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dparsons85
dparsons85
Legend
February 26, 2020
Answered

Dependencies > Collect Files - Grabs files and comps that aren't being used

  • February 26, 2020
  • 4 replies
  • 10910 views

I'm trying to use the Collect Files function but it keeps including files and comps that it should omit. 

 

I tried Collect Files > For Selected Comps > Generate Report Only and it reported that I used files that were not in the comp I had selected (or any precomp within that).

 

I also tried Collect Files > For Selected Comps > Reduce Project and it collected a bunch of comps and files that were not in the sequence I had selected. 

 

Any idea why this might happen?

Thanks!

Correct answer Warren Heaton

Try doing a Save As of the full project (File > Save As).

 

In the resulting project, select the Comp(s) you want to keep and do a Reduce Project (File > Dependencies > Reduce Project...).  The result should contain only the Comps and footage being used.  Save to update the changes.

 

Then do the Collect Files (File > Dependencies > Collect Files...).  When done, you can delete the first Save As project.

4 replies

Warren Heaton
Community Expert
Warren HeatonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 15, 2021

Do a Save As from your main project.  Add something descriptive to the tail of the project name.  (This file can be deleted later as it's just created to preserve the main project.)

Select what you want to keep and Reduce.

 

The organization within the project will be mainted.

 

Save.

 

Then do the Collect.


Any source footage will be copied to a (Footage) folder in the resulting Collect folder and this will not mirror how the files were organized in the Finder/Explorer.  If there were folders in yout project, you'll find subfolders in the (Footage) folder with matching names

 

So, organization inside the AEP remains, organization outside the AEP does not.

 

Warren Heaton
Community Expert
Warren HeatonCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
February 27, 2020

Try doing a Save As of the full project (File > Save As).

 

In the resulting project, select the Comp(s) you want to keep and do a Reduce Project (File > Dependencies > Reduce Project...).  The result should contain only the Comps and footage being used.  Save to update the changes.

 

Then do the Collect Files (File > Dependencies > Collect Files...).  When done, you can delete the first Save As project.

    dparsons85
    dparsons85Author
    Legend
    March 5, 2020

    Thanks Warren! That seemed to do the trick.

     

    This confirms that the Reduct Project function within Collect Files isn't working correctly. Frustrating for sure but at least we have a workaround now. 

    clauderozsa
    clauderozsa
    Known Participant
    January 15, 2021

    Good morning,

    I have a question which concerns the option "reduce project" in dependencies. Supposing I have 2 comps in the project and a few images and videos in it. Having completed my project I want to keep only in a final edition only comp A and the images used in it. If I use the option reduce project, will it keep the initial structure with the two comps and images and create a new folder with the selected comp I choose to consider the final project, or will it erase from the disk the comp and images I decided to eliminate from the initial project composition?

    Thanks

    Claude

    R
    Community Expert
    Rick GerardCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 27, 2020

    Try selecting only the comps you want to copy in the Project Panel. 

    dparsons85
    dparsons85Author
    Legend
    February 27, 2020

    That's what I was doing, I only had one comp selected in the Project Panel when I collected the dependencies.

    OussK
    Community Expert
    OussKCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 27, 2020

    may you have some expression linked to the comps that are not used by the comp you try to collect, so are you sure you don't have expression? 

    dparsons85
    dparsons85Author
    Legend
    February 27, 2020

    No, there's definitely not any expressions linking them.

     

    Little bit more context: I'm working on a series that uses a lot of templates that we made in AE (premade transitions and elements) so I always import that Graphic Elements AE project when I start a new video. It's comps and files used in those templates that are being included in the Collect Files function.

     

    I actually did some tests and am getting two different results.

    First test:

    • Made a new project
    • Made two comps in the Project Panel
    • Imported two images
    • Put one of the images in one of the comps and tried Collect Files for that comp
    • This worked exactly as it should, it only collected the come I had selected and the one file that was in that comp.

     

    Second Test:

    • Made a new project
    • Made one comp in the Project Panel
    • Imported one image and put it in the new comp
    • Imported the AE Graphic Elements project 
    • Tried collecting files for the comp with the single image in it
    • This did not work correctly and many comps and files from the Graphic Elements project were collected

     

    Let me know what you think. Thanks!

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