A bundle is a list or a group together with every file that it uses. Send a bundle when the material must go to another location. It solves almost every case in which a show plays in one place and not in another.
Creating a bundle
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| The whole list | Choose File → Export…, then The whole list and A bundle |
| One group | Right-click the group header and choose Export group as bundle… |
| A selection | Select more than one line, right-click and choose Export selection as bundle… (n) |
The result is one .playoutbundle file in DocumentsUltimate PlayoutExports.
Opening a bundle
Drag the bundle onto the cue list, or choose File → Import…. The Import window asks for the playout and the place, or whether the bundle replaces the whole list. The program unpacks the media into DocumentsUltimate PlayoutBundles, and the cues refer to the unpacked copies. That is why a bundle plays at once on a computer that has no access to your server.
What it costs
Size. A bundle is as large as the media in it. A service with two video clips is a few hundred megabytes, and a playlist with eighty photos is usually too large for email.
Copies. The media is copied, so the same bundle on five computers means five copies. In one building that wastes space; between buildings it is the whole point.
When to use which
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Another location or another organisation | Bundle |
| A computer that is not on your network | Bundle |
| An archive of a show exactly as it was broadcast | Bundle |
| Daily work in your own building | A list or a group file |
| Two computers that use the same server | A list. There is then one copy of the media |
Practical notes
A bundle is the best archive. A list and a separate folder of media often no longer match after a year, but a bundle is one file that still plays.
Check the size before you send a bundle. Most mail systems accept up to 25 MB, so use a file-transfer service or a shared drive for a bundle.
Unpacking takes time, depending on the contents. Import a bundle the day before the service, not five minutes before it.
A bundle contains the media and the scenes that its cues use. A scene that already exists on the other computer is not changed, and the program shows a list of those scenes. The settings stay with the computer.