Avid Unity™
MediaManager
User’s Guide
Release 2.0
a
tools for storytellers®
Copyright and Disclaimer
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2
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Avid Unity MediaManager User’s Guide • Part 0130-04601-01 Rev. A • November 2000
3
Contents
Using This Guide
Who Should Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
About This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Related Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
If You Have Documentation Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How to Order Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 1 Getting Started
MediaManager Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Open Media Management (OMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
MediaManager in a Workgroup Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Supported Media Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
About Adding Media Objects to MediaManager. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
About Finding Media Objects — Searching and Browsing. . . 15
About Viewing and Using Media Objects Found in
MediaManager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Configuring Avid Systems to Work with MediaManager . . . . . . . . 17
Specifying OMM Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Accessing and Logging In to MediaManager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Configuring Internet Explorer to Work with
MediaManager (First Time Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Opening MediaManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Logging In. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4
User Interface Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Avid Portal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mode Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Control Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Results Frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Logging Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 2 Adding Media Objects to MediaManager
Checking In Objects from an Avid System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Using the Drag-and-Drop Method (Windows Only). . . . . . . . . 32
Manually Checking In Files to MediaManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Sending Segments of Media to MediaManager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Updating Files from MediaManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Checking In a File from Your Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chapter 3 Finding Media Objects
Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Simple Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Saving Your Simple Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Extended Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Specifying Attribute Names, Operators, and Values. . . . . . . . . 41
Performing an Extended Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Refining a Search You Just Performed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Saving Your Extended Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Managing Saved Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Viewing a Saved Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Editing a Saved Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Deleting a Saved Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Browsing Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Browsing Projects and Bins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Browsing Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Browsing a Catalog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
5
Creating a New Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Editing a Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Deleting a Catalog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 4 Viewing and Using Your Search Results
Viewing Your Search Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Display Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Media Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Sorting Media Objects in the Results Frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Selecting Media Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Viewing Head Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Obtaining Media Size Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Obtaining Detailed Object Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Viewing Media Relatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Finding Other Clips from the Same Source Tape. . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Checking Out Media Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Checking Out Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Adding Media Objects to Catalogs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Removing Objects from Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Removing Objects from the WasteBasket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Deleting Media Objects from MediaManager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Appendix A Administration Mode
Editing Your User Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
List of Terms
Index
6
Using This Guide
Congratulations on your purchase of Avid Unity™ MediaManager, a
powerful tool for managing media in an Avid Unity MediaNet shared
storage environment.
Who Should Use This Guide
This guide is intended for all MediaManager users. Before reading this
book, read the documentation for and be familiar with the operation of
your Avid system in the MediaNet environment.
About This Guide
This guide includes all the information necessary for Avid system
operators to use MediaManager to find and obtain access to master
clips, sequences, and other media objects in the MediaNet
environment.
Unless noted otherwise, the material in this document applies to the
Windows NT
applies to a specific operating system, it is marked as follows:
®
and Macintosh® operating systems. When the text
7
• (Windows) means the information applies to the Windows®
operating system.
• (Macintosh) means the information applies to the Macintosh
operating system.
The majority of screen shots in this document were captured on a
Windows system, but the information applies to both Windows and
Macintosh systems. Where differences exist, both Windows and
Macintosh screen shots are shown.
The Contents lists all topics included in the book. They are presented
with the following overall structure:
• Getting Started, helps you get oriented with beginning concepts,
configuration steps, general workflow, and the user interface.
• The main body of the guide follows the natural flow of your work,
with clear and comprehensive step-by-step procedures.
• Appendix A describes how to use Administration mode to edit
your user profile.
• Finally, an Index helps you quickly locate specific topics.
Symbols and Conventions
The MediaManager documentation uses the following special symbols
and conventions:
1. Numbered lists, when the order of the items is important.
a. Alphabetical lists, when the order of secondary items is
important.
• Bulleted lists, when the order of the items is unimportant.
- Indented dashed lists, when the order of secondary items is
unimportant.
8
t One arrow indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a
list indicate that you select one of the choices.
Look here in the margin
for tips.
n
c
In the margin, you will find tips that help you perform tasks more
easily and efficiently.
A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations,
and strong suggestions.
A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to
your computer or cause you to lose data.
If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using MediaManager, you should:
1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that
task in this guide.
2. Check the documentation that came with your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
3. Check the release notes supplied with your Avid application for
information on accessing the Avid Web site and the Avid
Knowledge Center.
4. For customer support, contact your local Avid Reseller, or contact
Avid Customer Support directly:
• Broadcast customers — call 800-NEWS-DNG (639-7364).
• Postproduction customers — call 800-800-AVID (2843).
9
Related Information
The following documents provide more information about
MediaManager and other workgroup products:
• Avid Unity MediaManager Administrator’s Guide
• Avid Unity MediaManager Release Notes
• Avid Unity TransferManager User’s Guide
• Avid Unity TransferManager Release Notes
• Avid Unity Workgroup Setup Guide
• Avid Products Collaboration Guide
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for transferring
project files, audio files, and graphics and effects files between
various Avid products.
The most recent update of the Avid Products Collaboration Guide is
provided online. Check the release notes supplied with your Avid
application for information on accessing online documentation.
If You Have Documentation Comments
Avid Technology continuously seeks to improve its documentation.
We value your comments about this guide, the Help, and other
Avid-supplied documentation.
Simply e-mail your documentation comments to Avid Technology at
TechPubs@avid.com
Please include the title of the document, its part number, revision, and
the specific section you are commenting on in all correspondence.
10
How to Order Documentation
To order additional copies of this documentation from within the
United States, call Avid Telesales at 800-949-AVID (2843). If you are
placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local
Avid representative.
11
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
Avid Unity MediaManager is an Open Media Management™ (OMM™)
compliant media database that allows you to search the large number
of media objects (master clips, sequences, effects, and any other type of
object that references digital media) in the Avid Unity MediaNet
shared storage environment.
This chapter discusses the following topics:
• MediaManager Overview
• Configuring Avid Systems to Work with MediaManager
• Accessing and Logging In to MediaManager
• User Interface Overview
• Getting Help
• Logging Out
MediaManager Overview
MediaManager provides comprehensive facilities for finding media
objects stored in the MediaNet file system. You can also use
MediaManager to manage sequences and other media objects whose
media is no longer online. You can then search for these objects, view
12
information about them such as the source tape name, obtain the
source footage, and rerecord or redigitize it.
MediaManager is easy to access and use. Its user interface (UI) opens
in a standard Web browser and allows you to quickly search or browse
its contents for objects of interest. Drag-and-drop support allows you
to add media objects to and obtain media objects from its database by
dragging them from and to Avid system bins.
Open Media Management (OMM)
Open Media Management (OMM) is an Avid initiative to create a
standard programming interface for integrating asset management
systems with Avid editing systems. Avid has partnered with leading
asset management companies to implement the OMM standard and
also has created MediaManager to meet the specific needs of the
MediaNet environment. The OMM standard is incorporated as a
feature in the latest MediaNet-compliant Avid systems and allows
direct, networked integration with MediaManager and other asset
management systems and Web-based media resources.
