Collect Show Files - question

[debngar Profile Private message]

2214 - that's the number of hits I got when I tried to do a search in the forum using the words "collect show files"!

I started going down the list of subjects/posts, went through about 3-4 pages and decided that for some reason, I wasn't going to find this very easily like I thought. There were 148 pages listed. I don't know why so many came up but anyways...

I need to free up space on my hard drive and have never used this feature yet in ProShow. Yea yea, I know. It's about time. I've been chicken I might lose files along the way and not be able to recreate a show or something.

So I tried the process, put a CD in the drive, opened a show, hit collect show files, the program copied things onto the CD and finished.

Looks good, but....

Only the .psh file is there along with folders for audio (ok, good), and images (also good) and video (empty because there was no video in this show.)

Sooooo, where's the .mnu file and my .iso file - not on the CD, but still on my PC. It didn't copy them. No px file either though I don't think that's such a big deal.

I don't want to delete these files off my PC yet until I can get them ALL onto the CD.

Also wondering if there is an option to put another folder of images on this before it totally closes the disk. I was thinking it would be good to put a folder of the non-photoshopped original images on there too if there was room.

Help!

Debbie

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

Well, not exactly the answer you want, but my answer to getting
more disk space is a bigger disk !! You can safely clean off the
.pxc (NOT .psh) files as well as intermediat avi files if you create
them. I don't use the "collect" function -- I have found what works
better for me is sub directories under one for the show for sound, pix
etc. When I get done, if I want to archive it, the show folder and
all subfolders are easy since they are together. Yes, I know it
results in duplicates of some pictures etc (I have a different structure
for the master of all pictures - just copy the ones I need to the show
folders). I have yet to get bitten with that process

I think the reason you got so many hits was that by default it
looked for ANY of the words you specified -- try the following
collect AND show AND files -- see what that brings up.

mikey

[alcain Profile Private messageWebsite]

Debbie, my older pc (the one with XP on it that I miss), was a bit unstable at times. So, whenever I create a show, I have a directory under Documents/PSP/ name of show. I save all show files there and (manually) add any music and image files to that directory. When I burn the show, I also put an exe version there, the iso version there and all menu files there. I backup to DVD often enough and I am secure in knowing that my DVD backup contains every single thing I need. Also, should I have to restore a show (I delete my wedding shows after backing up (twice) to DVD), I restore it to Al/Documents/PSP/ name of show and the show runs perfect from within Producer. Hope I havent rambled on too long again. Blessings, ~al

p.s. Oh by the way to all of you newbies... I do have two eyes and debbie does have both ears - but Mikey does indeed have two brains!

pps Debbie, there is a way (too complicated for now) (but I use it) to include any files you want on a DVD show disc, including an iso if the show...

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

I often include an additional folder (usually called \EXTRAS )
on the dvd that includes such things as the original pictures
etc. I am making a number of short DVD's for the parents
of some of the kids on the swim team and add a folder with
all the raw camera pictures in it so they have the originals
to do with as they please.

mikey

[debngar Profile Private message]

So let me see if I understand you two correctly - you both are trying to tell me that you don't USE the Collect Show Files feature in the program?

When I start a new show, I create a new show folder. Down the line I make sure the iso, mnu and psh are saved there, etc. BUT I have not necessarily put all photos used in those shows in that show folder.

The way I understood it is that by using the "collect show files", it will find all the files used for a show that are on my computer wherever they are and put them all in one place, be it in another folder on my PC if I want or on CD/DVD.

The process did NOT copy the .iso or the .mnu file to go along with all the other stuff on the CD/DVD I'm using to archive my show.

I would like to find someone that uses the collect show files feature and tell me why this did not work or if I'm doing something wrong.

I have too many shows to try and pick through my hard drive and find the miscellaneous images that go with each show. Some are spread out in different places. Not all my shows are like that of course, but there are a few. Probably some of my older ones maybe. So this is why I'd rather use the "collect show files" feature. Isn't that what it's for?

It should be easier than this....

If the "collect show files" feature purposefully does NOT copy those files, why not?

[debngar Profile Private message]

Mikey,

I did the search within "quotes" which I thought would get me specifically what I wanted (all the words) not separate instances of them. It usually works for me ok when I Google something but guess it didn't work that way in this instance.

[debngar Profile Private message]

I often include an additional folder (usually called \EXTRAS )
on the dvd that includes such things as the original pictures
etc. I am making a number of short DVD's for the parents
of some of the kids on the swim team and add a folder with
all the raw camera pictures in it so they have the originals
to do with as they please.

