Multi-track EDLs

Some Avid workflows export one EDL per video track: V1, V2, V3, and so on. SequenceSuite can treat those files as one multi-track cut, so Sheet and Dupe see the edit as one sequence rather than a pile of separate track files.

Exporting the EDL from Avid

SequenceSuite reads Media Composer’s List Tool exports directly. For a multi-track timeline:

1. Select the sequence in its bin.
2. Open the List Tool (in recent versions, Tools → List Tool).
3. On the Input tab, click Load.
4. Set the Output Format to File_129.
5. In List Options, turn Merge Events off.
6. Enable Save List to Multiple Files.
7. On the Formatting tab, leave the source-file and reel comment options enabled.
8. Click Save List and choose where to write the files.

File_129 carries the most metadata - full source names, reel IDs, source frame rate, and audio routing. Merge Events off keeps each video layer separate; Save List to Multiple Files writes one EDL per track (V1, V2, V3, and so on).

Drop the full set of exported EDL files onto SequenceSuite together. If they look like tracks of the same cut, SequenceSuite will offer to import them as one multi-track cut.

Note

For a single-layer cut you do not need the multiple-files step. Export one File_129 EDL with Merge Events off and drop it on its own - SequenceSuite reads it as a normal sequence.

Tip

File_16 and File_32 can shorten the formal EDL reel/source column. SequenceSuite reads Avid’s SOURCE FILE and REEL comments, so Sheet still gets the full source identity when those comments are present.

Frame rate

When you drop an EDL set, SequenceSuite asks for the frame rate before parsing - EDLs don’t carry it (see Timecode & Frame Rates).

For a matched V1-V9- or V1-V11-style set, use Set all files: pick the rate once, click Apply to All, then Continue. The drop-frame flag is still read from the FCM: header where present.

Grouping as one cut

After the frame-rate step, SequenceSuite scans the EDL headers. Files are suggested as a multi-track cut when they share:

• the same cut title;
• compatible filename suffixes such as V1, V2, V3;
• the same first record timecode;
• matching frame-rate and drop-frame settings.

The grouping sheet is a confirmation step. You can accept the suggested set or cancel and import the EDLs as separate files.

In the sidebar, a grouped set appears as one parent row with the subtitle Multi-track cut. Select the parent for the combined Sheet or Dupe view. Expand the parent if you need to inspect an individual child EDL.

Audio tracks

Avid’s multiple-file exports often include the same audio events inside every V file. SequenceSuite keeps the video layers distinct, but de-duplicates repeated audio rows for Sheet and Dupe so a multi-track import does not count the same audio several times.

If you need camera audio in Sheet or Dupe, enable Include camera audio in Settings for that mode.

Effects and transitions

Effects, named transitions, and graphics come from Avid’s comment metadata, so export File_129 with the comment options left enabled (step 7) when you want those reports. Dissolves, wipes, and named transitions such as Sapphire read by name rather than as raw CMX codes, and Avid and Sapphire segment effects appear on the Effects page.

In a combined multi-track cut, each video track keeps its own effects and transitions, so V2 and V3 content reads as itself. The shared audio bed is counted once across the cut, so the event count matches the real timeline.

Black and filler events

Avid EDLs can include black/filler events, usually with reel BL and clip names such as Edit 4. SequenceSuite filters these out of Sheet and Dupe by default so large EDL sets do not fill reports with timeline gaps.

For troubleshooting, enable Settings → Sheet → Include EDL black/filler to see those rows in Sheet. The parser still reads the raw events either way; the setting controls whether they appear in user-facing Sheet views and exports.

Merge-events exports

Avid’s Merge Events option is not equivalent to exporting separate video layers. In real test exports, it can produce repeated, flattened EDL files rather than true per-layer data.

SequenceSuite detects and skips duplicate child EDLs where possible, but for layer-accurate reports use Save List to Multiple Files with Merge Events turned off.

Supported Avid EDL variants

SequenceSuite supports the Avid EDL variants tested for this workflow:

Variant	Notes
CMX3600	Standard CMX event list.
File_16	Very short event source column; use Avid comments for full source identity.
File_32	Short event source column; use Avid comments for full source identity.
File_129	Longer source fields plus Avid comment metadata.

File_129 single-file exports are also readable, including audio/video tracks, but they are treated as one file rather than a multi-file track set.