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Subject:I can't stand the way Acid 3.0 ........
Posted by: westside
Date:6/10/2001 8:37:59 PM

saves projects!!! You have two options.....

1. Save it as an Acid file.....with the "copy all media box" checked it will nicely save all of your loops/video files in the directory you selected.....Unfortunately....if you are like me, you want to save all the time....and many times at various stages of the music composistion... If you add more loops.....which I do constantly, if you press save again, it won't automatically add the new loops. That bites. 2.0 did....and it made much more sense. Please Fix this!!!!!

2. Your second option is to save it as an acid-zip file...Again very handy, but I have had many problems doing this in 2.0 (wave files embedded) I have blown a few projects by doing this...If the file gets corrupted, you are screwed....(Which often happend) Also if you save it this way and have to re-save it often, it takes a long time to do it...

I wish it would go back to the way 2.0 did it..or remember that you checked the box "copy all media" with the project and when you went to re-save the file it would just copy the loops that you have not saved yet to the hard drive......It's almost like SF expects us to only use 1 sample CD per project.....try 5 or 6...
Very silly!

Subject:RE: I can't stand the way Acid 3.0 ........
Reply by: Zacchino
Date:6/10/2001 9:03:36 PM

Yes and one more thing :
I liked the way acid 2.0 saved project with external audio ! it was realy usefull to put all the audio file i was using in 1 folder...
Put it back if you can please !

Subject:RE: I can't stand the way Acid 3.0 ........
Reply by: rdpete
Date:6/10/2001 10:08:11 PM

I miss the magnifying glass too, for spot zooming....

BTW, how about adding this feature:

mute automation

Subject:RE: I can't stand the way Acid 3.0 ........
Reply by: Zacchino
Date:6/10/2001 10:52:17 PM

i miss the 2.0 speed :)

Subject:RE: I can't stand the way Acid 3.0 ........
Reply by: nlamartina
Date:6/10/2001 11:28:53 PM

West,

The "copy all media with project" option is still there in ACID 3. Choose your save format as "ACID Project File (*.acd)". Then look in the lower left-hand side of the dialogue box. The option "Copy all media with project" is over there. Checking this option will save/export all the open tracks in the selected folder, just like the "Save project with external audio" selection in ACID 2.

Hope this helps,
Nick LaMartina

Subject:RE: I can't stand the way Acid 3.0 ........
Reply by: westside
Date:6/11/2001 12:13:33 AM

Nick,

Thanks for the reply. But that doesn't work like it did in 2.0.... Like I said above....What if you save it at the very begining of the project...with only 12 loops... By going to save as... .acd file and having the "copy all media" box....Then all 12 loop wav files are saved... True enough.....Then add 10 more loops and then hit save again....IT WILL NOT SAVE THE 10 NEW LOOPS YOU HAVE ADDED. It used to....but not anymore.... It's a huge pain in the arse... Hopefully they can fix it soon!!!!

best,


west

Subject:RE: I can't stand the way Acid 3.0 ........
Reply by: djrobby
Date:6/11/2001 12:19:50 AM

GOOD POINT WEST....TELL EM BOY! FOR REAL....THEY'RE LACKING ALL THESE MINOR DETAILS!

- another disatisfied customer

Subject:'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: SonicJG
Date:6/11/2001 7:34:22 PM

Long response--skip to *** if you just want the short answer...

This feature has changed between ACID 2.0 and 3.0, because there was a good deal of user confusion between standard, external, and embedded projects (and now apparently there's a bit of new confusion :|).

For 2.0, a standard-type project had the project file separate from the media files, and contained pointers to each media file, in addition to all of the event/envelope/etc info.
An external-type project was a standard-type project, plus it also contained a little flag to tell ACID 2.0 that it wanted to always gather a copy of its media into the same directory as itself.
And an embedded-type project was a self-contained file that had the project info and media all wrapped up into one big file.

ACID 3.0 has only two types of projects that it will save to--standard and acd-zip.
For 3.0, a standard-type project still stores all of the pointers to the locations of its files, plus all of the non-destructive media manipulations.
An .acd-zip is similar to an embedded file, but is hopefully a little easier to understand. Opening an .acd-zip in WinZip helps to elucidate this: an acd-zip is actually one big wrapper around a standard .acd file and all of its media.

***
With that said, regarding the main issue at hand...
ACID 3.0 doesn't have an external-type, but it does have a utility to gather media into its directory whenever you want it to--namely the 'Copy all media with project' checkbox in the Save As... dialog.

