Automating the export process?

At the end of an edit, usually I'll be seeing something like this: render everything, export quicktime movie, encode quicktime movie in compressor, import files into DVDSP, burn DVD...

If we shorten the workflow, it will still include actions spanning more than one app, and the settings are usually fairly similar: Export QT movie> Import to DVDSP for encoding to mpeg2 and muxing; Export direct to Compressor for Mpeg2 encoding> Import to DVDSP for muxing

I was wondering if there's a way to automate all these actions, so I can have that running at night and I don't have to wait for renders/encodes (and feel like a bot).

Thoughts, anyone?



www.strypesinpost.com

If you have any scripting chops, you can have Compressor run apple scripts on the end of an encode. You can also daisy chain the exports, which is nice, like export a High_Res master and then go to MPEG-2. Anyway, that being said i dont think DVDSP is open to scripting but perhaps iDVD or Roxio or someother DVD burning program might be.

What would be wicked sweet would be if you could save out a sequence, the same way Motion saves its projects, i.e. its just an self-contained xml markup that can be shared with the rest of the studio. Then you could just drop that into DVDSP and have it do it all without render or export.

>If you have any scripting chops

I sure hope it doesn't take too long to learn!

What would be ideal, is that if all these actions can be automated, so all someone has do is to pop in in the morning, insert a DVD and press "burn".

I'm trying to get some info off the web- it seems that FCP doesn't allow apple scripts. I don't think you can do a direct export to Compressor of more than 1 sequence at a time (which is a pain when you have 2 projects).

But once you can get the QT movie(s) out of FCP, sending stuff to a Compressor droplet shouldn't be an issue. Exporting an unrendered movie and encoding to mpeg2 takes up most of the time anyway...

So, a batch export of 2 QT movies to a specific folder, then setting a script to watch folder action should be good, if someone can make sense of this...

[bbs.macscripter.net]

Then FCP can be set to render all open sequences, while Compressor encodes to mpeg2...



www.strypesinpost.com

Wow... Here we go! Gotta try this out!

[www.macworld.com]

Probably amend the "delay" value to a larger number (?600? which will mean it will check the folder every 10 mins?), since we're talking about rendering which will take 3/4 of an hour (for half an hour of video) on the G5s.



www.strypesinpost.com

You def can export multiple sequences from FCP using Compressor, even from multiple projects. Just highlight all the diff sequences and do export using Compressor. If you need multiple projects, do the same thing but then go to Compressor, tear off tab, and then drag all the instances to one Compressor window and it will process both of those open projects. We export lots of sequences from many editors projects this way.

That folder actions link looks really interesting but for me, if you have the time and want the best quality, Exporting using Compressor is the way to go. Once you go to quicktime from FCP, you're locked into the codec of that sequence. So if you did any titling or graphics, you're compressing them to the same level as your video, even before you go to mpeg-2. Compressor seeks out the original media which if you use FCP text generator or Motion, is uncompressed and looks way better than DV or even DVCPro HD. I never render anything but I always export overnight or at lunch to ProRes HQ out of Compressor before i do anything with my media, web or dvd, and it makes a big difference.

Anyway, that being said. Have you ever thought of just exporting a QT reference movie and then dropping that in iDVD? I know its not professional or anything but for making standard dvds, it does a hell of a job and does the compression, muxing, and burning for you. I've used that a whole hell of a lot for my side business.

For a long-term project iDVD is much, much worse. iDVD project files are prone to corruption (the dreaded "stops at 17 per cent" burn process", and it necessitates that you keep all your render files for the reference movie file to work. Either that or you have to keep the self-contained full-quality movie files. DVD Studio Pro is much faster for burning multiple copies, and you only have to archive an MPEG-2. It's actually faster than iDVD in the long run, as long as you don't do any fancy design. And if you did, you need it all the more.


www.derekmok.com

Thanks, Scott! Real world scenarios, occasionally mean a few actions combined... And we'd want to leave everything for the machine to handle overnight, especially anything that will take longer than half an hour (a full render for a 20 min video with a timecode generator, plus, encoding to mpeg2, encoding to web video)...

Let's say, for example, at the end of the first offline, I have to encode a timecoded DVD of an ep to send to the station (this will require a render), send a copy via FTP to a director or client...

By default, we can let the machine handle one or two actions, but this is what I'm thinking of..

- Create a droplet for the DVD, call it "DVD droplet". That contains the .m2v and .ac3 presets.

- Create a 2nd droplet for web videos, call it "Web video droplet". That will contain the h.264 preset. Set an end action script to send that up via FTP.

- Then create 2 watch folders to wait for the reference movies, one for the web videos, one to encode to DVD.

- Create 2 watch folder action scripts. One tagged to the dvd droplet and DVD watch folder. The other tagged to the web video droplet and web video watch folder.

- Set up Batch export from FCP, send to 2 folder destinations (or whichever you need).

Then...

Once you hit batch export in FCP, it will send the videos out to the two folders, and once the batch export is done, the first watch folder script will send the video to droplet 1 to create DVD assets, the second watch folder script will send the video to droplet 2, at the end of which will be uploaded via FTP.

In the morning, someone comes in, loads the .m2v and .ac3 files into a DVDSP project, pop in a disc, hit burn.


This seems like a pretty interesting read for the Compressor end action script:
[www.proactiveinteractive.com]

The cool part of this is that you can activate only the scripts you need, or you can even set up the machine up to do all the encoding for all the various projects done during that day, send multiple projects to multiple recipients...

The bottlenecks.. 1) Batch Export doesn't handle DVDSP markers. 2) I'm not sure if you can attach an end action to a specific droplet, if that's the case, then probably another watch folder action to accomplish that...



www.strypesinpost.com

"render everything, export quicktime movie, encode quicktime movie in compressor, import files into DVDSP, burn DVD... "

how about this:
work with autorender on, so most of your show is already rendered.
your final render is minimal..

export as reference movie
run ref movie thru QTSync to get an instant TC burn

drag that direct into DVDSP, set to "encode on Build"
press build & format, stick in a DVD, and retire for the evening.

also pop the ref movie w TC into compressor, and set that off,

bounce back to FCP and start a self contained export going in the background for safety.


nick

Besides Automator Actions, bet you could trigger the whole workflow, (along with the rest of your computer life) including conditionals and delays, with QuicKeys !

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:

Apply your default audio transition instantly
with Command-Option - T !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Thanks guys...

Nick, the overall approach is pretty cool... I have to give QTsync a pop. Didn't know that was instant..

I'll try to pick up some knowledge of applescript for kicks... Sounds like fun, actually....

>work with autorender on, so most of your show is already rendered.

Maybe... Most of the footage is letterboxed (full RT effects) with some PIPs, stuff is already edited, so I've no time to redo any of the PIPs (which would be the case if I'm switching aspect ratios in FCP) to get rid of the render bar. With auto render on, I'll still be have to render at least 2/3s of the show at the end of the day.

Loren, I'm curious to know how far Quickeys can go in this atypical workflow... I'm still very new to the world of automation (yea, manual shift for me)



www.strypesinpost.com

You may also have a look at Apple's GUI scripting which is free and let you set up something like you're able to do with QuickKeys.
With AppleScript (using FCP AE support) and GUI scripting you are able to automate the export.
I've posted an AppleScript for Compressor sometime ago which somehow shows how to add multiple scripts as last action for Compressor to send to FTPs.

Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

Thanks, Andreas!



www.strypesinpost.com