OMM uses the Open Media Framework
does not express the data as a file. Instead, OMM simplifies workflow
by using standard Internet protocols to create a rich, network-based
collaboration facility.
®
(OMF®) data model but
13
MediaManager in a Workgroup Environment
The workgroup environment consists of the following functional
components:
• Avid Unity MediaNet file server and storage
• MediaManager to track and manage Avid Unity media
• Supported Avid editors (Media Composer
Avid Xpres s
• TransferManager system that will manage the transfer of media to
and from the workgroup and to and from other workgroups and
playback devices
• A Fibre Channel network that connects the Avid editors,
MediaManager server, and TransferManager server to the
Avid Unity MediaNet environment
• An Ethernet network used as a general-purpose communication
network
The following diagram shows a typical shared-storage workgroup
configuration.
®
, NewsCutter®)
®
, Symphony™,
MediaNet
file server
Avid Unity
storage
Fibre Channel
Supported
Avid systems
MediaManager
server
TransferManager
server
14
Ethernet
To a playback
device
To another
workgroup
From an ingest
device
The workgroup enables collaborative workflows by allowing multiple
editors to share media.
Supported Media Types
You can add the following media objects to MediaManager:
• Master clip
•Subclip
• Sequence
•Effect
• Motion effect
• Rendered effect
•Group
About Adding Media Objects to MediaManager
Any action that creates media on Avid Unity, such as recording,
digitizing, or rendering, is automatically checked in (autocataloged) to
MediaManager.
You can also check in objects to MediaManager from Avid system bins
either by using the OMM drag-and-drop method or by manually
checking in the files to MediaManager.
For more information, see Chapter 2.
About Finding Media Objects — Searching and Browsing
You can use MediaManager to perform simple text-based or extended
searches. You typically base MediaManager searches for media objects
on their associated attributes. For example, you can search for all
15
media objects that have the word “promo” in their names, all media
objects on a particular source tape, or all files on a particular tape that
have the word “promo” in their names.
You can browse MediaManager’s contents in two ways:
• By project — Browse records according to the Avid system
projects and bins in which they physically reside in the MediaNet
file system.
• By catalog — Browse records according to optional catalogs into
which you can place your media objects.
For more information, see Chapter 3.
About Viewing and Using Media Objects Found in MediaManager
Once you have found media objects that meet your search or browsing
criteria, MediaManager offers multiple bin-type views of your results
and allows you to obtain detailed information about their attributes,
including media relatives.
When you are sure that you have found the media objects you want,
you can obtain (or check out) selected media objects by dragging them
from MediaManager to an Avid system bin.
For more information, see Chapter 4.
16
Configuring Avid Systems to Work with MediaManager
You need to configure your Avid system before you can use OMM to
interact with MediaManager. See “Specifying OMM Settings” on
page 17.
After you specify these settings, you can check in clips to and check
out clips from MediaManager by using the drag-and-drop method. To
check in clips, you can also use the Check In To MediaManager
command (see “Manually Checking In Files to MediaManager” on
page 33).
Specifying OMM Settings
You must specify the MediaManager location to let your Avid system
know where to look for it on the network. You specify MediaManager
in the OMM Settings dialog box, which you open from the Settings
scroll list of the Project window. For complete information on using
settings, see the editing guide, user’s guide, or Help for your Avid
system.
If you have access to more than one MediaManager or other OMM
asset manager, you can create and name a setting for each location in
the same way that you create other duplicate settings.
To specify your MediaManager location:
1. Click the Settings button in the Project window.
The Settings scroll list appears.
2. Double-click OMM.
The OMM Settings dialog box appears.
17
3. In the Preferred Asset Manager text box, type the Uniform
Resource Locator (URL) of your MediaManager hostinfo file (you
can obtain the URL from your Avid Unity administrator):
http://
Make sure you use the correct location, and type the information
exactly as designated.
4. Select “Login to Asset Manager at launch” if you want to log in to
MediaManager automatically when you open your project.
5. Click OK.
The MediaManager location setting is created and marked as the
default.
6. Click OK and Login to establish the connection to MediaManager.
MediaManagerlocation
/omm/xml/hostinfo.xml
n:
The connection defined in your OMM settings identifies the MediaManager
location to which you will be checking in media objects. You can check out
objects from a different MediaManager by dragging and dropping clips from
that MediaManager to a bin without changing the OMM settings.
18
Accessing and Logging In to MediaManager
The MediaManager user interface is implemented as a dynamic Web
page. If you are using Windows, you can open MediaManager with
Internet Explorer 5.0 or later. If you are using a Macintosh system, you
can open MediaManager using Netscape Navigator
(Netscape Navigator is part of Netscape Communicator 4.7 or later.)
This interface implementation allows easy access without the need to
install and run special software on your Avid system. For an overview
of the user interface, see “User Interface Overview” on page 24.
Configuring Internet Explorer to Work with MediaManager (First Time Only)
The first time that you access MediaManager you will need to
configure Internet Explorer appropriately.
To configure Internet Explorer for MediaManager access:
1. Start your Internet Explorer application.
2. Choose Internet Options from the Tools menu.
4.08 or later.
The Internet Options dialog box appears.
19
3. Click the Security tab.
4. Select the Local intranet Web content zone (by clicking the
appropriate icon).
5. Click Default Level, and then click Apply.
6. Click Custom Level.
The Security Settings dialog box appears.
20
7. Select the appropriate options in the Security Settings dialog box.
See Ta bl e 1 - 1 for details.
Table 1-1 Internet Explorer Security Settings for
MediaManager
ActiveX Controls and Plug-in Options Setting
Download signed ActiveX® controls Prompt
Download unsigned ActiveX controls Enable
Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe Disable
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins Enable
Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting Enable
8. Click OK to save your changes and close the Security Settings
dialog box. A message box appears, prompting you to confirm
that you want to change the Security settings for the zone.
21
9. Click Yes to continue.
10. Click OK in the Internet Options dialog box to complete the
Internet Explorer security configuration for MediaManager.
Opening MediaManager
To open MediaManager, first obtain its URL from your site
administrator. A typical example is:
n
http://
To open the page in Internet Explorer (Windows):
1. Start your Internet Explorer application.
2. Choose Open from the File menu (or press Ctrl+O).
3. Type the URL supplied to you by your administrator in the Open
dialog box, and then click OK.
Alternatively, if the Address toolbar is open, you can simply type
the URL there and press Enter.
To open the page in Netscape (Macintosh):
1. Start your Netscape
2. Choose Open Page from the File menu.
3. Type the URL supplied to you by your administrator in the Open
Page dialog box, and then click Open.
Alternatively, if the Address toolbar is open, you can simply type
the URL there and press Return.
After you open the MediaManager page for the first time by specifying its
URL manually, you might want to set it as your default home page or to
bookmark it for easy access. For more information, see the Help provided with
your Internet browser.
ummserver
/omm/
®
application.
