Just another day in Final Cut Server ****

I have an installation at a client where the Watchers periodically stop working, for no known reason. Today I spent about four hours trying to get the system to start responding, doing the normal steps such as uninstalling and reinstalling FCServer, compressor, etc. Eventually the only thing which brought the system back to life was to restore a database backup from the 23rd of February, which is odd because the system was working fine until around 1:43 PM on Friday the 27th. I can not figure out why this might be, but suffice to say the client is not happy about the four days of work lost. (By work, I mean annotations) Any suggestions of how to trouble shoot this would be appreciated.

I used to have this problem when I ran Qmaster/Compressor on the same server as FCServer. Now, I have FCServer send the render jobs to another xServe...runs perfectly and for months now.
Ryan Salazar

Similar Messages

Storage issues for Proxies using Final Cut Server

Hi there,
we have a fairly high amount of material that is just being put into Final Cut Server to be archived again.
I dont mind the Xserve being busy to create these proxy files, but they tie up too much space!
(Maths: 500 GB / 40 h of DVCAM footage result in more than 100 GB proxy files).
We have those 40 h running though more than once a month plus a whole LOT of material from the last 2 years - and our Xsan is only 7 TB in size.
Although we could theoretically buy another fiber raid this solution is not really future proof - it just pushes the time when we have to buy the next one a couple of months forward.. on top of that I cannot afford to have expensive, fast fiber channel storage used for proxies of files that are long archived and have only very limited use (and IF we need them, stick in the archive device and done).
Any ideas how to get rid of proxy files from archived assets?
I dont really want to take pen and paper and delete the proxies of the files by hand from the bundle.. dont think FCSvr will like this either.
thanks for any advice
tobi

So I'm not sure how your math is adding 100GB of proxy files
Are you creating VersionS and/or Edit Proxies of everything?
I ask because using the default Clip Proxy setting gives you file sizes similar to the ones below. These numbers aren't accurate because the default Transcode setting uses Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoding for both video and audio, but assuming you had a relative constant 800kbps stream here's how large your Proxies.bundle file should be
800kbps * 30secs = 2.4mb
800kbps * 60secs = 4.8mb
800kbps * 60secs * 60min = 280.8mb per hour
280.8mb per hours * 40= 11.2GB
Also note, that deleting an asset from FCSvr doesn't delete the proxy files so you could have a lot of proxies left over from a few historical scans.

Respect original media creation date in final cut server ?

my question is...
is there any way for final cut server to respect the original finder creation date of the media? I do understand that the file is being newly created in the database and thus will have a creation and modification date of when you put it in, but is there a way to tell the database to change the data.
Why am i trying to do this?
I have a bunch of old footage that has a creation date reflecting the actual date the footage was created off the camera. I use this date created to find footage in my database such as all footage from a shoot between 10/2/09 and 10/8/09.
What i have tried:
I have tried using the A Better Finder Attributes application to change the date created after i have imported the footage into final cut server. this caused issues with the proxy and thumbnail creation when i went to reanalyze the footage to see what it would do. I saw that final cut server does not look at the file itself to know when it was created and only logs this creation date in its own database without looking to the original file for this information.
I currently have a field in final cut server to manually enter the date but this is yet another step that someone needs to take when importing footage to server and the less steps the better.
do i have any options for final cut server 1.5 to respect the finder creation date of the original media? or change it after the import into fcserver?
What good is the creation date in fcserver if you have amassed years of old footage to be put into your database and find footage based on date it was originally created?
or what good is the creation date if you are on a shoot and do not get to ingest the footage until you get back, say maybe a few weeks later? how would you know when you shot which footage on what day?
Thanks for your help

H.264 is a puzzling choice of codec for edit proxies. H.264 is not an edit-friendly codec since it is a complex long-GOP structure and will require a ton of rendering just to play back the timeline. ProRES 422 Proxy would be a much better choice for editing. I'm afraid I can't account for the differences between Compressor and FCServer in this case, but my gut tells me the non-I-frame codec you are trying to use for edit proxies might have something to do with it. Maybe for an edit-proxy workflow to operate properly on the server-side the codec must be I-frame? Is there any reason you do not want to use ProRES 422 Proxy? They are about 1/3 the footprint of 720p24 DVCPRO-HD, which is already very efficient. For that frame rate and frame size they would be roughly half the heft of good ol' DV25.
So my answer to all three questions would be to try ProRES 422 Proxy for your edit proxies and see if everything lines up.

