Inputting and Outputting Media > Clip Input/Output Using a VTR >
Capturing Proxies Only

On HD-capable workstations, you may create projects with proxy management options set to generate proxies for HD clips. One finishing or digital intermediate workflow is to capture HD video and then unlink the high-resolution media. This workflow provides lower-resolution media that you can interact with more quickly while creating effects and editing sequences. Once your effects and sequences are complete, you relink the high-resolution media so you can output your high-resolution masters. See Unlinking and Relinking Media and Clips.

Rather than capturing high-resolution media, generating proxies, and then unlinking the high-resolution media, you can capture only proxies. In this case, the high-resolution media is captured, proxies are generated, but the high-resolution media is discarded. As a result, much less space is required on the framestore.

You work with the proxies to do most of your creative work, such as visual effects and edit sequences. When they are complete, you recapture the media so you can output the masters. Some creative procedures, however, such as colour correction, cannot be reliably completed using only a proxy reference. You need full resolution clips to successfully finish these tasks.

To capture proxies only:

1. Open the Input Clip menu.
2. Enable Proxy Only.

If your proxies are set to be generated as a post process, you can see an estimated time required for proxies generation in the message bar. You can abort this process at any time by clicking anywhere on the screen. When you click the screen, a message appears asking you to confirm the operation. Only the captured media that corresponds to completed proxy generation is preserved. Any captured frames for which no proxies have been generated are purged.