Some thoughts about Motion Template installation ...

With legacy versions of FCS it was pretty easy to install filters, generators etc. for all users/accounts on a machine. You even where able to build a nice installer with donation ware like IceBerg without knowing anything about programming.
With X it's a bit more more complicated for all the nice guys/gals who provide the community with nice free Motion Templates. They have to explain exactly how and where to install the template, explain why themes are important. For the happy customer/user it's the same especially if he wants to install the templates for several accounts on the machine - boring and time consuming.
Additionally if a template is only installed for one user and another user will open it, the 'specials' are ignored and famous 'auto-save' will do the rest. So you can spoil a lot in a very short time.
FCS not really had been better, but at least a serious 'second' user was able to make a 'save as'.

So while thinking about those and more things, a built a little app, which allows - both creators and users of custom Motion Templates - to handle the installation easier.

A first beta is available here: [www.spherico.com]

It's called a beta because it's quite far away from what the results of my thoughts are. And there is also no manual, but the app is quite self-explaining. It's not beta in the way what it does. You can install a lot of templates for a lot of users with a few clicks - as long a theme is applied to a template.
The app is free and can be freely distributed with free templates you want to share - like for our famous alex4d.

Regards
Andreas

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

Thanks for the shout out!

I was planning to produce a few very simple templates soon, and although it would make sense to assign them to a theme, I didn't want to get into messing with the templateThemes file.

I'm checking this out right now.

A small bit of feedback, I get the following AppleScript error:

Can't get «class defE» "installationType" of «class useD». (-1728)

The UI then appears, but the column on the left doesn't accept template folders yet.

Thanks so much for thinking of us!


Alex

___________________________________________________
Alexandre Gollner,
Editor, Zone 2-North West, London

alex4d on twitter, facebook, .wordpress.com + .com

Hi Alex,

The error you got was a .plist error which is known (And fixed in current internal version here).

But the app should accept templates (the error fixes itself after the UI shows up)
You can drag a folder with contains the Media folder, the .png files and the Motion file just to the table view on the left. I've not heard any complaints it's not working.

There will be a new version by tomorrow, maybe later today.
It does have some nice features you will like. For example you can add a lot of different templates -- like now -- to the installer. After installation is done the app optional will move all installed templates into one folder and additionally will create an installer script.
So you can install the templates you've created once and you will get a new folder (or .dmg) with all the templates and the script .mtt file.

As long as the user has Motion Template Installer app installed. A double-click on the .mtt file will open the app with everything already setup the way you (or any other template producer) thought it will be best.

Regards
Andreas

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

Here new version is online.

Still a lot of features missing, but works reliable.
[www.spherico.com]

- Andreas

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

Alex, I just wanted to mention that Plugin Manager in Pro Maintenance Tools has been able to install title plugins for a while now and the next version will support effects, generators and transitions and greatly improved FCPX support.

My software:
Pro Maintenance Tools - Tools to keep Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro running smoothly and fix problems when they arise
Pro Media Tools - Edit QuickTime chapters and metadata, detect gamma shifts, edit markers, watch renders and more
More tools...