Final Cut Server Client Download Problems

I am attempting to install/run Final Cut Server client on my laptop and Mac tower. The other day the client software worked well on my Mac tower but today no go. I attempted to install the client software on my laptop, I can get to the download screen in a web browser by typing the address of the local server but when I press download the next page appears but no download or dialogue box appears. Also while wrestling with this problem I deleted the client software from my tower. This same issue is now happening on the tower when I try to restore the client software. Possibly related or not I just updated the software to 10.6.7. but tried another machine I have here that is at 10.6.4 with the same result. I also read an old post that described problems with download initiation and how they can be resolved by deleting a few specific resources out of the Java Preference Cash Files. I completed this process which resulted in no evident change.
BJ

Try removing the FCSvr client from your local machine and then reinstalling it from the web installer while you are connected via VPN. Run these commands in Terminal to remove it:
rm -r ~/Library/Caches/Java/
rm -r ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.finalcutserver/
rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finalcutserver.plist
rm -r ~/Desktop/Final Cut Server.app
Sometimes my client just won't launch like you are seeing and reinstalling it within whatever network connection I'm using gets it working again.

Backup Final Cut Server Asset Library

Hi,
I like to find out the correct procedure to backup and restore the Final Cut Server Asset Library, and able to link up the catalog correctly.
There are instructions to backup and restore the FC Server catalog, proxies, etc, but I'm unable to find instructions for the asset library.
It's possible that the FC Server hardware goes down or Mac OS X gets corrupted, with the instructions available, it's possible to get the FC Server back working.
It's also possible that the storage hardware of asset library will fail, so I like to find out the procedure so the FC Server catalog " does not" to see the restored asset as "new".
Cheers,
Ben

Ok, nothing until now, that`s probably a tough one.
More news:
1- Recover don`t do anything, any point in time doesn`t change this problem.
2- Installing FCSrv from DVD doesn`t do anything as well the 1.1.1 update.
3- installed fresh FCSrv on another machine for tests and of course those fields are there in this new install. Compared thoroughly each ASSET_SEARCH, PAGRPASSET, ASSETTILESVIEW, ASSETINFOVIEW, ASSETTHUMBNAILVIEW, Metadata Groups between two FCsrv (the good one -fresh - and the old one) with no difference.
4- Just to clarify: I had lots of .mov files WITH all ok (with this fields appearing) on the old FCSrv, suddenly it vanished and the only thing that appears is the title (just the title not the "title:"). It doesn`t matter if upload, scan or anything. It doesn`t matter if it`s a photo (.jpeg) or .mov or anything. It doesn`t matter if it`s inside a production.
5- Just to rule out the possibility of FCSrv ruining Mime Type from the original files, I`ve uploaded from OLD-FCSRV MEDIA device to the new one and all it`s ok like the second image (that I`ve found on the FCSrv online manual).
I`ll nonetheless install FCSrv fresh on this machine anyway, but I just want to know what triggered this strange, odd and bizarre behavior if it happens again in the future.
Thank you very much for any help or comments
Regards

