-
FCP batch export to FTP
At our TV station, we do about 20 station/episodic promotions a day in FCP. These get exported as an MOV to our playback server.
In Mac OS X 10.4 we were able to connect to our PC based file server through the finder, thus we could simply do a batch export directly to the playback server.
However, we recently upgraded our machines to Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6.3) and FCP Studio 3. It turns out that Apple made changes to the AFP protocol and now we can’t connect to the playback server via Finder anymore. (SMB is not working either).
Per the playback servers recommendations, we are now using FTP to transfer the files. But manually exporting them and then FTPing them is an extra step that I feel should be able to be avoided in this day of advanced computing. So how can I get the export and FTP to happen in one step?
I know that compressor offers FTP as a destination, but you have to apply the codec and destination settings to each video manually, leaving too much room for error or extra work.
I’ve attempted to create a watch folder on the desktop and use folder actions to handle the FTP and delete the files daily, however I have come up with mixed success on that (give my lack of experience with folder actions), and don’t like the confirmation of success or failure on the transfer.
Anyone have any other ideas/options? I appreciate your input.
-
14 Replies
-
if compressor can do what you need, but you have to manually set up each export, then surely the easiest option is to create a “Compressor Droplet”, that you dopr the file onto and it automatically does whatever you have set it up to do.
Manual explains how to do this.Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UKhttp://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk
-
Understood… but I’m hoping to accomplish this all from within FCP so that I don’t need to go to the Finder or have a mess of files all over the place. The more automation the better.
Like I said, in the past I was able to export all files directly to where they need to go. Now I’m having to export them locally and then transfer them, and rely on my editors remembering to delete the temporary files. Since we do 20 or so of these a day, the simpler I can make this the better.
We use the Batch Export feature in FCP typically. FCP can figure out how to transfer a file to YouTube (I’m assuming via FTP). Likewise, Compressor can export to FTP. How can I get the FTP capability in Batch Export??
-
Not sure if its helpful, but you might be able to configure this to make it work for you.
https://macfusionapp.org/about.html
-
again, not sure if this is quite what you need, but i do know that https://www.yousendit.com has a plug-in that allows you to send files directly from within FCP.
I haven’t used it so i am not sure it will do what you need, but it could be worth investigating.
adam
Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UKhttp://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk
-
Thanks… this is more for sending across the internet to clients, reviews, etc.
-
I thought this might be the winner, but not so…
First off it has a glitch with OS X 10.6.3, which I later found a fix for in the support pages.
However that still didn’t want to connect to my in house Omneon playback server via FTP. I’m using Cyberduck right now (Freeware FTP) to do a manual transfer… but again I’m trying to find a solution to automate this whole process.
-
yeah, sorry – then my final suggestion is that you set up your folder actions to watch for files and then have it send the files directly to a compressor droplet set up as mentioned earlier. Export a quicktime reference movie (as these export really fast because they are only referencing the media already on your system). That way, you are only exporting once from FCP, and your letting folder actions automatically direct the export to the relevant compression and from then onto the destination.
You can also continue to use FCP whilst the process is occuring.Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UKhttp://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk
-
Thank you for the Fetch suggestion. I’ve found a free automator script that does what Fetch does. https://www.editkid.com/upload_to_ftp/
I’m starting to realize that I think I have a deeper problem though. I’m noticing that my folder actions don’t run. If I run the Automator script manually all works well and good. But when I set it up as a folder action on a new, empty folder, export a QT file to that folder, nothing it won’t run. I set up my Automator script to display some messages along the way to confirm that it is running; and they don’t appear. But again, if I manually run that script it does what it should.
So anyone know why my folder actions would not work in 10.6.3??
-
Did you even check fetch out? They also have a widget and droplets. I’d stop trying to find free and pay. Fetch has a free trial anyway.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up