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jtval

iHate MAC. Help!!

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I know. Lets get the I told you so's out of the way so I may get some worth out of this machine!:D:S:P

Can anyone help me with the following issues?

BACKING UP MANUALLY--I.E. adding new media to my back up drive.
You can NOT merge folders. I have 50,000 photos on my back up drive. I wanted to add my Photos from my laptop computer to my Back up HDD but I couldn't MERGE. I could only REPLACE So I had to add each new folder manually!!! Is there a real way to merge folders?

Importing video for edit. I can ONLY USE iMovie to import.
For some reason Premeire has an "unknown recorder error" iMovie has its OWN way of importing and naming clips. On a MAC you can NOT rename 50 clips as a batch. I.E. MT Zion 2008 has about 38 clips I would have to go and rename individually. Am I missing something?

I have 14 hours of tape to import.(to start with)
If I wanted to import a whole tape as one event I would not be able to to it with iMovie. I would have to make a movie then export it just to get it the way I want; in one clip. What am I doing wrong?

Then, I would have to import it into a REAL editing program just to edit it.

Photo sortingI.E REAL FILE sorting not a just sifting through thumbnails.
I have 50,000 photos on my laptop HDD. There is no way on this "amazing piece of machinery" to view the photo and delete it from my harddrive without opening each photo individually!

iMovie, iTunes, iPhotos, iHateMac!!!
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Can I skip an I told you so to bemoan the Mac cult and the mindless slaves who follow it? Having significant previous experience with Apple computer products, it just doesn't give you the ability to easily manipulate the OS, hardware or anything else for that matter.

The best thing I ever did to the Mac I was running (had to run it to test software), was to make it a dual boot machine with a linux distro on it.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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I know. Lets get the I told you so's out of the way so I may get some worth out of this machine!:D:S:P

Can anyone help me with the following issues?

BACKING UP MANUALLY--I.E. adding new media to my back up drive.
You can NOT merge folders. I have 50,000 photos on my back up drive. I wanted to add my Photos from my laptop computer to my Back up HDD but I couldn't MERGE. I could only REPLACE So I had to add each new folder manually!!! Is there a real way to merge folders?

I have NO idea wtf you're talking about. Drag, drop, done.

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Importing video for edit. I can ONLY USE iMovie to import.


Let me assure you, this is not the case.

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For some reason Premeire has an "unknown recorder error" iMovie has its OWN way of importing and naming clips. On a MAC you can NOT rename 50 clips as a batch. I.E. MT Zion 2008 has about 38 clips I would have to go and rename individually. Am I missing something?

Yes, a utility found in the oddly named utilities folder inside your applications folder. The utility is called "Automator."

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I have 14 hours of tape to import.(to start with)
If I wanted to import a whole tape as one event I would not be able to to it with iMovie. I would have to make a movie then export it just to get it the way I want; in one clip. What am I doing wrong?

Then, I would have to import it into a REAL editing program just to edit it.


Where'd you ever get the idea Premier is a "REAL" editing program?

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Photo sortingI.E REAL FILE sorting not a just sifting through thumbnails.
I have 50,000 photos on my laptop HDD. There is no way on this "amazing piece of machinery" to view the photo and delete it from my harddrive without opening each photo individually!



Yes, it's available right in the Finder and that's not just limited to photos, but also music and video files as well. No special program required. However, it does require you to view them in the proper mode.

See attached screen shot.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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I have NO idea wtf you're talking about. Drag, drop, done.


Not on my MAC. When I drag and drop I get a dialog box that asks if I want to replace the folder. I do not want to replace it I want to add to it.
If I knew how to take a screen shot I would show you....


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Let me assure you, this is not the case.


It is on My MAC Ive tried everything to get the camera to talk tot he interface. NOTHING works.

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Yes, a utility found in the oddly named utilities folder inside your applications folder. The utility is called "Automator."


IS there a tutorial to help me with automator? it makes ZERO sense to me. I have no Idea why I would need to go through a completely different program in order to rename a group of files. It does not seem intuitive to me in the slightest bit.

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Where'd you ever get the idea Premier is a "REAL" editing program?

Just my opinion. Its got at least 15 levels up on iMovie and any of these ridiculous MAC software that I was able to use.

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Yes, it's available right in the Finder and that's not just limited to photos, but also music and video files as well. No special program required. However, it does require you to view them in the proper mode.


Ok how did you get the file to view so large? I tried that and it will only show me a thumbnail. It won't let me expand it.(ETA:I figured that one out. By resizing the columns I can make the thumbnail larger.) Again, If I knew how to grab a screen shot I would show you.

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See attached screen shot.


Thanks for the tips but I have tried everything from googling fixes- to asking here. Still have a $2000 machine that I can not do 1/8 of the stuff I can do on a PC.[:/]
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"Merging" data between two folders.

