One of the basic concepts behind Incite Media Assistant is that you are working with "virtual" media files. Basically this means the media files you view and work with in the Catalog List, Preview/Logger monitors, and the Storyboard window are all proxy AVI files. In most cases, the direct link between the original media file and the proxy AVI used by Incite Media Assistant is the original Timecode Information file (TCI) created when the media file was captured, (although Incite Media Assistant can also be used to generate timecode for files captured without this information).
When you insert media files as storyclips and edit them on the storyboard, the logging information that is created by the edited sequence (when you create the IML or text file) will draw all of its reference points from this TCI file. When you work with media files in the Catalog window, inserting In and Out points into the RTF fields, this information can only be created, obviously enough, because of the TCI file. Without the TCI file, there would be no correspondence between the log points noted in the RTF file and the In and Out or Position points the editor will look for when the RTF file is made use of in another system.
The following items are a few important considerations or tools to remember when working with TCI files.
TCI files and Media Management
Incite Media Assistant prefers to treat the individual media file and all its linked or related files as a single unit. This is extremely useful when moving files from one folder to another, copying and pasting, etc. When you cut or delete a media file, however, you are provided with an option on how the related TCI file will be treated. This option is located in the Catalog Display Preferences window.
The Delete TCI Files option will determine what happens to related TCI files when working with your media files. De-activating this option will prevent TCI files from being deleted whenever you perform a cut or delete operation. Keeping the TCI files is useful for recapturing the deleted media file at a later date.
TCI files and Converting Media
After converting a media file, Incite Media Assistant will copy any existing TCI file linked to the originally selected media file. If the media file is being converted to same directory, the TCI file (like the converted media file) will need to have an added suffix to prevent overwriting the original files. If no prefix or suffix was assigned in the Files/Folders tab, then Incite Media Assistant will generate a logical alias for the files. For example, if the original media file is named MyClip.avi, the converted media file will be called MyClip_1.avi and the TCI file MyClip_1.tci".
If the TCI file contains a "clip name" for the media file (e.g. name=clip_01, see TCI Files: An Example File Opened with TXT below), this name will be displayed in the picon field of the Catalog List (rather than the original media file name). If you convert the media file, however, the original media file name plus a suffix will be used for the converted file (mediafilename_1).
Direct Access to TCI files (changing or creating TCI information)
Launching the Edit Clip Info and TC window, you can verify/modify tape and timecode information or enter comments for the TCI file. If the currently selected file does not have a TCI file, Incite Media Assistant will generate one after pressing the OK button to close the window. The Edit Clip Info and TC window is especially useful for creating timecode for those media files captured or created without such information (for example when you are working with material captured from VHS).
If you are viewing media files with the Show Related Files option active, you will be able to tell at a glance whether or not the media file has a related TCI file. To launch the Edit Clip Info and TC window, right click on a selected media file and select the Edit Clip Info and TC command from the pop-up menu.
TCI files and Incite
TCI files can be imported to an Incite project using the Collection window's right click menu (or the Element menu on the main toolbar), choosing Import/Media Information. For more, see 6.4 Importing TCI Files and Media into Incite.
TCI File: An Example File Opened with TXT {a4573d95-e14f-11d2-8cff-00c04f68b0de} - FIle header - ID
name=clip_01 - Clip name (logical name or alias)- not file name
file=F:\incite_media\clip_01.avi - Original path
comment=
tc_in=00:00:00:10
tc_out=00:00:10:00
tc_duration=00:00:09:15
tape_id=TAPE 23
data_rate=3030
video_tracks=1
audio_tracks=3
thumbnail=00:00:21:01