22
n
Logging In
You can open additional MediaManager sessions by using the same login
account in multiple browser windows on the same system without using
additional MediaManager client licenses. However, opening additional
MediaManager sessions on the same system by using another login account
or opening MediaManager sessions on another system by using the same
login account will use additional licenses.
Each time you access MediaManager, a login screen opens, prompting
you to enter your user name and password, which should have been
assigned by your MediaManager administrator.
To log in:
1. Type your user name and password in the text boxes.
2. Click Login.
If both are accepted, the MediaManager user interface will appear,
automatically running a default search to find any media objects
added to its database in the last 10 minutes.
23
User Interface Overview
Although the MediaManager database actually runs on a dedicated
server system, you can easily access and use the database from any
MediaNet client workstation by simply opening the appropriate
dynamic Web page in a standard Web browser (Netscape if you are
using a Macintosh system or Internet Explorer if you are using
Windows).
Mode
selector
Moderelated
controls
Avid Portal
Control frame
The user interface is designed to provide access to the most commonly
used functions without using complex menus or multiple dialog
boxes.
Results frame
24
Avid Portal
Whether you are accessing saved searches or browsing projects or
catalogs (determined by the mode selector), the user interface displays
controls to perform searches and view head frames in the control frame.
All results of searching or browsing are displayed in the results frame.
The following sections describe the parts of the MediaManager user
interface:
• Avid Portal
• Mode Selector
• Control Frame
• Results Frame
The Avid Portal is the destination for drag-and-drop check-in of media
objects from Avid systems. It is always located at the top right of the
MediaManager user interface, regardless of the selected mode.
To use drag-and-drop check-in of files (Windows):
t Select the files, and drag them to the Avid Portal.
To use check-in of files (Macintosh):
t Select the files, and then drag the Avid Portal. (Do not just drop
the files in the Avid Portal as you do in the Windows environment.
You must actually drag the Portal icon.)
25
Mode Selector
(Windows) Use to check in objects to MediaManager.
(Macintosh) Use to check in objects to MediaManager.
The mode selector determines MediaManager’s functional mode and
thus which mode-related controls are displayed in the user interface.
Ta bl e 1 -2 describes the five available modes.
Table 1-2 MediaManager Modes
Mode Provides Controls To
Saved Searches Edit, delete, and run saved searches.
For more information, see “Managing Saved Searches” on
page 48.
Projects Browse the MediaNet project and bin structure by using a
Windows Explorer–style viewer.
For more information, see “Browsing Projects” on
page 50.
26
Table 1-2 MediaManager Modes (Continued)
Mode Provides Controls To
Catalogs Create, edit, delete, and browse MediaManager catalogs.
You also use a special Wastebasket catalog to delete objects
from MediaManager.
For more information, see “Browsing a Catalog” on
page 52.
Services Check in files from your desktop. For more information,
see “Checking In a File from Your Desktop” on page 35.
For information on using the Inbox for transferring files
from one workgroup to another workgroup, see the
Avid Unity TransferManager User’s Guide.
Administration Edit your user profile.
For more information, see Appendix A.
27
Control Frame
Head Frame Viewer
Mode-related
controls
The control frame is the focus of all operations that you can perform
using MediaManager. Except in Administration mode, it provides
access to the Head Frame Viewer, Simple Search controls, and Desktop
Check-In. Additionally, the control frame provides a central area
whose contents are determined by the selected mode.
Triangle icons
Simple Search
controls
n
If the Head Frame Viewer and Simple Search controls are closed, you can open
them by clicking the Triangle icons in their headers. Click either or both
Triangle icons again to close the Head Frame Viewer or Simple Search
controls to make space available for the selected mode-related controls.
28
Results Frame
The results frame displays the media objects returned by your search
and browse operations. The results frame offers three bin-style views
and access to other information such as media relatives. The three
views are Storyboard, Frame, and Text view. For more information, see
“Display Views” on page 56.
Results are displayed 50 to a page. Click Next to view the next 50, or
click Select All to scroll through all results.
You check out media objects from MediaManager by dragging them
from the results frame directly to an Avid system bin.
For more information, see “Viewing Your Search Results” on page 54.
29
Getting Help
Logging Out
You access Help by clicking Help in the MediaManager banner.
You should log out of MediaManager when you are finished using it
instead of leaving it open or accessing another page in your browser.
This will make the license available for another user.
To log out:
t Click Logout in the MediaManager banner.
MediaManager logs you out, and the login screen appears.
n
MediaManager defaults to automatically time-out and log you out after it has
been idle for more than 30 minutes. This makes your license available for
other sessions. If this happens, you will need to start a new session by logging
in again. The session time-out default can be changed by the administrator in
the System Setup dialog box. See the Avid Unity MediaManager
Administrator’s Guide.
30
CHAPTER 2
Adding Media Objects to MediaManager
This chapter describes how to add (check in) media objects to
MediaManager. For information on transferring objects from another
workgroup, see the Avid Unity TransferManager User’s Guide.
This chapter discusses the following topics:
• Checking In Objects from an Avid System
• Checking In a File from Your Desktop
• Sending Segments of Media to MediaManager
• Updating Files from MediaManager
Checking In Objects from an Avid System
If you are connected to the MediaNet environment and logged in to
MediaManager, any media that you record or digitize is automatically
checked in to MediaManager.
31
You can also check in media objects to MediaManager from any
supported Avid system by using one of the following methods,
depending on your operating system:
• Using the Drag-and-Drop Method (Windows Only)
• Manually Checking In Files to MediaManager
Using the Drag-and-Drop Method (Windows Only)
To check in a clip by using the drag-and-drop method:
1. In the Settings scroll list in the Project window of the Avid system,
select the appropriate OMM setting (see “Configuring Avid
Systems to Work with MediaManager” on page 17).
c
When you select an OMM setting, the Avid system uses this location
for all OMM imports and exports. If you use the drag-and-drop
method to move a clip to a different asset manager, the exported clip
will go to the location specified in the OMM setting.
2. If you have not already done so, start your Internet browser and
open MediaManager.
3. Open the bin containing the objects you want to check in.
4. In the bin, select the object or objects you want to export.
Ctrl+click to select multiple objects.
5. Continue to press and hold the mouse button, and drag the files
from the bin.
6. Press Alt+Tab to bring Internet Explorer to the foreground.
7. Drag the files to the Avid Portal.
The objects are checked in to MediaManager.
32
Manually Checking In Files to MediaManager
You can manually check in files to MediaManager from your Avid
system.
To manually check in a media object from your Avid system:
1. Open the bin in your Avid system that contains the media object
you want to check in.
2. In the bin, select the objects that you want to check in:
• (Windows) Ctrl+click to select multiple objects.
• (Macintosh) Shift+click to select multiple objects.
3. From the File menu, choose Check In To Asset Manager.
The objects are checked in to MediaManager.
Sending Segments of Media to MediaManager
You can set the NewsCutter application to send segments or “chunks”
of media so that multiple MediaManager workgroup users can have
access to the media before the entire file has been sent.
