File management - how do you structure your stock and project files?

[GIS]

Hey guys.

Would like to know if here is anybody willing to share his file/folder structure for stock files (general sounds, pics, clips), and project specific files (video sources, voice-audio, sounds, stills, etc).

Also would like to know if for each project you copy all generally availabe stock files to the project folder)

Hope to get some inspiration

By the way:
I did run into a tool some people seem to like, called “post haste” - did not use it yet, and would rather work with something which does also work on Linux, if a certain special tool/software is even needed…

[ejmillan]

My structure of a project in Shotcut is as follows:
I create a folder called projects ( to which I set up a scheduled backup)
In this folder are all the projects of the different software I use, including Shotcut.
So, inside the projects folder, I have a folder called Shotcut (for Shotcut projects, not to be confused with the installation folder)
In that folder, I created a folder called orphan proxies for all those proxy files that are not assigned to any specific project (for example when we drag a file to the playlist without previously creating a project).

This way I can safely remove those proxy files that are created when I test.
I set the project folder in Shotcut so that new projects are created within that folder Projects/Shotcut
In my case, I have a disk partition (G:), only for the projects.

In general settings, I enable the proxy storage to use the project folder. I also adjust the preview scaling according to my needs.
Before creating the project, I select the resolution and frame rate profile.
Now I can create a project. I name it and hit the save button. I close Shotcut.
Shotcut created a project folder with the name I wrote, within the location of my preference (in my case G:/Projects/Shotcut/)
Then inside that folder, I manually create different folders to organize the media content (audio, video, images, fonts, etc) and place the files I think I will need for my project, in their corresponding folder.
Then I open Shotcut and open the project (which is empty). Now I can drag the media files to the playlist. Shotcut will create a proxy folder where it will save the proxies that are generated when we place files into the playlist.
This is one of my complex project folders.
I have a folder with SVG vector graphics, Audio, images (non-vector), videos, custom transitions (in video format), and even a folder for nested MLT files.
The red square is the proxy folder that Shotcut creates automatically.
The green square is the project MLT file.
As a precaution, I save the project with another name using the “save as” option and give it the name of the project with the backup prefix (yellow square)

With this organization, I can copy all that folder of a specific project to a USB memory stick and continue the project in another computer or as in my case, I alternate projects in W10 and in Linux Ubuntu Studio (fonts are important in this context)
Of course, I only do this in somewhat more complex projects.
I hope that my way of doing things will help you in some way.

[ejmillan]

@GIS

Also would like to know if for each project you copy all generally availabe stock files to the project folder)

No, it does not, so I do it manually as indicated in the previous message.

Point 15 of the Roadmap indicates something about this, but it is not currently implemented.
Shotcut - Road Map

[Hudson555x]

Might want to review this.

Project Management

Introduction Shotcut does not provide very much in the way of project management at this time. Rather, you are required to manage many aspects of this. There are a few things you should know: Shotcut saves to a project file in a text format called MLT XML. (Technical detail on that format can be found here.) The project file does not contain any of your media. Rather, it only links to your media files by file system path and name. There are 3 different kinds of projects: Clip If you put a…

[Austin]

@GIS

if for each project you copy all generally availabe stock files to the project folder

My stock folder is outside all project folders. My stock folder has gigabytes of stuff in it, so copying all of the stock is prohibitive. I copy the individual stock files I need into my project folder. I definitely do not have Shotcut link directly to the stock folder. Doing so would create an absolute path in the .mlt project file rather than a relative path, which means the project cannot easily be carried to another computer for editing. I also like to copy stock media into the project folder so that archiving the project is as simple as moving the project folder to an archive drive, and all dependencies go with it. It’s self-contained and easy to restore that way.

[GIS]

Thank you guys. This gives me a few hints. Seems to require some thought up-front in regards to managing files in general (stock) and for a certain project, especially if a project has 2+ cameras angles, separate audio layers, pictures and stock footage.

Copying (reguired) stock content to the project folder makes total sense, for backup and portability.

@ ejmillan Thank you especially for the detailled explanation of your particular set-up.
Not yet sure, what the orphaned proxies are/where they come from. Will take a closer look.

My general idea about proxy files is, that I would like to delete them all (after completion of a project), without corrupting the project/mlt-structure. Reason being is saving storage space after completion of a project. I assume/hope, in case such project would be opened again, that Shotcut would not throw errors, and rather utilize the original (non-proxy) files for the project, and if required render new proxy files?

[ejmillan]

@GIS

@ ejmillan Thank you especially for the detailled explanation of your particular set-up.
Not yet sure, what the orphaned proxies are/where they come from. Will take a closer look.

It was a pleasure for me to help in any way possible.
About the orphan proxies I can explain why I do this:
The default configuration of the proxies (in W10) is in the folder C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Melytech/Shotcut/proxies

This location is hidden by default in W10.
There are other important folders in it as you can see.

If we do not enable the proxy storage box within each project, each proxy file will be created within the default folder (the hidden folder).
On the other hand, it is also possible to drag a media file to the playlist, without having created a project previously. In that case, even if we have the proxy storage box enabled in the project folder, that case, as there is no project, that proxy file will be created in the default folder (the hidden folder)

All those proxy files created in that folder will take up space there.
In my case, I sometimes come across this, when I teach some Shotcut function to my family, or even when I answer some question here in the forum. For those cases, I don’t create a project.
Therefore, I configured my proxy folder (which has no project) in an accessible location, which was not hidden and which also did not take up space in my SSD for this unimportant purpose (imagine the number of proxy files that can accumulate in that default location, especially if you are learning or testing with many files)

So, these proxy files, have no project, they are orphans. And that’s why I named the folder.
From time to time I can delete that folder without fear because in it there are only files that were automatically created by Shotcut but are not associated with any project in my case.

For Ubuntu Studio, I configure Shotcut in the same way.
The default location was: /home/user/.local/share/Melytech/Shotcut/

I replaced this with a location in my personal folder.
That’s all I need to know to easily locate and remove them knowing that they will not affect any project.

It’s my workflow, which is not perfect, but it works well for me.

[ejmillan]

@GIS

My general idea about proxy files is, that I would like to delete them all (after completion of a project), without corrupting the project/mlt-structure. Reason being is saving storage space after completion of a project. I assume/hope, in case such project would be opened again, that Shotcut would not throw errors, and rather utilize the original (non-proxy) files for the project, and if required render new proxy files?

This project originally had proxies, but I removed all of them.
I opened the project and as you can see, in the video information the resolution is the original 1920x1080 (not the resolution of a -640x360 proxy file in my case)
Just create the proxy file as I show in the animated GIF.

Another option you have available is to go to Preferences-Proxy-and disable the Use Proxy checkbox. Then check the box again and Shotcut will show you a pop-up window for the creation of the missing proxy files in that project.

My interface is in Spanish, but the location of the menus is the same in English.