Is there a way to submit a job from compressor to the Batch Monitor and have it wait until a specified time to start actually compressing it. Sometimes I want to submit a job so I wont forget it, but don't want my computer tied up as I need to import more raw footage or keep editing on a project. Does anyone know of a way to delay the compressing?

Thanks in advance!

Nope, there's no way to do that with Qmaster, which is the back-end system that controls job queueing for Compressor.

You could conceivably devise your own, because Compressor can be controlled from the command line. But that's ? like ? computer-programmer stuff. Ugh.

Options: Submit the job to "this computer" instead of your cluster. That'll only consume one CPU, and you've got seven more to spare. Or submit it to your cluster, then go to Batch Monitor and pause the job. Though in that case, you have to go back to batch monitor and un-pause it later.

Thanks for the quick response. Right now I've been pausing the job. The other night I went home and had forgotten to "un-pause" it which really sucked. I was looking into Automator actions but haven't found any for Compressor or Qmaster, for that matter. I'll keep searching for a solution and see if I get lucks. Thanks again for the effort and explanation.

I forsee Andreas will chip in here...



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Ok so sometimes all you have to do is ask for help to be able to come up with a solution on your own. I was able to create an automator workflow with basically ywo actions "Launch Application" (compressor) and then a recorded a "watch me do" move with the short cut for submit (Option+Apple+S) and then with the mouse chose my cluster and clicked on submit.

I then saved it as an iCal plugin and scheduled it, and tested it, and it worked.

Is it clean? No, does it work? Yes. I can now just set up all my compressions and leave it open on my computer and let the automation run at 5:00.

That's a very clever solution. I'm gonna file that away in my brain bucket just in case I ever need to do the same thing.

Thanks for sharing your solution.

Non-programmers could probably get QuicKeys to do the same thing, it has a Wait function.

Still, pretty cool!

- Loren
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Not a bad idea. Except I can't select my cluster via keyboard shortcut. That is the one step I had to manually get the computer to click on.

OK this is really cool, I could use this a lot. But I'm confused, you leave at 5:00?

Wow, I want to work where you work...

He meant 5:00 a.m.

Actually I skip my lunch and leave at 4:00pm. I then let my compressions all submit at 5:00pm, It is a great place to work, not just for the hours. We're one of the largest production houses in the midwest. Thanks for your interest and exchange of ideas. I'm really glad Ken recommended me to you guys

Hey nveer could you send me the automator script you made? How did you so the "watch me do" part? I've just got days of QT's to make that this would be great for.
thanks

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

I'd be happy to email it to you, where should I send it? Do note that this script will run perfectly on my computer due to folder structures and "cluster names" not sure it will run on yours. But at least it will give you an example. The "watch me do" feature is the little record button in automator. It records all your actions. You can delete unnecessary ones out of the flow afterwards. My suggestion is use as many keyboard shortcuts as you can. Otherwise it tries to recreate your mouse movements which are far less reliable.

Let me know where you want the automator workflow sent and I'll shoot it over to you.