BROKEN: Drag sequence from project window to timeline

[brandonb96942845]

Confirmed with two separate project files. I can drag and drop media files onto the timeline just fine, but if there's a comp I want to drag to the timeline, I get the icon with the circle and the line through it. I had to downgrade the project file back to the previous version to work with it.

What the heck is wrong with Adobe's testers that they let an update roll out with this kind of problem?

[Ann Bens]

Did you source patch the track?

Reset preferences - Premiere Help

[brandonb96942845]

@Ann Bens Neither resetting my preferences nor source patching helped. This functionality is BROKEN, and it brings my entire workflow to a standstill.

[Ann Bens]

I cannot reproduce on W11.

Import project into a new one.

[brandonb96942845]

I don't see how, I experience the issue on both W10 and W11, using the same project files (multiple project files on each machine).

[brandonb96942845]

Tried importing into a new project too. Same result.

Let's skip the usual "Tier I" solutions (because I've tried all of those and a lot more), and accept that I've stumbled onto a bug. Let's focus more on figuring out what's behind it than trying to fix it with the same generic steps we try for every problem.

[Michael Grenadier]

never a good idea to skip the basic troubleshooting steps...   Is this a behavior that was working properly at one time?  Have you done any Premiere or OS updates recently?  If so, revert to the previous version that was working without issue.    

It is unrealistic to expect adobe to be able to test every possible variation in hardware, OS and other software that may be installed on every system.  Back in the early days of non-linear computer based editing, avid controlled all the hardware and software and recommended that you do not install any other software on your system.  It was a true turnkey solution down to the cables connecting the drives, monitors, etc.  And when there was an update, sometimes there were issues on some (but not all) systems.  

[Michael Grenadier]

sorry, just re-read your initial post saying you had to downgrade the project file to continue working on it.  What version of Premiere is showing the problem?  If you revert to a previous version of Premiere that's a minor update, you shouldn't have to "downgrade" the project file.  

[Michael Grenadier]

also, can you doubleclick on a sequence in the project panel to load it into the timeline rather than dragging it?  

[Michael Grenadier]

and when you say "comp" in your initial post, are you referring to a sequence or something else?

[brandonb96942845]

Sorry, I've been working with AfterEffects too long; I'm too used to thinking of them as "comps" rather than "sequences." I meant to say "sequences"--when I try to drag a sequence from the project window down to the timeline, I get the icon of the hand with a circle and line, and it doesn't do anything. I've tried holding it there for a few minutes to see if maybe it was thinking about it, to no avail. The second I release the mouse, it goes right back to idling.

This problem didn't appear until the Premiere Pro 2023 update that was released within the last day or two; before that, Premiere 2023 could be slow, but I never had any actual trouble doing this. So whatever the problem is, this absolutely has to do with the update that came out yesterday. I've verified it on two machines, one Windows 10 and one Windows 11, both using identical versions of PRPRO, with two very different different project files. So I feel reasonably certain we can rule out anything that has to do with the project files--one of them was created with Premiere 2021, and has been upgraded through Premiere 2022 and now 2023, but the other was native to 2023 to start with.

Technically you're correct in that I didn't have to downgrade the project file, but as I said Premiere 2023 is a lot slower than 2021 already, so I was already a little irritated, and when this happened I downgraded every PRPROJ and AEP so they'd be compatible with 2021. Yes this isn't a thread about performance issues, but I have to at least mention that where Premiere 2023 lags horribly when dealing with large project files (to the point of near-unuseability), once downgraded the same projects are butter-smooth in Premiere 2021. So there's that on top of all this.

When I double-click a sequence in the project file, it doesn't load into the timeline, it opens it in a new tab on the timeline window. I have tried source-patching it, but the result is the same: whether it's coming from the Project window or the Source window, it won't go into the timeline.

I CAN, however, drag and drop media files with no issue.

