Some time ago I read that it would help to operate Pinnacle Studio if I were to disconnect from the internet, shut down stuff that was not required and use a dedicated hard drive so I did that and purchased an extra 500GB hard drive.
I then thought that I should check where my video files were so I opened my new drive named "F" and saw the following.
A number of yellow files as follows:
1. Pinnacle Studio which contained: Auxiliary Files, Data, My Disc Images and My Projects. I understood what those were.
2. Brian which I had created to move my video and photographs from the C Drive and this contained: My videos, My Pictures, Photographic slide shows and 3. My Music. I understood the content of the last three.
However, when I opened My Videos I found three yellow files called:
4. Creativity fun packs which I understood.
5. DivX Movies which was empty.
6. Narration which was also empty.
There were also 20 files looking like a white box with the top right hand corner turned over and a blue centre with a gold ten marked. The first was called video 1 .avi.index INDEX File 14 KB. All those that I opened showed the last project I made and I wonder why so many?
There were three files that looked like a can of film with a musical note in gold to the left marked the first of which was marked Video 5.avi ATI File Player 517,024 KB
I opened this and it was a video that my wife shot with her camera and which I had loaded onto the computer.

I then went into My Documents on my C drive and opened MY videos and found three yellow files marked Creativity Fun Packs, DivX Movies and Narration. There were also over 80 icons which looked like a sheet of white paper with the top right hand corner turned over a blue centre and 10 in gold. The first was marked Video 1.avi.A.index. I opened these and all of them were copies of my last project. There were also a number icons which were just a full icon of blue. I opened one of these and it opened my last project in ATI. There were also a number of still pictures which were a part of a video.
I then looked at Pinnacle Studio on my C Drive and found one PSP icon in blue with a gold 10 with its accompanying grey "My Movie" icon two ATI icons in the shape of a real of old movie film and two icons in the shape of a sheet of white paper with the top right hand corner turned down the first one called, "Title_1.mpg ATI File player 2,036,4141 KB. I opened all of these and found that thy were all the last project that I made.

I have a number of concerns:
7. I would like to move all the video stuff from my C Drive but I am worried what will happen.
8. I wonder why I have all of those copies of my last project in the files which look like a sheet of white paper with the top right hand corner turned over a blue centre and 10 in gold and is it possible to delete them without interfering with any of the projects. It all looks very untidy to me so any suggestions would help.

The ones that are index files can be safely deleted. The Div X Folder and the Narration Folder, if they are empty, can be deleted.

Auxialliary Files can be deleted within Studio under File/Delete Auxiallary Files. Studio will put extra files it needs for render in the folder where you tell it to put the rendered file and..when you render, you had a drive and place selected where auxialliary files would go.

For example, I have designated Drive F for my auxilliary files, so I have a folder called "Render" and this is what is inside.

See here where I designate F for this.

ImageShack - Hosting :: 01182008132709nf9.jpg

and here the contents of the file.

http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?i...8133919pw8.jpg


I could safely delete all these files now if I wanted.

Then my rendered files were specified to go to C Drive. So my rendered file is really the only file I need. Everytime you do stuff in Studio (and other programs do this too), they leave index files behind but these are not needed.

Where you will run into trouble, is if you want to edit something later, and you have moved your "source" files. Then Studio will prompt you to repoint. I've done this without thinking and sometimes I can't remember where I moved things.

I've just got a new computer and I've promised myself that I will be careful and place things properly to start with - we'll see how I do.

__________________
Alley
Pinhead Project

The ones that are index files can be safely deleted. The Div X Folder and the Narration Folder, if they are empty, can be deleted.

Auxialliary Files can be deleted within Studio under File/Delete Auxiallary Files. Studio will put extra files it needs for render in the folder where you tell it to put the rendered file and..when you render, you had a drive and place selected where auxialliary files would go.

For example, I have designated Drive F for my auxilliary files, so I have a folder called "Render" and this is what is inside.

See here where I designate F for this.

http://img258.imageshack.us/my.php?i...8132709nf9.jpg

and here the contents of the file.

http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?i...8132034cy7.jpg

I could safely delete all these files now if I wanted.

Then my rendered files were specified to go to C Drive. So my rendered file is really the only file I need. Everytime you do stuff in Studio (and other programs do this too), they leave index files behind but these are not needed.

Where you will run into trouble, is if you want to edit something later, and you have moved your "source" files. Then Studio will prompt you to repoint. I've done this without thinking and sometimes I can't remember where I moved things.

I've just got a new computer and I've promised myself that I will be careful and place things properly to start with - we'll see how I do.

__________________
Alley
Pinhead Project

Thanks for that. May I now submit a suplementary question?
When I was tidying up my files I found 17 files in a group called, "Index File" the first of which was called, "Video 1.avi.A.index.
The second group of files was in a group called, "SCN File" the first of which was called, "Video 1.scn"
Are these important or can I dump them?

I double checked with some other Studio experts - you can dump them. Everytime you open an avi in Studio, it will generate these extra files. So delete them, but if you open that file in Studio again, they will come back.

__________________
Alley
Pinhead Project

Hi Ally
No wonder newcomers get' Bamboozled', files here there and

Everywhere, fortunately using the 'control key' Down, while clicking the files for

deletion does at least pick them all up at once!

I just don't remember the early versions leaving as much 'Debris' around,

unless my memory is failing!

Regards Brian

Yes Brian, you are right. Studio does seem to leave a "dog's breakfast" of files all over the place.

I don't recall earlier versions leaving that many either. Big pain to delete them but I have become accustomed I guess.

How's Pinhead coming????

__________________
Alley
Pinhead Project