To enable chunking:
1. In the NewsCutter application, click the Settings button in the
Project window.
2. Double-click Record.
The Record Settings window opens.
33
3. Click the Media Files tab.
4. Click the option “During record, clip is updated in Asset
Manager.”
5. Select a segment length from the menu.
During the recording process, the media is sent in segments so
that workgroup users can begin accessing and using the media as
soon as possible.
n
Smaller chunks of media result in more media files actually being sent, but
you have quicker access to the media. Larger chunks of media result in fewer
media files being sent, but it might take longer to access the media.
Updating Files from MediaManager
You might need to perform an update from MediaManager if you
receive an error message that the clip you are trying to check in cannot
be checked in. This might occur if you checked in a clip, another user
made a change to the clip (for example, comments or clip name), and
you are now making a change to the original clip. MediaManager
sends the error message, indicating you are trying to check in a clip
that has been changed by another user.
If you receive an error message when trying to check in a clip to
MediaManager, update the clip.
To update a clip from MediaManager:
1. Select the clip you were trying to check in.
2. From the Bin menu, choose Update from Asset Manager.
n
The updated clip now appears in the bin.
When you perform an update from the asset manager, your local bin
information is overwritten by the information in MediaManager.
34
3. Make the changes you want to this updated clip.
4. From the File menu, choose Check In To Asset Manager.
The clip is checked in to MediaManager.
Checking In a File from Your Desktop
MediaManager allows you to take a file from your desktop and check
in the file to the MediaManager database. For example, you might
have a TIFF file or a JPEG file that you want others to access. Simply
check in the file from your desktop.
To check in media objects from your desktop:
1. If you have not already done so, start your Internet browser and
open your local MediaManager.
Mode selector
2. Click Services in the mode selector.
The Services control frame appears.
35
3. Click the Desktop Check-In icon.
The Desktop Check-In dialog box appears.
4. Click Browse to locate the file on your desktop.
5. Name the file as you want it to appear in MediaManager.
n
6. (Option) Add any comments about the file.
7. Click Check-in.
The objects are checked in to your local MediaManager.
When you are performing a desktop check-in, the size of the file cannot be
greater than 2 MB. If it is, then the file will not be checked in.
36
CHAPTER 3
Finding Media Objects
You find media objects in MediaManager by performing simple or
extended searches or by browsing projects and bins or catalogs.
This chapter discusses the following topics:
• Searching
• Simple Searches
• Extended Searches
• Managing Saved Searches
• Browsing Projects
Searching
The most common method of finding objects in MediaManager is to
perform a search based on attributes, an operation similar to sifting
local bins.
MediaManager also provides other less specific ways of finding
objects, allowing you to freely browse:
• The projects and bins in which media objects are located in the
MediaNet file system
37
• Catalogs for objects relating to a topic of interest
The database returns the results of any search in the results frame,
which offers bin-like views and access to more detailed information
about displayed media objects. For more information about the results
frame and what you can do with the media objects displayed in it, see
Chapter 4.
MediaManager stores information about media objects in records. Each
record contains information about the media object it represents,
known as its attributes, which are similar to column entries associated
with objects in Avid bins. Attributes may define fundamental
statistical information (clip duration, creation date, and so on) or
descriptive information (comments, object name, and so on).
Typically, you conduct database searches for media objects on their
associated attributes. For example, you could find all media objects
that have the word “feature” in their names, all media objects in a
particular project, or all media objects in a particular project that have
the word “feature” in their names.
MediaManager offers constant access to simple searches of limited
attributes and also allows you to perform complex extended searches in
which you can specify any combination of attributes and values that
you need.
For more information, see “Simple Searches” on page 38 and
“Extended Searches” on page 41.
Simple Searches
MediaManager provides easy access to the Simple Search controls in
Saved Searches, Projects, and Catalogs modes (although the controls
can be opened and closed by clicking the Triangle icon in the header).
Simple searches allow you to quickly specify one or several of the
38
most frequently used attributes. For each search, you can also select
the view in which to display the results.
Triangle icon
Search attributes
Display view for results
Extended Search button
To perform a simple search:
1. Ensure that the Simple Search controls are visible by selecting
Saved Searches, Projects, or Catalogs and, if necessary, clicking the
Triangle icon in the header.
2. Specify the attribute values that match the media objects you want
to find by typing in the text boxes or choosing the appropriate
entries from the pop-up menus. You can specify as few or as many
of the available attributes (Text, Project, Bin, Time, Type) as you
want. (If you specify none, the search will return all records in the
database.)
n
For more information, see “Specifying Attribute Names,
Operators, and Values” on page 41.
3. Select the view (Storyboard, Frame, or Text) in which to display
the results of your search.
4. Click Search.
To get the best response times for your searches, make them as specific as
possible. If a search is returning too many results, you can stop it by using
your browser Stop button in the toolbar.
39
MediaManager performs the specified search and returns all matching
records in the results frame. For more information, see Chapter 4.
Saving Your Simple Search
To save your simple search so that you can run it without
respecifying its criteria:
1. Specify all the criteria for the search by using the Simple Search
controls.
2. Click Save. The Save Search dialog box appears.
3. Type the name under which you want to save the search and,
optionally, a description of the search.
4. Click Save.
The search is saved and added to the list of saved searches displayed
in Search mode, from where it subsequently can be edited and run (see
“Managing Saved Searches” on page 48).
40
Extended Searches
Extended searches allow you to specify complex search criteria to find
exactly the objects you need. You can also specify how to sort your
results and the view in which to display them.
The elements of an extended MediaManager search are:
•The attribute names in which you are interested
•The operator that specifies how the values you specify match the
values of the media objects for which you are looking
• The attribute values you are looking to match
To refine a search, you can simply specify more than one line of AND
search criteria (and, if required, create additional groups of OR
criteria) that match objects for which you are searching.
The search interface makes the relationship among the three elements
clear. Select the combination that makes a “sentence” that is true for
the media object you wish to find. See the following example.
In this case, you are asking MediaManager to “Show objects whose
Name contains Harbor, AND that has a Check-in Date after 5/18/99,
AND whose Created By attribute is not Bob.”
Specifying Attribute Names, Operators, and Values
Ta bl e 3 -1 shows the range of valid operators and values for the
MediaManager extended search attributes.
41
Table 3-1 Attribute Names, Operators, and Values
Field Possible Value
Attribute
Name
Operator Varies depending on the attribute selected. Operators
Value Varies depending on the attribute selected. Values include:
Any attribute (standard or custom) defined in
MediaManager, for example, Name, Project, or Tape ID.
For a full list of standard attributes, see Table 3-2.
include:
Is
Is Not
Contains
Starts with
After
Before
Within
Less than
Greater than
Te xt
Numeric value
Time
Duration
Date
True or False
Ta bl e 3 -2 lists the standard MediaManager attribute names, their
meanings, and the values you can enter for them when specifying a
search.
