Cutting a playout into chunks for upload

Is there a tool that quickly, easily cuts a large QT file into smaller chunks? I need to upload various versions of an 8GB ProResHQ file in segments no larger than 2GB. Being able to drop my file into a tool (automator script?) that would let me define how many segments and or what maximum size each should be would be brilliant to have. Obviously I could just export in segments from the timeline, but there are several language versions, clean feeds, etc involved so looking for a way to automate the process.

Any ideas/resources?

In FCP System Settings you can just tick the box to 'Limit Capture/Export file segment size to [insert your preferred number here]

This used to be used a lot to keep files small for transfer on FAT 32 drives, and file size restrictions in OS9, but it's not so necessary these days.

Yes, that would help somewhat, but I'd still have to set in and out points.

I installed Paragon for transfers to FAT32 drives. It gets you around the 4GB limitation.

No, you don't have to set in and out points. That's the point. It breaks the exports into chunks in sizes you define.

Jude Cotter Wrote:
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> It breaks the exports into
> chunks in sizes you define.

So Jude, does it make a frame accurate cut between segments ? I mean - if I'm capturing off a 90 minute Digibeta and I set "Limit File Size" to (say) 5Gigs, can I then throw each clip into a timeline (in order, of course) and it will play perfectly across the joins ?

Can't see how it else it would work, but just thought I'd check.

cheers, Mike

In theory, yes. It creates a bunch of specifically sized files and a single reference file, from memory.

Here's the word from Apple :

"Limit Capture/Export File Segment Size To: Select this option only if you?re capturing or exporting clips that may be used on other systems with a file size limitation. Any files that are larger than the limit entered here (which defaults to 2 GB) are written as separate files, in which the end of one file contains a reference to the next (so the first file appears to be a continuous file)."

You end up with a number of files, most of them ending in -av. The one without the av extension is effectively the 'first' file, and as long as all the files are in the same place, they should all load as one unit when you open the first file.

In any case, it's not that hard to test for yourself. Throw a large file into FCP, change the setting to the size you need, then do an export. See what happens.

i wonder if you would need FCP to view those files?


nick

Well, it talks about other systems with a file size limitation. I think Quicktime is the thing that does the reassembly. But, yeah, always good to test these things before you commit.