Shotcut missing ALL MLT LINKED FILES on project open

[GaryK427]

Windows 10 Professional
version 21.01.29
Can you repeat the problem? Yes. Every time I open a previously saved project (File>Open file>select saved .mlt file) this occurs
Log file attached Application Log - Missing file error (ALL of them) on Open mlt flies every time.txt (63.1 KB)
The behavior is: All files are missing when I open a previously saved project. This is extremely basic functionality that is still broken. Other editors have absolutely no issue with this kind of forgetfulness crap. I have to manually go and select the requested file(s) in their folders to repair the missing link(s), which amounts to every single file involved in a project. This is a deal-breaker in the latest update of Shotcut. Hopefully there is a simple solution.

[shotcut]

Unable to reproduce unless I choose to by moving files. This is normal even for other editors unless they offer to take control over your files and copy and manage them; Shotcut does not. You must do that, and you might be mis-managing them. All of your missing files are at J:\2021 Lucas Oil Late Models. What is the status of that drive and folder?

See also

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…

[MusicalBox]

@shotcut

Unable to reproduce unless I choose to by moving files.

Same here.

@GaryK427

Other editors have absolutely no issue with this kind of forgetfulness crap

I created 3 identical projects with 3 different video editors then moved the media to another location.

When re-opening the projects:

• Olive and MiniTool Movie Maker opened the project with a blank clip where the missing file was supposed to be. No File missing notification.
• Kdenlive gave a File missing notification, asking to manually locate the file. Similar as what Shotcut does then.

So, including Shotcut, that’s 4 editors that doesn’t keep track of your files when you move or remove them.

EDIT: Oh well, make that 5. Also tried with OpenShot: Missing file notification, then opens Explorer so you can show where you moved the file(s).

[GaryK427]

I have not moved the .mlt file from it’s original save location. The drive used is a portable USB 3.0 SSD. Maybe I’m missing something. When a program cannot recall the original save location where it was commanded to save a file, which has not been moved, something is very wrong. None of the media files were moved from their folders assigned to the project. I simply selected File - Open File, pointed it to the original saved .mlt (which was right where I left it) and the Missing Files dialog appears. What should my workflow be otherwise? This is a large headache.

[shotcut]

Using a USB hard drive is a common problem because not only is it slow for editing, but it may not be mounted the next time you want to edit. Or, it is mounted with a different drive letter. That is what it looks like from your log. The project says the files are in J: but then you tell it to look for them in F. I also see you made a project folder: F:\2021 Lucas Oil Late Models\Files
However, your video files are in F:\2021 Lucas Oil Late Models\Saturday - NOT the project folder.
Read the link I gave you above again about project management relative vs. absolute. You did not store your video files in the project folder; so, it saved full paths to the media files since Saturday is not under Files. This is not a bug, and I am not going to change anything.