Starting final cut server

Hi I am completely new to Final Cut Server and was wondering if I could get some of my questions answered about it. First off some back ground, the company I work for just brought me in recently and at the same time they decided too switch over to using FCP. Well they gave me the job of setting it up on their system, organizing the projects they have been working on to be easier to find and work with on FCS. As well as this I need to find out how Final Cut Server can make their life easier and present this information to them and show how this program can make their life easier.
Know I started off by reading what I can on final cut server and installing it. Know I have it set up, running under default settings, messed around with adding files to it and such.
here comes the big question, how is the best way to organize within final cut server. I and my company are used to thinking of things in a file way where you have the project file and within you have all the smaller files with your media for the project and sound and documents. How is the best way to organize projects?
Their is another part to this answer. we are not starting from scratch and are moving over a huge quantity of projects into FCS. To get the files over I created the file that they had been using to organize before, into an edit in place device. How can i easily and efficiently organize all this data so that it is useable for every one to access and resize what goes with the project that they are currently working on.
Thanks for your time

Zann00000 wrote:
Here comes the big question, how is the best way to organize within final cut server. I and my company are used to thinking of things in a file way where you have the project file and within you have all the smaller files with your media for the project and sound and documents. How is the best way to organize projects?
Their is another part to this answer. we are not starting from scratch and are moving over a huge quantity of projects into FCS. To get the files over I created the file that they had been using to organize before, into an edit in place device. How can i easily and efficiently organize all this data so that it is useable for every one to access and resize what goes with the project that they are currently working on.
Thanks for your time
To answer your first question, there is no "right" way to work with FCSvr. It is highly customizable and you get to bend it to your will (within some boundaries, of course). You should also know, since it sounds like you are new to FCP, that the media is not held within the project. It is stored separately and the project links to it. Therefore, you can have one piece of media that is used by more than one project. How your company should organize projects is something only someone who has spent time with your company can recommend. I can tell you that I decided to organize my files at the filesystem level by file type (documents, captured media, graphics, audio, etc.) and then gathered all related files of all types into Productions within FCSvr. That works for us, but something totally different might work for you.
On your second question, how is your existing storage organized into folders? Does each project get its own column of directories? Some other way? FCSvr can scan your storage using Production Scans to automatically turn folders full of files into Productions full of Assets and assign the folder name to the Production. That is the most automatic way to absorb an existing setup into FCSvr, but it only makes sense under certain conditions.
Finally, the way FCSvr makes life easier is via its automation capabilities. Learn how responses, subscriptions, watchers, and schedules work together. Think about how they can trigger each other. You can, for instance, set up subscriptions that will automatically send an email to a producer when a Production is ready for review. You can set up watch folders that will automatically encode files for use in making DVDs. You can trigger scripts and issue certain Terminal commands. Experienced users are finding a lot of things to improve on (it is a version 1 product after all), but even at this early stage the product is very robust.
After you get the hang of responses, subscriptions, watchers, and schedules you'll have this "eureka!" moment when you suddenly realize the true potential of FCSvr.
Good luck!

Final Cut Server and FileMaker Pro

Has anyone tried to import FileMaker Pro data into Final Cut Server? I have an FMP database with photos, video and audio files that I'd like to export to Final Cut Server along with the meta data and I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any experience with this.

It needs to be filled with RAM, and when running Pro Apps, in the faster graphics processor mode. Mail, etc. will likely run fine along side them. I'd not play games when rendering though.
When they don't run, they don't affect anything but disk space 60 gigs for it all including Templates... RAM is the key to running multiple apps on any given Mac.
Nice Mac too. I just saw one the other day for the first time. I love that new trackpad the most. It's likely a lot faster than my 2.3 laptop, and I can run all the apps at the same time no problem with it. But ya need to fill up the RAM. I like that it's so green.
Jerry

