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J
Joe Allen
Participant
October 12, 2021
Question

Generic importer error when reopening a project from July.

  • October 12, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 327 views

Have a rush job to make minor changes to a project from July. Reopening the project in 15.4.1 (I think it was in PP 2021, it doesn't ask to update) and some of the files are offline - for some reason, even though everything was in the same directory on the same drive, half the files are showing as "G" and half as "F". 

 

When I attempt to relink the footage files, (all are AVC .mp4, media info below) it gives me the generic import error. If I try and import that file into the existing project, it gives me a "not enough memory" error (64G RAM). If I try and import that project into a new project it imports as offline and gives the generic import error on relink.

 

If I import the files into a new project, they load just fine.

 

I've also tried deleting the media cache and downgrading the project file and opening it in 14.9 with the same problem.

 

General
Complete name : F:\agco ap\wpx video interviews\footage\Day 1\BrianRieck Flex-Flo XD Ultra Cam2 (1).mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (isom/mp42)
File size : 1 009 MiB
Duration : 2 min 55 s
Overall bit rate : 48.2 Mb/s
Performer : LM-V405
Encoded date : UTC 2021-06-09 13:13:56
Tagged date : UTC 2021-06-09 13:13:56
com.android.version : 9

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L5.1
Format settings : CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=30
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 2 min 55 s
Bit rate : 48.0 Mb/s
Width : 3 840 pixels
Height : 2 160 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 30.000 FPS
Minimum frame rate : 29.920 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 30.100 FPS
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.193
Stream size : 1 006 MiB (100%)
Title : VideoHandle
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2021-06-09 13:13:57
Tagged date : UTC 2021-06-09 13:13:57
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.2020
colour_primaries_Original : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.2020 non-constant
matrix_coefficients_Original : BT.709
mdhd_Duration : 175696
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 2 min 55 s
Source duration : 2 min 55 s
Source_Duration_FirstFrame : 48 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 156 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 3.27 MiB (0%)
Source stream size : 3.27 MiB (0%)
Title : SoundHandle
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2021-06-09 13:13:57
Tagged date : UTC 2021-06-09 13:13:57
mdhd_Duration : 175637

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Ann Bens
Community Expert
Ann BensCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 12, 2021

Issue is most likely cause by files being variable framerate.

J
Joe AllenAuthor
Participant
October 14, 2021

Thanks Ann. I'm suspicious of that too, although it causes plenty of other issues, this would be a new wrinkle. Got a client that shoots everything with cell phones, so I'm going to have to figure a workaround if it keeps happening. 

 

 

Jeff Bellune
Jeff Bellune
Legend
October 15, 2021
@Joe Allen wrote:

I'm going to have to figure a workaround if it keeps happening. 

 


Handbrake will convert the VFR footage to CFR for Pr.

C
Community Expert
Carlos ZiadeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 12, 2021

try to switch the renderer to software only from project settings

 

and better not use external drives for editing if you are doing so,

premiere pro is not much friends with external drives, use them 

for backups.

 

better not update premiere pro when still having pending projects,

wait until you get everything given to your clients, backup your files and update.

J
Joe AllenAuthor
Participant
October 14, 2021

Thank you Carlos.

 

Hadn't thought of switching between GPU/software. When I get some downtime, I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

 

Final workaround turned out to be:

  • Create a new project.
  • Import needed footage.
  • Import just the sequence to be modified from old project.

This is important, because I did it a couple ways and this is the only one that magically worked:

  • Select All from the timeline.
  • Right click and "Link Media".
  • Located the first thing in the list, which was a graphic that wasn't at issue.
  • Everything relinked, even the problem footage!
  • Profit! (or less loss considering I'm now 14 hours into a 2 hour job)

Ever other process I tried resulted in the "Generic Importer Error"  

 

External drives have been an essential part of my workflow for some time, though now they're SSD on Thunderbolt. I've never had issues worse than having to relink media, and losing previews and conformed audio.

 

I'm a firm believer in not updating until a project is closed, but this one was. Until they needed logos replaced out of the blue. We have to be able to revisit old projects, or we might as well save the drive space and not back them up. 

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