1 - Open the source folder.
2 - Press "Command" and "A" simultaneously. (This is the universal Mac keyboard shortcut for "select all.") This will select EVERY file in the folder.
3 - Drag and drop those files on top of the target folder you want to "merge" them with. A dialogue box WILL pop up if there are any files with the same names asking you if you want to over-write the file(s). To save time, there is a checkbox on the dialogue box that will enable you to do this for ALL of the files that have the same names. USE WISELY.

Done.
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Macs are rather brilliant when it comes to interfacing with 3rd party cameras. Generally speaking, all you have to do is plug them in. That said, not EVERY camera in the world is going to be supported, but most popular ones will be. Additionally, there are at last count approximately 5,271,329 different codecs, frame rates and whatnot out there. You didn't mention what camera or interface you're trying to use, but as I said, MOST popular ones are automatically supported by not just iMovie, but iPhoto, QuickTimePro 7 . . . pretty much all the stock Apple software.

As for naming conventions, one of the beautiful things about the Mac is that names are pretty much wide open to be anything. I can't even conceive of what issue you might be having there but I deal with editor's assistants that have a WIDE range of naming conventions from plain English to elaborate codes detailing scene, take and angle. The Mac doesn't give a rat's ass if you use spaces in the names either. If you saw the attachment in my previous post the names of those .jpg files work perfectly fine and are even understandable by normal humans.

Trust me, if you ever had to deal with the cryptic names of AVID systems and its spawn of Satan "Media Tool" you'd never question file names on a Mac.

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I will freely admit "Automator" is not intuitive. The issue is it's EXTREMELY powerful in how it can manipulate data and in the wrong hands (a tech with a grudge) could easily take down (completely wipe out) the database for an entire TV network. Yes, it's THAT powerful.

That said, to modify file names is pretty flippin' easy.

Rather than detail the procedure, let me point you to;
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2488
and
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/automator/
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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"Merging" data between two folders.

1 - Open the source folder.
2 - Press "Command" and "A" simultaneously. (This is the universal Mac keyboard shortcut for "select all.") This will select EVERY file in the folder.
3 - Drag and drop those files on top of the target folder you want to "merge" them with. A dialogue box WILL pop up if there are any files with the same names asking you if you want to over-write the file(s). To save time, there is a checkbox on the dialogue box that will enable you to do this for ALL of the files that have the same names. USE WISELY.

Done.


I have done that. When I get home from work I will do it again just to double check. But I kept getting a "do you want to replace..."



Quote




----------

Macs are rather brilliant when it comes to interfacing with 3rd party cameras. Generally speaking, all you have to do is plug them in. That said, not EVERY camera in the world is going to be supported, but most popular ones will be. Additionally, there are at last count approximately 5,271,329 different codecs, frame rates and whatnot out there. You didn't mention what camera or interface you're trying to use, but as I said, MOST popular ones are automatically supported by not just iMovie, but iPhoto, QuickTimePro 7 . . . pretty much all the stock Apple software.


Sony HC3, trv19/trv22. I can import with iMovie but not with adobe...I USED to be able to import with adobe but not with iMovie. Somehow that has changed.
I have checked every switch and setting and I have no Idea what happened.





Quote


As for naming conventions, one of the beautiful things about the Mac is that names are pretty much wide open to be anything. I can't even conceive of what issue you might be having there but I deal with editor's assistants that have a WIDE range of naming conventions from plain English to elaborate codes detailing scene, take and angle. The Mac doesn't give a rat's ass if you use spaces in the names either. If you saw the attachment in my previous post the names of those .jpg files work perfectly fine and are even understandable by normal humans.

Trust me, if you ever had to deal with the cryptic names of AVID systems and its spawn of Satan "Media Tool" you'd never question file names on a Mac.



When I download clips for a project I want to be able to name them as i import. iMovie wont allow me to do that.
I can make a folder to download into but I can not name individual clips until I am done importing.Then, I have to open the folder and go to the clip to rename it.[:/]

Quote


I will freely admit "Automator" is not intuitive. The issue is it's EXTREMELY powerful in how it can manipulate data and in the wrong hands (a tech with a grudge) could easily take down (completely wipe out) the database for an entire TV network. Yes, it's THAT powerful.

That said, to modify file names is pretty flippin' easy.

Rather than detail the procedure, let me point you to;
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2488
and
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/automator/




Thanks for the help. I hope I am able to get this thing working as easily as MAC people swear by....So far, it has not be easy at all.
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"Merging" data between two folders.

1 - Open the source folder.
2 - Press "Command" and "A" simultaneously. (This is the universal Mac keyboard shortcut for "select all.") This will select EVERY file in the folder.
3 - Drag and drop those files on top of the target folder you want to "merge" them with. A dialogue box WILL pop up if there are any files with the same names asking you if you want to over-write the file(s). To save time, there is a checkbox on the dialogue box that will enable you to do this for ALL of the files that have the same names. USE WISELY.

