Don't open multiple projects at once: Premiere 2018

[larryc53227652]

Just updated Premiere and I'm seeing a feature that I really disliked about FCP - the fact that you open multiple projects at the same time.  I do find this occasionally useful, but not on a daily basis and really it ends up being more confusing and I can't always tell when I've completely closed an old project unless I quit and restart Premiere.

Is there a setting so that I only open one project at a time like the way it used to be?

The way it used to be was perfect for me, but now it would require multiple steps to either start a new project or open a different project if I already have one open.

[joshroseca]

It would be very helpful if the multiple project feature were implemented with tabs at the top for each project, similar to how multiple files in Photoshop, Illustrator and Animate display multiple files that have been opened at the same time.

This inconsistency seems to be the real problem, and the ability to disable it is just a temporary fix.

[BrianDavison]

Absolutely! When I open a second project, half the time the project window appears at the top of my monitor, half cut off so i have no option but to close the window and then go and re-open the project window.

Why can't it just appear in the same frame next to my already existing project? Or at least appear somewhere in my monitor that make sense??

[R Neil Haugen]

Depending on the settings in your Preferences file, as to opening new things I think ... it might behave differently.

Whenever I open a second/third project, it opens as the last tab to the right in my Project panel. I suppose that's a 'safe' thing, but as that panel is normally not wide enough to show all the tabs, I have to scroll sideways or maximize to see it.

I would like it if they opened next to each other ... however ... I can see that would be very easy to drag/drop to the wrong project also.

Neil

[nlphoto1234]

It's a great feature to have for those who want to work this way, but it is confusing for those of us who are used to having project separation.  Would be great to have a preference to turn this off.

Submitting a feature request too.

[dbittermanEdge]

The thing that I greatly dislike is not the feature, it's actually been very handy, it's HOW it was implemented.

Like depending on which windows set/window I'm in it may just open that one floating pane for the new project or just change the current panel . It's very hard to tell which project you're in.

I wish there was a mode to toggle between 1 multiple project taking over the whole interface with some kind of tab system somewhere logical  (project panel maybe?), and then a "whatever the heck you want to configure your windows as" way like their is now. I also built a dual project layout like one of the adobe tut's suggested, but when I'm in that layout and open a new project it opens 2(!!!) of the new project.

Great idea, rushed implementation imo.

[R Neil Haugen]

Some good ideas there ...

Neil

[BrianDavison]

Absolutely. I'd settle for the new projects just opening in a consistent location. I guess that's what point releases are for.

Along the same lines, I really wish Premiere's sequence tabs would show the color of your sequence label the way FCP 7 used to do. I feel like that could at least help visually ID which sequence you're working on.

[R Neil Haugen]

Ooh ... that's a feature request in itself, it would SO delineate having multiple project panels open.

Neil

[wcn_dave]

This is such a pain, I've never had to visit the forum to report a bug so quickly after opening Premiere...

I opened a project to check something out, then wanted to start a new one.  However my new one had my old ones files / timeline etc.... So I thought something was really wrong.  Also, the "recent projects" wasn't working, it just kept opening the old one...

I can't see the project name at the top, as I use ctrl+\ to maximise my screen space.

After reading this forum, I found what happened...

I have a 4 screen set up, with 3 used for PP, left=project/browse/meta/info, middle = source/program/timeline, right= effects/effects controls/audio/history.

When doing new project, it created a project panel, on the very bottom of screen 3, just a few pixels showing.  This means opening a project gives me a completely new workspace.  I cannot see the name of the project at the top, I cannot restore the workspace, so the new feature is useless.

Also, instead of now doing file->recent->done, I now have to do file -> close, file -> recent.... two steps instead of one... so this update has messed up the feature it's intended to implement, and also the simple act of opening projects for everyone who didn't want it.

Great job Adobe, hate to think how your QC team operates...

[henley111]

I've been struggling with this too...transitioning from Elements. It seems to me that the secret is understanding the SEQUENCE frame and it's relationship to the PROJECT frame. I was switching projects and not sequences. This led to whole chunks of work being overwritten.

I finally figured out how to create a new sequence for the active project and call that sequence something with the project name in the title so I could tell what project I was in. Adobe was using a default title for the sequence coming from the source file, not the project name...I was doing a lot of work with the same source file in different projects so this led to much confusion. Notice that the rendered file takes the name of the sequence NOT the name of the project.

