Smart Relink
A typical export from a proxy workflow either downloads every original referenced in the project (slow, fills the SSD) or relinks manually clip by clip (tedious, error prone). Smart Relink reads the timeline file (FCPXML for Final Cut Pro, EDL for any NLE, AAF for Avid Media Composer) and identifies which clips are actually used in the final cut, ignoring the 80 to 95 percent of footage that was trimmed out.
For a documentary that uses 2 percent of its rushes, Smart Relink lets the editor stream only the originals that actually appear in the cut, leaving the rest in cloud storage. The NLE sees a virtual drive that contains both proxies (for unused footage) and originals (for used clips), and the export renders at full quality without ever downloading a single unused file.
In Adobe Premiere Pro, Sanbila uses a different path: a native plugin imports your 4K originals and attaches a local proxy to each clip with Premiere's own proxy feature. You edit with Toggle Proxies on, then export the full resolution by leaving Use Proxies unchecked, with no relink and no reconform.
Examples
- •A 2 TB documentary project with 200 GB of clips actually used: Smart Relink streams only those 200 GB at export, saving 1.8 TB of unnecessary downloading
- •A wedding edit using 5 percent of the shoot: Smart Relink pulls only the selected ceremony moments and B-roll
- •A music video with 6 takes per shot: Smart Relink streams only the takes chosen for the final cut
In Sanbila
Sanbila parses FCPXML, EDL, and AAF timeline files from DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and Avid. It marks each clip as proxy or stream, mounts a virtual drive containing both, and the editor exports normally. In Premiere Pro, the Sanbila plugin instead attaches each proxy to its original, so you export the full resolution with no relink.
Frequently asked questions
How is Sanbila different from the proxy generator built into my NLE?+
Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and Avid all generate proxies locally, but they keep the original full-resolution files on the same SSD, so the disk fills up twice. Sanbila stores the originals in the cloud (Cloudflare R2) and keeps only the lightweight proxies on your machine. In Premiere Pro, the Sanbila plugin attaches each proxy to its 4K original, so you leave Use Proxies unchecked and export the full resolution by default. In Resolve, FCP, and Avid, Smart Relink streams the originals back at export via a local WebDAV mount. Either way you finish at full quality without ever downloading the source files.
Does Sanbila work offline?+
Yes for editing — once a proxy is cached on your SSD, you can cut, trim, color and arrange your timeline without an internet connection. You only need network access for the initial import (uploading originals to the cloud) and for the final export (streaming originals back via WebDAV).
How much cloud storage does the free plan include?+
The free plan includes 5 GB of cloud storage and one project, with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $49 per month for 2 TB and 50 projects, going up to 25 TB on the Enterprise plan with overage billing for teams that need more.
What upload speed do I need to use Sanbila?+
Any broadband connection works for the initial upload — Sanbila chunks files into 50 MB parts and uploads in parallel, so a typical 100 Mbps fiber line uploads 1 hour of 4K H.264 footage in about 6 minutes. After upload, day-to-day editing happens on local proxies, so your connection speed only matters again at export time when originals are streamed.
Which video formats does Sanbila support?+
Sanbila handles 22+ formats out of the box: MP4, MOV, MXF, R3D (RED RAW), BRAW (Blackmagic RAW), ARRI proxies, ProRes, DNxHR, DNxHD, H.264, H.265, plus WAV and AAC for audio. Both 4K and 8K sources are supported up to 200 GB per single file (URL imports have no size limit).
Related terms
Sources
- Adobe Premiere Pro XML format · Adobe
- Final Cut Pro XML reference · Apple
- Avid AAF SDK documentation · AMWA / Avid