Project Creation & Use
Introduction
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A Video Sync project file contains two things: references to media (including their associated waveform cache) and timelines (including visual events such as Markers & Streamers). When media is added to a project through any of the import methods, a reference to it is stored in the media bin and will be restored when the project is re-opened. This allows for super fast import, & great project media management, as no separate guide audio files are created & no video files are duplicated.
Working with Projects
Unless the default MISC project preferences have been changed, when you first launch Video Sync, it will present you with a blank project called, <untitled project> with a blank timeline called, unnamed timeline- into which you can directly start importing video.
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Saving a Project
To name the current project & save it, go to File → Save Project (or Command & S), choose a location in the browser window & enter a name.
As there is no copied video or audio media with an Video Sync project, it is not imperative that the project file itself lives on a fast access disk. Although it is advisable to put the video or audio files themselves on fast access disks for the best performance.
Once any further changes have been made, the currently already defined project can quickly be saved by selecting File → Save Project (or Command & S). When there are unsaved changes, an asterisk (*) appears after the project name in the title bar.
The Project auto-save preference, Automatically save projects every (x) minutes can be found in Preferences / Settings → MISC tab.
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When this checkbox is set, Video Sync will automatically save the project at a definable minute interval which can be set in the text box.
In order to prevent playback being interrupted, saving only occurs when not playing back.
The size of the Project file is vastly increased when waveform processing is enabled. To keep files smaller for easier sharing, disable the Process waveform overviews field in Preferences / Settings → MISC tab.
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Where waveforms are not required (for example where all the audio is being played back from the DAW & only video is being played back in Video Sync), having this field disabled will also better the UI responsiveness.
Project Backups
In addition to the auto-save preference described above, Video Sync automatically maintains a rolling set of project backups. This runs independently of the auto-save setting and requires no configuration - it is always active.
Every five minutes, Video Sync checks whether the project data has changed since the last backup. If changes are detected, a timestamped copy of the project file is saved to a Project Backups folder located alongside the project file. If no changes have been made, the backup is skipped. Backups are also skipped while the transport is playing, to avoid interrupting playback.
Up to five backup versions are kept. When a new backup would exceed this limit, the oldest backup is automatically deleted. Backup filenames include the date and time they were created.
Project backups do not affect the unsaved-changes indicator in the title bar. A project with unsaved changes will continue to show the asterisk (*) even after a backup has been written - the backup is a safety net, not a substitute for saving the project.
To restore a previous version, open the Project Backups folder next to the project file and double-click the desired backup.
Loading a Project
To load a previous project, either double-click it in the Finder, or go to File → Open Project (shortcut Command & O) & choose the project from the browser window.
The Project loading preference, Automatically Open Last Used Project on Application Launch can be found under the general settings in the MISC tab of the Preferences / Settings window:
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If set, Video Sync will open the last used project when it launches.
If the project can't be found at the original location (e.g. if it was on an unavailable drive), it will create a blank project instead.