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DigiBase Browsers
DigiBase databases are accessed through Di-
giBase browsers. Browsers provide an intuitive
user interface to DigiBase databases with many
convenient features for various file manage-
ment tasks (such as search and sort functions).
Browsers in Pro Tools are analogous to windows
in your computer’s operating system, but are
specifically designed for Pro Tools workflow.
Multiple browsers can be displayed simultane-
ously, and arranged independently with custom
display settings for each.
Browsers let you search and sort audio files,
video files, and sessions. Audio, video, and ses-
sion files displayed in browsers can be dragged
directly into the current Pro Tools session.
When offline items are needed, Pro Tools lets
you find the correct matching files, then relink
to online media.
There are three types of Pro Tools browsers
available on all supported systems:
• The Workspace browser
• Volume browsers
• The Project browser
• Catalogs
Workspace Browser
The Workspace browser provides access to all
your mounted volumes, as well as the folders
and files they contain.
Using the Workspace browser, you can:
• Access all mounted volumes.
• Access all Catalogs.
• Search across multiple volumes and Cata-
logs simultaneously.
• Designate volumes for Record and Play-
back, Playback Only, or Transfer.
• Unmount volumes.
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items in any catalog or mounted
volume.
• Update databases for entire volumes.
Volume Browsers
Volume browsers provide file management for
local and network volumes. Volumes are format-
ted partitions on a physical drive (hard drive).
Open a Volume browser by double-clicking a
volume in the Workspace browser. Any changes
made in Volume browsers (such as copying, de-
leting, or moving files and folders) is mirrored
on the volumes themselves. Volumes include
mounted hard drives, network storage, and re-
movable media (such as CD-ROMs).
Using Volume browsers you can:
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items on the volume.
• Update a database for contents of the vol-
ume.
Project Browser
The Project browser provides powerful search
and management tools for the files referenced in
your current session, regardless of where they
are stored. Using the Project browser, you can:
• Show all the media files associated with the
current session, including any missing
files.
• View, manage, audition, and spot individ-
ual items.
For detailed information about the Work-
space browser, see “Workspace Browser” on
page 308.
For detailed information about the Project
browser, see “Project Browser” on page 311.
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Catalogs
Catalogs provide the highest level of Pro Tools
file management. Catalogs make it easy to orga-
nize files from multiple sources into libraries of
favorite files. Catalogs can be sorted and
searched, even when the files they reference are
offline. Catalogs can also be shared.
Using Catalogs, you can:
• Collect and organize files from any combi-
nation of volumes.
• Create catalogs of complete volumes to
view and search even if a volume is offline.
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items in the catalog.
• Update a database for contents of catalog.
Task Window
The Task window is a utility for viewing and
managing all of the background tasks that you
initiate with Pro Tools. Use the Task window to
monitor, pause, or cancel background tasks such
as file copies, searches, indexing, and fade cre-
ation.
Relink Window
The Relink window provides tools and features
for relinking sessions and catalogs to media files.
Use Relink tools to search and reacquire missing
files for use in the current session.
Performance and Transfer
Volumes
DigiBase lets you view, manage, and import ses-
sions and media from both Performance and
Transfer volumes.
Performance Volumes Are storage volumes (hard
drives) that are suitable for playback and have
been designated in the Workspace browser as
Record and Playback (R) or Playback Only (P) of
media files in a Pro Tools session.
Transfer Volumes Are volumes that are not sup-
ported for media playback in Pro Tools (such as
shared network volumes or CD-ROMs), or stor-
age volumes (hard drives) that have been desig-
nated in the Workspace browser as Transfer (T)
volumes. Transfer volumes cannot be used to re-
cord or play back media in a Pro Tools session.
Designated Transfer (T) volumes can be useful
for transferring session and media files between
different Pro Tools systems.
For detailed information about Catalogs,
see “Catalogs” on page 313.
For detailed information about the Task
window, see “Task Window” on page 317.
For detailed information about the Relink
window, see “Relink Window” on
page 303.
For more information on volume designa-
tions, see “Audio and Video Volume Desig-
nators” on page 309.
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Digidesign Databases
The information displayed in browsers is stored
in individual databases. Pro Tools creates these
databases automatically for all mounted vol-
umes, including Transfer volumes, on your sys-
tem drive.