As an example of its use:
Add three media files to a new project,
Choose Save, which will bring up the Save As... dialog.
Check the 'Copy all media' checkbox.
Select a directory and name the project ExtMed01.acd
Hit the Save button.
Notice that all of the media was copied to the directory.

Now add three more pieces of media to the project
Select the Save button, or choose File/Save.
Notice that the file has been updated, but the recently added media hasn't been copied to the new directory.

Now add three more pieces of media to the project
Select Save As...
Check the 'Copy all media' checkbox.
Save the project to the same filename
Choose Yes to replace the existing project file.
(or you can choose a new name (such as ExtMed02.acd for the project file, basically taking snapshots of your project as time progresses, kind of like an .acd-bak, but lasting much longer).
Notice that now all of the project's media files now exist within the project directory.
(end ***)

In essence, the problem lies somewhere between design-issue, user-error, and a communication issue.

We changed the model a bit to make things easier/clearer, and to give a bit more latitude (this way you don't have to copy media with every save, and can easily clean up your project just by checking the check box during a Save), and at least a small number of users have been applying the old model, because we didn't make it clear that things had changed--please forgive. The design issue is that there's no longer a way to put a flag in a project to always copy recently added media to the directory, which in ACID 2.0 was a one-click process, which is now four clicks in ACID 3.0 (Save As button, Copy all media with project checkbox, Save, Yes).

The information on using the Save As feature is located at Help/Contents and Index, then "The ACID Window/Menu Commands/File/Save As...", so it is technically documented, though its easy to understand why someone would choose to just start using ACID, rather than first doing a deep-dive into the Help files or manual.

Hope this helps,
Joel





Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: westside
Date:6/12/2001 2:24:49 AM

Joel.....

Thanks for the answer......ALthough I don't really think I was looking for clarification.... What's wrong with it is...if I have the "copy all media" box checked..then the next time I hit save....then it should remember and save the new wave files/loops ... It doesn't!!!! I can't see how you would think this is an improvement??? When I use it.... I want to be able to save it, and then when I reload it I want it all to be there. Computers are there to make it easy.....If I am choosing to "Copy all media" with my projects....then why not every time..... I deal with many loops on many projects....and I am in the habit to save many....many times.... Computers crash don't they????? Heck I know Acid does.....so by adding extra steps....it just makes things harder, and slower.....not confusing....

Regardless of how you slice it, it's not a good feature. One of the things I love about acid is it's ease...this is not an example of this...... Just using simplicity as it's base...when you hit save...don't you want to be able to re-load the file and have it load with the file?????

For example....If you are using Microsoft Word, and everytime you add a new paragraph you have to hit save as, and then agree to overwrite??????? You might begin to think that it is a flaw. I believe that you at sonic foundry have over-thought this issue....Please save me from this FLAW! It's not user error...



Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: vcp
Date:6/14/2001 4:30:05 AM

I'm not upgrading to 3.0 unless this feature (think about it, it's very useful) is added. Btw, it's not just 4 clicks - it's 4 + the "overwrite" clicks.

U guys have killed the convenience of Ctrl+S.

I keep reorganizing my ACID libraries/folders. With present-day HDD capacities, it makes sense to make a separate folder for each new project and save all ur acid files and media in this folder. This way u will never get a soure link error(file not found in the specified location). Also u can backup the project folder on CD or whatever and reopen it after 20 years!

I was hoping that Acid 3.0 would be an "upgrade" and not a different program.

People at SF, think about it...

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: westside
Date:6/14/2001 6:34:54 PM

I am glad...or should I say not so glad someones agree with me.... All of these problems with 3.0 make it tough to use it..... When Sonar cleans it's act up, it may be bye, bye to Acid... and that hurts to write considering how much I love acid.

Please S.F. get this together!! I want to love you again. not loathe!

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: Iacobus
Date:6/15/2001 10:59:44 PM

I'd have to say I actually like the new way. Let me explain.

If you're like me, you like experimenting with your projects and save *a lot*. With the way that you want it, every time I save a project after doing the "Save As" command, ACID will copy loops *I might no longer want* with each save along with my project. I'd not only have to delete the tracks from the project but also I'd have to delete the loops from the location where the project is.

Call me a neat freak, but I would honestly rather just be able to experiment with what I have in front of me and *then* do a "Save As" later on when I end my session *if* I decide I really want those loops to be included with the project.

