Question about Waveform retaining older data

[Mark Swanson]

I run Waveform 13 pro on a PC. I had an event yesterday that has me a little concerned. I recently bought a larger plug in bundle, and I ended up shuffling around a lot of files as I installed it and got a bunch of samples organized and all that. Everything is fine now as far as that goes.
I have been working on a project in Waveform for a while now, and I loaded it for some work and trying out some of the new plug ins and to my surprise and disappointment I see that there are a couple of missing files, many of the plug ins already in use have their settings all messed up, the mix I had in place was totally messed up.
What happened? The project has many files and takes that were not used but seemed to be saved in the Projects window. I wonder if my PC got some of the files messed up in the "big files shuffle" when I was fooling with all of the installations of the new plug ins.
Is there a way to "clean up" the data in the project file and get rid of many of the takes that are not used in the actual project? I think I would see a benefit in such a function, why take up space saving all kinds of takes that I haven't used in the project?

[talby]

As always, have a backup of your data before doing tests on it or, or as you said shuffling a lot of items around.

Now with the backup as a safety, you may want to have a look at the main "Projects" tab, where all your projects with their Edits and files are accessible for management. There is a function to search for unused files still in the project's folder but not referenced from any of its Edits no more. There is as well as function to search for lost files, files which is referenced to in an Edit but cannot be located at the expected storage path and filename.
Good Luck!

[Mark Swanson]

Thanks very much. I found those functions, never having noticed them before. But I can't get either one to work. Clicking on the "unused files" function and nothing happens, and the "lost files" function calls up a window with a list of red files that need to be re-linked (I think!) but nothing happens beyond that. It's quite confusing to me!

[talby]

After having clicked on the "unused files" function you would see only the files listed which are not in use any more. You could click on one of them and see at the bottom of the panel details about it and could delete it from there. Worked fine for me, of course using the newest version 13.5.25 containing the most recent published bug fixes.

Maybe you have so many unused files, such a long list of files shown upon this action, that you didn't notice the few ones which are no more listed because still in use?
First test how it works in a tiny project where you easily see what is happening: Make a new project, drag three audio files on the track(s), save the Edit, remove one of the audio clips, save and close the Edit. Now choose on the PROJECTS tab this Project (not the Edit), and let list the unused files. You should see listed the one which is no more in use. The two which remain in use are not listed. Delete the listed one, the unused one, and open the Edit again. The last two audio clips will be in place and usable. Also, confirm outside of Waveform with your File Manager app of your computer system what is happening in each step. Let me clarify that I have in the SETTINGS - ADVANCED - SOURCE FILES activated to let audio files be automatically copied into the Project.

For the lost files, the ones which your Edits reference to, wants to make use of, but cannot find them, it should be similar. Just that now you select one of the red listed files and manually connect it to a correct target on your storage medium again. I didn't test this myself, after I never had such case.

Good Luck!

[pough]

...and the "lost files" function calls up a window with a list of red files that need to be re-linked (I think!) but nothing happens beyond that. It's quite confusing to me!

I recently needed to use this function because I was moving some files from a Project into a subfolder of Rendered that I created, just to sort things. Anyways, it worked but it was NOT an intuitive process. Definitely in the "designed by a programmer" category.

I might re-learn to teach, but it's a hassle so I'm going to recommend that you create a brand new Project just to mess around with this and learn on your own before you use it on something important.

In a new Project + Edit, render out some audio clips. Now they're part of the Project. Using your OS's file system, create a subfolder in Rendered and move them into that folder. Then take some substances and go back to Waveform and try to use that interface to achieve your goal. If you don't like substances, get a punching bag. You will need one or the other.

Even though I did this myself relatively recently, I have no idea what to do when I see that interface. Something does something, somehow. I swear.