Dropbox Replay and Avid Media Composer

[Martin Julien]

It is essential to make Dropbox Replay compatible with Avid Media Composer

Adobe Premiere Pro is very useful for small and medium productions. DaVinci resolve is mainly used for color grading. Sometimes in editing. But when it comes to large productions, involving multiple collaborations such as VFX and compositing houses, using softwares like Nuke or Silhouette, we enter a different league. They all, without exception, use the MXF file format. So far, MC is the only software that does not use linked files. Everything is imported into a specific folder, transcoded into MXF, separated from the sources, which makes it the most stable system in the world. A solid rock.

For all these reasons, I strongly suggest that Dropbox Replay include Avid Media Composer in the list of compatible editing softwares.

Thank you, guys!
Martin Julien - Senior Post Production Editor

[Megan]

Thank you for sharing your idea.

We have looked into this, but it is not something we are actively working on at this time.

We regularly review these ideas, and we will keep you updated if this idea moves forward in the future.

[Nancy]

This idea is open.

If you like this idea, please share how this would help you, and vote to show your support.

Our top-voted ideas are shared with our product teams to investigate in our regular reviews.

[Martin Julien]

@Nancy 

Thanks to ask me for more details. Here they are...

How Dropbox Replay integration with Avid Media Composer could help me in my work.

1. Obviously what the integration already does with Premiere Pro should be identical (or almost...) in MC.

2. I would also add the possibility to see the comments directly in the window as it is already the case if you use the application outside an editing software.

3. New suggestion:

Frame io is less convenient than Dropbox Replay because it is not integrated with the software. However there is a very cool option in Frame io, the one that helps me the most as an editor. You can download an XML file for MC, containing all the comments. I can then import this file into the "Markers" window. And suddenly all the comments appear as markers on my timeline. Why is this so useful? With shortcuts, I can go directly from one comment to another. If it were available, it would be much better than Frame io because Dropbox Replay has its own interface. Giving me the ability to view not only comments but also drawings and everything else that's important in one place. I work with 4 screens... So this window would be permanently open in all my sessions. That's it!

So to summarize, the best of both worlds would probably look like this:

1. Comment, reply, draw, send a link, directly in the application.
2. See the comments in the window.
3. Create markers visible on the timeline.

Please vote if you like my ideas!
Martin

[chriswitt]

2nd'd.. I'd totally use Replay if I could get the comments out of the platform for use in Media Composer as I can with Frame.io. Seems like a no-brainer. 

[DTV]

As Head of Post for an advertising agency, I can confirm that my team of editors would use Dropbox Replay if integrated with Avid Media Composer. 

Are there plans to add Avid as a supported third party? 

[DragonRhino]

Yes please add. Crazy you aren't just creating a xml or marker list export that AVID supports as an export option. Really is the least amount of work to add an industry standard NLE into the mix.

[Martin Julien]

Thanks to all supporters of this idea. I've been hoping for tools like this for years. If we want to get the attention to make it happen, please make sure to circulate this request to as many people as you can by asking them to vote / comment / add ideas to get the perfect tool! Ask them to pass it on too!

Let's keep going!
Martin

[Robert_R]

I am happy to see that there is interest in this.  I have been trying to connect with someone at Dropbox for days to offer more information about the new Panel SDK in Avid Media Composer. 

If Nancy or anyone else on the Dropbox team has time, please reach out to me so I can get you set up as a partner.  I have an open ticket number with my contact info as well if that's easier.

Ticket #22882228: DB: Dropbox Panel in Avid Media Composer

Looking forward to hopefully speaking with someone soon and helping to make this integration happen.

[Megan]

Thank you for sharing your idea.

We have looked into this, but it is not something we are actively working on at this time.

We regularly review these ideas, and we will keep you updated if this idea moves forward in the future.

[Philip Kapadia]

It's another +1 from me. 

Support to export markers from Dropbox Replay to Media Composer would be an absolutely amazing feature. Avid Media Composer is the defacto industry standard and best editing system used by so many production teams; the current workarounds employed use tools like Frame IO, Screenlight, or Wipster which format .TXT files in a way Media Composer's marker panel understands.

This feature wouldn't be that difficult for Dropbox to implement... Let me explain.

Currently, Dropbox Replay plain TXTs are formatted like this: 

Dropbox Replay
test - V1
Philip removed

Comments

1 - Philip removed - Wed Mar 06 2024 00:08:38 GMT+0000 (Greenwich Mean Time)
00:06:19: Try changing this

Media Composer markers are formatted like this:

Philip removed 2022.12.7 00:00:02:23 V1 green This is a test 1
Philip removed 2022.12.7 00:00:03:18 V1 green test 1

All Dropbox would have to do is create a new template under 'Export Comments' called Avid Media Composer, and ensure the .TXT export is in the above format which the markers panel will be able to understand. 

Alternately, Dropbox could simply convert the CSV (Condensed) into .TXT format, as Media Composer's markers panel understands the condensed CSV formatting, but not the CSV file type.