Fed up with PD8 . . . 4 blacked-out clips in a 55 clip video . . . PROBLEM SOLVED !!

Trevor George

Member Location: Bristol, UK. Joined: May 29, 2010 17:44 Messages: 80 Offline

Solved by

Sep 14, 2010 11:45

I never thought I'd be saying this, as up till now PD8 has worked well, "topping and tailing" simple music videos I've taken and producing with minimum of effort, but now as soon as I go for something more adventurous if messes up.

While I was editing everything looked fine, but now on final reopening to cjeck before I do a "Produce" there are these four infernal "black" clips, with nothing to say what the source files are. although I remember they are clips where I have changed the speed. I've tried enabling / disabling shadow files but neither helps, I've got something like 4GB of memory, and it's a new well-specified Windows 7 Laptop, that copes with other programs at lighning speed.

The video is only six minutes long, but there's lots of short edits, some with slo-mo and reverse play, but surely not that difficult that PD8 can't cope with.

I can now understand why these forums are now full of problems encountered with PD8. For goodness sakes I even had my very first PC crash in 30 years of owning PCs.

Anyone any ideas if I can rescue it ???? . . as I've spent 10 hours on it so far.

EDIT . . . I've just looked again and identified a couple of the clips which are blacked-out, and by holding the mouse-cursor over the thumbnails in the imported files section it says "shadow file generating". I wonder how long I have to wait, or whether it just won't do it

2nd EDIT . . . when I disable shadow files then open the project again, the whole video opens, but still the four black clips showing . . . Adobe Premiere never behaved like this on my old Win 98 PC

3rd EDIT . . . When I'm using PD8 I don't use anything else on my PC, so there are NO other programs running. I also save regularly, and shut the PC down every couple of houirs, then do a restart, as I've read somewhere of memory leaks / loss, or something to that effect. Also the memory is configured by Windows, and I'm wondering if I should set my own memory specifications instead.

Oh, and I'm typing this on my old reliable Win 98 system, while my new super-dooper Laptop struggles to cope with PD8

This message was edited 10 times. Last update was at Sep 14. 2010 15:30

Trevor . . My YouTube site . . (Bristol, UK) . . My JVC GZ-HM1 Camcorder

Carl312

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

Sep 14, 2010 14:25

Trevor, I feel for you.

It is very frustrating when things go wrong.

First, turn off the shadow files.
They are nothing but trouble.

What about using one of the backup PDS files to rescue the project. Look at preferences, Alt+C on the Edit tab, look at the location defined at Auto Save Project. Go to that location and try an earlier project file.

My guess is if you replace the missing clips in the timeline all will be good.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Sep 14. 2010 14:30

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.

Trevor George

Member Location: Bristol, UK. Joined: May 29, 2010 17:44 Messages: 80 Offline

Sep 14, 2010 14:51

Quote: First, turn off the shadow files. They are nothing but trouble.

What about using one of the backup PDS files to rescue the project. Look at preferences, Alt+C on the Edit tab, look at the location defined at Auto Save Project. Go to that location and try an earlier project file.

My guess is if you replace the missing clips in the timeline all will be good.

I've tried with and without shadow files, but to no avail

I don't have any other Project File names, other than the two I have given it, (one halfway through) as I "SAVE" regularly after doing a couple of edits, after I had a similar but lesser problem about a month back . . . once bitten and all that

Good idea about replacing the missing clips, BUT some of those clips are only a couple af seconds long from a 5 minute Camcorder clip, so that gonna take me another 10 hours, even if I can remember exactly what they were from that selection of 55 clips.

I can now understand why some of the others get so cross about the way PD8 works !!! Trevor . . My YouTube site . . (Bristol, UK) . . My JVC GZ-HM1 Camcorder

Trevor George

Member Location: Bristol, UK. Joined: May 29, 2010 17:44 Messages: 80 Offline

Sep 14, 2010 15:00

I've just deleted all the shadow files, but those 4 clips still don't show, just a 0,0,0 and the duration showing, then I shut down.

I restarted and enabled shadow files, and re-opened the project, and have noticed all the shadow files have been reproduced with the exception of those 4 with the slo-mo or reverse edits which are not appearing in the list of shadow files, and the thumbnail still shows "shadow file generating" . . . maybe if I leave the Laptop on all night

Trevor . . My YouTube site . . (Bristol, UK) . . My JVC GZ-HM1 Camcorder

Carl312

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

Sep 14, 2010 15:05

I don't have any other Project File names, other than the two I have given it, (one halfway through) as I "SAVE" regularly after doing a couple of edits

The auto saved project file don't have the name you have been saving the project files as.

They have your name plus a time stamp.
Filename looks something like this D-_HBO Video_HBO_logos1_20100905202445.pds that long number at the end is the time stamp.

I don't remember the default backup location, I changed mine to where I wanted the backups to be.
Surely you do have the auto Save turned on. 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.

