If files become offline while you are working on a project they will be marked in the Media panel, in the Viewer, and on any timelines where they are in use.
You will also be notified of any offline files when you open a project.
If a file goes offline you won’t lose anything from your project as long as you are able to relink it, even if the file has been used extensively on your timelines.
What Causes a File to Go Offline?
When you import a file to HitFilm a reference to the file is created in the form of a media asset. This reference tells HitFilm where to find the source file on your hard drive. Anything you do with the media asset in HitFilm will not affect the original source file – so you can delete, trim, cut and apply any number of effects to the media asset without altering the file on your hard drive.
HitFilm relies on being able to find the source file in its original location. If the source file is moved, deleted or renamed, HitFilm will not be able to find the file and the associated media will be marked as offline in your projects. If the file is on an external drive and the drive is unmounted, or if you change the names of folders in the file path to the file’s location, this will also cause the file to be marked as offline.
In the Media Panel, offline files will be displayed as shown below.
If one of the files used on your timeline goes offline, you will see it indicated on the viewer by a red box, as shown below.
If a file goes offline, all references to it on the timeline will remain intact, and continue to hold the exact details of which portion of the media was used, and when during the timeline’s duration it appears. There will be an [Offline] suffix added after the file’s name on the timeline until the file is relinked.
Relinking
There are several ways to relink a file, depending on the reason for the file going offline.
Restoring the Source File
Often the easiest way to relink a file is to restore the source file to its original state.
- If the file has been accidentally moved, return it to its original location.
- If it has been renamed, change the name back to the original.
- If it’s been accidentally deleted, restore it from the Recycle Bin.
- If the driver containing the file has been disconnected, reconnect the drive to your computer.
After a file has been restored to its original location on your computer, HitFilm will automatically detect it and bring the media asset back online.
Relinking Individual Files
Offline files can be relinked from the Media panel from the offline asset’s menu.
Clicking the Relink button displays a file browser which can be used to locate the file’s new location.
Batch Relinking
When you open a project it will be checked for any offline files. If any are found they will be listed in the offline files dialogue.
You can start relinking the offline files in the list by double-clicking on them. This will display a standard file browser which you can use to locate the file’s new location.
Each time you relink a file in the list HitFilm will check the other files to see if they can also be found at the new location. Therefore if you have deliberately moved an entire folder of video files you can relink them all by simply relinking just one.