42
Attribute
Name
Table 3-2 Extended Search Attribute Names and Values
Description Search Values
Bin Name The name of the bin from which the
media object was checked in
Catalog Name A catalog with which the media
object is associated
Check-In Date When the media object was
checked in to MediaManager
Comments Additional information about the
media object
Created By The login name of the user who
checked in the media object
Creation Date When the media object was created Same format as Check-In Date.
Duration The length of the media object in
hours, minutes, seconds, and
frames
IN-OUT The length of the marked segment
of a clip, if any
Last
Modification
Date
When the media object was last
modified (from the bin)
Enter text (not case sensitive).
Enter text (not case sensitive).
A particular date (for example, 12/4/98 or
12/4/1998) or a period chosen from a pop-up
menu.
Enter text (not case sensitive). The text you
enter can contain spaces.
Enter text (not case sensitive).
Enter numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
Enter numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
Same format as Check-In Date.
Name The name of the media object Enter text (not case sensitive; spaces
permitted).
Project Name The project from which the media
object was checked in
Enter text (not case sensitive; spaces
permitted).
43
Table 3-2 Extended Search Attribute Names and Values
Attribute
Name Description Search Values
Referenced If True, object is referenced by a
sequence also in the database.
Scene The scene number of the clip
(from the bin)
Shoot Date The date the footage was shot
(from the bin)
Size (KB) Searches by media file size Enter a number.
Status Online or Offline. Does not return
partially offline status.
Take The take number of the scene
(from the bin)
Tape Source tape name (from the bin) Enter text (not case sensitive; spaces
Tape ID Assigned Tape ID (from the bin) Enter text (not case sensitive; spaces
Text Combination of Name, Tape, User
Attributes, and Comments
attributes. Allows you to search for
text in all attributes at once.
True or False.
Enter text.
Enter text.
Enter “Online” or “Offline.”
Enter a number.
permitted).
permitted).
Enter text (not case sensitive; spaces
permitted).
Tracks All tracks used by the media object
(from the bin)
Type Type of media object Choose an option from the pop-up menu, or
User Attributes User-specified column information
(from the bin)
Enter text (value can be Video, Audio, or
Both
).
enter master clip, sequence, subclip, effect,
motion effect, rendered effect, group, or file.
Enter text.
44
Table 3-2 Extended Search Attribute Names and Values
Attribute
Name Description Search Values
Video
Compression
Video compression ratio
(from the bin)
Performing an Extended Search
You perform an extended search by specifying your search criteria in
the Extended Search dialog box, which you can open from the Simple
Search controls.
To perform an extended search:
1. Click the Extended Search button in the Simple Search controls.
The Extended Search dialog box appears.
Enter ratio (for example, 2:1).
45
Find objects that
meet these criteria
2. Specify the attribute names, operators, and values that make up
your search criteria. See “Specifying Attribute Names, Operators,
and Values” on page 41.
To refine the search by specifying more than one criterion, click
More to open up to ten additional AND entry lines. If you want to
specify additional sets of search criteria that match the media
objects you want, click OR to open up to three groups of OR entry
criteria.
3. (Option) Specify the attribute by which you want your results
sorted and whether they should be presented in ascending or
descending order. If you specify no attribute to sort on, the results
are presented in the order in which they are found.
4. Specify the view (Storyboard, Frame, or Text) in which the search
results are to be displayed.
Plus objects that
meet these criteria
5. Click Search.
46
n
If a search does not seem to be specific enough (that is, it is returning too
many results and is taking a long time), you can stop it by using your
browser Stop button in the toolbar.
MediaManager performs the specified search and returns all matching
records in the results frame. For more information about how to view
and manipulate the results, see Chapter 4.
Refining a Search You Just Performed
By default, the Extended Search window closes after you start your
search. However, if you want to refine or modify your search by
redefining its criteria after you perform the search, keep the Extended
Search window open after the search is performed by deselecting
Close Window on ‘Search’.
You can also reopen the Extended Search window with the previous
criteria still displayed by clicking the “Return to Extended Search”
link that appears in the MediaManager status bar when the results of
an extended search are shown in the results frame.
Saving Your Extended Search
To save your extended search so that you can run it without
respecifying its criteria:
1. Specify all the search criteria for the search in the Extended Search
window.
2. Click Save. The Save Search dialog box appears.
47
3. Type the name under which you want to save the search and,
optionally, a description of the search.
4. Click Save.
The search is saved and added to the list of saved searches displayed
in Search mode, from where it subsequently can be edited and run (see
“Managing Saved Searches” on page 48).
Managing Saved Searches
You might need to routinely use the same search criteria to find
particular media objects. Manually setting up a search each time is
repetitive and can be time consuming. To avoid this situation,
MediaManager allows criteria from both simple and extended
searches to be saved so that they can later be recalled and performed
whenever you or anyone else needs them. To find out how to save a
search, see “Saving Your Simple Search” on page 40 and “Saving
Your Extended Search” on page 47.
48
When MediaManager is in Search mode, use the Saved Searches
browser displayed in the control frame to view, edit, and delete
searches currently saved in MediaManager.
Viewing a Saved Search
After you have specified and saved the search criteria, you can easily
access the media objects that match the saved criteria.
To view a saved search:
t Click its name in the browser. The media objects found are
displayed in the results frame.
Trash icon
Notepad icon
Editing a Saved Search
To edit the name or description of a saved search:
1. Click the Notepad icon beside its name.
2. Make your changes in the Edit Search dialog box that appears.
3. Click Save.
Saved search
49
Deleting a Saved Search
To delete a saved search:
t Click the Trash icon beside its name.
Browsing Projects
When you add a media object to MediaManager, the project and bin
from which it was checked in are recorded, as well as other attributes.
In addition to using this information as searchable attributes,
MediaManager uses this information in Projects mode to build a
tree-style browsable view of all the projects and bins from which
objects have been checked in. Project and bin information can also
make searches faster by limiting the number of records through which
the database has to search.
Browsing Projects and Bins
When MediaManager is in Projects mode, use the tree-style Projects
browser displayed in the control frame to browse projects and bins.
Click to close project.
Click to open project.
Click to close all projects.
Click to open all projects.
To open a project to view the bins that it contains:
t Click the Plus (+) icon beside the project name.
50
To close an open project:
t Click the Minus (
To open or close all projects in the browser:
t Click the Plus or Minus icon (as appropriate) in the Projects
To view all media objects in a bin:
t Click the bin in the browser. The media objects found are
Browsing Catalogs
You can place any media object in the database into one or more
appropriately named catalogs. Catalogs can be freely browsed in
Catalogs mode and can also make searches faster by limiting the
number of records through which the database has to search.
For example, MediaManager could contain catalogs called Features,
Promos, File, Out Takes, and 24p. At this site, a clip from a feature that
might also be useful in a trailer could be placed in both the Features
and Promos catalogs.
-) icon beside the project name.
browser header.
displayed in the results frame.