Trevor George

Member Location: Bristol, UK. Joined: May 29, 2010 17:44 Messages: 80 Offline

Sep 14, 2010 15:07

Ok, I check that out . . . Thanks

Edit 1 . . 5 mins later . . . Found the backup files . . now to see what happens . . . thanks for the heads-up

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Sep 14. 2010 15:17

Trevor . . My YouTube site . . (Bristol, UK) . . My JVC GZ-HM1 Camcorder

Trevor George

Member Location: Bristol, UK. Joined: May 29, 2010 17:44 Messages: 80 Offline

Sep 14, 2010 15:29

Thanks so much for this info Carl . . . as I've just found a backup file that has only one of those clips as black, (the first one), so I will use that and look at the detail in an earlier backup to see what exacly how the very first one was produced which is still missing.

I shall sleep well tonight now (UK time 8.30pm) knowing that I can fix it tomorrow morning, as I must go and chat to my dear wife now, as spending so long staring at this screen.

Thank you again

. .

Trevor . . My YouTube site . . (Bristol, UK) . . My JVC GZ-HM1 Camcorder

Trevor George

Member Location: Bristol, UK. Joined: May 29, 2010 17:44 Messages: 80 Offline

Sep 14, 2010 16:36

Life is good . . . my dear wife told me to carry on and produce, (in a nice way), so I simply found an even older backup and photographed the in-out edit points of the first missing section with my trusty little digital camera.

Then I went back to the project saved which had 3 of the missing edits there, and carefully re-edited the first "black" section, by looking at the images on the screen of my digi-camera and precisely setting the edit points. In fact that first black section comprised 3 separate short edits, at different speeds . . . no wonder PD8 didn't like it. It's now a 1/3rd of the way through "Producing" so fingers crossed, and will hopefully be on YouTube tomorrow. Trevor . . My YouTube site . . (Bristol, UK) . . My JVC GZ-HM1 Camcorder

Carl312

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

Sep 14, 2010 21:04

Great! 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.

Dafydd B

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

Sep 15, 2010 06:32

Sorry Trevor, I must apologise and I also must thank Carl.
1. I shut down early this evening, saw your post but had another task to do - change the marker on some rams (yeah really) - grass munching production unit and freezer filling suppliers

. The rain had stopped and there was sunshine.
2. Carl stepped in with the exact solution I would have typed - check back on the Auto save project files.

I give 5 stars to you Carl - spot on with the solution.

Trevor, good follow up post. Out of curiosity, what's the spec of your laptop?

Dafydd

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Sep 15. 2010 06:35

Trevor George

Member Location: Bristol, UK. Joined: May 29, 2010 17:44 Messages: 80 Offline

Sep 15, 2010 07:07

Quote: I give 5 stars to you Carl - spot on with the solution.

Trevor, good follow up post. Out of curiosity, what's the spec of your laptop?

Yep . . . that was timely Carl. It got me out of a very tight spot.

Spec of Laptop is shown here -> http://www.laptop-pc.org.uk/acer-aspire-series-laptop/acer-aspire-8935g744g50bn-laptop

Is that enough info

. . and here's the video I was having a hard time with -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dODqcnuY088 Trevor . . My YouTube site . . (Bristol, UK) . . My JVC GZ-HM1 Camcorder

Dafydd B

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

Sep 15, 2010 08:15

Hi Trevor, I was after a diagnostic, I should have been more specific... not to worry. I saw what I needed to know.

Thank you

Dafydd

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Sep 15. 2010 08:18

Carl312

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

Sep 15, 2010 10:16

Hey, thanks Trevor and Dafydd, I was just cruising the forum and saw Trevor's dilemma.

Trevor, great Video. I can see why you were so unhappy. That is a lot of work to have to do over.

Trevor, you got some really good shots with your camera, I like the ones where you had the camera right where the bikes and skaters came up on the ramp right in front of your camera.

Maybe you should move the Auto Save Location to where you can find it easily for the next time. 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.

kujalmi

Newbie Joined: Sep 12, 2010 12:53 Messages: 1 Offline

Sep 15, 2010 11:32

I have same situation as Trevor. Yesterday evening when I quit working PD8 everything was fine. Today, four clips are blacked out showing filename 0,0,0

It is kind of annoying if I need to re-edit few times a day. For me it seems like a bug that could be fixed.

Without occasional crashing and this issue, tool is great.

Mika

Dafydd B

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

Sep 16, 2010 07:37

OK,
Let me try and explain about what is happening to those of you who have or are experiencing the 0,0,0, in the video track.

Shadow edit files are a pain and if your system can edit without them then desist using them.

When active a shadow edit file is generated for a HD file. You must NOT start editing until all the shadow edit files are created for the video files in the media library. If you do everything will appear fine but when you shut down and return to the project you'll have the 0,0,0, situation as described above.

Problems also appear when a false positive icon appearance happens for a partly created shadow file. one then ends up regenerating a shadow file.

This is a known bug.

There is a minimum spec for editing HD files. Please follow my suggestion.
1. Core duo with a 1gb graphics card is ok for 720p HD footage an no shadow edit files.
2. 1080i 30fps and it will struggle greatly - but may work.
3. 1080p 30 and 60fps - get a bigger and better PC, i7 is a must.

Dafydd