So what I'm trying to say is that maybe it does make sense after all. You should save your loops (via the "Save As" command) along with the project when you're sure you want them, *not* every time you do a plain-vanilla "Ctrl+S" save.

Just my 2 cents. :o)

Iacobus

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: westside
Date:6/16/2001 4:27:43 PM

In a "perfect" world that "may" work. Computers crash. Fact of life. I have a great setup and I am usually alright, but it still will happen from time to time... Imagine you wait....wait....wait....until all the loops are finalized and then save..... Uh... not a good idea. When I start a project, the clock is ticking.... I get to a good idea and I start saving....But I am only about 30% done.... So if you are like me, I add and subtract a million times until the clock has run out and I need to turn it in. I don't have the time to do a save as, and overwrite every 20 minutes.

.Wav files are very small for the most part. In 2.0 I didn't hear any complaining about this.... Perhaps I missed it but this feature goes contrary to all programs I have ever seen, or worked on.

And even if they changed it, you could still have your "neat" enviroment. You could save at the end, at all would still be fine. For me, I have already lost files..... Most of the time I forgot to do another "save as" before I left.. I just hit save and thought everything was in there....ooops I added one loop from the last save and now I have to do a time comsuming save as , overwrite etc....!! For one loop???? Stupid.

Everybody I know in the business, advises to save early and OFTEN. From protools guys, to pc guys the rule is the same..... This complicates the process a 100 times over...

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: Rockitglider
Date:6/16/2001 4:52:31 PM

Why can't everybody just get used to the new interface? They made that way so that all the programs they make are the same type of interface.

It seems to me that everybody just has to have something to complain about. If you don't put so much energy into complaining about it and just get used to it I think you would enjoy the program alot more.

Software Changes Get Over It.

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: aiserock
Date:6/16/2001 6:37:55 PM

are we still on this topic???!

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: MyST
Date:6/16/2001 8:16:45 PM

Just wondering if anybody thought of making a suggestion in the "product suggestion" part of the support. Complaining about what you consider to be a shortcoming in the forum is your right, but if you only talk about it here and neglect to make your suggestion known to SF, everybody loses out. Hoping someone from SF monitors your particular topic isn't really the most direct approach.
I'm not trying to lecture here, but I'm new to Acid and I certainly don't know all the ins and outs of this software. It's just that if the people who use it on a more professional level can find the shortcomings and help SF improve on it, we all get a better product for it(pros and amateurs, such as myself). I know I would like to be able to hit save and know EVERYTHING was saved.
Just my two cents worth, hope I didn't offend anyone.

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: westside
Date:6/17/2001 3:01:02 PM

I have said my peace a # of times.... And you are right about trying to get used to it or over it or whatever...... But I can't. I agree with most that Acid 3.0 was not a great upgrade. Honestly, for my work, if you could just add video files into 2.0 than I would go back to it..... For me, it's a much better program. I guess I am just upset that I go around and tell people how great sonic foundry's products are....and lately I have started to think that they are dropping the "pro" aspect of their software. And that makes me upset.


No more about this!!!!! ugh! On to other problems!

Subject:RE: 'Copy all media' Clarification
Reply by: Rockitglider
Date:6/17/2001 5:55:28 PM

Hi,

Well I agree with you on the Sonic Foundry part they need to tighten things up and figure out some of the problems they're having, but I would hope they're working on it......I Hope.

See ya

BTW I do think it's a good program but it Seems to need some updates.

Subject:Fixed.
Reply by: SonicJG
Date:7/2/2001 10:29:18 AM

Not sure if anyone did send it via the 'product suggestion form', but we were already aware that a lot of people wanted this feature to work differently because of this thread--thanks for the feedback. This behavior will be changed so that once a user has chosen to Copy All Media with their project, the checkbox will persist with the project.

WRT my previous post above, and the replies that followed, I'd like it to be clear that I was clarifying the way the copy all media checkbox works with the present state of 3.0, and how to use it. When the 3.0a release comes out in a few weeks, this'll be fixed, so that hitting the Save button will 'just work' as it did with ACID 1 and 2.

Hope this helps.

-Joel

Subject:RE: Fixed.
Reply by: westside
Date:7/2/2001 6:34:55 PM

Joel.....Thanks..I knew that it would be an easy thing to do for those of us who bitched.

Appreciate it.


westside

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