Export location not persistent in a project?

VicDiGital

I have multiple projects that always output to their same unique folder. I was hoping that Compass would allow me to set that folder for each project, but that's not how it's working for me yet. Whatever I set the last project to (suing other relative or overall output settings, it doesn't have any difference) that becomes the default folder for all projects, which is what Premiere Pro already did.

So what am I doing wrong?

Sir_Ivan

VicDiGital do these unique folders located at the same place, relatively speaking?

e.g. project1/output_folder, project2/output_folder, etc.

VicDiGital

I have an overall "Masters" folder where all my exports go. Within that folder, I have a folder for each client.

Masters/Client1 Exports 2021
Masters/Client 2 Exports 2021
Masters/Client 3 Exports 2021

So far, I've attempted loading up a project for Client 1, changed the export path. Then closed the project, loaded up a project for Client 2 and set that export path, then closed project. When I load up the Client 1 project, the export path is for Client 2. Anytime I change either relative or overall path, that's the path I see no matter what Client project I open up.

Sir_Ivan

VicDiGital Understood, currently Compass doesn't support parametric names for output folder.
If you choose Client 2 Exports 2021 as an output folder (with relative checkbox enabled), this folder name will be used for all projects.

Idea of relative path is that you will have the same output folder name for all projects and that those folders will be in the same location, relatively speaking, e.g.:
Users/User/Project1/OUT
Users/User/Project2/OUT

I have a feature request to allow to do to what you want: allow to use wildcards in output path (wildcard could be Date, Project Name, etc)

VicDiGital

One thing I notice. When I go to change the path, the window that pops up is set to the Masters folder, not the subfolder that I had set the path to. My expectation would be that it would open up with the Client folder that is indicated in the "Export to" pathway.

And just for full clarification, my Masters folder is inside a Google Drive folder. If that matters for this issue.

VicDiGital

By parametric names, you mean names with spaces in them? If I just take out the spaces, should it work normal?

Sir_Ivan

VicDiGital no, I mean that all output folders have different names, so that won't work at the moment.
Output folder should have the same name for all projects (e.g. OUT, FINAL).
And if you want to use relative path, then you will need to put output folder in the path that is similar for each project.

On the other side, I just thought of this workaround for you.

Create these folders for your projects on Google Drive:
../Google Drive/Masters/Client 1 Exports 2021
../Google Drive/Masters/Client 2 Exports 2021
../Google Drive/Masters/Client 3 Exports 2021
Then make aliases for each folder and move them likewise (with your alterations):
../Project 1/Client 1 Exports 2021
../Project 2/Client 2 Exports 2021
../Project 3/Client 3 Exports 2021
rename those aliases to:
../Project 1/GoogleDrive_Master
../Project 2/GoogleDrive_Master
../Project 3/GoogleDrive_Master
In Compass set output path to ../Project 1/GoogleDrive_Master and use relative path.

Now whenever you export files they will be moved to relative folder GoogleDrive_Master which is an alias, so they should be moved automatically to your Google Drive/Master folder.

BTQ-Broadcast

I also export multiple sequences to unique folders on a project by project basis. I have found a workaround is to export the first sequence of your project directly from Premiere Pro ie FILE dropdown select Export --> Media. When Media Encoder opens, export this first sequence in media encoder to the chosen folder destination for your exports.

In Excalibur the next time you select Export Media for the next sequence in your project the file path from the Premiere Pro export is retained.

I continue this way in Excalibur until we start a new project - then return to premiere to reset the folder location by exporting only the first sequence from PPro through Media Encoder. Hope this helps.

Sir_Ivan

BTQ-Broadcast do you use Compass? It should take care of export path completely (if those export locations could be accessed via relative path).

Also if you want, you can change export path through Excalibur export dialog ("Output Folder" is selectable/clickable) and it also should be remembered next time you will use it.

BTQ-Broadcast

Thanks IVAN, I will have to check with BTQ IT to ask if Compass can be installed.

I have tried the export dialog to set the output folder to a new path - each time a new path is set, the export goes to the previous folder output - regardless of the new path output setting. Have tried multiple times to change the output path to make it persistent. Which is how I came to the workaround I previously posted.

Sir_Ivan

BTQ-Broadcast Oh, indeed it doesn't work, I though I've wrote that code 😅

Well, I will fix it!