this can be of some help.

Cheers,
Thor

6. Resolve was and is (disclaimer - my understanding and opinion only here) aimed at commercial/enterprise users, typically post-production facilities, broadcasters and the like. The fact that they made a free version doesn't change their core market

Completely disagree. It's where they started, which is decades ago. Look at the hardware they produced and sell the best in recent years - BMPCC4K, Atem mini ect. They made a distinct market shift a few years ago that started when opening Resolve up to the masses, towards the masses.

8. I'm not sure Resolve is made to be intuitive (...). As with many professional tools, it requires training and knowledge to get the best out of it - experienced operators. It's not an "anyone can do it" kind of thing, its a "professional's tool" one.

I absolutely hate this argument. First, If this was true, especially for a CREATIVE software, Premiere, FCPX and others would have never kicked Avid down the market share ladder like they did. Second, I experienced that attitude a lot with 'sitting' employees in the industry, who were simply too lazy and entitled to engage in newer and better ways of working.

I get it, they put all those hours into learning that unintuitive software. Life sux.



Look, the critics among us are not asking to change Resolve into a TikTok slave. Just make it more user friendly around project libraries/databases.

If 150.000 people came here (good luck finding just a handful of threads that have been visited more often in the Resolve forum ever) to simply find out where the damn project file is actually stored, what's the dark figure?
And that's just one of the little sources of confusion around databases that BMD could, probably quite easily, prevent.

6. Resolve was and is (disclaimer - my understanding and opinion only here) aimed at commercial/enterprise users, typically post-production facilities, broadcasters and the like. The fact that they made a free version doesn't change their core market, it only allows more people who are curious about it to check it out.

This attitude will kill Resolve.
It is clear from the new hardware BMD is making and the direction of travel for Resolve their target market and that the vast majority of their users are not their previous core market. More the much more agile "youtube" market Ie production teams of 1-25 that don't have their roots in the "Hollywood" style systems. The teams that started with with DSLRs when they added video to them.

If 150.000 people came here (good luck finding just a handful of threads that have been visited more often in the Resolve forum ever) to simply find out where the damn project file is actually stored, what's the dark figure?

The number of views is completely unreliable as a benchmark, because of bots/search crawlers/Slashdot effect. You can sort topics by Views to get a feel for it. This thread about "AMD Roadmaps published yesterday." has almost 12 million views. There are over 40 topics with over 100,000 views in the Resolve forum.

For what it's worth, I think Resolve is getting too rigid in many areas and would like some more customization abilities and above all, focus on what users need. Outside of the well established Color Page, I feel sometimes that they're not always talking to people who are actually working in the business when it comes to editing, synching, managing metadata and so on.

Not to get into the argument but just give a simple answer to the original question for those who may wish to know, this is where on Windows.

The number of views is completely unreliable as a benchmark, because of bots/search crawlers/Slashdot effect. You can sort topics by Views to get a feel for it. This thread about "AMD Roadmaps published yesterday." has almost 12 million views. There are over 40 topics with over 100,000 views in the Resolve forum.

But how many over 150K? Oh yeah right, doesn't matter because...the bots.

Above Mr. Bennett kindly provided a screen shot revealing the mystery of how to find a project, even though there's no actual need to do so most of the time -- because, remember, this isn't Premiere and, like it or not, you don't have autonomous self-executing project files (although .drp backup files will unpack themselves and install in the current database). You access your projects from inside the database, where there's actual folder/subfolder/user organization available.

Here's a screenshot from the unhelpful "reference" manual, explaining how (for example) to create a new database (called "project library", as of v18)

library.JPG (96.77 KiB) Viewed 5772 times

If users aren't resourceful enough to do even this much research, how get through post-production? And btw, if you actually create a database (and consequently will know where it is), have a look at it. You'll find a series of harmless nested folders, containing settings and configuration files and (eventually) a folder called "Projects" which, in turn contains a folder for each named project, and a "project.db" file inside. The thing will not self-destruct if you look at it.

