[solved] Audio files "Not Found"

[D.T. Nethery]

Usually I have my students export their animation to Quicktime and they upload their QT movies for me to view.

Occasionally I have them upload their .tvpp files for me to look at to check any issues regarding how they have their layers set up , etc.

When I open the student's .tvpp files I get a message: "Audio File Not Found" .

Where does the audio file (.wav file) live when it is loaded into TVPaint ? Obviously it's not part of the saved .tvpp file, but is being referenced on the user's own computer, but when the .tvpp file is sent to someone else the audio file does not automatically travel along with the .tvpp file.

How can this problem be solved ? Why is audio not automatically saved within the .tvpp file so that the audio is not a referenced file ? (I am talking about TVPaint 9.5 which is what my students have been using since TVP 10 only recently was released and not all of them will have upgraded. If this problem is fixed in TVP 10 that's great , but I still have a lot of students who will be using TVP 9.5 for the foreseeable future since they can not all afford the upgrade price to v. 10 )

[slowtiger]

I'd expect this as normal behaviour in all my animation, video edit, and music programs.

[D.T. Nethery]

I'd expect this as normal behaviour in all my animation, video edit, and music programs.

Really ? I would not expect that . Then how would I ever share a production scene done in TVPaint with another crew member working remotely ? Let's say I animate a scene in TVPaint with lip-sync, so it has an audio file in my original .tvpp file, but I send that .tvpp file to another artist via YouSendIt.com or Dropbox.com so they can do additional work on the scene, then they open it on their end and there is no audio because the audio was a referenced file , then they will have to re-import the audio file ? (which I would have to send as a separate .wav or .mp3 file) That's not very practical , especially if I've slid the start point of the audio or have split audio tracks in my original .tvpp file.

[slowtiger]

This method of "referring" to files (it's also the same in all layout programs) works quite nicely in any pipeline which uses a central file server for all to have access to. It was invented at a time where no animator had such a nice workstation at home as we do now, and when any attempt to send files around was prohibitively expensive. It also allows for much smaller project files.

Of course you're right that we maybe need something new now. Some programs offer to create a project folder in which they copy all dependent files and settings (Logic). Others assume that project files will only be used in more or less identical surroundings on different machines, and include ways to update all paths to files. Still others use in-build file server abilities and silently duplicate files among all participants so there's the same file structure on each computer. And then there's the "cloud", or better, a new name for renting web server space to which you and every other member of your team may have access to from any device.

Personally I like the "project folder" attempt best.

[Animark]

Hi,

for me it is also "normal" to work with referenced files and in case of giving a project away I would give all parts someone needs to work with. But I never did with TVPaint, so I made a test with TVP 10:

1. made a project with 10 clips
2. loaded a soundtrack in project timeline view (I think a master track)
3. splittet the soundtrack to the clips
4. saved and closed the project
5. moved the soundfile on my hd to another location
6. opend the project again
7. the error message "missing soundfile" appeared but gives the possibility to take a new soundfile
8. choosen the soundfile at its new location
9. repeat steps 7. and 8. nine times
10. the project was completely rebuild

So, I would say it works, but it is a little bit strange to choose the same soundfile again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

[slowtiger]

it is a little bit strange to choose the same soundfile again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

The programs I use usually ask for the first file they can't find, then find the remaining files automatically as long as their relative position to each other hasn't changed.

Advanced programs even offer an overview of all linked files, and the option to update changed files or replace one linked file with another.

[idragosani]

Using references like this is pretty standard in audio and video software... the project file is always just an XML list of edits and playlists and timelines. TVP is slightly different in that it bundles all of the video frames internally but still keeps the audio separate. Many apps, however, provide some kind of facility to "bundle" a project and all file dependencies for sharing, backup or interchange with other applications, and that would definitely be a useful feature for TVP

[D.T. Nethery]

Thanks everyone for helping me understand this better. I guess I didn't realize this was standard behavior , so I suppose I should have put this into "Feature Requests" .

[Fabrice]

There is a room for some improvements here. Feel free to add anything in the feature request section.