Better file management in Shotcut

Suggestion
1

I would like to propose an enhancement to the project saving structure in Shortcut Video Editor. Currently, managing projects with multiple media assets can be cumbersome, especially when working with multiple memory cards or collaborating with a team.

Proposed Solution:

When saving a project, Shortcut Video Editor should create a structured folder system to keep all related assets organized. The project folder would contain four sub-folders:

Clips: Stores all video clips used in the project

Audio: Stores all audio files used in the project

Images and Animations: Stores images and animations used in the project

Proxies: Stores proxy files generated for the project

The main project file (.MLT) would be saved outside these folders, in the root of the project directory.

Benefits:

Easy collaboration

Send the entire project folder to team members, ensuring all assets are included

Efficient project management

Keep assets organized, making it easier to locate and manage files

Reduced errors

Minimize missing assets and broken links

Space management

Allow working with multiple memory cards without worrying about losing clips

Example Structure:

Project Name/
Clips/
Audio/
Images and Animations/
Proxies/
Project Name.MLT

To address concerns regarding complexity and storage for small projects, I propose that this advanced file management be implemented as an optional workflow. The standard “Save As” command would function as it does currently, saving only the project file (.MLT), which is ideal for quick edits, short slideshows, or simple projects that do not require external sharing.

For professional-grade or collaborative work, a new command, “Save As and Consolidate,” would trigger the creation of the structured project folder, automatically copying all active media (Clips, Audio, Images/Animations, and Proxies) into their respective subfolders. This mandatory consolidation eliminates the critical risk of a team member or mix engineer receiving a project with missing assets—such as a separately stored SFX folder—while still allowing for detailed internal organization by scene or day using Shotcut’s native playlist folders and bins.

1 Like
Option to copy/hardlink files into project
2

So the “Save As” stays as it is, and we have a new “Save As and Consolidate,” to do what you said, I think it’s a good idea.

1 Like
3

This is already on the road map as “archive project.”

4 Likes
4

Oh… cool, thank you very much!

1 Like
5

Thanks so much

6

Glad to see this here, I’d also love this, in particular, to easily work cross-platform, as I use both a Mac laptop and a Windows desktop to work on the same projects, and those file paths aren’t the same for included assets, obviously.

1 Like
7

I just wrote up a simple script that should work on Unix-like systems (details in this post) that might be helpful for folks. Unfortunately someone else will have to do the work of getting it to work on Windows haha — our desktop is Linux-only and my Windows shell scripting knowledge is limited-to-nonexistent.

I have yet to generate proxies, so I do not know if my script will automatically capture them as well (my guess is that they will not be captured). If someone who uses them can explain if they show up in the MLT file (and how), I can see if I can modify the script to deal with them as well. All primary resources (images, audio, video) should be properly accounted for. I think the proxy is still working (and proxies are stored in the project directory under proxies, so they don’t need to be copied/linked anywhere), since I don’t modify the shotcut:hash field, but yeah…would like to get some confirmation.

1 Like