Import, export and logs

This page describes how to bring data into Bernard (files, items, instructions), how to get data out of it (tables, time spent, planning, workflows), and how to read the logs when something does not work.

Interface labels are in English and are quoted as they appear.

Importing data

Bernard distinguishes two things:

• Items (a shot, an asset): you create them from a table (Import From Table) or from a tree of files (Import From Files).
• The production files themselves: you copy them to their place with the File Operation window, or you receive a delivery with the Ingest Wizard.

A common order of work to start a project: create the items (table or files), then import the files onto those items.

Depending on your role, some right-click entries do not appear: Import From Table and Instructions From Table require the permission to create the object type concerned (Can Create), and Import From Files requires the permission to create files on templates or references (see Roles Setting).

Importing files onto items: File Operation

What you want to do: take files that are on a disk or a server, and place them on Bernard items (shots, assets).

Where to open it: in the tree, right-click on the project › File Operation. The window carries the name of the project.

1. The source. In the Source group, give the folder (Search Directory, the ... button opens the file explorer) and a file filter (Filter, for example *.exr), then click Search. With Collapse File Sequence ticked, the frames of a sequence are grouped into a single list item.
2. The destination. In the Destination group, choose the model of the items (Model, for example Shot), the type of file to fill (Files, for example the raw plates), and the path variation (Variation, Local by default). Tick Increment File Version to add a version to files that already exist.
3. Match. Drag the sources onto the destination items. Bernard checks each line and marks it with a colour indicator.
4. Fix. If a line is in error, look for the cause: very often, the number of frames does not match the range of the item (Start Frame, End Frame). Fix the range on the item, then click ReCheck. Clear Destination removes the associations, Clear Items empties the list of items.
5. Copy. Click Copy (the source stays in place) or Move (it is moved). Bernard copies the files to the path computed for the chosen variation, and follows the progress in the File Operations Log (see Logs).

When it is done, the files are in the Files tab of the item: right-click › Open or Explore.

A copy is limited by the settings of your workstation: Max Simultaneous File Operation and RClone Network Max Usage (see Local Settings).

Creating items from files: Import From Files

What you want to do: you already have a tree of well-named files (image sequences per shot), and you want to create the matching items, instead of typing them into a table.

Where to open it: right-click on the folder where the items will be created (for example a sequence folder) › Import From Files. The window is called Import Item From Files In followed by the folder name.

1. In the Source group, choose the folder to explore (Search Directory) and the filter (Filter, *.* by default; enter *.exr to search only that type), then click Search. Collapse File Sequence (ticked by default) groups a sequence into a single line.
2. Choose the Model of the items to create (for example Shot).
3. The table shows one line per result, with the columns Source Directory, Source Name, To, Item Name and Parent. By default, the item name takes the name of the source. You can edit it in the cell, including to keep only part of the name (the shot number, for example). The + column adds a column for another property.
4. Names that already exist are flagged by a colour: when the item or the parent folder already exists, Bernard does not create it again. Check this colour before importing so as not to create duplicates.
5. Leave Open File Operation Once Import Finished ticked if you want to continue with the File Operation window to match the real files to these items. Untick it if you only want to create the items.
6. Click Import. An Import items progress window appears.

Table shortcuts: Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Del. A right-click on a line offers Explore Source Directory and Remove Item. See Keyboard shortcuts.

Creating or updating items from a table: Import From Table

What you want to do: copy a table from Excel or Google Sheets (one line per shot, one column per piece of information) and turn it into items in Bernard.

Where to open it: right-click on the folder or project where the items will be created › Import From Table.

1. In your spreadsheet, select the cells and copy them (Ctrl+C), first line included: it is the line of titles.
2. In the Import From Table window, choose the Model of the items to create, then paste with Ctrl+V: the message Paste table ... disappears and the table is displayed.
3. Above each column, a list chooses the property that receives the values: Do Not Import ignores the column, Parent puts the item in a folder. Bernard preselects the property whose name looks like the column title. Check each column.
4. Depending on the property, Bernard asks you to specify how to read the values. For a boolean, the Set boolean values window asks which value in the table means True and which means False. For a duration, choose the unit (Working Day, Standard Day or Hours).
5. Remove the extra lines: right-click › Remove selected Rows.
6. Click Import. An Import items progress window appears.

The properties that can be filled this way are those of type text, integer or decimal number, duration, date and boolean.

What can get in the way: the table must be tab-separated, which is what a copy-paste from Excel or Google Sheets gives. Otherwise Bernard displays Unable to parse provided data. A single pasted line is read as data without a line of titles, after a warning: check the columns carefully in that case.

