Region List - Export Import problem

[PelF]

Reaper v6.42 - I export a list of regions. I subsequently import this list. The regions change the position. Do anyone have the same problem? Thanks...

[Fabian]

It is hard to see what goes on in your gif, but I tried it here and all regions import to the same places they were exported from. Maybe you could share a minimal project file (without audio) where this happens for you?

[X-Raym]

Try with my script, export/import regions to CSV file ?

[PelF]

@Fabian: I apologize for the bigger GIF. The problem is not in the project. Just insert any Item, create regions and export a list from the Region / Marker Manager. After re-insertion, the regions are moved. I tried on multiple computers.


@X-Raym: Thank you for your scripts, work properly!

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by PelF

@Fabian: I apologize for the bigger GIF. The problem is not in the project. Just insert any Item, create regions and export a list from the Region / Marker Manager. After re-insertion, the regions are moved. I tried on multiple computers.

As I said, I tried that, and no the regions do not move, they get imported exactly at their original position. And no-one else has reported this problem, AFAICS, so there has to be something specific with what or how you do things. So, a project where this happens would help us replicate the issue.

[PelF]

I don't know if I did it right, but perhaps it helps.
Thank you

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by PelF

I don't know if I did it right, but perhaps it helps.
Thank you

In this project the regions indeed move when imported!

Strange...

EDIT: And they move differently depending on the format of the time ruler display. Even stranger...

[akademie]

Keep in mind that there is no information about units of the ruler stored in exported CSV.
So if you have set your ruler units to e.g. "Seconds" and then import into project
where ruler unit is in e.g. "Samples", then it will end up in wrong values of course.
I think that the unit of the ruler should be stored within exported timecodes
to prevent any mismatching errors and confusions.

Although some formats have different formatting,
like Measures.Beats vs Minutes:Seconds vs H:M:S:F
and can be identified by separators type and count, then there are other formats,
at least Seconds, Samples, Absolute frames which share the same format and
thus are not distinguisable when reimporting in different ruler units.

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by akademie

Keep in mind that there is no information about units of the ruler stored in exported CSV.

Yeah, it surprised me when I looked at the different csv files that what is stored there depends on the ruler setting. I would have expected the positions to be stored as seconds, or at least in some format independent of the ruler setting.

I could understand that changing the ruler setting between exporting and importing affected the positions, but in this project, even just exporting and then directly importing the csv, with no change of the ruler setting, moves the regions. And not by insignificant amounts either, I see 17 ms difference for region 1. 35 ms for region 3.

[PelF]

Even after improvement [t=259999] is the problem with exporting / importing regions.
This is only when the timeline is set in: Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames
Can you please fix it? Thank you.

[Alderyos]

Hi,

From what I can understand, no matter the time ruler unit used, there is not enough precision in the start and end information in the exported CSV. Therefore, if the starts/ends of the regions are not exactly on / snapped to the grid, the issue will occur.

In the scripts by X-Raym, we can see that the start/end values are absolutely precise in the exported CSV, so the issue won't occur at all once imported. They don't replace the regions though (probably intended by design), but they work flawlessly!

Also, if you merely need to rename the regions, there is this script by acendan that I just discovered while writing my reply:
Script: acendan_Find and Replace in Region Names.lua

Thanks to all of you!

[PelF]

Hi Alderyos, thank you for the info. But I need, for example, rename 4,000 regions by different names.
Yes, X-Raym's script works great. The original regions must only be deleted before import.
I just wanted to say that when the REAPER has an implemented Export / Import Regions, it should function flawlessly.

[PelF]

After a long time I tried to export / import the regions list and still not work properly. After import, the regions move to other positions. Will there ever be a fix please?