Project Management & Archiving

Cranston

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Aug 17, 2007 02:26 Messages: 1667 Offline

Solved by

Jul 23, 2012 05:09

Hi Everyone,

Owing to a number of PMs as well some recent inquiries on the forum, regarding issues of missing media when re-opening a work in progress from one’s saved .pds file, a new and hopefully helpful Project Management tutorial, is now available on the PDtoots tutorials channel.

It’s a 2 part tutorial that covers...
- The creation of a Temporary Working Folder (for each specific project).
- Adding to and maintaining a Temporary Working Folder.
- Archiving a project via the Packed Project Folder export option.

Though there are some possible variations in how each PD user may choose to manage and archive their projects. The method shown in this 2 part tutorial, is the method generally used by many of your fellow PD editors, as it helps to ensure that you never have to face losing a work in progress, or any of your project’s assets. Or find yourself “browsing” for files, owing to that PD pop-up message that’s now asking you to locate and direct PD to various missing bits of media that your PD suddenly can’t locate.
So, for any fellow forum members or visitors, who may be new to PowerDirector or video editing in general, perhaps you will find some useful workflow habits and tips contained in these Project Management tutorials linked below.

Project Management / Part 1 – (Temporary Working Folders & Saving to PDS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAOnn8g0C_o

Project Management / Part 2 – (Archiving completed projects to a Packed Project Folder)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2CYLYIynB0

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Dave456

Senior Member Location: Youngstown, Ohio Joined: Oct 30, 2010 06:46 Messages: 280 Offline

Jul 23, 2012 07:32

Great toots! Watched 1 & 2, very useful.

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Heavytiger

Contributor Joined: Jun 21, 2008 10:16 Messages: 474 Offline

Jul 23, 2012 22:02

Hi Cranston

After watching your new project management tutorials I had to say thank you. They are so well done. Not only did they teach project management but also what can be done in PD. People following your advice will save themselves a lot of headaches by following your advice.

thanks again.

Heavytiger

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jul 23. 2012 22:03

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Heavytiger

e.x.gary71

Newbie Location: Northern British Columbia Canada Joined: Mar 29, 2012 19:20 Messages: 29 Offline

Jul 23, 2012 23:07

Hi Cranston
I just started a new project and Im using your project management
and Its working great.
Thank you
Garys Gary

Cranston

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Aug 17, 2007 02:26 Messages: 1667 Offline

Jul 24, 2012 05:45

Thanks for the kind replies guys! Much appreciated.

I can’t take credit for inventing all of the included project management tips. Most of them have been around in the forum for quite a while, and have been passed on by others in bits and pieces over the years.
But since the subject of missing assets, black segments, etc., seemed to be coming up a lot recently, I thought I'd try to incorporate the details of this shared wisdom, into a step by step, updated tutorial, that hopefully helps to demonstrate the basics and merits of managing a work in progress.
Thanks again.

Click here PDtoots for a collection of PowerDirector Tutorials and Tips

Carl312

Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline

Jul 24, 2012 10:35

Cranston, You did a good job on the tutorials.

An area that is often overlooked is good computer management.
Reguar system backup, to external storage.

In Powerdirector moving the default Auto Save Location to a known location. That Auto Save will sometime save your project, much like the SAVE AS and incremental numbers for Project files.

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

Cranston

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Aug 17, 2007 02:26 Messages: 1667 Offline

Jul 24, 2012 21:30

Quote: That Auto Save will sometime save your project, much like the SAVE AS and incremental numbers for Project files.

Hi Carl,

Thanks for chiming in.

Regarding PD’s Auto Save feature. Yes it is “similar” to manually using the Save As option to generate a series of .pds saves.

However, as I understand it, the Auto Save feature is intended to be an emergency safety net. Similar to a life preserver. So I’m not sure that considering or relying on PD’s Auto Save feature, as being one’s general backup system, is a good idea.
If one keeps their boat (or project) ship shape, and boats smart and safely, one should never ever have to get that emergency life preserver wet, or rely on an auto-generated Auto Save file.

Having developed the habit of being diligent about using Save As often, to create my own series of as needed .pds files to fall back on, I now always have my Auto Save option turned off in Preferences, as I’m already generating my own.
And I’ve found (though I have no empirical evidence to prove it), that I’m having far less hangs, stalls, and crashes. Perhaps because the Auto Save feature is not jumping in (at whatever time period it was set to), to use up resources to generate/process a new Auto Save, just as the very moment where I may be setting key frames or creating a motion path or something.

Now I am in no way suggesting that anyone ever turn off "their" Auto Save emergency safety net option in their Preferences. I‘m just stating what has worked for me for a long time. But to each his own.

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Dafydd B

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 26, 2006 08:20 Messages: 11973 Offline

Jul 25, 2012 03:05

When I put forward the changed method of AutoSave to R&D some years ago. I showed how I used "Save project as". The intention being for AutoSave to save to a new numbered file each time.

I believe Carl has grasp the correct intent for those who'd use Autosave as their project saver/back up as they go along. For me, I'm still "stuck in the rut" of regularly using "save project as" and using AutoSave as a final recovery back up. I'm really "old school" and like to save whenever I make a change to my project.

Dafydd

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jul 25. 2012 03:10

CubbyHouseFilms

Senior Contributor Location: Melbourne, Australia Joined: Jul 14, 2009 04:23 Messages: 2208 Offline

Jul 25, 2012 04:19

Great 'toots'.

This tutorial should be mandatory to watch prior to using PD

Happy editing

Happing editing

Best Regards

Neil
CubbyHouseFilms
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My Vimeo Channel
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Carl312

Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline

Jul 25, 2012 10:17

Quote: When I put forward the changed method of AutoSave to R&D some years ago. I showed how I used "Save project as". The intention being for AutoSave to save to a new numbered file each time.

I believe Carl has grasp the correct intent for those who'd use Autosave as their project saver/back up as they go along. For me, I'm still "stuck in the rut" of regularly using "save project as" and using AutoSave as a final recovery back up. I'm really "old school" and like to save whenever I make a change to my project.

Dafydd

My use of the Auto Save is a emergency backup, I very much use the Save As and incremental numbers. I do save a new PDS file every time I make a change. Sometimes you just want to go back a step or two.

I move the auto save location as a convenience, if you need a auto save PDS, then you don't have to go digging in hidden folders buried ten miles deep in the folder hierarchy.

Plus it makes it easy to clean up old auto saved PDS files.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jul 25. 2012 10:22

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.