Hi JohnCB

It's a long time since I used MEP Plus, thanks for the headsup !

I'm just trying to remember how the software works.

I was recording my desktop movement (Screen Recording), then I exported the video to AVI.

On this occasion I don't need the project files, so "Automatically Save Project Files" is not too important.

At this time I don't need to change the "Saved To" folder path, but thanks for mentioning it.

Unchecking the "Automatically Save Project Files" box did not disable the process.

Files were still saved to the "Recorded" folder.

So how do I disable files being saved to the Documents / Recorded folder automatically ?

WhateBat

@Whalebat

I'm confused!!

Why do you not want to save/store/keep the files you are creating/recording? What is the point of recording anything if you do not intend to keep those recordings?

Or am I missing something obvious???

Jeff

@Whalebat

When you stop the screen recording process, a file is created. It has to be saved somewhere, so it is saved in the location that you selected, which will be the default location unless you change it. You cannot not save the recording. If you do, then it is the same as cancelling and you are effectively losing the recording.

Under Program Settings/Folders/Recordings, the path that is shown there is the default location where your Recordings, both Screen captures and Audio recordings will be saved. Change this to what you want. In the image below, it says "...My Record" and that is where your recordings will automatically be saved unless you change it.

When you now go to the Screen Recording dialogue box, you will see this default location. You can also change the location in this Screen Recording dialogue box:

Again, unchecking the "Automatically Save Project Files" box has nothing to do with recording/capturing the screen. It is only for the Project file - the .mvp file, not for recordings. It is for creating backup files of your project.

John CB

Further to the above, I think that you misunderstand how MEP works. MEP does not store video, photo or audio files in the program. They have to exist somewhere on a disk drive. Thus, after doing a screen capture (and actually during recording), the video that you see on the timeline is from a file that was created and saved on your hard disk. MEP only remembers the location/filename in the project file and any instructions that you give it, like trims, effects, etc. MEP displays this file on the timeline. It does not store the video itself; it does not touch or modify this original video file. Even if you delete the video object from the timeline, the file still exists.

John CB

John CB Wrote:

Even if you delete the video object from the timeline, the file still exists.

So if the video object is deleted from the time line, where does the file still exist ?

Jeff

Thanks for commenting.

I exported the project movie as and AVI file which I'll use for playback.

I don't need a backup of the project files as I won't use them again.

I've got the AVI file.

Project over.

On other occasions I do backup the whole project, if I plan to use it again.

A complete project can be backed up into a single folder of it's own including the video objects.

@Whalebat

So if the video object is deleted from the time line, where does the file still exist ?

I have already told you this twice. The file is saved at the location and with the file name that is shown on the recording dialogue screen before you start recording. You even said so yourself.

Right-click on the recorded file on the timeline, at the bottom, select Object Properties:

This is exactly the same as was shown on the recording dialogue screen.

You don't believe me? Note the filename and location. Delete the object from timeline. Using Windows Explorer, go to the folder shown for your object. Is the file there? Yes, it is.

Still don't believe me? Undo the delete and save the project with the object still showing on the timeline. Exit MEP. Using Windows Explorer, go to the folder shown for your object and delete the file. Reopen MEP and your project. It won't find the file and it will ask you where it is. But you saved it in the project, you say! No, you only saved the filename with the project. Your file is now gone, lost. This applies to all video, photo and audio files. They are not themselves imported into the project; they have to remain on the hard disk at the same location.

As far as I know, all video screen capture programs save the captured file to a hard disk. The file is then opened in the video editor, exactly the same as it is in MEP. When you are done with the screen capture, MEP simply opens the saved file on the timeline.

Automatic backup is not the same as backing up the project files.

You mention backing up a project by copying all of the files to a single folder. This is for archiving. That is not what I was talking about. I was talking about the Project file. When you save a project, it gets saved somewhere with the extension .MVP. While you are editing, if you have not turned off automatic backup, your project will be saved automatically with the following appended to the project name: …_BAKx.MV_ where x is 0 to 9 - a new number will be generated each time there is an automatic backup. It goes to 9 and then starts again at 0 This is a backup of your project file, which we normally refer to as the project. If you work for 2 hours on a project, forget to save, and the power goes off, you will have lost 2 hours of work, but you can load the latest backup file of your project, losing only a few minutes of work. Here is an example:

This has nothing to do with screen recording.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John. What about if you are using proxy files to work with?

All my source files reside on one disk. My V: volume. But my projects I save to my F: drive as shown beneath.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

Proxy files should the same folder as the source video. the only thing that should be in the same folder as the project are the project backups.

When you upgrade to a new PC with some power behind it, you should not need to use proxy files - I don't working with 4K video - see my Signature for the spec.

HTH

John EB

@johnebaker

Depends on how you set up MEP John.

I prefer a triple backup option ready for hard drive failures, one being off site and not the cloud. My main project folders are set up for a days shooting, not individual subject matter and may contain several subjects. A completed video on the other hand has specific elements particular to that one subject. Call it a prefered way of working as original folders may contain clips never used but may be useful at a later date. I know it is storage intensive but to date I've never lost anything I've recorded and I find my file system quick and easy to use.

The original file location of the above project.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray,

We're getting a bit off topic here, but Whalebat brought up the subject.

