Quote: Is there a way to change the default path to which projects are saved, and from which they're opened? By default, it appears to me that PD looks for new video files in a heirarchy several levels above the Win 7 "Videos" library (I know, I know - I dislike the "Library" thing too). I'd like to be able to go directly to My Videos when I want to open files.

Also, once I start working on a project, I notice that PD likes to save projects to itself, but I'm uncomfortable with that. I like to keep the raw video files and the finished projects in the same folder or subfolder, so I can easily return to the raw files if I want to do that. Is there a way to change the default place to which PD saved videos? (I wouldn't need to save it to the specific sulfolder I'm working from, but it sure would help if I could at least have PD look in Videos/My Videos).

Thanks - Bill Hansen

Yes,

Click on the 'gear' at top of window. File (on the Left), set the Import and Export folders to your choice.

The keyboard short cut for preferences is ALT+C in the edit module.

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.

There is more to it than just changing your default folder locations........

You need to know that PD does not save your pictures or videos in whatever folder you set as default when you save. It only saves your "project" templates. The items in your library (pics and videos) are only thumbnails with the links to your pics and videos. If you "move" or worse delete any of your pics or videos after you have them in the timeline and save... then the next time you open that project, PD wont find them. The deleted items will be gone forever.

So... if you want EVERYTHING in the same folder, pack your project into that folder. Then PD will PUT those pics and videos in your timeline in the pack folder. It will pack ONLY what was on the timeline in that folder, not what is in your library.

Even though I pack my project. I make sub folders of EVERY for pic or video I use for a project. You have to move them around anyway, might as well get them all in the same folder to start with.

Same reason you need to download your pics and video OFF your cameras to your hard drive while working on your project.

My default folder for saving: D:cyberlink projects\

My default pack folder for my last senior show project which had ALL the pics and videos saved and packed in it:
D:\cyberlink stuff\2011 seniors show

Then after you have finished your project, rendered/burned your final output and are happy with it and are DONE, you can then delete those project folders or just delete the things you no longer want or will need. __________________________________________
Windows 8 Pro 64 bit

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Carl - Thanks for this tip. It works just as you said it would.

Bubba - Yes, thanks for validating what I've been doing with my video clips and projects, which is almost exactly the same thing you're doing. The only difference is that so far, I'm "packing" everything into a folder in my "My Videos" library on the C: drive. So - for each video project, all the raw video files and their project files are packed into a single subfolder. I have a 1 TB drive to which I'm going to move all the videos and still images, once I get the bugs worked out of my installation of PD 10 (I've posted another thread about that - never mind). All image files and videos get backed up to two different external HDs, nightly.

So far, I've just been burning projects to disc, using either MEPG-4 or H.264.AVI. I don't have a BD burner. That will come much later, after I've learned a lot more about how to shoot, produce, and burn videos. I'm new to video (you couldn't tell that, could you? ; ) but I'm pretty good at working with still image files, so I have a little experience in how to archive things.

Bill Bill Hansen