Importing in sequence is not working right. How to fix?

jastarr wrote on 9/29/2014, 4:02 PM

I am importing a few hundred photos and video clips from different cameras, sorted by date/time. They come out scrambled in MEP 2013 Pro. I sort the entire collection in the source directory by date, then drag and drop the lot onto the timeline. Mostly they end up in order, but 10-15% of them are randomly sprinkled throughout and a bitch to find. What am I doing wrong?

Comments

terrypin wrote on 9/29/2014, 4:08 PM

Hi,

Having selected them all in the Explorer folder, are you dragging the first one?

Is the timeline otherwise empty before the drag, in all tracks?

Do you get the same scrambling when you use Storyboard, Scene overview and Timeline modes?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

jastarr wrote on 9/29/2014, 4:27 PM

Thanks for responding, Terry.

Before I do all those experiments, let's pursue the first question. I have not always dragged by the first file in the list because I assumed, like in Windows, you are just dragging the block. If that is incorrect, what result should I expect by dragging from a middle one? Only that file misplaced, or something worse?

This last attempt, I also brought the files in by batches, rather than all at once. I started with a new empty project, but then for subsequent batches, I added onto the accumulating sequence.

After previous failures, I deleted the directory it creates and the AudioTemp subdirectory and made it start anew without historical residue in there, even using a new project name, so I am hoping there is no other repository for files previously used that might confuse it, but don't know.

--Jim

terrypin wrote on 9/30/2014, 1:11 AM

Thanks for responding, Terry.

Before I do all those experiments, let's pursue the first question. I have not always dragged by the first file in the list because I assumed, like in Windows, you are just dragging the block. If that is incorrect, what result should I expect by dragging from a middle one? Only that file misplaced, or something worse?

One easy way to find out!

This last attempt, I also brought the files in by batches, rather than all at once. I started with a new empty project, but then for subsequent batches, I added onto the accumulating sequence.

After previous failures, I deleted the directory it creates and the AudioTemp subdirectory and made it start anew without historical residue in there, even using a new project name, so I am hoping there is no other repository for files previously used that might confuse it, but don't know.

Sorry, you've lost me there. Maybe I misunderstood your original problem statement. By "They come out scrambled in MEP 2013 Pro" I assumed you meant the imports were immediately displayed in a different order in MEP to their order in the source Explorer folder. If so, where does the issue of created directories enter the scene?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

jastarr wrote on 9/30/2014, 9:41 AM

When a project is started, a directory is created that MEP copies all files to that are imported into the compilation no matter where they were imported from. This probably depends on the locations you enter in Files/Setup/Program, but that's how it's working for me. So after I had trouble and wanted to try again, I first deleted the contents of that directory so it couldn't influence the importing of the same files in subsequent attempts.

You are correct in understanding that the imported files are landing in the time line in a different order than in the directory as sorted before importing a batch of them. I'm sure it would be no problem to get the right order doing it one at a time, but I'm not giving up yet.

I haven't done a test yet dragging a batch by different points in the batch--I'll get to that. Gonna go out of town for a couple days, so pardon the coming silence...

Thanks for your ideas!

browj2 wrote on 9/30/2014, 1:10 PM

Hi,

Re the created directory, I presume that you are talking about the backup directory. As far as I know, you actually have to create this by going to File, Backup copy, Copy......, or either Alt+S or Shift+R. There is no setting to do this automatically. I would not do this until towards the end. Can't see the point other than to backup together what was in the project.

terrypin wrote on 10/1/2014, 12:51 AM

There is no setting to do this automatically.

Hi John,

Maybe the OP is referring to the auto backups that are placed in the specified project folder. Of course, these are not copies of all of all files, just project files. So although they are irrelevant to the problem, I can understand why he removed them from the scene.

The most likely cause of the sorting issue IMO remains the first one of my three suggestions, testable in a few seconds.

Terry, East Grinsted, UK

jastarr wrote on 10/1/2014, 4:45 PM

Thanks, Terry and John for your inputs. Today I attempted to do the prescribed experiments and suddenly cannot make it fail. This can be really frustrating. Nevertheless, while it is not acting up, I guess we close the thread.

Potentially of interest, the computer has been restarted since it was misbehaving; I suppose there is a lesson in that.

And point of clarification, I am perhaps doing something neither of you do on starting a new project: When the opening screen allows you to set up the new project, I check the box that says "Create a new project folder where all imported media will be copied to". That is the directory I have been saying I cleared out before retrying, just to be sure it didn't draw from there in the in subsequent import tests, thinking it already had them in stock and could use that instead...

Thanks again. I'll probably be back.

--Jim