With Catalogs, it is possible to search and import files that are offline. For example, if you have a music cue that you know you want to use, but it resides on a CD-ROM or other unmounted volume, you can spot the file from a Catalog to the project Timeline, and it is automatically imported into the project when the volume is mounted.

The first step is to add files to a Catalog (files must be online to be added to a Catalog). Once added to a Catalog, if the items are taken offline they are listed in italicized text.

Offline files can be dropped from a Catalog to the Timeline just like online files. When you drop the files, a dialog appears asking if you want to relink the files or skip relinking. Click Skip All to load all the items as offline files (in the Timeline, their clips appear in light blue).

Whenever the volume containing the offline items is mounted, Pro Tools automatically starts to import the files, in the background. This is true even if you have saved the project, quit, and relaunched Pro Tools.

Once the items are completely imported, they appear as online items in the Timeline, Clips List, and in the Workspace browser.

If the offline items match the project sample rate, bit depth, and file format, no conversion is necessary. As long as the volume is playable, the items become playable in the project as soon as the volume is mounted.

If the volume is unsuitable for playback, you are informed that some items must be copied to suitable volumes first.