Yes, you should keep your complete original projects. I have a dedicated hard drive just for storing old projects and I have backups of everything. By deleting your projects now, you will be sorry at some point in the future, that's fur sure.

With the current hard disk prices you should play it save. _______________________________________
The first condition of immortality is death

Andy,

Here's what I do when I want to archive projects…
Click on Director’s Chair icon > File > Export > Pack Project Material

This places all your edit commands and your project’s assets (images, clips, and text, etc., that are in the timelines), into a folder which you can re-visit later.
And it also makes that project portable. You can for instance… copy that packed project folder to a USB thumb drive, take it to another computer on the other side of town (that has PD installed), copy the packed project folder into the other computers C drive, open the project, and continue to edit or re-edit your project.
Note: This is for "completed" projects". Images and clips in the Library that aren't already in the timelines, need to be saved too, if you anticipate wanting to add them later.

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Cranston,

How would I go about archiving a project to an external hard drive, but also keep a copy on my main drive to access later on without having to copy it back from the external drive?

I understand about packing a project but does this "move" the entire project and it's assets (images, audio etc.) or does it "copy" it?

Hi Spartan -

Packing a Project copies all the files, including the .pds (project) file, to a folder. That helps avoid issues where files are moved or renamed.

I'm with Nightcap, and plenty of others, who advise this as a standard part of "editor's housekeeping"... but whether keeping 2 copies of the project is necessary is debatable. If you don't have disc space problems, all is well. One's enough for me though.

Cheers - Tony
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I'm in aggrement with Tony. And though he covered it, just to add my reply to your post...

It copies it.
Your other files and .pds saves, will remain where they are until you delete them. It just takes your last saved .pds file, and your edit commands, and everything else that is in your timelines, and copies them into a folder for archiving.

- Packing is not for saving along the way. That’s what .pds files are for.

- It does not copy or save remaining assets in your Library, that are not in your timelines.

- If you open the packed project again in a month from now, the timelines and assets will be there just as you last left them.

- If you then decide that you now do want to add that one clip from the beach trip in the project after all, you will have to go to where you have that clip stored and re-import it into the project’s library and timelines. But everything else will be there, re-built from the copies in your packed project folder.

Hope that helps.


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Disc space for me at the moment is not a problem and I guess the main reason I was trying to keep 2 copies is just to save time by not having to access a project on my external drive.

Here's another question: I periodically save numerically ordered .pds files as I go,so I can step back through my project if I make a mistake or have a crash etc. Once I've finished my project and produced the file is it good "editors housekeeping" (Tony ) to delete all the .pds files except the final one? And then pack it if I want to?

Sorry for the thread hijack Andy .

Hi Spartan,

Yes, that's what I do.

During a project I create a Working folder for that project. I place a "copy" of everything I anticipate using in a project in that folder. Then I enter PD's Preferences and set my "output folder", to be that Working folder. And now everything I do, consecutive pds saves, test Produces, etc, goes into that working folder.

When working on a project and I think I want to add that other image or clip that's saved somewhere on my rig, I find it and copy it to that Working folder. I never import anything directly from where it is stored, into PD's library. I always send a copy of whatever it is, to the Working folder, then import the copy to PD's Library.
So now as I'm working away, everything that PD needs to find, .pds files and all, is all in the same folder rubbing shoulders. And the originals (clips, images, music, etc), are always safe and secure in their home folders.

When the project is done and burned to DVD, or Produced to a Master Video File, or uploaded to a site, I Pack the project and send that packed folder to an Aux drive for archiving.

Then I sweep up the floor , by clicking/highlighting that working folder and simply deleting it in one click. The working folder is just filled with copies (the originals are still in their place). And I don't need that pds save #122, or any of the other pds saves anymore, as the final pds #134 and everything else, is in the Packed folder. So I just delete the now unnecessary Working folder.

That's the work flow that works for me. But others may chime in here with a different, or more efficient way to manage a project, and clean up after is completed.

(Note: Want to be super safe? Make a copy of the Packed Project Folder, and store it on a second aux drive. That's what I do.)




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I do exactly the same as you up to the point of producing/burning etc. It's my housekeeping after that point that I wasn't sure of.

I even seperate my assets in the working folder by putting them into sub folders like "Audio", Video" and "Pictures" etc. I find it makes it easier to find things.

You mean like this?


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Pretty much but not to that extent .

Although you have given me some ideas.......

Hi all - really interesting, I never knew about the 'Pack Project Material' option.

All my raw clips come off my camera onto a Raid 1 configured external hard drive. It contains two 1TB drives, one automatically backs up the other.

When I work on a project, the clips I use come directly from this hard drive so all I'm left with on my PC hard drive is the pds files - which I don't delete.

All my projects are burnt to folders first, before burning to disc, and I keep these on my Raid 1 external hard drive.

Works for me!

Cheers,

Andrew
Alienware Aurora ALX R4 - Intel i7-4820 4.2 GHz - 32GB DDR3 RAM - Crucial 512GB SSD - 1TB Seagate HDD - 3TB WD Green HDD - 4TB WD Green HDD - MSI NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB

Sony HDR-PJ810 and HDR-PJ530

Hi,
Here's an "addition" to the Export > Pack Project Materials route for retention of source material and pds data which many overlook.

Go to:
C:\Documents and Settings\YOURPCNAME\My Documents\CyberLink\PowerDirector\8.0\MyTitles

and save your customised titles especially if you've added images within the customise title.

Save = copy and paste so you can later recall it for use.......

If you use plain text or title templates you should not have a need for this procedure.... but one can never be certain

Dafydd

My past year projects total 300Gb. As per your recommendation I will keep them. It will fill up my hard drive in a year and a half, i think.

Is there benefit "Packing" projects, can't I just copy the whole folder with source clips and the project file? Does "packing" archive the projct somewhat? Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted... but to weigh and consider.

PD hard references the asset addresses in the .pds file so straight copying will only work if the files structure is maintained - or a manual browse is done to allocate each asset when PD asks for it.

Packing copies only the used assets from the media library, it changes the .pds file addressing and, in effect, gives a "portable" project that can be run from the folder that the .pds file is packed in.

Cheers
Adrian



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