Hi Zorikh

When you create shadow files they should be automatically saved in the PD Projects folder > sub folder ShadowEditFiles. Check this happening with yours.

Once created, shadow files should be there all the time for immediate use with PD.

Am I right in thinking that your PD projects folder is on your external drive. If your external drive is playing up it may be the cause of the problem.

Try and find your PD projects folder and identify where the ShadowEditFiles folder is. Then check if your shadows files are in it Panny TM10, GH2, GH4,

Hmmm... I used the search function and found what looks to be them on my computer's Hard Drive, in the 13.0 folder in the Powerdirector folder in the Cyberlink folder. I just saw a new one be created, as I have a project open and the shadow files are generating right now.

When I tried to "open file location" they appeared to be in a folder called, as you said, "ShadowEditFiles" in the aforementioned 13.0 folder.

But when I went to that folder itself, the ShadowEditFiles folder is not there.

Furthermore, these are only the new files that have started generating since the last go-round.

The source files are in my ext HD (my computer is not big enough to hold them all). This is now the 4th time I have had to start generating these shadow files. It's really slowing me down, and getting me down.

Should I try to do something like copying these files to a new folder to save them? Zorikh

I don't know what's going on with your shadow files. However, I am certain somebody with a greater knowledge will chip in soon.

In the meantime have a look at this alternative to shadow files. It's not as complicated as it looks and is much faster. http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/43102.page (see, in particular the 3rd post)

Give it a try, you wont be disappointed. If you do try this method make sure you select 1920 x 1080 in the format factory outputs Panny TM10, GH2, GH4,

Thanks! If I understand his workaround solution correctly in principle, you create lower-res files of you source material and gve them all the exact same name, load them into your PD13 project, edit them, then when you are done, replace the low-res files with the original files, and presto! your poject will be in the origial high res.

I assume this is because when the editing program sees a file of the same name it will assume it is the same file that it just edited, and thus will drop it into place.

So how do I replace the files? I would assume it is through a similar process as when you open up PD and it says that the source file has been moved or something and asks you to find it again (something that, when it happens, has been a cue that the shadow files are going to have to regenerate all over again, but that this ought to solve). How can you replace files when you want to?

And in other news, that conversation to which you sent me said to use "Format Factory" to create reduced-res versions of the files. I tried downloading FF from two different sites and both of them have triggered warnings, one from 360 Total Security that there is a Trojan virus and the other from my web browser that he official download page is "untrusted." Can you give me any advice as to how to convert the files? Zorikh

Hi Zorikh

Here is what I suggest you try:

Firstly, download FF from the official site and install

Now create two folders:

Folder 1, call it Cam to FF (high res)

Folder 2, call it FF to PD (low res)

Load your project files from your camera to folder Cam to FF

Open Format Factory: Click on the MP4 square, and in the box that opens select "output settings" select "video size" and choose 1920x1080 HD and click OK. At the bottom of the box there is an option for your output folder, browse for your created folder FF to PD. Now click on "add folder" and load Cam to FF. Say OK and you will see all the files in in that folder being loaded into FF.

Once all the files have loaded click on start. You will be able to see all the file being converted.

When they are finished, open PD and browse for the FF to PD folder. load your files and do your editing.

When editing is complete, save the project and close PD

Now in Windows Explorer, go to the FF to PD folder and delete the contents. Then go to the Cam to FF folder and drag the contents into the FF to PD folder.

Open PD again and reload your project and produce in your chosen profile.

I think I have thought of everything - see how you get on

Robert Panny TM10, GH2, GH4,

That's clever! So when you are done, the files of the same name, though of higher res, will be in the same folder in which the program has been finding them, so the program will think they are the same thing! Am I right?

OK, one thing I forgot to mention is that I have done a lot of editing already, so if I am reading the logic of your workaround correctly I should be able to do the following:

1. Make my new low-res files.
2. Either...
a. Move my original source files out of their current folders, or...
b. simply detach the external HD and attach a new one with the new, lower-res files.
3.
If a, then when the program looks for the files it will find the lower res ones, and BOOM! off to work I go or...
If b, then when I get the little pop-up telling me to locate the files, I select the files in the new folder in the new ext HD.

Either way, the new files will be read as the old files, already edited and everything. I continue working 'till done, then go back and either a. move the files back to where they were or b. put the old ext HD back in, select the old files, and we are good to go!

Does that sound like it would work? Zorikh

First paragraph - yes you are right.

I would suggest 2a to be the road to go down. You might find with b that both you and PD could get confused as to what's where.

At the end of the day, PD needs to find the high res files where the low res files were before you deleted them and then you can produce. As long as the old low res files are replaced by the high res files of exactly the same name all will be well.

Try a small project and make sure it works. When you open PD with the high res files look at the clip properties on the timeline just to make sure the exchange has worked properly.

This system works very well and I can see no reason why it wouldn't work for you.

Robert Panny TM10, GH2, GH4,