Senior editors can add catalogs for particular projects, or the site
administrator can add them to suit the needs of the site. You can also
add new catalogs and edit existing catalogs yourself. To find out how
to add media objects to catalogs, see “Adding Media Objects to
Catalogs” on page 66.
When MediaManager is in Catalogs mode, use the Catalogs browser
displayed in the control frame to create, delete, edit, and browse
catalogs.
51
Trash icon
Notepad icon
Browsing a Catalog
To browse the media objects associated with a particular catalog:
t Click the catalog name or the folder icon beside it in the Catalogs
browser.
Media objects found are displayed in the results frame.
Creating a New Catalog
To create a new catalog:
1. Click the Folder icon in the Catalogs browser header.
Folder icon
Catalog name
WasteBasket catalog
Editing a Catalog
To edit the name or description of a catalog:
2. Type the name and, optionally, a description of the catalog in the
Create Catalog dialog box that appears.
3. Click Save.
1. Click the Notepad icon beside the catalog name.
2. Make your changes in the Edit Catalog dialog box that appears.
3. Click Save.
52
Deleting a Catalog
To delete a catalog:
t Click the Trash icon beside the catalog name.
53
CHAPTER 4
Viewing and Using Your Search Results
The results frame displays the media objects found by all
MediaManager searches and project and catalog browsing operations.
It allows you to view results by using several bin-style views, obtain
additional information about them (including media relatives), and
check them out by dragging them into bins.
This chapter discusses the following topics:
• Viewing Your Search Results
• Checking Out Media Objects
• Checking Out Files
• Adding Media Objects to Catalogs
• Removing Objects from Catalogs
• Deleting Media Objects from MediaManager
Viewing Your Search Results
All media objects returned by operations in Saved Searches, Projects,
and Catalogs modes are displayed in the results frame.
54
View selector
View relatives
Status bar
Click to select
all objects.
The results frame is a flexible, interactive results viewer — it does not
present a static view of your search results. The results frame offers
three display views for your results, provides access to detailed
information and head frames for selected objects, and allows you to
perform searches for objects related to those displayed (media
relatives and other objects from the same source tape).
The results frame also allows you to use or manage media objects
displayed there by dragging them to appropriate locations. In this
manner, you can:
• Check out media objects from MediaManager (see “Checking Out
Media Objects” on page 64).
• Add media objects to catalogs (see “Adding Media Objects to
Catalogs” on page 66).
55
Display Views
• Mark media objects for deletion (see “Deleting Media Objects
from MediaManager” on page 69).
The results frame provides three views. You can preselect the view in
which to display the results of a simple or extended search, and then
you can switch among them by using the view selector once search or
browse results are displayed.
View Information Displayed
[S]toryboard Head frame, object name, object type, creation date,
duration, video, and tape name
[F]rame Head frame and object name
[T]ext Object name, object type (represented by an icon), creation
date, duration, video, tape name
56
Media Status
(Frame view)
Each media object in both Text, Storyboard, and Frame view has an
associated Media Status icon. The color of the icon indicates the status
of the media.
Media Status icon (Text view)Media Status icon
Media Status Icon Color Indicates
Green Media is online.
Red Media is offline.
Yellow Media was dragged in
from another
MediaManager and
might require a transfer
of media.
Blue Some of the related
media files are offline.
57
Sorting Media Objects in the Results Frame
Once the media objects you want are displayed in the results frame,
you can sort the objects. For example, you can list the media objects by
creation date starting with the most current or click the creation date
heading and view them from the earliest date.
To sort media objects displayed in the results frame according to a
specific attribute:
1. Switch to Text view.
2. Click the appropriate column heading.
The results are re-sorted in ascending order.
3. Click the heading again to sort the results in descending order.
Selecting Media Objects
To select media objects in Text view:
t Click the checkbox in the Text List icon.
• (Windows) Ctrl+click to select multiple objects.
• (Macintosh) Shift+click to select multiple objects.
To select media objects in Storyboard or Frame view:
t Click the head frame to select an object.
• (Windows) Ctrl+click to select multiple objects.
• (Macintosh) Shift+click to select multiple objects.
To select all media objects:
t Click Select All in the status bar.
58
Viewing Head Frames
If associated media was online when a media object was checked in to
MediaManager, that object’s record will include a head frame stored in
low-resolution JPEG format. Storyboard and Frame view entries
include small inline head-frame images where available.
To view a larger head-frame image for a media object:
t Click the Image icon.
The head-frame image appears in the Head Frame Viewer in the
control frame.
Obtaining Media Size Information
To obtain the media size information for a media file:
t In the results frame, click the frame of the file for which you want
to obtain size information.
The status bar at the bottom of the results frame displays the
media size of the selected file.
59
Media size status display
To obtain the media size information for multiple media files:
• (Windows) In the results frame, Ctrl+click the frame of the files for
which you want to obtain size information.
• (Macintosh) In the results frame, Shift+click the frame of the files
for which you want to obtain size information.
The status bar at the bottom of the results frame displays the total
media size of the selected files.
n
The total media size is a rounded-off estimate and should be used as such.
60
Obtaining Detailed Object Information
To obtain detailed information about a media object:
t Click its Information icon.
The Clip Information dialog box appears.
Click to expand.
The Clip Information dialog box shows:
• The head frame and all the attributes that can be seen in all results
frame views
• Associated comments (that you can also edit)
• Expandable view areas that contain:
- System attributes (from the check-in bin)
- User attributes (from the check-in bin)
- Project and bin information
- Any associated catalogs
61
(Option) To add comments:
t Type them in the Comments text box, and click Update. (Update
will save the comments and close the dialog box.)
When you have finished, click Close to close the dialog box.
Viewing Media Relatives
It is often useful to find a media object’s media relatives (that is, clips
that are referenced by a sequence or sequences that reference a clip).
The View Relatives function allows you to find relatives for a single
object or multiple selected media objects.
To view the media relatives of a single media object:
t Select the sequence or clip, and click its View Relatives icon.
To view the media relatives for multiple objects:
t (Windows) Ctrl+click the files, and click the View Relatives icon in
the Status bar.
t (Macintosh) In the results frame, Shift+click the files, and click the
View Relatives icon in the status bar.
The results are returned in a tree-style collapsible view like the
following Text view example.
62
To close an object’s relative view:
t Click the Minus (
view.
To open an object’s relative view:
t Click the Plus (+) icon beside an object name to open its relatives
view.
To open or close the entire relatives tree:
t Click the Plus or Minus icon (as appropriate) in the status bar to
open or close the entire relatives tree.
To return to the previous search results:
t Click the browser Back button in the toolbar, or rerun the search or
browse operation that returned them.
-) icon beside an object name to close its relatives
Finding Other Clips from the Same Source Tape
Tape name link
To view all other clips from the same source tape as a particular
media object:
t Click the Tape Name link in its Storyboard or Text view.
MediaManager finds and displays all checked-in clips recorded or
digitized from the specified source tape.
