Adding media to a library
To add media to a Catalyst Prepare library, you can copy clips from folders or devices attached to your computer, or you can choose to add clips without copying them to your computer.
To add a local folder to the library without copying clips, click the Bin button 
at the bottom of the Catalyst Prepare window in Organize mode, choose Create from folder, and browse to a folder on your computer. The folder and any clips in the folder are added to the current library.
When you edit a clip that is not included in the current library, the metadata is saved to the library without modifying the original clip. The clip is added to the Automatically Added bin. The following actions will add a clip to the Automatically Added bin in the current library:
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Changing in/out points.
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Adjusting color correction.
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Editing metadata.
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Editing audio channel assignments.
When browsing your clips, a badge is displayed in grid mode 
or list mode 
to identify clips that are included in the current library. Click the badge to display more information about the clip.
Clip lists and spanned clips are not supported in Catalyst Prepare libraries.
Copying media from a device
Copying media allows you to import clips from cameras or decks to your computer, to another camera or deck, or to a centralized storage device.
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Click the Organize button at the top of the Catalyst Prepare window.
The Places pane on the left side of the Catalyst Prepare window displays a list of the decks, cameras, and card readers that are connected to your computer.
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Click the Library button
to choose the library where you want to add media (or create a new library). -
Select a device in the Devices list to display its media.
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Select the media clips you want to import.
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Click a file to select it.
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Hold Shift and click the first and last file you want to select to select a range of files.
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Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) to select multiple files.
Click the Select button
to select multiple files without using keyboard modifiers.
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Click the Copy button
at the top of the Catalyst Prepare window. -
Use the Copy pane to choose a destination for your files.
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Choose how you want to copy the selected clips:
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Select Copy clips to library to copy the clips from your device to your computer and add them to the current library. The clips will be copied to a timestamped folder (YYYY-MM-DD hh.mm.ss) in the library (_cpreplib) folder.
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Select Copy clips to custom destination if you want to choose where to copy the clips when adding them the current library. Click the Browse button to choose a folder, and select the Create subfolder check box if you want to copy the selected clips to a named or timestamped subfolder in the destination.
The Create subfolder check box is not available when copying to a known folder structure.
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Select the Add to bin check box and choose a bin from the drop-down list if you want to copy the clips to a bin in the selected library (or create a new bin). For more information, see "Organizing media in a library."
The Add to bin check box is not available when copying from a library.
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If you want to rename files, select the Rename files check box. Renaming ensures that source files will not be overwritten.
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Type a string in the Prefix box if you want to start all file names with the same text.
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Choose a setting from the Numbering drop-down list to indicate whether you want to number clips or use their original file names.
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Type a string in the Suffix box if you want to end all file names with the same text.
For example, if you wanted to name clips using a convention such as Commercial_001_Camera1.mxf, you would type Commercial_ in the Prefix box, choose 3 digits from the Numbering drop-down list, and type _Camera1 in the Suffix box.
If you're exporting a still-image sequence for use in an editor that has specific file-naming requirements, you can use the Rename files controls to ensure your exported files are compliant with your editor's requirements.
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Select the Copy all related media check box if you want to copy all media related to the selected clips (metadata.proxy clips, and extra files).
When SR Live metadata source is set to External file in the Options pane, .srm files are not included with the copy operation. For more information, see "SR Live for HDR settings."
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Select the Copy clips only radio button if you want to copy only full-resolution clips.
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Select the Copy proxy only radio button if you want to copy only proxy-resolution clips and all media related to the selected clips (metadata.proxy clips, and extra files).
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Select the Copy only between mark points check box if you want to copy only the media between the in and out points. For more information, see "Marking in and out points for playback."
If you've logged mark in and out points, partial copying is not supported for some clip formats. Those clips will be transcoded using the Default transcode format setting in Options. For more information, see "Marking in and out points for playback" or "Editing Catalyst Prepare options."
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Select the Close growing files check box if you want to close growing MXF files generated by Sony decks when copying is complete.
When you're copying via FTP from Sony decks, growing files are closed automatically, and the check box is always selected. If you're copying from a local drive, you can select the check box to close growing files or clear the check box to copy the files without closing them.
If the copy destination is an FTP device, copied MXF files are not converted to closed files.
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Select the Embed NRT metadata check box if you want to embed non-real-time metadata from an XML sidecar file into an MXF file.
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Select the Copy with verification check box if you want to verify clips as they are copied.
The Copy with verification controls are not available when the source or destination volume is an FTP device or when the destination volume is a Professional Disc Drive unit.
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Choose a setting from the Verification mode drop-down list to choose whether you want to verify the write operation only or also verify reading the source file.
Verify read/write is not available when the source volume is a Professional Disc Drive unit.
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Choose a setting from the Hash type drop-down list to choose the method (MD5, SHA1, CRC32, or xxHash64) that will be used to verify your copied clips.
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Click the Copy button to copy the selected clips and add them to your library.
Progress is displayed in the activity pane at the top of the Catalyst Prepare window. Each copy job can contain multiple files if you have multiple files selected in step 2 above. If you have multiple jobs queued, a separate progress indicator is displayed for each job.
The imported clips will be available in Organize mode in the folder you selected above.
Adding media from a device without copying
If you want to include clips in your library without copying the files to your computer, you can drag them from the device to a library bin.
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Click the Organize button at the top of the Catalyst Prepare window.
The Places pane on the left side of the Catalyst Prepare window displays a list of the decks, cameras, and card readers that are connected to your computer.
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Click the Library button
to choose the library where you want to add media (or create a new library). -
Select a device in the Devices list to display its media.
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Select the media clips you want to add to the library.
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Click a file to select it.
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Hold Shift and click the first and last file you want to select to select a range of files.
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Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) to select multiple files.
Click the Select button
to select multiple files without using keyboard modifiers.
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Drag the clips from the middle pane to a bin on the left side of the Catalyst Prepare window.
You can also drag clips from the Organize pane to a bin or storyboard in the Places pane.
The device's clips are added to the library and are identified with a badge when you browse your device in grid mode
or list mode .