Creating .aaf files with CreateAAF.exe

[falitronic]

Hello,
We are trying to automate the creation of files from a workflow with FFAStrans and its CrateAAF tool. These .aaf files would be imported by the Avid NewsCutter program and checked on an Avid Interplay system (a bit outdated), although the idea is to use avid APIs to automate this process. The .aaf file created with the CreateAAF tool can be imported perfectly, and the media can be used without problems. The problem we have is that the filename in the NewsCutter bin is the full path of the atom files. for example:
- name of the atom files: test01 vl.mxf, test01_al.mxf, test01_a2.mxf
- name of the created aaf file: test01.aaf
- name of the file in the NewCutter bin: c:/folder_atom / test_01

Our question is if it is possible that the name which appears in the NewsCutter bin (and later in Avid Interplay) is the name of the file, without the path (in the example it would be "test02").

Thank you for your attention and congratulations for this great software that facilitates our daily work.

[falitronic]

Sorry,
where it says "test02" it meant "test01".

Regards

[emcodem]

Hey @falitronic welcome to the forum and thank you for using ffastrans
I had a quick look but it seems to require some engineering which i always struggle a little bit with because my surrounding at work does not use avid at all.
However, the following questions came up for me:
Do we know if "what editors see" is the reel-name or the tape-name or else?
Is it possible that they see whatever is in the source opatom mxf?

It would be very helpful if you have a short example file set aaf plus corresponding opatom files (1 second is enough) and you tell me what your editors see exactly. This would enable me to locate the spot that needs to be changed for you.

[momocampo]

Hello guys,
I could help you soon, I will be back at work (and with several Avid workstations) next Monday.
Meanwhile, please @Falitronic, give us a screen capture of your editor's bin,it will be helpful for us and of course, what @Encodem asked to you
Thanks
B.

[falitronic]

Hello, first of all thank you very much for your quick response.
I give you a sample of the files that we are using and the workflow that we intend implement:

1- We create the mxf atom files from a mxf op1a file with the "bmxtranswrap" tool in this way:
bmxtranswrap.exe -t avid -o C: \ transcoders \ mxf_atom \ test01 c: \ transcoders \ mxf_op1a \ test01.mxf
2- Next we create the .aaf file:
createaaf.exe --odir c: / transcoders / AAF / --oname test01.aaf C: \ transcoders \ mxf_atom \ test01_v1.mxf C: \ transcoders \ mxf_atom \ test01_a1.mxf C: \ transcoders \ mxf_atom \ test01_a2.mxf
3- We import the .aaf file with NewsCutter

Our problem is that the full path of the atom files appears in the "Name" field (c:\ transcoders \ atom \ test01) but we would be interested in only the file name (test01). I really don't know if this is possible or we are doing something wrong. We attach a screenshot.


We are at your disposal for anything else, and thank you very much for your interest.

Regards

[emcodem]

Hey @falitronic

as i cannot test it, please try if using --project and --tape in your bmxtranswrap commandline changes anything.

Code: Select all

bmxtranswrap.exe -t avid --project PROJECTNAME --tape TAPENAME -o C:\transcoders\mxf_atom\test01 c:\transcoders\mxf_op1a\test01.mxf

looking at the bmx options, you could also try
--comment
--desc

[falitronic]

Hi, I have tried those options, but the result is the same.
I'll keep exploring the bmx options anyway.

Thanks and best regards.

[emcodem]

Understood, thanks for the test.
In that case i might need to add the informations in the aaf file, i'll check if i find out how to do that...

[Ghtais]

Hi all

You should add --CLIP NAMEOFYOURCLIP to your BMX code. This option add the name of the clip in the MXF metadata. By this way you should have the correct name in AVID.
Let us know if it works.

[falitronic]

Hello everyone, first of all sorry for the delay in answering.

We have tested what Ghtais suggested and it actually works perfectly. The clips appear in the NewsCutter bin with the desired name and it is checked in our Avid Interplay system (quite obsolete, by the way) correctly, being accessible to any user of the system.

The problem we have is that when we try to check the same clip using Avid APIS the Interplay Access tool (Avid Interplay Database Manager ) does not recognize that it has associated media files, however it is possible to use it without problems, at least in the tests we’ve done. Comparing with other well-checked clips we see that the field "Workspace" (volume where the atom files are) and the Codec field are missing. These fields do appear when the same file . aaf is checked from NewsCutter.

The query is whether there is a parameter in bmxtranswrap (tool we use to create the atom files, or using another tool) that enters that metadata into the files. mxf, or if it is possible to add it through the .aaf. We have tried some options but the result is the same. (maybe we do something wrong ?)
It really is the only thing missing to achieve a total integration of a FFAStrans flow with Avid Interplay.

Thanks everyone for your help.

a greeting