merging sessions between users

[PTAmateur]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a program that will update and merge sessions between users? Let me give an example of what i'm talking about.

Editor A creates a session and does a good amount of work, eventually creating many different PTF files for this one "job".

The "job" is then transferred to Editor B who does some work, creating even more PTF files and audio files.

The new data that Editor B has created then needs to be transferred back to Editor A but preferably without having to transfer the entire "job", (i.e. using "save session copy in) and plus sometimes Editor A will have created new files that will need to be incorporated with Editor B's files.

Due to there being multiple PTF files as well as "round-robin"ing all the audio between 2 drives, inevitably we manage to miss some files when trying to transfer all the necessary data. I've heard of "smart merge" but that seems to be a bit over-kill, requiring $200 per computer and two separate programs (contact plus and smart merge).

We also use Retrospect for backing up purposes, which I know will do what I need it to if I want to take the time to back up to a retrospect file and then re-open said file every time, which takes a lot of time.

Anyone have any answers? Thanks.

[PTAmateur]

no one has any answers to this??

[DigiTechSupt]

I don't think anyone has specific answers for you because there's no simple way to answer the question. The only way to determine how best to possibly do this would be to know specifics about statements like:

plus sometimes Editor A will have created new files that will need to be incorporated with Editor B's files.

No matter how you look at it, it's going to be time-consuming. How big are these sessions? Is there a reason using 'Save Copy In' with all media doesn't work for you?

The way I would probably do it if it had to be done would be to compare Editor B's audio files folder (after they're done editing) with the original from Editor A (assuming all audio files are in that folder) and view by modification date - anything modified after the original Editor A session date would be what I would transfer back to Editor A along with the new session file from Editor B. Editor A should be able to open Editor B's session and it will relink to the original media, plus the new media created by Editor B.

If Editor A then needs to incorporate new files/edits that they did, they'd most likely have to use Import Session data from their edited session into the edited session they got back from B and adjust as necessary (moving regions between tracks, etc.) to get the results they need.

Hope that helps in some way....

[Craig F]

Originally Posted by DigiTechSupt

I don't think anyone has specific answers for you because there's no simple way to answer the question. The only way to determine how best to possibly do this would be to know specifics about statements like:



No matter how you look at it, it's going to be time-consuming. How big are these sessions? Is there a reason using 'Save Copy In' with all media doesn't work for you?

The way I would probably do it if it had to be done would be to compare Editor B's audio files folder (after they're done editing) with the original from Editor A (assuming all audio files are in that folder) and view by modification date - anything modified after the original Editor A session date would be what I would transfer back to Editor A along with the new session file from Editor B. Editor A should be able to open Editor B's session and it will relink to the original media, plus the new media created by Editor B.

If Editor A then needs to incorporate new files/edits that they did, they'd most likely have to use Import Session data from their edited session into the edited session they got back from B and adjust as necessary (moving regions between tracks, etc.) to get the results they need.

Hope that helps in some way....

this should be the next big addition to Pro Tools
you guys bought Rocket Network that had a way of tracking changes from other users then killed it (after sowing it at AES or NAMM, I don't remember)

[CLee]

If editor B has access to editor A's audio drive then:

Editor B drags editor A's session into his session folder, and opens it. Or imports the changed tracks from editor A into his session. The session should look in its own Audio Files folder for sounds first, so anything editor B already has should link to his folder.

Then go to the project browser and selects all soundfiles on editor A's drive (you can sort soundfiles by volume). Then do a copy and relink of those, selecting editor B's own Audio Files folder as the destination. Then give editor A his (or her) drive back.

Editor B will end up with his session folder with all editor A's new changes and soundfiles added.

If you were networked you wouldn't have to worry about updating soundfile folders...

hope that made sense... and works.

[sammyfarr]

what about using Synchronize X?

[c-tone]

Here's a suggestion to start with:

Editor A saves all his session files with an "A" at the end, using "Save As", and Editor B uses "B". Similarly, all new tracks created by (or modified by) either editor should be named with an "A" or "B" depending on who made it. You could also put the date in the track name, if that helps too.

When a session gets handed over to the next editor, all he has to do is import from the other editor's latest session into his own latest session, all the new tracks with the other editor's letter (and possibly the correct date) in the name using "Import Session Data", checking "copy audio files".

As Sammy mentioned, Synchronize X Pro is a very good option, and could be used along with the method above to make sure all the files are on both systems. There is a less expensive version of it called Synchronize X Plus, which has most of the features commonly needed.

Also, do you really need to use round robin disk allocation? Using that is a recipe for disaster and should be avoided if at all possible.

[JC925602]

Originally Posted by CLee

... If you were networked you wouldn't have to worry about updating soundfile folders...

+1 for the network. I even used it over the internet, as the studio I work for have a VPN.

I fist copy the original session and audio on both computers.
Then I work at the studio.
Then at home, I mount the remote audio drive,
copy the session file,
unmount the remote disk,
open the session,
review your disk allocation
select manually find and relink, regenerate missing fades
commit link for the files that are already on the local disks,
mount the remote audio drives
in the relink window I select only the remote Audio Files folder (you don't want ProTools to search trough all the files on the remote disk)
hit find, and voilà, all new files will be copy to your local drives

Internet could be a problem if Editor A added many Giga Bytes of new sounds.

For basic syncing of folders you could also use Carbon Copy Cloner

JC