Can someone please suggest the best way to save a video (& tracks) before exporting to a final version? In the event to make futures changes to the original video? Is exporting & saving it first to an external hard drive the way to go? Or anything else?
Thank you in advance
IMO, the "safest" way to do what you are asking (keep all edited files etc before exporting so that, if needed, any project can be reopened later for additional editing) is to ensure you keep your .mvp (project) file and ALL the content (video files, audio files, images, etc., etc.) in ONE folder which you will never delete or which you will safely store on an external drive which you will then disconnect from your computer and only reconnect when you actually need to access those files again!
BTW, the latest version of MEP is 18.0.3.261 so if your update service is still current you are at least two versions behind.
Jeff
I'm not sure that you understand how MEP works.
A MEP project is a set of instructions that do not contain any audio, videos or photos, only the filenames and locations and how they are used in the program. If you delete any of the audio, video or photo files that you put in a project and then open that project, MEP will not be able to find them and ask you where they are. If you deleted them, tough luck. Therefore, you keep your videos and photos safely somewhere in case you need them again.
You save the project, which gives you an MVP file. This is the project file.
You make changes to the Project file, not to the exported video.
After you exported your final version, if you don't ever delete the project.mvp file or any of the media, then you simply open the project file and edit it.
If you want to back up the Project and all associated media (audio, video and photo files), then go to:
Most of us do a Save As and append something, like r1, r2... for different revisions. So if you exported and published revision r0, and then a year later went back and updated the project and the exported video, you may want to save the project file with a Save As and append a revision code.
I see that Jeff beat me to it.
John CB
Hi
Top add to Jeff's and John CB's comments
. . . . Is exporting & saving it first to an external hard drive the way to go . . . .
With a USB external drive definitely not, real world exporting to an external USB drive is slower compared to exporting to an internal hard drive or SSD drive.
John EB
Jeff
I used to get a pop up box that said to update to the newest version
, but I no longer receive that when I open MEP
JohnCB suggested:-
If you want to back up the Project and all associated media (audio, video and photo files), then go to:
File, Backup copy;
Select what you want from the list. I suggest "Copy project and media into folder;"
Select the destination folder - there should be nothing else in the folder;
You can copy or move this folder to a DVD or BR disk or another hard drive for safekeeping;
Another possibly easier way is to tick a checkbox "Copy media to project folder" that appears in the New Project window that opens when you create a new project. Then when you import any video or audio clip, etc. it will ask you if you want to copy it to the project folder or just import it to the timeline. Copy will put any imported media into the project folder where you can easily find and back up it.
Peter
BTW, the latest version of MEP is 18.0.3.261 so if your update service is still current you are at least two versions behind.
Jeff I installed my version of MEPP 18.0.1.209 on 12/10/18 --- I think the update service is good for one year, but I have not gotten any updates sent to me.
Thank you everyone for all your replies, much appreciated.