Digidesign databases use three file types:
volume.ddb Stores media and session file meta-
data for a particular volume.
catalog.ddb Stores media and session file meta-
data for a user defined Catalog. Cataloged media
and session files are can reside on multiple vol-
umes, including Transfer volumes.
Wavecache.wfm Stores waveform overviews for
all audio files referenced by each session.
Volume Databases
For each volume (whether they be local hard
drives, removable media, or shared network
storage), a database file is created in a folder
named Digidesign Databases, on the system
drive.
On Mac, they are stored in the Library/
Application Support/Digidesign/Databases/
Volumes folder.
On Windows, these databases are stored in the
Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\
Databases\Volumes folder.
Sharing Database Files
Database files can be shared among users. This is
particularly useful for Transfer volumes, elimi-
nating duplicate processing (indexing) time.
For example, shared volumes (such as network
storage volumes) tend to be large, and indexing
can be a time consuming task. To avoid dupli-
cate effort, one user can manually index part or
all of the shared volume just once, then email
the database files to other users. Database files
can be added by placing them within each user’s
Volumes folder. Periodic manual indexing then
keeps all databases current.
Sharing Catalogs
Catalogs can be created for a particular project
and then shared among multiple systems to
help facilitate more efficient workflow. Catalogs
are stored as database files on your system drive.
On Windows, Catalog database files are stored
in the Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\
Databases\Catalogs folder.
On Mac, Catalog database files are stored in the
Library/Application Support/ Digidesign/
Databases/Catalogs folder.
If you delete the Digidesign Database
folder, all existing database information is
lost. To recreate a deleted Digidesign Data-
base folder, re-index your storage volumes
(see “Indexing DigiBase Databases” on
page 278).
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Chapter 16: DigiBase 275
Browser Windows and Tools
Browsers display all files in their database, including Pro Tools and non-Pro Tools files. Unknown file
types can be shown, as well as aliases, and desktop folders.
To maximize processing speed and protect vital
components, DigiBase does not display all fold-
ers. For example, in Windows, DigiBase brows-
ers do not display the Program Files, Windows,
Digidesign Databases, WU Temp, or System Vol-
ume Information folders; and on Mac, DigiBase
browsers do not display the System, Applica-
tions, Library, or Digidesign Databases folders.
This excludes them from being indexed,
searched, sorted, or affected in any way by Di-
giBase tasks. You should not store Pro Tools ses-
sion or media files in any of these folders.
The main elements of a DigiBase browser in-
clude the following.
Title Bar Shows the browser type (Work-space,
Volume, Project or Catalog), and the name of its
associated volume, session or catalog.
Toolbar Provides the Browser menu, Search icon,
View Presets (numbered 1–5), browser naviga-
tion tools, and preview tools.
Items List Displays the contents of a volume,
folder, session, or Catalog database in rows.
Basic browser tools, panes, and columns (Volume browser shown)
Toolbar
Items List
Fixed pane
Scrolling pane
Pane split
Show/Hide
Title bar
Column headers
Columns
Search icon View Presets
Browser menu
Preview controls
Browser Back arrow
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Columns Identifies the type of metadata dis-
played in the items list (such as file name and
format) for volumes, folders, and files in the
Items List.
• Columns can be resized by dragging the
column border, or rearranged by dragging
the Column headers.
• Columns can be dragged to either of two
available panes, the Fixed or Scrolling
panes.
Each row of data in a browser represents an Item
(such as a file or folder). Data about each item is
displayed in columns. Columns can be arranged
and placed in either the Fixed pane or the Scroll-
ing pane.
Opening Browsers
There are several ways to open, close, and navi-
gate within browsers.
To open the Workspace browser:
ɸ
Choose Window > Workspace.
To open a Volume browser:
1
Open the Workspace browser (Window > Work-
space).
2
Double-click a volume or folder in the Items
List. A new Volume browser opens.
To open the Project browser:
1
Open a Pro Tools session.
2
Choose Window > Project.
To open a Catalog browser:
1
Open the Workspace browser (Window > Work-
space).
2
Click the Expand/Collapse icon next to the
Catalogs icon to show all Catalogs, if they are
not already visible.
3
Double-click a Catalog.
To open another Volume or Catalog in a new
browser window and leave the current Volume or
Catalog browser open:
ɸ
Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-
double-click (Windows) the Volume or Catalog.
Viewing the Contents of a Volume,
Folder, or Catalog
To expand or collapse the currently selected
folder, do one of the following:
ɸ
Click the Expand/Collapse icon next to the
folder.
– or –
ɸ
Select a volume, folder, or Catalog, and press
the Right Arrow key to expand, or the left Arrow
key to collapse.
To move up one browser level:
ɸ
Click the Back arrow in the Browser toolbar.
To move up one browser level, press Com-
mand+Up Arrow key (Mac) or Control+Up
Arrow key (Windows).
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Moving Browsers to the
Foreground or Background
To bring all open browsers to the foreground:
ɸ
Choose Window > Browsers > Bring to Front.
To send all browsers to the background:
ɸ
Choose Window > Browsers > Send to Back.
All open browsers are moved to the background,
bringing the other windows to the foreground.
Browsers remain open and accessible.
To bring an open browser to the foreground:
ɸ
Choose Window > Browsers, and select an open
browser from the submenu.
To cycle to the next or previous browser:
ɸ
Press Control+Left/Right Arrow keys (Win-
dows) or Command+Left/Right Arrow keys
(Mac).
Closing Browsers
To close all browsers:
ɸ
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Close box of any browser.
Working wIth Items in
Browsers
Opening Sessions
To open a Pro Tools session listed in a browser:
ɸ
With no Pro Tools session currently open,
double-click a Pro Tools session file in any Di-
giBase browser.
Opening AAF and OMF Sequences
AAF and OMF sequences can be opened from
DigiBase browsers.
You can also drag and drop AAF and OMF se-
quences from browsers into the current session.
To open an AAF or OMF sequence from a DigiBase
browser:
1
Do one of the following:
• With no Pro Tools session currently open,
double-click the AAF or OMF sequence in a
browser.
– or –
• Drag the AAF or OMF sequence from a
browser to the Timeline in an open session.
2
Configure the Import Session Data dialog.
3
Click OK.
To bring all browsers to the foreground,
press Option+J (Mac) or Alt+J (Windows).
To send all browsers to the background,
press Option+Shift+J (Mac) or Alt+Shift+J
(Windows).
Because the Task window is a utility and
not a browser, it remains open.
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Creating and Opening Browser
Folders
Browsers let you create and manipulate folders
(file system sub-directories). All folders have Ex-
pand/Collapse icons to show their contents.
Dragging items onto a folder icon is the same as
dragging into an open browser.
To create a new folder in a Volume browser or
Catalog:
1
Choose New Folder from the Browser menu.
2
Type a name for the folder, and click OK.
(Click Cancel to cancel the new folder.)
In Volume browsers, the folder is created on
disk. In Catalogs, the folder is created in the Cat-
alog only. The Items List updates as new items
are added.
To open a folder in the current browser:
ɸ
Double-click the folder, or click the Ex-
pand/Collapse icon for the item.
To create and open a folder in its own new
browser:
ɸ
Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-
double-click (Windows) the folder. The previous
(parent) Browser window remains open.
Scrolling and Moving Selections
To scroll the active pane up or down:
ɸ
Press the Page Up or Page Down key.
To scroll to the top or bottom of the active pane:
ɸ
Press Home (for the top) or End (for the bot-
tom).
To move items up or down in the current browser:
1
Select items in a browser, and make sure that
window is in the foreground.
2
Press the Up or Down Arrow key.
Text Entry in Browsers
Many text fields can be edited to replace or up-
date data for an item.
To enter an edit to a text field and exit, and return
to the previous display state:
ɸ
Press Enter.
To revert to the previous text and cancel a text
edit:
ɸ
Press Esc.
Indexing DigiBase Databases
Indexing is the process of reading media files,
extracting just the metadata for each file, then
storing that data in an associated database so
that it may be displayed in the columns of a
browser. Once a volume or folder has been fully
indexed, it can be searched very quickly because
all of the metadata has already been sorted and
organized.
With the browser in the foreground and the
folder selected, press Command+Down Ar-
row key (Mac) or Control+Down Arrow key
(Windows) to open a folder in the current
browser.
With the browser in the foreground and the
folder selected, press Control+Alt+Down
Arrow key (Windows) or Command+Op-
tion+Down Arrow key (Mac) to open a
folder in its own new browser.
For details on column editing, see “Column
Data” on page 284.
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