The result is also the same if:

* If I try to drag a sequence into the timeline that's already there; I can copy and paste the one in the timeline already but it won't accept the new one I'm trying to drag and drop

* If I create a new comp, open it, and try to drag another comp down from the Project window onto its timeline

* If I create two new comps, and try to drag one onto the other's timeline

[Michael Grenadier]

wait, the behavior your seeing is the correct behavior as far as I know.  Oops, just checked and you can drag a sequence into another timeline... just never did it.    It is working fine for me, just have never worked that way.  However, you can load a sequence into the source monitor and then edit it into the timeline as a workaround.  you can choose whether you want the sequence as a nest or as all the individual clips.  see the attached screengrab.    sorry if I'm missing something here.  a little overwhelmed with work and have to leave for a meeting in a few minutes...  

[brandonb96942845]

Well, I've worked that way for close to 10 years, and this is the first time it's failed to actually work correctly. I'm sorry you can't reproduce it but it's not working correctly for me. And as I believe I already mentioned, I've tried source patching already, and that's not working either.

Please read my comments thoroughly so you don't repeat something I've already tried.

[brandonb96942845]

If I deselect the icon and set it to individual clips instead of sequences, that works, but I depend on being able to nest sequences for several critical projects, and it's not workable to swap one method out for another.

So folks, please stop telling me alternatives or workarounds I could use. I need this functionality to work.

[Michael Grenadier]

Did you try loading the Sequence in the source monitor? If you're not
interested in workarounds, I'll stop..but there are a couple of other
things to try.. I'm out of the edit room for a few hours so can't test
anything myself. Just suggest you ask anyone else experiencing this issue
to upvote it.

[Stan Jones]

Brandon,

I am Win10 on 23.4.0, and also tested on 22.6.4. I have no difficulty dragging a sequence into another sequence, which is nesting that sequence into another one. With one exception, I cannot find any way to STOP any other sequence from being added. (Same vs different formats, framerates; track targeting; etc)

The exception is that I cannot drag the same sequence into itself. This is as expected, since that sequence, if it were nested, would be dependent on itself. And yes, toggling the "nests or clips" allows the same sequence to be added, but it is not nesting that sequence, it is adding the actual clips.

This limitation applies to any other sequence that is dependent on the one I am nesting into. So for example, if I create Sequence 1 out of a clip, and then drag Sequence 1 to the new icon, I create a new Sequence 2 which has Sequence 1 nested in it. I can nest Sequence 1 into Sequence 2 again, since Sequence 1 changes independently from Sequence 2. But I CANNOT nest Sequence 2 into Sequence 1, because it is dependent on Sequence 1.

So look at that possibility.

If that is not it, then it does not absolutely rule out a bug, but it is more likely that there is something else amiss.

I'll just note that because this update involved a move to the new Text-based editing, I reset preferences and cleared the media cache when I opened it the first time. I often used the nuclear delete all the cache files and the folder in Documents. But this time, I just used the new reset popup.

Stan

[brandonb96942845]

@Stan Jones since you apparently think I don't know how to use Premiere, please see this screen capture that I provided to Adobe:

https://youtu.be/Gy79HCQU4ao

Not everyone who reports a problem with a piece of software is a complete idiot. I don't care if you can't re-create the bug--I'm seeing it on two separate machines, with two project files created under two entirely different scenarios, plus new projects created natively in post-update Premiere 2023. I've tried every consumer-facing solution I can think of, including multiple ways to clear caches and preferences, and the issue persists.

So instead of questioning my very competence why don't you turn your attention towards helping solve the problem?

[Stan Jones]

brandon,

Sorry I offended you. I answered the way I did because I think you DO know what you are doing. I have seen many bugs where I couldn't find a way to replicate them. And I realize how frustrating this is that a proven workflow for you is suddenly not working.

In the video, I especially liked your showing that a new sequence could not be included.

Stan

[Ann Bens]

As i said before tracks need to be source patched to be able to insert.

Your track are NOT patched.