My hard drive is crippled with hours of unused T clips that weren't in final edits in T.
Which archive method should I use to toss the unused clips?
-Scott (I know, get a bigger HD)
Probably a newbie Q: Which Arch. meth. to toss unused clips
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- KVRAF
- 4908 posts since 10 Aug, 2004 from Colorado Springs
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
In the Project window, there's a button called "find orphan clips" that is designed for exactly this task. If you choose to use the orphan clips method, make sure you delete any edits that you don't need any more, because they will keep audio clips "connected" to the project and not considered orphans.
However, I have a better idea if you TRULY want to streamline:
For each project, make sure you know for sure which is your "final edit" that has everything you want in it. If there are a few clips you still want to "keep around", drag them into a muted track that you can use as a storage space. Otherwise, if you truly want to bin everything else that didn't make it to the final edit, you just "export edit" and do it lossless (I even use 1:1 though theoretically 2:1 lossless will be the same once unpacked). You will now have a file called "Rockstar_Kickass_Song_Final_Edit.trkarch" (or whatever it's called). Put this somewhere safe, like a folder called "cleaning my crap up" and then totally trash the folder that the project was originally in.
Do this for every project that you want to streamline.
Then delete them from the Project View window.
Then, burn those "trkarch" files to media or to another partition/directory/drive. (or both! Can't have too many copies!)
Then, one by one, re-import them into their own directories. Or not, if you don't need to access them anymore and just want to archive them.
It's a lot of work, but not as much as it sounds. And by the end of it, you will have your intact edits, with only the files used in the end.
It should go without saying that any time you're working at mass deletion of work, be VERY careful. It would be worthwhile to make a backup of the entire directory somewhere safe before doing the "export-to-import" thing OR the "orphan clips" method. Then when you've done your cleaning (using either method), open the new streamlined version to make sure it's working fine. If it's working fine and all files are present, THEN you can trash your "safety net" copy.
However, I have a better idea if you TRULY want to streamline:
For each project, make sure you know for sure which is your "final edit" that has everything you want in it. If there are a few clips you still want to "keep around", drag them into a muted track that you can use as a storage space. Otherwise, if you truly want to bin everything else that didn't make it to the final edit, you just "export edit" and do it lossless (I even use 1:1 though theoretically 2:1 lossless will be the same once unpacked). You will now have a file called "Rockstar_Kickass_Song_Final_Edit.trkarch" (or whatever it's called). Put this somewhere safe, like a folder called "cleaning my crap up" and then totally trash the folder that the project was originally in.
Do this for every project that you want to streamline.
Then delete them from the Project View window.
Then, burn those "trkarch" files to media or to another partition/directory/drive. (or both! Can't have too many copies!)
Then, one by one, re-import them into their own directories. Or not, if you don't need to access them anymore and just want to archive them.
It's a lot of work, but not as much as it sounds. And by the end of it, you will have your intact edits, with only the files used in the end.
It should go without saying that any time you're working at mass deletion of work, be VERY careful. It would be worthwhile to make a backup of the entire directory somewhere safe before doing the "export-to-import" thing OR the "orphan clips" method. Then when you've done your cleaning (using either method), open the new streamlined version to make sure it's working fine. If it's working fine and all files are present, THEN you can trash your "safety net" copy.
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
Another thing I do in the meantime (so that it's less time between streamlines!) is if I'm working in an edit and I have a file that I KNOW is complete crap and I'll never use again (a vocal that was absolutely horrible) I will either simply use "abort" right away (thus deleting the file) or I will select the clip and press "CTRL+M" (delete source file AND clip) when I've decided that it's to be gone for good. Then I don't have to worry about it later because it's gone.