AS-02 is MXF, with a very specifical file system organization.  AS-02 is not a wrapper to replace MXF, it's a directory structure and set of rules for MXF when used for archiving/versioning sequences.

CColton:

Seems like an open interchange format that, like MXF, is a container format, but can carry a lot of other data that MXF can't?

 

 

It is an exchange format, but it's not a container format like OMF or MXF.  It's an organization of MXF files, along with some metadata to describe how they can and can't be used (the shim.) 

MXF can carry a large amount of data of variable types. That's the "x" in MXF: Extensible. It's so varied that there are different implementations that are incompatible.  The Application Specifications are a set of specs that lay out how MXF is to be used in different scenarios, such as when playing out of a video server (AS-03), when being used to version/archive content (AS-02), or when commercials are sent as MXF files to a broadcaster (AS-12).

AS-02 support in Media Composer allows you create a volume, drop some sequences into it, commit them and have the sequences and the related media file in one bundle (folder on the file system).  You can archive that. Later, use File > Link to Export Volume to reconnect to it. 

An export volume (from the new Volumes 'tab' in the Project Window) is just another kind of bin.  You can still sort it, view it in frame view, etc. But you can only drop files into it.

When you commit the Volume in Media Composer, it lays out the folder on your harddisk with the various versions of the sequences (which are metadata-only MXF files) and there's a Media subfolder that contains all the media.

The objective of the specification is to allow you to have multiple versions of the same sequences and export them while sharing one set of common media.  In Media Composer 6.5, it performs a mixdown each track of each sequence into it's own single media file.

You can File > Link to Export Volume to get back to the sequences and the mixed-down media, without having to place the media files back into your Avid MediaFiles hierarchy.  The sequences, after you commit the volume, do not come back with the clips separated as you they do for an AAF export.  They come back flattened. 

Think of AS-02 in Media Composer 6.5 as a way to export multiple sequences to a single folder structure, but in a way that mixes them down.

So it's an advanced archive method? Does the media that all the metadata MXFs refer to stay in the Avid MediaFiles directory or is it exported into new MXF files inside the AS-02 volume (file folder)?

CColton:

mjolnarn:

A little screenshow late the coming week, maybe closer to the weekend or during the weekend also describing how the shim profiles work and how to create your own shim profile, would that do ??

That'd be awesome!

 

Reanimated:

if Avid doesn´t create and publish one during this coming week of course ...

 

Woody:

More info will be posted in a few hours.

Ok, so maybe Avid is going to do that screenshow for you, fine with me, my book is very filled up right now, let´s see what has happened at the end of the week and if I like and agree to what they have published

 

It's more of a mastering / versioning method. The present implementation doesn't preserve the sequences in a way that you would be able to realistically edit them after bringing them back in. When you Link to Export Volume and bring the sequence back into the timeline, the edits are flattened.

An AS-02 bundle (folder on the HDD) must contain its own media, within it's "Media" subfolder.  The MXF files that contain your sequence data must be at the root level of the bundle, and then there's a Media Folder in that with the media that's shared among the versions.

If you have a few versions of a sequence, they could share the same media in the bundle but that appears limited by track in the present implementation.  For example, if I have two sequences (V, A1-A2) and I insert a clip into one, then committing the volume results in 6 files for the two sequences: three files, representing the flattened tracks of the first sequence, and another set of three files representing the flattened tracks of the second sequence.

Update: If the two sequences differed only in their audio tracks, then both sequences should share the same video media when they are exported. This isn't actually the case with Composer 6.5's AS-02 Commit, but it is how I interpret the specification. Composer 6.5 creates new files for tracks that are identical between sequeneces.

A key about using an AS-02 Volume is that the sequences you drop into it are all variations on one another.  They might have different language tracks or be cut for different broadcasters, but they're essentially different versions of each other.  It's not intended for different sequences that share almost no media. In that case, use a difference Volume for each sequence from the Volumes tab of the Project Window.

So if a project only has one or two versions, is making an AS-02 volume worth it, or should you just do two Same As Source renders?

Woody:

It's not intended for different sequences that share almost no media. In that case, use a difference Volume for each sequence

In this case surely after a month or 2 overall this is less user friendly than managing the numbered MXF folders from the start with all projects? (based on local storage)

AndrewAction:

Woody:

It's not intended for different sequences that share almost no media. In that case, use a difference Volume for each sequence

In this case surely after a month or 2 overall this is less user friendly than managing the numbered MXF folders from the start with all projects? (based on local storage)

Hi Andrew,

I think of these as being separate things.  An AS-02 volume isn't going to replace or change how your store your projects. Continue organizing your projects and numbered/managed media folders as you would normally do.  

