Using Final Cut Server it is possible to still use assets that are stored on the server even when the workstation is offline (not on the same network as the Final Cut Server). This allows users to work on projects using assets from Final Cut Server over a VPN, on an airplane or from a hotel room. When you control-click on an asset you can select the Prepare for Disconnected Use to cache the primary representation. At this point if you browse to the ~/Documents/Final Cut Server/Media Aliases you can drag the file into a Final Cut Pro project and edit away.
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Final Cut Server: Viewing Job Status
When Final Cut Server is converting a file from one format to another, importing files, etc. a job is added to the queue. To view the status of these jobs, click on the menu button and click on Search All Jobs. You will see the last jobs run, which can be a lot of jobs in some instances. Now click on the disclosure triangle next to the magnifying glass and you will see a list of search parameters. You can then switch Status to Equals and enter FAIL in the status box as seen here. If you click on the search button you will only see failed jobs. You…
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Final Cut Server: Video Tutorials
These have been up for awhile but I found myself pointing them out to someone earlier today and so thought I’d post a link: http://www.apple.com/finalcutserver/tutorials/
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Final Cut Server: Checking Media In and Out
To Check Media Out in Final Cut Server, first browse to the clip you want to check out and then while that clip is highlighted, click on the icon below that looks like a pencil. Now you will be prompted for where on your system you would like to save the file to. Select the location and click Save and the file will download to your computer. While other users can see it, when a file is checked out no one else will be able to use the file. Once you’re done with it, check it back in by browsing to the clip in Final Cut Server and clicking on…
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Final Cut Server: Stops Making Proxies
If Final Cut Server stops making proxies for you then check the Qmaster app in Activity Monitor. If it’s red then Force Quit it and it should fire back up immediately. If it does so repeatedly then reinstall Qmaster. If you want to script it then it’s qmasterprefs -restart in /usr/sbin. Seems to be happening more than it should…
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Final Cut Server: Working with Annotations
Annotations allow you to comment on various parts of the time-line for a clip. To setup an annotation, open a clip and then click on the button to the far right below: Now the proxy clip will cache to your system. Once it’s complete, use the i key to set an in/out marker for in and then the o key to set out (and you guessed it, space bar works here too). But don’t click Add Annotation yet, first type notes into the notes field. Once you have entered an annotation you can delete one by clicking on the x beside it in the annotations list. In order to…
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Final Cut Server: Reanalyze an Asset
If you attempt to Analyze an asset and it fails, or an asset fails to analyze on import then you will not see proxy clips and possibly poster frames for the clip. This could be due to a lot of reasons, but you can retry the analyze process to see if it’s something with the clip. To do so, do a get info on the clip in Final Cut Server, then click on the cog wheel menu for the item and select Analyze from the drop-down menu.
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The Final Cut Server Command Line
Final Cut Server has a fairly robust, albeit fairly unsupported command line. The following is a list of some useful commands, along with their paths and functions: The following are in /Library/Application Support/Final Cut Server/Final Cut Server.bundle/Contents/Resources/sbin: fcsvr_run allows you to interact with the database, amongst other things. To interact with the database use psql as the first positional parameter and then pxdb as the second, to identify which database you will interact with. You can then run a select statement in quotations to do a variety of tasks, such as tallying up the number of assets in a database, etc. Once you have certain information you can then use grep…
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Final Cut Server: The Client
OK, so you’ve got that shinny new Artbox, er, Final Cut Server installed and now you want to start using it. You’ve configured proxy settings, metadata sets, etc. So you insert your CD into the client and go to run the installer. But wait a minute, the client isn’t there… You feverishly search the box that the Unlimited Client came in but find nothing. Uh oh. Now we have a problem… Well, never fear. Apple loves you. The client is on the server available to all. Simply point your browser at the IP of the server followed by /finalcutserver and viola, you’ll love it in an instant. Now click on…
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Final Cut Server: Log Notes
Do you use log notes in your Final Cut Pro projects pretty extensively? If so then you’ll be happy to know that the log notes are included in the metadata that FCS imports when the project is imported…