My suggestion for a fix is to make it so that a new project automatically creates an initial sequence that takes the project title - not the title of the first source file you put into it. Might be a little more intuitive....and for the pro's its easy to change/create new sequences with custom titles.

[studdmufin]

I know some people like it, others don't, some people say it's not that hard to close the projects. It's easy to say that, but I work at a college with student workers and they constantly open up multiple projects and import things into the wrong projects and get really confused because of this 'feature'. I have no problem with myself learning to close the project before hand, but even after instructing my students on the new feature a lot of them still don't quite get it. So please make it a feature I can enable or disable. Or make a dedicated 'open concurrent project' option in the file window. Better yet, when I open a project while another project is open simply ask, "would you like to close the current project you are working on or keep it open?"

Again I really like the feature for the stuff I'm typically doing, but from a new user/learning the program standpoint, it could be implemented in a cleaner/clearer manner.

[pp1995]

Thank you Adobe for implementing this feature. It is borderline essential for carrying over a FCP7 workflow into PPro, especially with larger projects and will be a HUGE help.

[damiand30436604]

In theory it's a nice added feature, but you stopped half way and didn't make it easy or obvious how to switch between projects. And it should have been a feature I can enable/disable in preferences. "Lots of people" doesn't mean you can force it down every user's throat.

[margaretc22015906]

The backlash is obvious, please disable this feature.  And while you're at it, can we go back to legacy title?

[BrianDavison]

Or ensure that it works properly / give people the option to turn it off.

Legacy titles is actually something I feel they handled very well. You can either use the new titler (which isn't perfect, but useful in many cases) OR use the legacy titler.  File > New > Legacy Title.  You're covered either way.

[Flavio S]

It's a great new feature! Closer to the great FCP7. But to be like that, every project would have to be opened inside the projects panel in a new tab (instead of floating like it is now) wouldn't that be great?

[JohnnyRandom]

Quite a few of you folks seem to be missing the point. The “feature” itself is fine, there simply needs to be a user option to turn it on or off.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Dreaming Films,

But to be like that, every project would have to be opened inside the projects panel in a new tab (instead of floating like it is now) wouldn't that be great?

You can do that! Just adjust your General Prefs for Bins.

Thanks,

Kevin

[margaretc22015906]

Is there video tutorial to help with best practice of this feature?  I'd love to incorporate it into my workflow but it seems to keep getting in the way. I have to close projects and cycle through my folders to open the new one.  I can never open just one project ect.  If I saw someone using it maybe it would be easier to wrap my head around. 

Thanks!

[R Neil Haugen]

Here's one bit they have on the help pages ...

Open multiple projects and share on a network |

Neil

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi MargaretC,

Is there video tutorial to help with best practice of this feature?

See if this assists you: Open multiple projects and share on a network |

Thanks,
Kevin

[BrianDavison]

Thanks for the link Kevin, what I have trouble with specifically is Premiere's penchant for creating duplicate multicam sequences.  Say I have a story producer stringing material out while I'm working on another sequence. We both have all the same footage and multicam sequences in our projects. If I open his project and copy/paste a sequence from his to mine, 9 times out of 10 it will create duplicates of multicam sequences that I already have in my project. Multiply this times several story producers and editors sharing sequences back and forth and projects quickly become a nightmare of folders where all the duplicates just get shoved out of sight.

In general, it won't duplicate the actual footage (thanks, XMP ID!) but the multicam sequences drive me crazy!

Am I doing something wrong here?

[jblo]

Here's a general thought for Adobe and ALL developers. New you introduce a NEW feature, try to make it a NEW feature, not a change to the way your long time users are used to working.

Why not make a "file>open additional project" option? Then the people who want the new feature get it, people who don't aren't forced to change their work flow. Everyone is happy.

I remember when apple changed "New Folder" keystroke to "New Network connection" or something like that. I spent months trying to remember that I had to take additional steps to do something I do dozens of times a day, all so i could now easily do something  do a couple times a month.

New function=new keystroke. Why is that so hard?

My 2 cents.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi JBlo,

Why not make a "file>open additional project" option? Then the people who want the new feature get it, people who don't aren't forced to change their work flow.

I like it. Let the devs know here.

Thanks,
Kevin

[brandont81978300]

Please make this feature optional. It is very annoying and confusing. Has never been necessary for me.