Where to put working files?

[danaltick]

After reading up through chapter 4, I'm confused as to where I should place my working files after downloading them from my camera.  I'm assuming they do not go directly into a bucket, and if not, where do they go while performing initial CR3 and Bridge work; and at what time do they finally go into a bucket?  Thanks.

[peterkrogh]

I should have fleshed that out a little more. Here's what I do:

I have a Working Files folder with several subfolders that indicate the current state of the images as they move through the workflow.  All these folders live inside one folder labeled "WorkingFiles"  It gets a nightly backup across the network, and a weekly backup to a swappable drive that lives offsite. ( I will backup to the weekly backup drive the first time I download the files, so that there are three copies of the files right away.)  Inside the WorkingFiles folder are four other folders:

1RAW  Has the Original Files as they came off the camera
2Renamed They get moved to the second folder once they get renamed.  While they are in here they get metadata, CR adjustments and Rank and File
3Ready_for_DNG Once they have been adjusted and had bulk metadata, they move to this folder, on deck for conversion to DNG
4Converted holds two main folders, DNG and NEF.  Both the DNG and NEF files live in this folder until they have been transfered to the archive and backed up to a second Hard Drive.  I then toss the RAW files

I also have another folder outside the WorkingFiles folder that is labeled Transferred to Archive.  The DNG files will sit in here until I have burned the DVD.  This way, I know that I have at least 3 versions of the files on at least 3 different hard drives.

Clear it up?
Peter

[danaltick]

Yes that clears it up pretty weil.  Couple of questions though:

1) Soundls liike you do archive and backup your NEF files in addition to your DNG's, please explain?

2) You burn your DNG files to DVD from your "Transferred to Archive" folder; however, do they get burned again when their archive bucket fills up?

[peterkrogh]

1) Soundls liike you do archive and backup your NEF files in addition to your DNG's, please explain?

Read the above more carefully.  I toss the RAW files after I make the DNGs.

2) You burn your DNG files to DVD from your "Transferred to Archive" folder; however, do they get burned again when their archive bucket fills up?

No.  I don't burn the DVD until the bucket fills up.(As a matter of fact, I generally don't burn until I have several to do.) This is why I keep them in the "Transferred to Archive "folder for a while.  Until they are burned to DVD,  the files live in:
1. The Primary Archive
2. The Hard Drive Backup of the Primary Archive.
3. The Transfered to Archive folder on the workstation

Peter

[danaltick]

From #4 above it sounds like you backup both the DNG and NEF's to the primary archive, then toss the NEF's; which means you would have to delete the NEF's out of the Transferred folder and the current primary bucket....still confused...sorry.

[peterkrogh]

The Transferred Folder is temporary storage on the Workstation.  Files get deleted after they are transferred to the Archive.

Peter

[danaltick]

4Converted holds two main folders, DNG and NEF.  Both the DNG and NEF files live in this folder until they have been transfered to the archive and backed up to a second Hard Drive.  I then toss the RAW files

When you say they, do you mean NEF & DNG or just DNG.  That's where I'm confused.  Thanks.

[peterkrogh]

Sorry, They refers to just the DNG. (Full disclosure: I am keeping some RAW files, but only because I need them for demo purposes.  If I was not going to be traveling around demonstrating these techniques, then I would not be keeping any).
Peter

[danaltick]

Ok, great.  Moving on to Chapter 5 now.  I'm already fluent with CS2 and the Bridge, so I'm really looking forward to this chapter.  Might have a few questions afterwards.
By the way, I use a PC and use this backup utility http://www.genie-soft.com/products/gbmpro/default.html.  I actually chose it over Retrospect.  I continue to be impressed by it.  It does a great job with mirroring, incrementals with rollback, and differentials.

[peterkrogh]

Do you want to start a new thread in Software about Backup software for PC? (Even if it's just this one post, that would be helpful.)
Peter

[danaltick]

Yes I will start a new thread on this first chance I get.

[danaltick]

Do you backup the Transfer Folder that contains the DNG's?

[peterkrogh]

THe Transferred to Archive folder lives outside the Working Files folder and is therefore not backed up.  But at this point files are on the primary archive and the backup archive, so this is the third place.

[danaltick]

Makes sense.  Thanks allot.

[danaltick]

Actually I do have one more question on this topic.  Sense in effect the Working Files and Transfer Files folders are living folders, with new files siphoning through all the time, I would assume that you would be selectively deleting files from these folders rather than cleaning the folders out completely.  Therefore, you would need to be careful about the files you remove....correct?