Virtual Folder
Operating systems support symlinks (symbolic links): a file system entry that points to another file. From the perspective of a program reading the file, a symlink is indistinguishable from the real file. NLEs like Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and Avid Media Composer all read symlinks transparently.
A Virtual Folder takes advantage of this. Each clip is a symlink that can point either to a local proxy file (for fast offline editing) or to a cloud-mounted drive entry (for streaming the original at export time). The editor switches a clip between the two modes by retargeting the symlink, without ever moving or copying media. The NLE sees the same path, so projects never need relinking.
Examples
- •A Virtual Folder for a documentary contains 2,000 symlinks. 1,950 point to local 720p proxies, 50 point to streamed 4K originals for the final cut
- •A wedding project switches from proxy to stream for 30 selected clips a day before delivery, with no NLE relinking
- •An indie feature has Virtual Folders for each cut version, all sharing the same underlying media library
In Sanbila
Sanbila creates a Virtual Folder per project. Each clip is a symlink (with hardlink or copy fallback on Windows). The user toggles a clip between proxy and stream from the desktop app, and the NLE sees the change instantly.
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. At export, Smart Relink streams the originals back via a local WebDAV mount, so 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
- Apple File System symbolic links · Apple
- Microsoft Win32 symbolic links · Microsoft
- POSIX symlink specification · IEEE / The Open Group