How does ProTools handle imported files?

[Tomio Broman]

I have questions regarding how ProTools handles imported files.

I'm on PT7.2 cs2 Windows XP
HPxw8200
AVoption V10
2 dedicated SCSI Cheatah 143GB audio drives.
4 X 143GB stripped video storage.

I have it set in the "Workspace", so that only audio files can be recorded on the 2 audio drives.
Video files are set to "Transfer" only.
On the video drives, I have it vice versa.
Record only video files, and audio files are set to "Transfer" only.

First with Video files.
When I bring over a quicktime or MXF, or any other Avid generated video file, where do I need to copy this file? Do I need to put this file in the video drive? Or does ProTools make a folder automatically?
For a test, I had coppied a QT file onto one of the audio drives.
In ProTools, I imported the file, and it played without any problems.
After saving the session, I deleted the video file on the audio drive, thinking ProTools must have automatically encoded the video file onto the video drive.
But unfortunately, it did not. When I opened up the session, the video was not there.

The same thing happened with an OMF file.

I exported an OMF file from Avid/DS 7.5. It had several audio tracks, with embeded audio media.
I imported the file into ProTools without any problems.
After the mix was done, I deleted the OMF file, again thinking ProTools had coppied the embeded media onto the Audio Drive.
I was surprised to open up the session to see all of the missing files.
ProTools had linked to the original OMF file, so when the file was deleted, all the original audio disappeared.

Can someone explain how ProTools handles all imported files?

[steve at Your Heaven]

When creating a new session, Protools creates a new folder with an 'Audio Files' subfolder. You get to choose where this folder is. There is also a 'Disc Allocation' dialog (in Settings or something like that) where you can view and/or change where the session will place files.

I only know how to tell where a session thinks audio files are. In the edit window, click the << (lower right corner). this opens the files list. At the top is a selection bar, and in that you can choose a variety of view formats, one of which is something like 'show complete path'. This will at least tell you where Protools finds the files.

One way of changing that is
1-Close Protools
2-Move the files to where you want
3-Open the session
4-when asked, choose 'locate files manually'
5-Check just the folder/s you moved the files to.
6-finish the locate procedure

Before you do this, make a copy of the session file in case you want to revert to it.

And, in general, ALWAYS have backups of everything somewhere else, so you don't lose anything, whether experimenting like this, or in the normal course of use.