I followed the instructions below to bring in some MXF files into a project to the letter. It did populate the bin with the MXF files but they all are OFFLINE. Any suggestions, im totally lost.

Thanks

IMPORT MXF FILES INTO MC

1. Place the MXF files into a new folder within the AvidMediaFiles/MXF folder (for instance: /Avid MediaFiles/MXF/2).
2. Launch media Composer and open a project.
3. Open the newly created folder in the Finder. Inside this folder, you will see a couple of new files created by Media Composer, in addition to the MXF files you manually added.
4. Drag the file called msmMMOB.mdb from the Finder into the project bin.
5. This should populate the bin with any MXF files contained in the folder. It may take time to convert the files to the project format

Where did you find those instructions? That last sentence makes no sense at all, since this process only drags the metadata for these clips into the bin -- no media conversion is triggered at all.

As for the rest: it is crucial that the Avid MediaFiles folder lives on the root of a drive or volume, not in any subfolder. Otherwise, the database brings in the clips, but MC won't be able to 'see' the corresponding media. (Unless you are using the system disk, in that case, media lives in 

(Windows) drive:\Users\Public\Documents\Avid Media Composer
•(macOS) /Users/Shared/AvidMediaComposer

I found it there:

https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/troubleshooting/Import-MXF-MC-Mac

The MEDIA FILES does live at the root of the drive. I managed to import those MXF files once but it seems I can't find the way to do it again. Do you have a way to bring in MXF files into a project?

Is this a different drive than where the operating system lives on?

Either way, the easiest way about this is to go into MC and generate some media, onto the drive you intend to use. Either generate some tone media or import a still. Then select the imported media in the bin, and choose file->reveal media. This should bring up the folder where MC has generated this media. Make sure to move those MXF's you are trying to bring in there.

I suggest opening the audio tool in MC. Right click the top right menu RP I think. 

Choose create tone media. 

Ensure the internal drive is selected. 

Click OK. 

You will get a masterclip in the bin. 

Right click and select reveal file. 

A finder window comes up. 

Step back one level and you should see a 1 folder.

Put you numbered MXF files folder next to the 1 folder.

Delete the MSM files in that folder.

Launch MC.

It will rebuild the MSM files. Drag the .mdb database file to the bin as before. 

What Pat says!

Thank you for your help. However i would need some clarification please.

You said: “Put you numbered MXF files folder next to the 1 folder.”

What do you mean “NEXT TO THE 1 FOLDER?”

Do you mean in the same MXF FOLDER where the 1 Folder resides?

FYI: My folder where all the MXF files that i want to bring in is in a folder number 101

You said: “Delete the MSM files in that folder.”

Which folder are you talking about, my 101 folder or the 1 Folder?

Yes Avid only sees media in numbered folders inside the MXF folder. 

And yes delete the MSM database files in your numbered folder.

Hi! I deleted the msm files as you said but after i restarted MC it never rebuild the msm files, there were NO msm files to be found amongst my other mxf files. 
im not sure what i did wrong but I followed your instructions carefully. What now? 

Hi YGP52,

Have a look at the underneath picture. This is how it should look on the root of a local drive. (So not a shared drive on a network, typically an Avid storage)

In the MXF folder is the 1 folder. Besides the 1 folder Media composer will create a 2 folder after the content of the 1 folder reaches 5000 files. When the 2 folder reaches 5000 files media composer will create a 3 folder, etc... Now you can use this mechanism to manually create folders using any number. The amount of files in the folder doesn't matter as long as it doesn't exceed 5000 files.

In each folder 1, 2, 3, etc... media composer will create a msmFMID.pmr and msmMMOB.mdb file. These are database files that inform media composer which file is where and which are stored in memory when media composer is open.

The MXF files in these location need to be of the OP-ATOM format (not OP-1A). That format means that there are seperate MXF files for video and audio. (OP-1A MXF files that have video and audio in a single file go into another location. Up until recently you needed to AMA-link to these to be able to use them. But since media composer 2019 next to the MXF folder you can also have a UME folder. Certain types of OP-1A MXF's can go here in numbered folders)

So make sure you files are of the OP-ATOM type. Drag them into a numbered folder in the MXF folder. If the pmr and mdb files exist, delete them and media composer will scan and recreate them.

Does it now make sense?

If MC can't rebuild the MSM database files it's either:

The folder containing those files is not in the MXF folder.

That the folder name isn't just a number.

That the gder has permissions set thst prevents MC having full access.