Done.


I have done that. When I get home from work I will do it again just to double check. But I kept getting a "do you want to replace..."





JT - My guess is that you will get that message again if any of the files in the folder you are dragging from has the same file name as any files in the destination folder.

Godd luck buddy,

Murray
--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

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It's Mac, short for Macintosh.

And, if you do attempt to copy a directory to a directory holding a directory of the same name, it will attempt to overwrite; open up the directory and copy the contents to the destination directory. If you're getting prompts to replace, then you probably have files with the same name.

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It's Mac, short for Macintosh.

And, if you do attempt to copy a directory to a directory holding a directory of the same name, it will attempt to overwrite; open up the directory and copy the contents to the destination directory. If you're getting prompts to replace, then you probably have files with the same name.



Just to clarify.
I have a file named "pictures" on my laptop HDD. I also have one name"pictures" on my Back up.

To me-
If I copy the file "pictures and drop it in the back up hard Drive it should ask if I would like to (in any version of the name) Merge the files.
When It asks me if I would like to replace it. I take that as I will be replacing the complete folder. I.E. over write/deleting the previous version.


That is what replace means,right?
It doesn't ask me If I would like to replace the existing files with the same name It asks If I would like to replace the folder.
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Just to clarify.
I have a file named "pictures" on my laptop HDD. I also have one name"pictures" on my Back up.



File or FOLDER?

See attachment below for purposes of this conversation.

If I want to put the files from Folder A/People/ into Folder B/People/, I would simply select the all the files from Folder A/People/, drag and drop them on top of Folder B/People.

In this particular case, because both groups of contain one with the name Jack.txt a warning will pop-up asking me if I want to replace the older file with the newer one.

This makes sense because, well, let's face it, how the F would the computer know which one you actually want to keep? It's not the computer's job to rename the files randomly either, so the warning pops up.

If, on the other hand, you drag Folder A/People into Folder B, another warning is going to pop-up looking very much like the one in the previous case because both the source and target folders have the exact same name. In this case it's asking if you want to replace the entire FOLDER with the other one.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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Yes Folder. I misspoke.

Your last example is the one that, though definitely not as easy as micro soft I am doomed to use.

On any MS system I have owned I was able to drag and drop a source folder from my laptop onto the back up. Even though there is a source folder on the back up with the same name I could SIMPLY drag and drop and it would say something like.

"There is already a folder with the Name "pictures." Would you like to replace the FILES with the same name in the destination folder?"

In that scenario, I was able to drag and drop my music, documents and pictures all at one time. Then, I could walk away while it added the new files to the destination folder.

Understandably, I couldn't make it rename files that were already there to something else. But that isn't my problem with the drag and drop scenario. Renaming batch files was a completely separate issue.
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If I knew how to take a screen shot I would show you....



Get a copy of Mac for Dummies...it'll explain how to do screenshots and many other tasks.



Alternatively, open the Grab application which is in the Utlities folder inside your Applications folder. It will allow you to make several types of screen capture.

Here are some keyboard shortcuts to use as well. It will save as a tiff file I think. Just open using preview and save as a jpg.
--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

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Get a copy of Mac for Dummies...it'll explain how to do screenshots and many other tasks.


I thought the internet was a copy of "anything" for dummies.


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Quote

Quote


If I knew how to take a screen shot I would show you....



Get a copy of Mac for Dummies...it'll explain how to do screenshots and many other tasks.


Alternatively, open the Grab application which is in the Utlities folder inside your Applications folder. It will allow you to make several types of screen capture.

Here are some keyboard shortcuts to use as well. It will save as a tiff file I think. Just open using preview and save as a jpg.


Thanks! That IS pretty simple. Though, not as simple as hitting the Prtscrn button...Just saying.:D
I feel the need to point out how the "EASY" machine seems more complicated to me than the MS machines.
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During the learning curve it may be.
Everything you do on a PC you can do on your Mac.
Just as easily. You just need to learn how.



Yea. I've been trying to give it the proper patience but I have given up on editing (photos and Video) since the machine wouldn't work.

I'm stuck importing 17 hours of video through iMovie just so I can use it in Adobe.

But iMovie is STILL giving me troubles.
in mid tape I'm getting a blank blue screen while the time code moves and the camera shows video. yet, All I record is Blue.

Mind you this is in the midst of recording. I.E. no setting change, no cable disconnect etc...

I have only found that I have to restart the computer and recycle power to the camera to get it to SEE the video again....[:/]


I love the machine. Its MADE for editing video!>:(




THOUGH- I HAVE found A LOT of answer and help in this thread. THANK YOU ALL FOR responding.
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