rendering to relative directory?

[nottooloud]

Is there a way to specify the rendering directory as relative to the project directory?

The path to save media files can be relative, so entering "AUDIO" saves to project/AUDIO, but I can't figure out how to do that with render output. I'd like to be able to just enter /MIXES or /CDIMAGE or whatever. Is there a way to do that? I'd even be happy if Browse For Directory started in the project directory, instead of in my user Documents directory.

[dfackler]

If I understand your question, isn't there a Browse button in the render window? IIRC, the Render function defaults to the the most recently used folder.

I usually hit Browse and then make a new folder for the rendered material. Then when it's time to burn to CD, everything is in a standard location for the project.

If you organize all the needed files for your project into discrete folders, you can create a 'rendered items' folder inside the main project folder. Everything stays tidy that way.

Feel free to PM if you need more clarification. It's pretty early to be in focus.


D

[nottooloud]

When I record, it creates and uses an Audio directory in the project folder. When I Insert Media, it looks in that directory. Efficient. I don't have to browse. I'd like to be able to do the same thing when rendering.

Browse works, of course. It would also work for all of the above functions, but it's way better not to have to, isn't it? Defaulting to the previous directory doesn't work for me, because I do a project and then archive it. The previous directory usually doesn't exist. It defaults to the Documents directory in my user folder, which isn't even on the same drive as my audio work.

[serr]

The file path used in the render dialog window is saved with the project. What dfackler was trying to say is once you browse to a location of your choice the first time, it will stay pointed there. Again, it's saved with the project so you can work between multiple projects with different saved render paths.

Your complaint I believe is that you need to give it a location the first time. It's true.

I agree that the relative file path thing should be finished in Reaper too FWIW. A relative to project default for not only the render folder but for project backups too. We only just got that relative 'Audio Files' folder recently too, so these utility features are still a work in progress.

The default location of ~/Documents folder seems a little... off. Yeah, the .rpp file is a document and all...
You know what would be slick, is if Reaper would default to making a "REAPER Projects" folder under the user home folder (~/REAPER Projects/). Then make relative file paths for Audio Files, Renders, Reaper backups, etc the default. Just a little bit of housekeeping there would clean all that right up.

[nottooloud]

Originally Posted by serr

You know what would be slick, is if Reaper would default to making a "REAPER Projects" folder under the user home folder (~/REAPER Projects/). Then make relative file paths for Audio Files, Renders, Reaper backups, etc the default. Just a little bit of housekeeping there would clean all that right up.

Agreed, except for being able to decide where that folder is. I keep a clean project drive, and all the audio work goes on and off of there. In the meantime, this discussion has found me a workaround, which is to put the the projects directory on my audio drive into Prefs|Paths|default render path. Now when I browse, it starts there, and I don't have so far to go.

[serr]

Originally Posted by nottooloud

Agreed, except for being able to decide where that folder is. I keep a clean project drive, and all the audio work goes on and off of there. In the meantime, this discussion has found me a workaround, which is to put the the projects directory on my audio drive into Prefs|Paths|default render path. Now when I browse, it starts there, and I don't have so far to go.

Naturally such a default location (~/REAPER Projects/) would be able to be changed in preferences.

Again, agreed on the want of more default relative file paths. However, if you make a few Finder sidebar shortcuts for things like your Reaper project folder, the Reaper resources folder, plugin folders, etc, it gets pretty convenient. The sidebar shortcuts are available in all the file dialog windows.