Setup guide

Autodesk recommends using a properly configured and maintained XFS filesystem installed on Stone Direct
XR-series disk arrays.
Concepts and Terminology
If this is the first time you are configuring an Autodesk Visual Effects and Finishing filesystem, familiarize
yourself with the following key concepts.
If you are already familiar with these concepts, continue with Configuring your Application to Use the Media
Storage Filesystem on page 49.
Stone and Wire The software package that encompasses local management of media and the transferring
of media between Visual Effects and Finishing workstations. This package is installed automatically with
Visual Effects and Finishing applications.
Partition In Stone and Wire, a partition (also referred to as “volume”) is defined as a volume of media
storage. When creating a project, the Visual Effects and Finishing applications permanently associate it to
one of the available partitions. This association means that the project inherits the rules and media preferences
of the partition. You can define up to eight partitions.
Managed Media Media is said to be managed when the media assets, typically DPX files, are managed or
“owned” by the Visual Effects and Finishing application. The application deletes managed media it no longer
needs. All managed media is stored in a Managed Media Cache.
Unmanaged Media Unmanaged media refers to media assets that are used by, but not exclusively owned
by the Visual Effects and Finishing application. Soft-imported clips are an example of unmanaged media.
This is relevant in shared access workflows, where numerous applications are using the same media.
Unmanaged media is used in projects and clip libraries in the same way as managed media. However, the
application does not delete it when it is no longer needed.
Managed Media Cache A directory residing on a standard FS volume, to which all managed media is
written. This includes intermediates, imported media, captured video, audio, and proxies. Although the
Managed Media Cache can be accessed by standard operating system tools such as defragmentation and
backup tools, it is not meant to be accessed by any other application or user than the Visual Effects and
Finishing and Wiretap
®
applications.
Media Database The standard filesystem media database plays a central role in the management of media
residing on standard filesystems. It is responsible for mapping frame IDs to the location of the media on
disk. Database entries are created for all managed media and soft-imported media. There is one standard
filesystem media database file per volume.
Clip Library A clip library is a catalog maintained locally by its Visual Effects and Finishing application.
It is used, internally by the application, to store clip metadata, including frame IDs. The artist acts upon
portions of it indirectly, via the application User Interface.
Importing Importing media files (also called “hard-importing”) means that the media files become assets
inside the Managed Media Cache. If the files being imported reside on the same volume as the Managed
Media Cache, have the same size, and if the source media file format does not differ from the file format
defined by the media preferences for the volume, only hard links to the original media files are created. This
procedure is useful when the application manages DPX files captured to the SAN. Since hard links are used,
the source media assets can be deleted without affecting the imported media. Imported media is managed.
Soft-importing Soft-importing, an alternative to hard-importing, creates a clip that references unmanaged
media. That media typically resides on a SAN, where numerous applications can have equal access to it,
avoiding data duplication. If soft-imported media is overwritten, the clip referencing it is updated accordingly.
If soft-imported media is deleted, the clip referencing it displays a checkerboard pattern indicating that the
media files cannot be found. Inversely, if, in the Visual Effects and Finishing application, all clips referencing
media are deleted, the source media remains unaffected. Soft-imported media is unmanaged.
Publishing Publishing consists of exposing managed media to a location accessible by other applications.
Once published, the media is still being referenced in a clip library, just like any other clip, but automatically
48 | Chapter 8 Post Installation Tasks