I would recommend to parent the project folder to the project file by default (instead of setting the project folder in the home directory).
This would bring the following benefits:
- Make the project portable by default. Everything would be included into the project folder (project files, proxy clips, cachefiles, user clips, audio etc.).
- Make it easier to manage different projects in parallel. All the projects would have its own content in a single directory and proxies, cachefiles etc. would not be mixed together.
- Make it easier when working with external medias (USB SSD, removable HDD…). Possibility to easily continue the project on another computer, present it somewhere else, archive it…
- Globally much cleaner in term of project files management.
I don’t see any drawback to switch the default project folder to be parented with the project file by default, unless the fact that the user should save its project first prior to add some clips in the project bin. If not, all the cachefiles, proxies, etc. will be created into the home folder and then copied afterward in the project file folder when the project is saved (which can be problematic if you have a large project and not much space in you home directory…).
It would request to optimize the handling in the GUI by asking the project path to be used when creating a new project.
Note: in such case the default path when adding a clip or folder, when rendering, etc. should also be the same path (or the previous path used) instead of the “home/video” folder.