How to replace image/video assets already in a timeline without overwriting

Catalyst

Newbie Location: Boston, Massachusetts Joined: Aug 20, 2014 10:20 Messages: 4 Offline

Solved by

Aug 20, 2014 10:29

Hello.

First, apologies if this is already posted somewhere. I tried searching several different ways.

Here's the scene. I have a completed video that's received feedback. It has a soundtrack and various embedded images (gif/jpg) that are doing various effects (magic motion, etc.)

I redid some images keeping the same image names and overwriting them and in the process of redoing other images they were deleted and remade with different names (output of an InDesign batch-create).

When I opened the project, the images that were deleted/renamed prompted a message saying they were not found (which I understood) but what I cannot figure out is: is there a way to go into the timeline and reference the images with the new names so that they appear with the proper settings (duration, effects, etc.) without having to redo all of that?

Thanks in advance.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 20. 2014 10:30

PHIL

Dafydd B

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

Aug 20, 2014 11:35

Quote: Hello.

First, apologies if this is already posted somewhere. I tried searching several different ways.

Here's the scene. I have a completed video that's received feedback. It has a soundtrack and various embedded images (gif/jpg) that are doing various effects (magic motion, etc.)

I redid some images keeping the same image names and overwriting them and in the process of redoing other images they were deleted and remade with different names (output of an InDesign batch-create).

When I opened the project, the images that were deleted/renamed prompted a message saying they were not found (which I understood) but what I cannot figure out is: is there a way to go into the timeline and reference the images with the new names so that they appear with the proper settings (duration, effects, etc.) without having to redo all of that?

Thanks in advance.

Option 1. Open your saved project file (.pds) in a text editor (notepad for example) and find the file names and local address and then replace with the location address of the replacement files.
Option 2. In the Edit Workspace Timeline you could insert a new track under the position of the track that contains the image files and have the new image under the older one. Cut the new image to the exact size of the older one and then delete the older one and substitute the newer image in the space left by the deletion.
Is that what you're after?
Dafydd

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 20. 2014 11:36

Catalyst

Newbie Location: Boston, Massachusetts Joined: Aug 20, 2014 10:20 Messages: 4 Offline

Aug 20, 2014 12:21

Quote:
Option 1. Open your saved project file (.pds) in a text editor (notepad for example) and find the file names and local address and then replace with the location address of the replacement files.
Option 2. In the Edit Workspace Timeline you could insert a new track under the position of the track that contains the image files and have the new image under the older one. Cut the new image to the exact size of the older one and then delete the older one and substitute the newer image in the space left by the deletion.
Is that what you're after?
Dafydd

I think I'll try option 1 and that seems like it should do the trick. Unfortunately I won't be able to try it until later tonight.

Option 2, if I understand it correctly, while getting the image in the right place, would ultimately require redoing whatever "special" effects I did to the first one. Is that right?

Thanks for the amazingly quick response!
PHIL

Dafydd B

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

Aug 20, 2014 15:15

Quote:
I think I'll try option 1 and that seems like it should do the trick. Unfortunately I won't be able to try it until later tonight.

Ok, understood. Check back later and tell us how you got on.

Quote:
Option 2, if I understand it correctly, while getting the image in the right place, would ultimately require redoing whatever "special" effects I did to the first one. Is that right?

Yes, that would be correct.

Quote:
Thanks for the amazingly quick response!

You're welcome.

Catalyst

Newbie Location: Boston, Massachusetts Joined: Aug 20, 2014 10:20 Messages: 4 Offline

Aug 21, 2014 01:40

Quote:

Quote:
I think I'll try option 1 and that seems like it should do the trick. Unfortunately I won't be able to try it until later tonight.

Ok, understood. Check back later and tell us how you got on.

So, it looks like I must have saved the project after opening it up and getting those errors and it removed the original filenames. It must have also removed other important data about the images because I believe I figured out which variable needed to be changed, but putting in the file name and changing the IDREFs didn't end up working.

I'll be doing option 2 and redoing the special effects. And I'll try this should this situation ever pop up again.

Thanks though! :

PHIL

Dafydd B

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

Aug 21, 2014 05:08

Quote:

Quote:
I think I'll try option 1 and that seems like it should do the trick. Unfortunately I won't be able to try it until later tonight.

Ok, understood. Check back later and tell us how you got on.

So, it looks like I must have saved the project after opening it up and getting those errors and it removed the original filenames. It must have also removed other important data about the images because I believe I figured out which variable needed to be changed, but putting in the file name and changing the IDREFs didn't end up working.

I'll be doing option 2 and redoing the special effects. And I'll try this should this situation ever pop up again.

Thanks though! :

If you go to Auto-Save and locate the last few pds files you may be able to identify one that will recover your situation. Save a copy of the pds and work on that one.
The following local address has hidden folders C:\Users\YourPCName\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\12.0\AutoSave

Catalyst

Newbie Location: Boston, Massachusetts Joined: Aug 20, 2014 10:20 Messages: 4 Offline

Aug 21, 2014 18:19

Quote:
If you go to Auto-Save and locate the last few pds files you may be able to identify one that will recover your situation. Save a copy of the pds and work on that one.
The following local address has hidden folders C:\Users\YourPCName\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\12.0\AutoSave

That is awesome and good to know. I looked and there's so many in that folder I probably would have been able to resurrect it.
I've already re-created the effects on the images (after posting last night).

What do you think of my first PowerDirector12 production?
http://youtu.be/hJfoRvHnn20 PHIL

Dafydd B

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

Aug 22, 2014 03:47

Jarredduq

Newbie Joined: Aug 12, 2015 15:49 Messages: 5 Offline

Apr 20, 2023 18:54

Keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt and drag new content and drop over existing and it will be replaced. I'm currently on Powerdirector 21.