Creating instructions in bulk: Instructions From Table

What you want to do: write in a table the instructions for each shot, task by task, and create them all at once.

Where to open it: right-click on a folder or a project › Instructions From Table. The window shows the project and the sequence in its title.

1. Choose the model of the items (Model:).
2. Paste the table (Ctrl+V). It must have a column named Name: the name of the item. Otherwise Bernard displays Can't find 'Name' column.
3. For each of the other columns, choose the task of the model that receives the text. If the model has no task, Bernard displays No task found for this model.
4. Click Apply to create the instructions, or Reset to start over.

The instructions then appear in the Instructions tab of each task (see Instructions).

Receiving a delivery: Ingest Wizard

What you want to do: receive delivered files (from a vendor, for example) on a disk or an SFTP server, match them to Bernard items and copy them to their place, in a single operation.

Where to open it: right-click on the project › Ingest Wizard. The wizard moves forward step by step.

1. Configuration. Choose Source Variation (the path variation where the delivered files are) and Source Path (the folder, with the Browse button). For an SFTP variation, the field becomes Remote Path (SFTP). An Invalid path message flags a folder that is empty, cannot be found or does not exist.
2. Choose Target Item Model (the model of the items that receive the files) and Destination Variation (the variation to copy to).
3. Matching Criteria: a list of expressions, separated by commas, that Bernard compares with the file names to match them to items, for example <Name>, <Parent.Name>. The syntax is that of expressions.
4. Narrow down if needed with Filter by Tags and Filter by Departments.
5. Click SCAN & MATCH. Bernard goes through the source and suggests matches.
6. Verification (Review Matches): untick what you do not want to copy (Check All, Uncheck All, Invert Selection). Increment version before copy adds a version to files that already exist. Back returns to the configuration.
7. Click Ingest Selected. You can follow the copy in the File Operations Log.

Other imports

• Add file (browse)... (right-click on a file, Files tab): add a version from the file explorer. Bernard checks that the source matches (folder for folder, file for file, same extension, same number of frames for a sequence). See File management.
• Import tasks from JSON... (node view, workflow in edit mode): insert tasks exported from another workflow.
• Load image (browse)... (thumbnail menu): load an image without drag and drop, useful in an environment where drag and drop is not possible.

Exporting data

The workload export is described in the page Time spent, attendance and planning.

Exporting time (Timelogs)

What you want to do: get the time spent over a period, for payroll or budget tracking.

Where to open it: Bernard › Data › Export › Timelogs. The window is called Export timelogs.

1. Choose the period: From: and To:. By default, both are set to today. If From is after To, Bernard displays a warning and does nothing.
2. Included user roles: chooses the roles whose time is exported.
3. CSV separator: tab (tab) or semicolon (;).
4. Numeric separator: the decimal separator. Bernard offers the one from your system, then the other.
5. Click Export.

The result is copied to the clipboard and saved in a file in the default user folder; the window shows the path of that file. If saving fails, it says so, and the clipboard still contains the export.

What can get in the way: the time of other users is only exported if your role has access to it.

Logs

When something does not go as planned, Bernard keeps a trace in several places.

Bernard Log

Open it with Ctrl+Shift+L or Windows › Bernard Log. Lines are coloured according to their level. The toolbar offers:

Ctrl + mouse wheel adjusts the text size.

The log is also written to a file, Bernard.log, on your workstation. When it reaches 20 MB, Bernard starts a new one and keeps the 10 previous ones.

Error reports

When Bernard hits an error it cannot recover from, it:

1. sends an error report to the Bernard team (the error details, the client version and the workstation), readable in an email;
2. closes the session, so as not to leave data in an uncertain state.

At the next startup, Bernard also sends the errors of the previous session, with the name of the version that produced them. A harmless display error (for example a window closed before the server replied) is only noted in the log: the session stays open.

If the server cannot be reached, the report cannot be sent: the error stays in the log.

What to send to support

For support to understand your problem, send:

1. What you were doing: the view, the object (a made-up name or an identifier is enough), the gestures, and the time.
2. The Bernard version: it is in the window title, along with the company and the database, your user name and the name of your workstation (see Top menu).
3. The log: open Bernard Log (Ctrl+Shift+L), tick Load Full Log if the error is old, then Copy All and paste the text into your message. Failing that, attach the Bernard.log file.
4. For a specific object (administrator): the Tech tab of the Properties panel, with Copy All Tech Info (see Tech). Download BSON Document saves the raw document of the object.
5. For a file copy: the line of the File Operations Log, with its detail, and Copy All Log in its right-click menu.
6. For an action or a script: the output of the Action Log, or the Log of the script task.