[Chad Gilmour]

yeah, there are ways to calculate the length of the file and then automatically/dynamically change the integer for the “-t” flag, but that’s over my head. You could try something using python maybe, or apple script could help. Here’s the command (assuming all the files are in 1 folder) to trim the first frame, sorry I can’t help with the last part.

for “$i” do; ffmpeg -ss .033 -i /Volumes/folder/”$1″ -vcodec copy -acodec copy /Volumes/folder/new_media/”$i”

I think that will go through an entire folder, trim the first frame, copy the video/audio and then put the new file in whatever folder path you specify at the end there all while retaining the original name.

As far as creating a variable that’s automatically replaced based on the length, you might be able to employ some help from a coder at fiverr.com I’ve been using a guy over there to help write some simple python scripts to automate ffmpeg on a mac in our office. You will have to figure out how to get a frame accurate total run time on a file though, I’m not sure how to do that.

[Chad Gilmour]

Made a little headway with this, I can make prores files with an alpha channel, but I’ve realized FFMPEG can’t decode the alpha channel from a DNxHD quicktime which means it can’t make a prores quicktime with an alpha if the input file is using the DNxHD codec, and since DNxHR also isn’t supported at all, I guess I’ll just have to use a different codec as an intermediary.

Hope this helps anyone else struggling with this.

[Chad Gilmour]

There’s basically 2 steps for this, but you can run them both at once.
1st step will be setting up a loop, but that will vary depending on your operating system and whether or not every file is the same length.

2nd step is using the appropriate flags.

“-ss” will cut off seconds of video at the beginning
“-t” will encode for a given amount of seconds starting at the very beginning of the file even if you are using the “-ss” flag
“-vcodec copy” will copy the input file’s video codec
“-acodec copy” will copy the input file’s audio codec

example: ffmpeg -ss 1 -t 10 inputfile.mov -vcodec copy -acodec copy inputfile_new.mov

The above command will result in a 9 second file with the same exact video and audio codecs, except the first second from the input file will be missing.

You will have to do a little math and some testing to make sure it works, if you do “-ss .0334” it should shave off the first frame if you file is 29.97 frames per second.

If all you’re files are the same length then setting up a loop to apply the same “-t” flag command will be fairly easy, if they are all different lengths it will still be possible, but I’m not smart enough to figure it out.

Hope that helps.

What OS are you using?

[Chad Gilmour]

What’s the big advantage of workgroup server vs. just sharing catalogs using the standalone catdv pro app?

[Chad Gilmour]

Thanks for the reply, I have been using the pix_fmt option. I’m curious though, have you personally made a prores 4444 with an alpha channel on a windows machine? So far the only people I’ve come across that have made prores 4444 files with an alpha have been on Mac’s.

This is the command I’ve been using, and I have verified that the source file has an alpha channel in AE, Quicktime, and VLC.

ffmpeg -y -i filename.mov -r 29.97 -codec prores_ks -pix_fmt yuva444p10le -alpha_bits 16 -profile:v 4444 -f mov filenameb.mov

When I run that command, ffmpeg creates a prores 4444 file with no visable alpha channel.

I’m using the latest static build from here: https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/

[Chad Gilmour]

So messing around with this a little bit more I’m starting to realize it may be a weird software issue with either CatDV or Facilis, or both perhaps. This is indeed the case with every version of CatDV (32bit and 64bit), and mounting drives through the C:\ drive wasn’t an option for Facilis Terrablock owners before v6 came out in July 2014.

I’ve put inquiries into both companies to see if they have experienced this behavior. I’ll report back my findings.

If anyone else is running into this I’d love to hear about any workarounds or just let me know I’m not the only person on the planet having this issue.

Thanks again for the help so far!

[Chad Gilmour]

Thank you so much for your help so far! Unfortunately this type of stuff is where I start to fall a bit short, please bare with me, I am extremely thankful for your assistance.

I see where I would map the equivalencies in CatDV, but I’m unsure how I can map paths as UNC since my Windows volumes are attached with Fibre and the only way of connecting to them is through the Facilis Client software which only provides the options of direct connecting (with drive letters) or connecting via a volumes folder on the C:\ drive which is as close to UNC file paths as I think I can get.

I tried making an equivalency like this but it didn’t seem to do anything:
/volumes/volume1 ⇒ C:\Volumes\volume1

Also note I am not using CatDV Server, only multiple licenses of CatDV Pro, and I am not using proxies only full-res media.

Thanks again!

[Chad Gilmour]

Good point! You got me thinking, and I think I figured WHY it’s not working, but now I can’t figure out how to fix it… To answer your question, we are using a Facilis Terrablock, directly attached via fibre.

Here’s the reason why I think things are goofing up… Windows assigns a letter to each drive unlike mac, which results in different file paths when you save something via mac or windows. CatDV is smart enough to figure that out, BUT Premiere Pro is not. As a result Facilis has the option to “trick” windows into mounting drives in a “volumes” folder on the C:\ drive which then results in the same file paths as Mac. However this “trick” is what appears to be halting CatDV. When I re-mount my drives the normal way (with drive letters), everything seems to be working fine with CatDV, except now my PPro project assets are all offline.

So now I’m in a catch 22. I have to mount my volumes inside my C:\ drive for PPro, but CatDV needs me to mount my volumes directly… Anybody else experience this? Restructuring my workflow and server isn’t really an option at this point. I might try raising this question over on the Facilis forum too.

[Chad Gilmour]

After further testing it seems my problem is stemming from the Mac to Windows jump.

I can make a catalogue on our windows system and playback any movie type in CatDV, but if I make a catalogue on a Mac and open it in Windows, most of the files “fail to open”

Our computer doing all the cataloguing is a Mac, but we are moving our edit workstations over to Windows.

Is this an issue with CatDV? The file paths are correct, I can show the file, and even open it in QT no problem on either OS.

[Chad Gilmour]

Sorry for the delay, but this has been a month in the making. Long story short, to rule out any issues that may have built up/corrupted my system (we all know how Windows is…) I am now working off a backup hard drive that was cloned from the day I got my computer Promax, so there shouldn’t be any issues with the OS becoming corrupt or a virus etc.

I did the “custom legacy install” of QT 7.6.6 and manually installed the 64bit version of Java and now the 64bit version of CatDV is working. 1 problem solved!

However CatDV is now refusing to play MOST files, it doesn’t seem to play any prores files over 60 seconds or so, but curiously, it does play some files, it does seem to like playing h.264 quicktimes. When I click on a file it usually stalls for 10 seconds, then gives this error message about the “native helper” failing: 8200_capture.jpg.zip

Any ideas what the “native helper” is and how to fix it?

Also, as of 11-17-2014 I am on the most current version of JAVA and CatDV

Thanks for all the help so far!