And here's a priceless tip for backing up a database (aka "project library"), which you won't find in the manual and which BMD may not endorse but which has never failed me. Hold down ctrl. Select the database folder with the mouse. Drag the folder to another location, preferably another disk. That's it. You now have a 1:1 uncompressed backup.

Page 71 of the manual describes Libraries, what they are and how they work, as well as how to manage projects within them.

Page 67 walks through projects and project management (within a Library, or database as they used to be called)

Page 81 explains how to use Dynamic Project Switching.

Page 3951 gives a more in-depth look at Libraries, Projects and the like, which I've tried to summarize here.

(All references in regards to version 18 of the software).

I hope this can be of some help.

Cheers,
Thor

This is very useful, Thor. Thanks. It turns out that there is sort of quick-start content buried within the reference guide if you know where to look.

FWIW, there are at least two camps watching this thread. One would like to understand the workflow surrounding libraries and projects (and their backup/restore, export/import) and the other would like nothing to do with the current implementation and would prefer the project as a standalone 'file'. For those in the first camp, posts from Thor, Charles and John are quite useful. For those in the other camp, I'm afraid there is nothing for you at this time, but you never know - maybe BMD will address your concern in a future release? Hard to say, really.

The number of views is completely unreliable as a benchmark, because of bots/search crawlers/Slashdot effect. You can sort topics by Views to get a feel for it. This thread about "AMD Roadmaps published yesterday." has almost 12 million views. There are over 40 topics with over 100,000 views in the Resolve forum.

But how many over 150K? Oh yeah right, doesn't matter because...the bots.

People love reading forum drama.... just saying.

People love reading forum drama.... just saying.

There was no drama until 149.000....just saying.

FWIW, there are at least two camps watching this thread. One would like to understand the workflow surrounding libraries and projects (and their backup/restore, export/import) and the other would like nothing to do with the current implementation and would prefer the project as a standalone 'file'.

I understand there is a third, just wanting a better documentation by BMD. There are so many videos on YT helping new users to get their head around how Resolve databases work.

I'm an old user (Resolve 8) but I totally agree with the "cries" for Resolve to become more intuitive in that regard.

C:\Users\Your Username\AppData\Roaming\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Project Library\Resolve Projects\Users\guest\Projects

C:\Users\Your Username\AppData\Roaming\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Project Library\Resolve Projects\Users\guest\Projects

Tony,

this response needs a lot of qualification! The obvious one is that is location is on Windows and not Mac or Linux.

This also is the default location, and from memory the default location changes depending on whether you set access up for just your self or for all people. You can change the default location when you set up the library.

This is for the file version of the library, not the database version, and the database is wherever you set that up. It could be on the same computer, on another computer in the local network, or in the cloud somewhere and not just the BMD cloud.

There are a lot of things to consider which is why giving a directory path without qualification can be misleading. It will work for those with the same environment, but not others.

Darryl

This whole discussion is moot with 19, at least on a Mac. If I click Reveal in Finder, it shows me the Library (aka Database):

Bildschirmfoto 2024-09-02 um 10.39.23.png (57.88 KiB) Viewed 3212 times

Isn't there such a button under Windows?

the Library (aka Database)

So why did they introduce the new term "library" back then but then also kept 'database'? It confuses people more now imo.

I love BMD but they are really bad at naming things, from their cameras to their color space terms, it's like they try to complicate things on purpose

the Library (aka Database)

So why did they introduce the new term "library" back then but then also kept 'database'? It confuses people more now imo.

Possibly since the price drop to £/$300 (and the Free version) having taken off with YouTubers et-al, thus expanding the user base by many orders of magnitude, these new users are moving from other platforms that use the term "Library" Just a guess? Though given the notice BMD seems to take of users on this forum.....

So why did they introduce the new term "library"

Because FCP uses that term, and BMD has a frustrating fondness for Apple.

