what did i do wrong?

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I'm very new to ProTools, and last week i had to create a session to take to a dubbing theatre for final mixing, and i'm hoping someone will be able to tell me where i went wrong.

The original material was imported into PTle 6.2.2 (DVToolkit) via an OMF created in Digital Performer 4.1.

As prompted, I saved the session to a folder on one of my drives. Named the session, etc.

Once i had finished adding the pan automation, I saved everything, and took the drive to the session. I had used the save a copy as...option so i could save the file in the correct format for the mix (PT v5).

When we tried to open the session, PT kept looking for the original OMF file to extract the audio from and completely ignored the 420mb audio files folder that had been created by my PT when the pans were done. Luckily, I had the laptop with me and had a copy of the original OMF file so we could port that across...but why didn't protools use the files that were part of its own session folder?

[feliponk]

Did you check the Enforce MAC/PC compatibility checkbox?

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not sure, but as both my system and the dubbing system are running on macs anyway, would i need to do that?

[feliponk]

No if you're running on the same plattform. Maybe the OMF is looking a missing directory, did you carry the OMFI files folders with you?

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Yes, but not on the same drive.

I took it just in case. I did not realise that the Protools would want to refer to the OMF rather than all the audio files that my PT system had created and saved in its session folders when it first opened the OMF.

I'm begining to think there is probably a single button that needed to be selected - i just have no clue which one!!

[Noiz2]

You said you did a "save as". If you were making a new stand alone session you should have done a "save session copy in". I think that is what you may have done since you can't change the PT version in a "save as" but ...
What I suspect is that you imported the OMF , and I bet it wasn't consolidated, referancing rather than copying the media files. Second I'm going to guess that poss. when you did the "save session copy in" you chose to referance the files rather than copy them. OR some where in the proscess you ended up with a mix of files say you first imported the OMF with referances realized that this is not what you wanted deleted the tracks and reimported with copy. Your session would then have regions that referanced the OMF, from the first import, that were there but not used...so unless you did a "select unused regions" and then "removed" them from the session, those unused referances would follow you around.
The last question is how do you know it was asking for the OMF files? The file names were probably the same as the ones inside your session, unless you renamed the files (not the regions). PT sometimes looses it's files (especially pre 6). Did you try just pointing the "where's my files" dialog to your audio files folder?

[Rail Jon Rogut]

When you used Save Session Copy In... you should have selected to create new sound files... otherwise there are some limitations imposed when you import originally from an OMF file (like using the pencil tool).

The work-around to ensure that this doesn't happen is to consolidate the tracks that were originally imported from an OMF file.

Rail

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Thanks guys, I think i'm beginning to see my error - it will probably all become much clearer next time i need to do this procedure (and I know there are plenty of those coming up soon!)

The original OMF was a consolidated one - I have been unable to get Protools to reference audio files that were from any system other than a Protools one....hence I always create them consolidated.

I know it was looking for the OMF file because of the way i name the Omf. The dubbing mixer haad also tried forcing his system to see the audio files contained within the session but it was determined to use the omf no matter what.

I did do the "save session copy in" method - the one that allows you to specify the session be saved as a v5 session. I probably did not tell it to copy but to reference files - I was thinking that because PT had already created new audio files from the OMF that it meant it would refer to those new files.

Your explanations have been a big help - often the nuances of how a system works with its own files is not explained in manuals and the knowledge only really comes about from dealing with problems !