How can I archive the source material for a project?

Almost without exception, when you dub to a DV camcorder or deck it will write new timecode (beginning from zero or following on from whatever was previously written to a tape) rather than use the timecode of the original source. Although you can make perfect digital copies by hooking two camcorders (or a camcorder and computer) together with a FireWire cable, the copy will have different timecode, which unfortunately reduces its usefulness for making backups to restore a project from.

Using CatDV's Map Tape Offsets command, however, you can create a capture log that correctly refers to the location of clips on a copy that you might have made of your original master tapes. This can be particularly useful if you are consolidating the contents of more than one source tape.

For example, assume you have already used the techniques described earlier to help you log the contents of your source tape(s), scene by scene, and have created an editing project that contains all the clips you might possibly want to use:

1. Use your editing application to quickly review each scene and trim out any material you know you don't need. (At this stage, you are going for a very rough cut and should err on the side of including any material you are not sure about.)
2. Cut all the clips you are interested in to the program (i.e. to the timeline or sequencer, depending on the terminology used by your editing application). Place them all on a single track, and don't apply any filters or effects yet. You can also include any non-DV or computer-generated material at this stage, though of course it will need to be rendered. Doing so here has the advantage that you will then be able to batch capture it later!
3. Print this temporary program to tape, using a fresh blank tape. This will be your working master from now on and you can file away the original recording masters in a safe place.
4. Export an EDL for this temporary program from your editing application. Note down the start time of this EDL, or the time of a particularly obvious scene transition near the start of the program.
5. Review the program tape (your "working master") and note down the exact timecode that was actually recorded corresponding to the event you picked in your EDL (either the start or an obvious scene change).
6. Import the EDL you saved into CatDV and select the program clips from that EDL.
7. Use the Map tape offsets command and enter the original and new timecode values you noted earlier (from the EDL and program tape, respectively). Enter an identifier to identify your working master tape. This will update all the program clips to refer to the actual location of the clips on your new master tape.
8. Use the Export as submenu to export the modified program clips as a batch log and import the log into a new project in your editing application.
9. Batch capture the clips for the new project from your new working master tape and edit away!

This technique works particularly well if you are combining material from several tapes but the clips for all your rough cuts fit on a single working master tape, as it means all the material needed for that project is archived in one convenient place - and you have a backup of your precious recording masters! You can still use this technique if your working cuts span more than one tape but you would then need to split your temporary program by hand when you print to video.