Are you confusing making a DVD for the recipient with what I was trying to do? This is not the same thing.

I have had trouble getting the images on the show DVD I give recipient and so often just copy those to a separate CD to hand to them.

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

I'm not saying don't use ... I'm saying I don't use it (do it that way)
and based on the number of grumbles and confusion about it, I
see no need to change my method since I haven't managed to get
it confused yet

As far as the search goes, I have had mixed results and the
quotes didn't seem to work here, so I was using more a SQL
type syntax which usually seems to work for me (except on
tuesdays or if the sun is out ... )

mikey

[hardsoftware Profile Private message]

p.s. Oh by the way to all of you newbies... I do have two eyes and debbie does have both ears - but Mikey does indeed have two brains!

And I've got two heads and NO brains


Anyway, Good information ..thanks

Ben

[debngar Profile Private message]

Ok, I think I've figured it out. The collect show files feature definitely does NOT include the .mnu or .iso files. I'm going to put that request in an email to Photodex.

I established a new show folder, did a "collect show files" to that area and then manually copied the .mnu and .iso files to that folder as well.

I checked to make sure the show still worked in case there was a missing file link messed up or something. Everything went smooth.

Then I copied the new folder and content to the blank CD - checked to see if all was there and then deleted the files out of both old and new show folders.

Sheesh I think I just gained 1Gb back just from that one show.

Thanks guys for your input. I appreciate it very much.

Debbie

[briancbb Profile Private message]

Debbie

I think 'Collect show files' does just what it says on the box, collects the show files. It collects just what is needed to regenerate the show ... and that is all.

I use it, if I have to, to move a shows contents to another location, I then manually move anything extra that may be required. It will only move the photos you have included in the show, not the directory they may be in which may have extra photos you may need later for a 'show revision'.

Does a lot of the work, but not all of it. (just like a wife, (or husband))

Brian

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

The only thing that is worse than not working at all is something that
does 95% ---- and then lets you figure out which 5% is still missing.
Either give me a snapshot of everything needed for the show or
DON'T "hep" me !!!

mikey

[debngar Profile Private message]

Brian,

I can certainly understand why it wouldn't put in any other images if they weren't in the show. How would it know?

After thinking about it, I guess the collect file function couldn't possibly know to put the .mnu file and .iso file into the folder for the same reason. It probably keys off of the content of the .psh file and that wouldn't have that particular information in it to tell the computer what to include. So I guess I can understand why I have to move those files myself.

I recovered at least 4 Gb last night removing 3 shows!

It's going to be slow going I'm afraid though. I have 90+ shows to archive. Half were done in Gold and the most recent half done in Producer. LOL

But all of them are not long ones - some are short tutorials and samples. I'm thinking of combing my tutorials on one CD. That would save on CDs for teeny tiny shows.

It will be a relief to get the space back - I want to start shooting in RAW/Jpg mode, learn to use CS2, Lightroom and really need that space on my HD to do that.

[nannybear Profile Private messageWebsite]

Deb, Simple solution but maybe not what you want. When I want to get hard drive back ( I have an external one for files) I just burn it to a couple of DVD's. then I know I have it all and can go get off the DVD as I need it. Saves having to do all those shows individually right now. Make sense. Hope I haven't confused things. Oh and the pics on the DVD with the show, there is an option when you burn to include show content. cheers Jan

[debngar Profile Private message]

Hi Jan,

I'm familiar with the "include show content" option when rendering a show. I tried that a long time ago and found it problematic so I haven't bothered to take advantage of that option since. That was probably over a year ago and I was still using Gold 2.6. So I suppose I should try that again.

I think for archiving purposes, I'll choose to use the "collect show files" process rather than just keeping a DVD that has the ISO burned to it with show content. That way, if I decide I want to go back and re-work a show or something, I could do that with little headache. It seems to work ok that way to get the images on the CD or DVD that way for storage purposes. If I only burned the ISO with the images on disk, then I'd have to recreate the show all over again if I had to make changes all the while trying to remember where I had all the images I used in the show and in what order, etc. Most of the time they are in only one folder but some other miscellaneous things I use in a show are in other folders not associated with that show.

This happened to one of the shows I archived last night. After collecting files and copying to CD, I discovered a mistake on the show menu caption. DUH how could I have missed that all this time since last March? It had the wrong year on it all this time.

So I fixed the show menu, re-rendered the ISO file, re-collected all the files and burned it to another CD for storing. I couldn't have done that had I dumped the .psh file, etc. If you don't collect all the files with the show, it will have missing links to the images, that I know of, and I'd rather avoid that mess if possible.

Hope I that makes sense.