Hello there,

Here is my situation: working on a feature length documentary with a fellow editor who is overseas. She and I have (fairly) identical hard drives, all our footage organised the same and we started from an Identical library (massive amount of logging and keywording done).

Now we are exchanging XML project files (timelines), but when I import an XML, all the Multicam clips used within it seem to "regenerate" in the browser and are imported again into the event. I can not delete these duplicates without affecting the timelines I just imported.

This is problematic, not only because it clutters up the library with duplicates, but the new multicam clips are also lacking all the keywords. It ruins any efficient use of the find-frame function and is just hella messy overall.

I can't believe this is normal behaviour, so what am I doing wrong?

PS: one thing to note is that I like to have my timelines (projects) in their own event (containing no media). Could that be a problem?

Hello David,

It's just a matter of how you transfer the project to your co-editor. Short story: don't just export an XML from the Project, but first copy the Project over to a new Event in your Library and then export the Project XML. My good friend Sam explains this in full detail here. It starts around 6 minutes:



- Ronny

Thank you so much Ronny! This was very informative, albeit not quite successful... What Sam Mestman demonstrates is how to move projects (timelines) between libraries without getting multicam/compound duplicates, but there is no XML-ing involved. Luckily our two libraries have all the media and cache externally, so even though it's a massive project (4000+ video files, more sound files) each library is only about 220mb – which we can easily ship over the internet back an forth, to then import projects (timelines) the Sam Mestman way. Not as easy and elegant as sending 100kb XML files, but a workaround I will make do with for now.

Hmm, now half a year later when I've forgotten the exact steps to do this, the video seems to have gone offline. Any idea why, and where to find this info now?

Hi everyone. My problem was until a few days ago even bigger: I had duplicates, but in the timeline there were even some clips being used from duplicated Multicam-Clip-Versions. I thought: What the heck!? But luckily I found a solution to get it all back the way it was.

If you rely on your keywords throughout the entire editing process as much as I do, then maybe you want to do the following work. (It may sound complicated when reading it, but once you started the process, it just goes jinga-dinga-ding.) What you need for this is MergeX. Using that Plugin I brought everything back, so I can rely again on all my keywords.

FIRST
Create Smart Collection for used media. Also create a keyword collection that says something like „used_media_to_be_replaced“ (or whatever sounds good for you).

SECOND
Let’s say, you have „MULTICAM“ and „MULTICAM 1“ and „MULTICAM 2“, and lets assume your original, „MULTICAM“, has still its most parts on the timeline. (This is important, because with this workflow you work towards merging everything to the Multicam clip that has the most amount of clips on the timeline.)

THIRD
Apply with MergeX all keywords from your original keywords and rated Multicam and copy these information to the duplicated multicam clips.

FOURTH
Tag the used clip parts from „MULTICAM 1“ and „MULTICAM 2“ with „used media to merge“.

Export new XML of „MULTICAM 1“ and „MULTICAM 2“

START MergeX and merge: Keep the clip name to „MULTICAM“ and ratings etc to „MULTICAM 2“

Import and replace „MULTICAM“.
(This is necessary to copy the keyword collection „used_media_to_be_replaced“ to the original clip.)

Go to the keyword collection „used media to merge“ and sort clips in list view by duration for quick identification of clips you will be looking for in the next step.
What now find there in the list are all parts that you have / want in your timeline (and, if both Multicam clips are in the same event, you will find the clips from both, „MULTICAM“ and „MULTICAM 2“).

NOW: Go in the timeline to each clip of the duplicated clip (easy with the timeline index) and mark that clip (c) so you see the duration of the clip. Knowing the duration of the clip in the timeline you can now easily find the same clip of the „original“, the „MULTICAM“ in the list view, sorted by duration. Replace.

If you did it a few times, it becomes quick (enough). I just had that problem with a timeline for a feature length and it cost me two hours to replace duplicates of ten interviews. Having my organisation back in the browser this work of two hours is absolutely worth it.