You can join spanned files from other AVCHD cameras but only Sony footage can be viewed in Catalyst Browse. A solution is to use the free program Sony Catalyst Browse which can import/copy spanned files to create one complete joined up clip without transcoding. Luckily EDIUS knows they are spanned files and you can extend the clip to its full length on the timeline. Although there’s an error message the files will now import into the bin with the sync sequence, but again the spanned files don’t appear joined up. Pluraleyes 4.1 creates a new type of XML file to be more compatible with EDIUS but I still get an error message when importing some video formats that use spanned files (EDIUS is selected at Pluraleyes export and the frame rate is matching the EDIUS project).

I did find EDIUS could import the XML file from Pluraleyes 3 if the video clips are not spanned files (found on memory cards). Unfortunately, these XML files can’t be imported into Pluraleyes which is a pity but you can drag and drop video/audio files from the GV Browser to Pluraleyes. The new GV Browser creates an XML file to import the Browser’s catalogs into EDIUS bins. When you look at the bugs fixed over Pluraleyes updates, you will see lots of XML compatible problems fixed. Final Cut Pro has tried to make an interchangeable format see here XML files are human-readable but unfortunately, it’s markup tags doesn’t always follow an interchangeable format, making the file incompatible with other programs. XML files are normally associated with a program or website settings/data. At present, it’s still the most reliable way of reading and writing the editing program’s timeline rather than importing and exporting an XML file into the standalone program. The extension creates a temporary type of XML file only Pluraleyes understands and when Pluraleyes is finished processing another temporary XML file is created for the extension to make a new sync EDIUS timeline. Version 2 had an extension plug-in that communicated between EDIUS timeline and Pluraleyes. The core of Pluraleyes program seems to only read and write XML files. But at present (July 2016) they have not reintroduced a Pluraleyes extension plug-in for EDIUS 8 similar to the old version 2 that worked with EDIUS 6.5 (back then Pluraleyes was owned by Singular).

Red Giant have a Pluraleyes extension for Sony Vegas and Adobe Premiere which works better than using the standalone program (explain later). It was always a hit and miss importing a Premiere’s XML project file into EDIUS, especially when the video clips are spread over spanned files (found on memory cards). On July 2016 Red Giant release Pluraleyes 4.1 which supposedly now supports EDIUS but no longer supports Avid’s AAF project files.

Pluraleyes 4 premiere pro extension