Huge number of different encodings/renders from one file: Scripting ?

[Alex Udell]

I don’t have a full answer, but I found this interesting, so I thought I’d contribute to the conversation.

Please know that a “watch folder” or a source in AME can have any number of presets applied to it. So one master file IN to any number of OUTS each of which can include any settings you want.

So, based on what you are asking, the challenge is in authoring the settings.

Once they are created, you can add them a watch folder and should be able to process.

Doing some digging I opened AME and chose a preset I created and revealed it in the OS (.epr file) by right clicking it.

I opened it in a text editor and low and behold:

the setting itself is an XML file.

So it should be possible to start from an XLS or CSV and have a script generate a batch of .EPR (settings files) that can then be imported into AME. I’d give them a similar naming convention so they sort together and can be sifted easily in the user setting panel.

But then you should be able to bring a source into AME (or work via watch folder) > then drop the batch of settings on it…and get your outputs going.

It’s good practice to set your prefs for your output destination PRIOR to importing your first assets into AME…

Does that help?

Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX

[Kelly Johnson]

Thanks Alex, it does help. We’ll investigate this. We just heard a rumor that AME is working on an update that will possibly do something closer to this task, but good to know that the .epr files can be looked at!

Thanks-kj

[Alex Udell]

See I keep coming up with these ideas where I can built tools that will make me money….then Adobe implements them….DANG it!

😉

Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX

[Tim Kolb]

I might suggest for manageability that you make multiple watch folders…one fr H264…one for MPEG2…QuickTime…whatever makes sense as the groupings, but eve a couple hundred targets on a watch folder won’t be fun to manage much less all of them in one.

Also note that watchfolders don’t work with sequences as a source…only clips. You’ll have to settle on a master file format and lace copies of that master file in each watch folder.

TimK,
Director, Consultant
Kolb Productions,

Adobe Certified Instructor

[Walter Soyka]

If ffmpeg would work for you, you might automate a translation from your Excel doc to a command line script.

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]

[Alex Udell]

PHP 🙂

Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX