Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Extracting a single trailer from the trailmix drive

This is topic Extracting a single trailer from the trailmix drive in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 08-12-2018, 12:38 PM:

Let me try asking this question again, in a more specific way:

If my objective is to save an individual trailer directly from the trailmix drive, by plugging the trailmix drive into my computer to copy the files off of it, what's the best way to determine which of the files are part of the trailer that I want to save?

I can plug the trailmix drive into my computer and examine the eight bazillion files that are there, but the listing in the ASSETMAP file under the name of the trailer that I want to save doesn't match the names of the files that are present on the drive.

I'm assuming that if I was to save that ASSETMAP file plus the relevant other files onto a flash drive, I would then have something that I could keep on a flash drive and ingest back onto my server at a later date.

So I examine ASSETMAP and find the name of the trailer that I want in that list.

What should I do next? The assets listed in the ASSETMAP aren't the filenames of the assets so how do I match what's in ASSETMAP to what's actually on the trailmix drive so I know which files I need to save?

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 08-12-2018, 02:02 PM:

Hi Frank,

I can only assume this is so complicated to do because they put all the trailers into a single multicomposition package, instead of putting every trailer in it's own folder as a self contained DCP. As such, I assume that there is a single assetmap file on that drive? If there is, then there should be an entry for every media file in that asset map.

In any case, if the above is true, it is not so easy to pull individual trailers off that drive. In that case, the easiest way would indeed be to ingest that trailer individually and then export, as far as your server allows that. It is probably possible to write a script to extract individual trailers, but that would probably mean recreating assetmap and packing list files. The DCP metadata files are used as a means to abstract file names from title names, so, only rarely will you find an asset or metadata file carrying a readable name of a trailer or movie. You need to trace them back from other files through their asset relationship.

I'd love to see the Assetmap and Packing list files of such a trailer drive. Could you make them available in a private message? And, if possible, a (even if partial) directory list. We don't have trailer drives here, all trailers are downloaded individually from internet sites around here.

https://cinepedia.com/packaging/#menu

In theory, you could load the trailer drive into DCP-o-matic and create a new DCP from single compositions, which usually would only involve copying the necessary source files. However, I have no idea wether DCP-o-matic is able to deal with a large multi composition package. Since I know you feel at home in linux, it should be no problem for you to present an ext2/3 trailer drive to DCP-o-matic for a try.

- create a new dcp-o-matic project (you could name it 'trailerex') No settings necessary for now. But create that project on the volume/path were you want that trailer to be copied to (that means, enough space).

- choose 'Add DCP' - point to the root directory of the trailer drive, click 'open'.
If successful, DCP-o-matic should show the 'DCP' name and may start to analyze content (which would take very long). Choose cancel for examine content and analyzing audio (or just let it finish)

- Right click on the DCP in the content list, and (here comes the trick) use 'Choose CPL' to find the trailer you're after. You should be on a fairly recent version of DCP-o-matic to find that option (I suggest 2.12.8/stable).
If all goes well, you should be able to play the trailer.
Now try 'Make DCP'. Unfortunately, you may need to adjust your DCP settings to that of the trailer (e.g. 5.1, flat, etc.). No big deal, I guess, since I assume you only play one trailer format anyway? I will talk to Carl about the idea wether something like a 'Copy DCP' or 'Copy CPL' would be another useful addition to DCP-o-matic...

Anyway - if you don't change image characteristics, DCP-o-matic will simply copy the original media files and create new metadata files, which should only take a few seconds for a trailer.

Again, I have never seen these trailer drives myself, and it may be that it doesn't work that way.

- Carsten

Posted by Kieran Hall (Member # 10268) on 08-12-2018, 03:36 PM:

We get that over here with the USB sticks from Deluxe that contain a handful of trailers all as one multi-CPL DCP. We find it easiest to ingest them (as we're usually looking to play them all) and then un-ingest individually via FTP. I don't know how easy this is on non-Doremi servers though.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 08-13-2018, 08:43 AM:

Hi Frank,

looking at it, as expected, there is a wild mix of explicit and UUID file names on the drive, and it will be like this for all future drives I guess (unless at some time they would switch to a one trailer-per-folder DCP based system, which is not likely). One ASSETMAP, multiple PKLs and CPLs, and then all the media asset files.

It is not possible to dig out the necessary files manually from the file system to make a working DCP. I suggest you go and try the method I explained above with DCP-o-matic. It should work - however, I am not sure if DCP-o-matic chokes on the sheer number of CPLs found in the package. If so, I guess Carl could make it work, so please, give some feedback.

- Carsten

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-14-2018, 08:20 PM:

Aren't the drives from Deluxe Technicolor formatted using the EXT2 format where a regular Windows computer can't see content using this format?

What I've done, but in using a TMS, was go to the folder that contains the trailers and find the UUID address string associated to that needed trailer, then copy that content to a created folder in the computer.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 08-14-2018, 08:46 PM:

Frank is using Linux machines, so, no problem for him. Also, there are a number of ext2/3 drivers for windows, so these discs can be accessed.

The benefit of using DCP-o-matic - wether in windows, mac or linux, is also that you can watch/hear the trailer before you decide to copy it, so there's no guessing, and you don't need to fire up your projector to find out which trailers you want. You can simply browse the trailmix drive to find what you're after.

- Carsten