63
To return to the previous search results:
t Click the browser Back button in the toolbar, or rerun the search or
browse operation that returned them.
Checking Out Media Objects
To check out objects from MediaManager:
1. In the Settings scroll list of the Avid system Project window, select
the appropriate OMM setting (see “Configuring Avid Systems to
Work with MediaManager” on page 17).
2. Open the Avid system bin in which you want to store the media
objects that you want to check out.
3. If you have not already done so, open MediaManager.
4. Perform a search or browse operation that returns the object or
objects that you want to check out.
5. In the results frame, click the objects you want to check out and
drag them to the Avid system bin.
n
To select multiple clips:
• (Windows) Ctrl+click or click Select All.
• (Macintosh) Shift+click or click Select All; then click the Avid
Portal and drag the mouse to the Avid bin.
The imported objects appear in the bin.
If you have checked out a sequence that contains a title, load the sequence in
the monitor and select Re-create Title Media from the Clip menu. This is
necessary because titles cannot be checked in to and then checked out of
MediaManager.
64
n
If you have checked out a sequence that contains alpha mattes, load the
sequence in the monitor and perform a batch import. This is necessary
because alpha mattes cannot be checked in to and then checked out of
MediaManager.
For information on transferring files from one workgroup to another
workgroup, see the Avid Unity TransferManager User’s Guide.
Checking Out Files
MediaManager allows you to check in non-Avid media files such as
JPEG, PICT, or TIFF using the Desktop Check-In procedure. In order to
check out files of this type, use one of the following procedures.
(Windows) To check out a file:
1. Open your MediaManager browser, and search for the file you
want to check out.
2. Right-click the name of the file.
3. Choose Save Target As.
The Save As dialog box appears.
4. In the File name text box, a hexadecimal name with the correct
extension (for example, .tif or .jpg) appears. Rename the file,
keeping the extension.
5. In the Save In menu, choose a location on your system to place the
file.
6. Click Save.
(Macintosh) To check out a file:
1. Open your MediaManager browser, and search for the file you
want to check out.
2. Click and hold the name of the file.
65
3. From the shortcut menu that appears, choose Save Link As.
The Save As dialog box appears.
4. In the File name text box, a hexadecimal name with the correct
extension (for example, .tif or .jpg) appears. Rename the file,
keeping the extension.
5. In the Save In menu, choose a location on your system to place the
file.
6. Click Save.
Adding Media Objects to Catalogs
Adding related objects to a catalog provides users from any MediaNet
client system with easy access to those objects without the need to
transfer bin information from one Avid system to another.
To add media objects to a catalog:
1. Perform a search or browse operation that returns the objects that
you want to add to a catalog.
2. If necessary, select Catalogs mode to open the Catalogs browser in
the control frame.
3. Do one of the following:
• (Windows) Click the objects, and drag them from the results
frame into the appropriate catalog.
• (Macintosh) Click the objects, and then click the Avid Portal
and drag the mouse anywhere in the Netscape page. A dialog
box appears. Choose the appropriate catalog.
The objects are added to the catalog.
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Removing Objects from Catalogs
You can remove an object from any catalog.
To remove objects from a catalog:
1. Browse the appropriate catalog so that its contents are returned in
the results frame.
2. Find an object in the results frame that you want to remove, and
click its Trash icon.
To remove multiple objects:
• (Windows) Ctrl+click or click Select All, and then click any
selected object’s Trash icon.
• (Macintosh) Shift+click or click Select All, and then click any
selected object’s Trash icon.
The objects are removed from the catalog.
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Removing Objects from the WasteBasket
You can remove an object from the special WasteBasket catalog that is
used for objects marked for deletion. This might be helpful if you
inadvertantly move an object to the WasteBasket that you no longer
want to mark for deletion.
To remove objects from the WasteBasket:
1. Double-click WasteBasket in Catalogs mode so that its contents are
returned in the results frame.
2. Find an object in the results frame that you want to remove, and
click its Trash icon.
The item is removed from the WasteBasket and is no longer
marked for deletion.
To remove multiple objects:
• (Windows) Ctrl+click or click Select All, and then click any
selected object’s Trash icon.
• (Macintosh) Shift+click or click Select All, and then click any
selected object’s Trash icon.
The items are removed from the WasteBasket and are no longer
marked for deletion.
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Deleting Media Objects from MediaManager
Unless you have administrator privileges, you cannot actually delete
objects from MediaManager. Instead, you can mark objects for
deletion so that they can be purged subsequently by the site
administrator.
To mark media objects for deletion from MediaManager (marking
both the media files and the metadata for deletion):
1. Perform a search or browse operation that returns the object or
objects that you want to mark for deletion from MediaManager.
2. Select Catalogs mode to open the Catalogs browser in the control
frame.
3. Click the object, and drag it from the results frame into the
WasteBasket.
To select multiple clips:
• (Windows) Ctrl+click or click Select All.
• (Macintosh) Shift+click or click Select All.
To mark media objects for deletion from MediaManager (marking
just the media files for deletion):
1. Perform a search or browse operation that returns the object or
objects that you want to mark for deletion from MediaManager.
2. Select Catalogs mode to open the Catalogs browser in the control
frame.
3. Do one of the following:
• (Windows) Click to select the object, and then press and hold
Ctrl while dragging it from the results frame into the
WasteBasket. The media file is marked for deletion, and the
metadata will remain. The clip status is displayed as offline
(red) once the administrator purges the media.
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• (Macintosh) Click to select the object, and drag it to the
WasteBasket. A dialog box appears. If you want the media file
marked for deletion and the metadata to remain, click the
“Delete media file” check box.
The objects are added to the WasteBasket. They are not deleted until
purged by the site administrator.
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APPENDIX A
Administration Mode
You use Administration mode to edit your user profile if you want to
change your password, real name, or description.
n
If you have administrator privileges, Administration mode also allows you to
create and edit other user profiles and provides access to other administrative
functions. To find out more about these functions, see the Avid Unity
MediaManager Administrator’s Guide.
Editing Your User Profile
To edit your user profile:
1. Select Administration mode by using the mode selector.
2. Click the Notepad icon that appears beside your user name in the
Users list that appears in the control frame.
The Edit User dialog box appears.
71
3. Edit the Password (typing the new value identically in both the
Password and Retype Password text boxes), Real Name, and
Description values as required.
4. Click Save.
Your user profile is updated.
72
List of Terms
attribute name
Avid Portal
Avid Unity
MediaNet
browser
data
database services
Information in each record is recorded as a predetermined set of
attributes. Each attribute describes a feature of the object: for example,
its name, creation date, or tape ID.
The Avid Portal is the destination for drag-and-drop check-in of media
objects from Avid systems. It is always located at the top right of the
MediaManager user interface, regardless of the selected mode.
Avid Unity MediaNet allows you to connect the latest in shared
storage environments to your MediaNet clients. The shared storage
lets you set up a collaborative user environment where several editors
can work on a project at the same time using the same media files and
audio files.
A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at
and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.