Whalebat's main problem was that he thought that screen recording should not create a file and he thought that the Save project automatically was causing the recorded file to be saved. The two are completely independent as I pointed out. A file has to exist or MEP cannot display the recording. By default, MEP creates an mxv file. The project needs to be exported to something, like mp4, to have a file usable by other programs or for uploading to YT or something.

The second subject was a confusion about backups. Whalebat confused automatic saves of the project mvp file itself with backing up the project file and all of its media. These are also not the same thing.

To follow along with your post, my videos and photos are saved separately and automatically under folder names by date, created by the import program of the cameras. I then append a subject name to the date name of the folder. My mvp files are all under B:\Documents\MAGIX\Movie Edit Pro Premium\Projects with an additional folder by subject, like Vacations. Additional content files are in another folder (and another disk drive) with a similar name. If I do a backup of the project and its media, it would end up as a sub-folder under this last folder. Then I can archive it to BR or wherever. I keep the source files in their locations - I'm a hoarder and keep buying bigger and bigger disk drives.

I don't have anything else under the project file (mvp) locations, only mvp files. Thus the project mvp folder only contains the mvp files and their respective BAK files.

I have not been careful with narration and that always ends up under the default B:\Documents\MAGIX\Movie Edit Pro Premium\My Record - not a good idea.

I don't usually use proxies and did a quick test of backing up the project and its media. The proxies are included in the backup folder as shown below:

Do you delete the proxy files before archiving?

Do you delete the proxy files from the source folder once the project is finished?

John CB

@browj2

Hi John

. . . . The proxies are included in the backup folder as shown below: . . . .

I do not see any proxy files only the the project backups in the image.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

These are proxy files, as you can see they are with the video files and have an odd naming convention - if you do not have proxies set you will only see the video file and temp files MEP creates as seen below.

HTH

John EB

@browj2

Hi John.

My original source files are placed on a main storage drive (external) with another copy made at the same time to another external drive which is only connected to the PC whenever I upload new material or do backups and is then disconnected in case of some unforeseen problem with the PC. A third copy is sent ASAP off-site to my son's house. These ''off-site" drives don't have to be that fast. I reciprocate by having another drive my son can send his files to at my house. These drives are used but replaced in planned obsolescence maintenance cycles by large data firms and don't cost us anything, so a fortunate acquisition but they vary in capacity and my son has to test them before we use them. Quite often those drives are changed well before they are expected to fail. Once nearly full or at the end of each year, they are labeled, indexed with content, boxed, and stored.

When editing I use one internal fast drive to import the project and content to to work on. That drive normally only has a few projects on it at most at any one time. Once a project is finished I export the whole thing to another fast internal drive and back to one of the other external backup drives and off-site. The drive I used to work on the project then has the project deleted. The internal drive that houses the finished projects is kept until it starts to fill up. Eventually being exported to an external drive for archive but kept on the machine for a while in case I need to go back and alter or add something, or send it somewhere.

Folder structures on every drive are the same. Starting with the year, then subdivided into stills, video, music, and documents. Stills, Video, and Music folders are subdivided into months and dates with locations added to dates where needed.

So. I have two external hard drives with just about everything on them plus an off-site copy. Only one of those two external hard drives is ever connected to my machine at one time.

One internal hard drive with complete recent projects on it, for use or to send where they are needed, that eventually get put onto achive drives to empty it for re-use.

One internal hard drive just for editing current projects or reworking an old project.

One internal hard drive my son can access remotely to store his data on.

It sounds like a lot of work when I type it all out but really isn't.

What I hate most is every now and again checking archived disks to make sure they still run and are not corrupted.

The archive starts from around 2002 but that one drive covers from 2002 to 2010. My most recent archived disks are 4TB each but that may change soon to 6TB or 8TB disks as my file sizes on average increase. Maybe even more as I haven't got into 4K yet and most of my videos are less than 20 minutes long.

The video side of things at present is still mainly for my own amusement and currently I'm still shooting stills for charity event organisers but that is slowly changing to include video. This is not my day job but putting something back into the local comunity that I get my paid work from.

Next weekend I'll be covering a 1940s event taking images of veterans for the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. The commissioning of a new Royal Naval vessel, HMS Chatham and her crew if I can, (Their timetable permitting) along with I hope, some video footage and talking to people evacuated from London as children during the blitz. On top of that I normally take promotional pictures of new acts performing at the Dockyard for the first time.

Now I've really gone off topic. Sorry, but sometimes I really can't afford to lose anything so I'm possibly ultra-cautious to the point of being paranoid. I just don't like letting anyone down once I've said I'll do something.

Ray.

@johnebaker

Oops, wrong file. Here is the one with proxies:

John CB

@johnebaker

 Hi John.

I'm now suffering from Murphie's Law. I was answering your question when my PC screens went blank with the PC still running. Not sure what it is yet but disconnected all drives and screens show for brief moment then go blank again. It may be motherboard battery. Not sure yet. Can't even get into the bios. Battery on phone also low. Will get back to you as soon as I can but briefly, yes all those files show in my project folder.

Ray.

John CB Wrote:

I have already told you this twice.

It was a misunderstanding of what you said, sorry !.

I thought you were saying, saved in another folder too !

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

@CubeAce

Hi

OT:

. . . . It may be motherboard battery. . . . .

The battery does nothing while the PC is running, it is only when the PC is truly off, ie disconnected from the power or the power pack itself is switched off, that the battery plays its part in retaining the BIOS settings - it is also the reason why such a tiny battery lasts for up to 5 years or more nor does it get recharged.

HTH

John EB