Same reason they went to the new square desktop icon from the original (and superior) round one.

This whole discussion is moot with 19

It's been moot for longer than that; right-click had been able to find the database on disk for a long time.

As for "libraries", the attempt was no doubt to make it more "user-friendly", but they just succeeded in confusing matters, as now both terms are in use. The old-timers will know they're one and the same, but for anyone else.....

That aside, it's hard to know how widespread the dissatisfaction with the basic design really is. On the forum complaints are frequent but repetitive. I wonder also if it's reasonable to expect an industry product, offering collaborative workflows and multiple applications in one, to work like a NLE with no other obligation than loading a standalone self-contained project file.

…it's hard to know how widespread the dissatisfaction with the basic design really is. On the forum complaints are frequent but repetitive. I wonder also if it's reasonable to expect an industry product, offering collaborative workflows and multiple applications in one, to work like a NLE with no other obligation than loading a standalone self-contained project file.

Very reasonable point of view.
Two things I’d like to add:
First, there’s no inherent reason that the database ability has to so inconvenience single system users. Several fixes have been suggested here and there are surely many others. BMD has just chosen to not prioritize addressing this issue.

Additionally, Avid, the king of professional collaborative workflows, uses a file based scheme that is much more transparent than Resolve’s solution. So again saying this is all because Resolve is more powerful is not a compelling argument.

First, there’s no inherent reason that the database ability has to so inconvenience single system users.

To be pedantic, i don't know that inconvenience is the right word. I have seen a lot of complaints about not understanding how projects are stored/created/managed, and most seem to come from a pre-conceived idea of how it should happen. To me, it's akin to complaining about an automatic car not having a clutch by someone who has only dealt with manual gearboxes.

Education on the other hand is an issue, and I suspect the root cause behind most of the difficulties expressed. One of the key concepts to understand with Resolve is that source media is separate to the project. In simplistic terms, the project is the instructions to turn the source media into the final output media. It's when people see the Resolve project as a monolithic entity that incorporates both that the confusion starts, but understandable given that many NLE's work like that.

There are surely some people who don’t understand that the project doesn’t store the media. But I think that most people who’ve used an NLE understand that split.

The problem comes when people want to know where they can find their project FILE. Most NLEs have a file that lives in the computer’s filesystem that contains the project. Not the media- just the info about what media is referenced and how it fits together into timelines.

What most who encounter Resolve don’t understand at first is that their project doesn’t live as a standalone file in the filesystem.

Once they do understand they are often unhappy. The filesystem is a super handy abstraction for most all programs. Moving files from system to system, emailing them to cohorts or oneself, etc is well understood by almost anyone who’s used a word processor.

The database has many uses - but it makes simple file based project management more difficult. It’s a layer - another filesystem - between the user and their project.

BMD has so far insisted that users bend themselves to fit this paradigm. I’m suggesting that - with not too much effort - both paradigms could be available.

This would remove a large stumbling block between new users and Resolve. It would also make possible certain workflows for which they’re just isn’t a good solution in Resolve as it is today.

What most who encounter Resolve don’t understand at first is that their project doesn’t live as a standalone file in the filesystem.

Once they do understand they are often unhappy. The filesystem is a super handy abstraction for most all programs. Moving files from system to system, emailing them to cohorts or oneself, etc is well understood by almost anyone who’s used a word processor.

For those wishing to work with a "project file", my recommendation is to use the "Export Project" function to create a ".drp" file in the file system. This is essentially a copy of everything in the database serialized to a standard file which can then be moved around with the rest of the project files and easily re-imported back into Resolve whenever needed.

I regularly save work on a project into a series of timestamped ".drp" files so that I can easily revert to a previous edit point if necessary. This is really useful when you're using the "live save" option to the database, which eliminates the time-honoured method of reverting to a previous edit by closing the project without saving it so that you can reload it from the last time you saved it. "Live save" means that there is no "last save" point because the database is always kept up to date with everything you do in real time.