Although the contents of an AS-02 bundle on the harddisk are easy enough to for someone to browse, the intent isn't for users to be managing or reorganizing the content of an AS-02 bundle. You can't create subfolders to re-organize the bundle's media within the subfolder, however.

Think of AS-02 as the answer to the following questions:

• I've created 2, 3, 4, .. 100 (doesn't matter) versions of my sequence.  I want to create a folder containing the sequence and related media. How do I do this?  Answer: Create an AS-02 volume. Drop your sequences into it. Commit it. Back-up the resulting folder. Update: This creates flattened individual tracks and media. You cannot bring this sequence back with the edits in-tact. 

• I need to deliver a sequence and a few variations of to be transcoded. How I can I efficiently package all the versions of the sequences and media so they can be processed by the transcoding system?  Answer: AS-02. 

The first question/answer is more of an immediate use-case.  IF you're not versioning sequences, such as we often do in Canada with an English and a French version, then carry on and do an AAF Export with Consolidated Media or, keep your media in separate folders by renaming them with different digits. 

The latter question is more about the future use of AS-02 and the other Advanced Media Workflow Association's Application Specifications.  The idea is that by packaging the different versions of the sequence along with an efficiently stored copy of the media, you could take the whole bundle and give it to another service that could perform a set of automated tasks on it, like transfering it to another location, transcoding it, quality checking it, or selecting specific versions from the bundle and applying specific pre-determined transformations on it, such as adding a watermark and encoding for a particular distribution. 

The Application Specifications are standards that clarify how MXF should be presented for different tasks.  

Avid's integration takes the bundle (folder) on the harddisk and presents it as a kind of Bin (a Volume) so your related sequences can be grouped together within that Volume window.  A new button at the top-left of that window allows you to commit the contents of the Volume, which flattens the media referenced by the sequence and copies it into the bundle (folder) on the storage device.

The resulting bundle can then be sent through a workflow to have the content of the versions in the bundle transformed (encoded, played, etc). 

Update:

The way I understand it is supposed to work is like this (source: Avid_Viewpoint_The_Promise_of_ AS-02.pdf)

The way it works in Media Composer 6.5 appears to be this:

 

I need to look into it more. Obviously the first illustration is much more desirable than the later one. I will do some digging and do a follow-up!

 

 

-Woody

for some of mine project this sounds very good. but (i know there wiil soon be someone who explains how) I have tried it with two sequences, identical video tracks and two separate soundtracks.... and it still exports two videofiles....

do you have to do something thats not obvious?

 

Henrik

Hi Henrik,

You're not wrong. I'm going to check a bit more on it tomorrow and post a follow-up.  The behaviour you describe is consistent with what I see, but not necessarily consistent with the documentation on the format.

http://www.avid.com/static/resources/common/documents/whitepapers/AS02_Whitepaper.pdf

http://www.amwa.tv/projects/amwa_as-02_cut-sheet%204-2012%20web.pdf

Woody

When you link back the AS02 volume, what you get is a video and audio files.

The video file (in form of a sequence can't be altered or modified).

I am trying to see what good can come out of it.

Thanks for your detailed response Woody. I regularly do muliple options on the same timeline, They will usually be at least 3 months apart and a proportion of the media will come from 20 or so different client projects. As I read your explanation I will be better to with my existing media management ..... at least in the short term.

George Angeludis:

When you link back the AS02 volume, what you get is a video and audio files.

The video file (in form of a sequence can't be altered or modified).

I am trying to see what good can come out of it.

I can see the benefit if sorensen (or similar) can open the AS02 (havn't tried yet) and you are making multiple versions (if i get it to work as I think it should). the export of just one videofile saves lots of time.... and there might be lots of other benefits that I don't see yet... for archive I still se AAF as a better solution, since you will keep your timeline as it was...

 

Henrik

HI Andrew,

I think most people will be better off with their existing technique. 

The benefit of an AS-02 bundle is when you use it with systems and software that recognizes the AS-02 bundle and can extract from it the various versions (sequences) it needs for preparing content for different destinations and sources.

-Woody