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How to start an application so that network shares are displayed as volume names and not just the drive letter?
Hi,
I'm successfully using network shares with my MS windows PC Avid Media Composer editing software. Unfortunately local volumes have their names displayed within the software next to their drive letters, whilst network shares only display their drive letter (no volume name displayed). I would like network drives to display their volume names in Avid, alongside their drive letters, like local disks do.
I've used server products (e.g. Editshare) that have client software which some how modifies the starting of the edit application so that some script or other is run and once up and running the editing application displays as outlined above (volume name and drive letter shown for network share).
Is there a script or dos batch file I can run so that I launch the Avid software with the above available?
As you can see in the attached jpeg only drive letters are displayed for network mounts.
avid.jpg
I'm successfully using network shares with my MS windows PC Avid Media Composer editing software. Unfortunately local volumes have their names displayed within the software next to their drive letters, whilst network shares only display their drive letter (no volume name displayed). I would like network drives to display their volume names in Avid, alongside their drive letters, like local disks do.
I've used server products (e.g. Editshare) that have client software which some how modifies the starting of the edit application so that some script or other is run and once up and running the editing application displays as outlined above (volume name and drive letter shown for network share).
Is there a script or dos batch file I can run so that I launch the Avid software with the above available?
As you can see in the attached jpeg only drive letters are displayed for network mounts.
avid.jpg
Do they show up with names in windows explorer or just "name on server" ? Aside from what has been said it is the software doing it, there is no volume name for a network drive so nothing for it to read unless it chooses to identify and show the share name etc.
Steve
Steve
ASKER
In my computer they have the path listed next to the drive letter as I recall is the normal windows convention.
The Avid software behaves as highlighted above left to itself but the editshare software does run some kind of a script on samba smb shares.
The Avid software behaves as highlighted above left to itself but the editshare software does run some kind of a script on samba smb shares.
If you look into your own screenshot - do you see standard wimdows dialog for file selection? I dont...
ASKER
That's not windows explorer that is avid's own interface....
Yes, and it is broken, and only avid can fix it.
ASKER
So how come the editshare connection manager starts the application in a modified way and displays as described. The avid exe is the same. Editshare volumes appear as above if the application is started normally. There appears to be a way of starting the application some elevated or altered state.
Yes, it is possible to hook DLLs from office 2012 or Windows NT4 and modify WINDOWS FILE SELECTORS that way.
It absolutely does not work with custom file selectors ever.
It absolutely does not work with custom file selectors ever.
ASKER
OK so some background for you. The editshare share connection manager connects to a samba server. Within the es software you have to browse and set the avid exe file. To launch the avid software you do this by selecting launch avid. So the avid application is being started by the connection manager. At this point the behaviour within avid is as desired and set out above.
Edit share do not offer their own flavour of avid but rather takes the application and adds something to the startup.
Editshare and avid are competitors and to my knowledge this is not the result of friendly collaboration. Rather some cleverness on editshares part.
Does that help you?
Edit share do not offer their own flavour of avid but rather takes the application and adds something to the startup.
Editshare and avid are competitors and to my knowledge this is not the result of friendly collaboration. Rather some cleverness on editshares part.
Does that help you?
Pobably editshare emulates volume name from network share name. Again it has to be enhanced by avid to work without any extra tools.
ASKER
Gheist there is no collaboration between avid and editshare. What you're suggesting indicates that something external (ie edit share) is manipulating something and passing it to avid.
So do you have an idea how this might be done. I'm getting a sense of frustration on your part but please don't feel pressured to persist if this is beyond your knowledge.
Thanks.
So do you have an idea how this might be done. I'm getting a sense of frustration on your part but please don't feel pressured to persist if this is beyond your knowledge.
Thanks.
Yes, you can tell avid what you want as their paying customer. Otherwise they will not change anything.
ASKER
Gheist. I'm going to close this question as unanswered.
I'm sorry you can't help but I'm not interested in politics but rather a logical understanding of a complex situation.
I'm sorry you can't help but I'm not interested in politics but rather a logical understanding of a complex situation.
There is nothing complex. If avid fixes the software you do not need any custom loader to launch it.
ASKER
Please just stop.
It looks like the Editshare Connect software does a lot to alter the behavior of Windows Drive mapping.
http://www.editshare.com/about/about-us/press/item/155-pr-editshare-storage-v7
I don't know exactly what they're modifying to do this though, and they're unlikely to say, since it's a selling point of their software. Could someone else do it? Most likely, if they sat down and spent the time and money to figure it out, although it's unlikely it's as simple as a script. Has anyone else done this? Not as far as I can tell.
You can look into some of the alternate linking tools in windows like SUBST and mklink to see if either of those have the effect you want.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUBST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_letter_assignment#Floating_drive
http://www.editshare.com/about/about-us/press/item/155-pr-editshare-storage-v7
As the name suggests, “Project Profiles” provide administrators and users with the ability to construct project-based profiles that permit the speedy mounting of just the Media Spaces – or network volumes – required for a particular assignment. Often, if editors are working on several different projects, they might be members of tens or even hundreds of media spaces, and mounting the right spaces for the right project can be a time consuming and error prone process. “An added benefit of Project Profiles is that they allow administrators to implement consistent drive letter mapping on Windows,” adds Liebman. “This means all users always mount the same spaces with the same letter. This is essential for some NLEs and their plug-ins.” - See more at:
I don't know exactly what they're modifying to do this though, and they're unlikely to say, since it's a selling point of their software. Could someone else do it? Most likely, if they sat down and spent the time and money to figure it out, although it's unlikely it's as simple as a script. Has anyone else done this? Not as far as I can tell.
You can look into some of the alternate linking tools in windows like SUBST and mklink to see if either of those have the effect you want.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUBST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_letter_assignment#Floating_drive
ASKER
Thanks. I've been keeping an eye on susbt.
Will check out the other.
Thanks.
Will check out the other.
Thanks.
ASKER
Hi marsilies,
A bit of a long shot but woudl you care to look at:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28632928/Is-it-possible-to-make-a-batch-file-at-startup-to-set-a-custom-disk-label-for-persistent-network-shares-windows-PC.html
thanks
A bit of a long shot but woudl you care to look at:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28632928/Is-it-possible-to-make-a-batch-file-at-startup-to-set-a-custom-disk-label-for-persistent-network-shares-windows-PC.html
thanks
Unfortunately, I don't really know much about scripting, nor that much about the utilities I suggested. I can't be much further help.
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ASKER
Limitation in SUBST that label is inherited on all drives if the primary drive is labelled, however Avid App won't label subsequent drives in its file explorer etc unless the main drive is labelled. Talk about vicious cycle.
You can ask avid t improve, code limitations just cannot be addressed by scripts and hooks