The information about media objects physically stored on drives
(optionally mirrored for data security).
The software applications that drive the database functions.
effect
The manipulation of an audio or video signal. Types of film or video
effects include special effects (F/X) like morphing; simple effects like
73
dissolves, fades, superimpositions, and wipes; complex effects like
keys and DVEs; motion effects like freeze frame and slow motion; and
title and character generation. Effects usually have to be rendered
because most systems cannot accommodate multiple video streams in
real time.
See also rendering.
Fibre Channel
JPEG format
master clip
MediaNet server
Fibre Channel is a technology for transmitting data between computer
devices at a data rate of up to 1 Gbps (one billion bits per second).
Fibre Channel is especially suited for connecting computer servers to
shared storage devices and for interconnecting storage controllers and
drives.
A JPEG is a graphic image created by choosing from a range of
compression qualities (actually, from one of a suite of compression
algorithms). When you create a JPEG or convert an image from
another format to a JPEG, you are asked to specify the quality of image
you want. Since the highest quality results in the largest file, you can
make a trade-off between image quality and file size.
The media object that refers to the media files recorded or digitized
from tape or other sources.
The MediaNet server controls user access to the shared storage
subsystem by logging in users through controlled user accounts with
passwords. It also controls which workspaces a user can mount on the
MediaNet client desktop and whether the user has read or write access
to the files on the workspace. This allows a system administrator to
control a user’s privileges and to manage the shared environment,
preventing overwriting or damage to shared media files and audio
files.
metadata
Data about data; for example, the clips associated with media files.
74
mirroring
Duplication of the data on multiple drives in a redundant
configuration. In a mirrored configuration, if one data drive fails, the
mirror drive is automatically used instead.
motion effect
Open Media
Management (OMM)
records
rendering
resync
sequence
An effect that speeds up or slows down the presentation of media in a
track.
Open Media Management (OMM) is an Avid initiative to create a
standard programming interface for integrating asset management
systems with Avid editing systems.
For every media object, the database stores an associated record that
contains specific information about the object.
Merging effect layers to create one stream of digital video for playback
in real time.
The resync process ensures that all the media on Avid Unity has been
checked in to MediaManager. When media files are copied into a
shared storage environment manually, resync is necessary to make the
compositional metadata (the clips associated with media files) appear
in MediaManager.
An edited composition that often includes audio and video clips and
rendered effects connected by applied transitions.
SQL Server
subclip
Structured Query Language (SQL) is a standard interactive and
programming language for getting information from and updating a
database. Although SQL is both an ANSI and an ISO standard, many
database products support SQL with proprietary extensions to the
standard language. Queries take the form of a command language that
lets you select, insert, update, and find out the location of data.
1. An edited part of a clip. In a sequence, a subclip can be bound by
any variation of clip beginnings, endings, and IN or OUT points.
75
2. A subclip created by marking IN and OUT points in a clip and by
saving the frames between the marks. The subclip does not
contain pointers to media files. The subclip references the master
clip, which alone contains pointers to the media files.
TCP/IP network
connection
TransferManager
Uniform Resource
Locator (URL)
workspaces
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is the basic
communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be
used as a communications protocol in the private networks called
intranets and in extranets. When you are set up with direct access to
the Internet, your computer is provided with a copy of the TCP/IP
program just as every other computer that you might send messages
to or get information from also has a copy of TCP/IP.
The TransferManager system manages the transfer of media to and
from workgroups.
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the address of a file (resource)
accessible on the Internet.
MediaManager clients mount MediaNet workspaces on their
workstations (requiring a user account to do so). Once mounted,
workspaces behave like local media drives that can be accessed by
others working on the same project. When the workspaces are
properly configured, several users can access the same media and start
using it immediately after it has been created.
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Index
A B C D E F H I L M N O P R S T V W
A
Accessing
MediaManager
Administration mode 71
Attributes
definition of
specifying 41
Autocatalog 15
Avid Portal
described
Avid Unity Media Net file server 14
19
38
25
B
Bins
browsing
50
C
Catalog Date attribute 43
Catalogs
browsing
creating new 52
deleting 53
editing the name or description of 52
51
explanation of 51
placing media objects into 66
removing objects from 67, 68
viewing contents 52
Check in
files from Avid system (Windows)
files from desktop 35
files manually from Avid system 33
media to MediaManager 32
Chunking
enabling
Clip information
viewing
Comments attribute 43
Control frame
described
Creating
new catalogs
33
61
28
52
D
Deleting
catalogs
media objects 69
saved searches 50
Desktop
check in files from
53
35
32
77
Display views
described 56
Drag-and-drop method
for exporting files with OMM
to MediaManager from Avid system
(Windows)
with Avid Portal 25
Duration attribute 43
32
E
Editing
saved searches
Ethernet network 14
Exporting clips with OMM
drag-and-drop method for
menu-command method for 33
Extended searches
performing
saving 47
49
32
45
F
Fibre Channel network 14
Finding
media objects
15
H
Head Frame Viewer 28
Head Frames
viewing
59
I
Importing
from MediaManager to Avid bin
32
64
Inbox 27
IN-OUT attribute 43
Internet Explorer
configuring
opening MediaManager in 22
19
L
Logging out
of MediaManager
Login
setup
17
to MediaManager 23
30
M
Managing saved searches 48
Media objects
adding to MediaManager
checking out 64
deleting 69
finding 15
obtaining information 61
placing into catalogs 66
sorting 58
Media relatives
viewing
Media size
obtaining
Media status 57
Media types
supported
MediaManager database
attributes
catalogs 51
records 38
Menu-command method
for exporting clips with OMM
62
59
15
38
15
33
78
Mode selector
described 26
Modification Date attribute 43
N
Removing
objects from catalogs
objects from the WasteBasket 68
Results frame
described
29, 55
67
Name attribute 43
Netscape
opening MediaManager in
Network
Fibre Channel
14
22
O
Offline media 57
OMM (Open Media Management)
creating settings for
described 13
specifying settings 17
Opening
MediaManager
17
19, 22
P
Performing
extended search
simple search 39
Project attribute 43
Projects
browsing
45
50
R
S
Saving
extended searches
simple searches 40
Scene attribute 44
Searches
deleting saved
editing saved 49
extended 41
managing saved 48
performing extended 45
performing simple 38
refining 47
saving 40
simple 38
viewing saved 49
Searching
for media objects
Security settings
for MediaManager
Sending media in segments 33
Settings
for configuring Avid systems
OMM 17
Shoot date attribute 44
Simple search 38
Source tape
viewing clips from same
47
50
37
21
63
17
Records 38
Referenced attribute 44
79
T
Take attribute 44
Tape ID attribute 44
Text attribute 44
Tracks attribute 44
Type attribute 44
V
Viewing
clip information
clips from same source tape 63
head frames 59
media objects in bins 51
media relatives 62
projects and bins 50
saved searches 49
search results 54
61
W
WasteBasket
removing objects
Workgroup environment
with MediaManager
68
14
80
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