Final Cut Server Client not opening

So I really new to Final Cut Server (FCS). I have installed FCS on my Xserve as well as the FCS client on my laptop (Did all of that on a local LAN). When I go to my house and try to access FCS client it throws me an error, saying "Unable to launch the application". I really don't know what the issue. Here is the code that is given via java when i click details.
Launch File:
"<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<jnlp
spec="1.0+"
codebase="http://xserve.local" href="/FinalCutServer/FinalCutServer_mac.jnlp">
<information>
<icon kind="default" href="~fcsvr/webstart/FinalCutServer.icns"/>
<icon kind="shortcut" href="~fcsvr/webstart/FinalCutServer.icns"/>
<icon kind="splash" href="~fcsvr/webstart/FinalCutServer.png"/>
<title>Final Cut Server</title>
<vendor>Apple Inc.</vendor>
<homepage href="/FinalCutServer"/>
<description>Final Cut Server</description>
<description kind="short">Final Cut Server</description>
<shortcut online="true">
<desktop/>
<menu submenu="Apple"/>
</shortcut>
</information>
<security>
<all-permissions/>
</security>
<resources>
<jar href="/~fcsvr/webstart/FinalCutServer.jar"/>
<j2se version="1.5*" initial-heap-size="64m" max-heap-size="300m" java-vm-args="-Dapple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz=false"/>
<j2se version="1.6*" initial-heap-size="64m" max-heap-size="300m" java-vm-args="-Dapple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz=false -d32"/>
<property name="apple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz" value="false"/>
<property name="file.encoding" value="UTF-8"/>
</resources>
<resources os="Mac OS X" arch="i386">
<nativelib href="/~fcsvr/webstart/FinalCutServer_MacOSX.jar"/>
</resources>
<resources os="Mac OS X" arch="ppc">
<nativelib href="/~fcsvr/webstart/FinalCutServer_MacOSX.jar"/>
</resources>
<application-desc main-class="com.apple.FinalCutServer.javaui.FinalCutServer">
</application-desc>
</jnlp>"
Exceptions:
java.net.UnknownHostException: xserve.local
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:177)
at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(SocksSocketImpl.java:433)
at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:529)
at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:477)
at sun.net.NetworkClient.doConnect(NetworkClient.java:163)
at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:388)
at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:523)
at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.<init>(HttpClient.java:231)
at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:304)
at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:321)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getNewHttpClient(HttpURLConnection. java:965)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.plainConnect(HttpURLConnection.java :917)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.connect(HttpURLConnection.java:842)
at com.sun.deploy.net.BasicHttpRequest.doRequest(BasicHttpRequest.java:185)
at com.sun.deploy.net.BasicHttpRequest.doGetRequestEX(BasicHttpRequest.java:68)
at com.sun.deploy.net.DownloadEngine.isUpdateAvailable(DownloadEngine.java:933)
at com.sun.deploy.net.DownloadEngine.isUpdateAvailable(DownloadEngine.java:838)
at com.sun.deploy.net.DownloadEngine.getResourceCacheEntry(DownloadEngine.java:157 4)
at com.sun.deploy.net.DownloadEngine.getResourceCacheEntry(DownloadEngine.java:153 4)
at com.sun.deploy.net.DownloadEngine.getResource(DownloadEngine.java:217)
at com.sun.javaws.LaunchDownload$DownloadTask.call(LaunchDownload.java:1979)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(FutureTask.java:269)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:123)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java: 651)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:676)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:655)
Please someone help me out. I have been trying to get this for a few days.

Try removing the FCSvr client from your local machine and then reinstalling it from the web installer while you are connected via VPN. Run these commands in Terminal to remove it:
rm -r ~/Library/Caches/Java/
rm -r ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.finalcutserver/
rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finalcutserver.plist
rm -r ~/Desktop/Final Cut Server.app
Sometimes my client just won't launch like you are seeing and reinstalling it within whatever network connection I'm using gets it working again.

Final Cut server forgetting Admin password

I've been managing a Final Cut Server running on an Xserve for about 9 months now and awhile ago it developed a new bug. The computer itself forgets it's own admin password. All users are booted out and unable to log back in. I'm unable to use remote desktop to get either. If I'm already remoted in when this occurs I can't unlock any system preferences with the error that my password is wrong. Once we hard reboot the server the problem is gone and everything works as it should. This has occurs multiple times a day so you can imagine it is annoying and makes for grumpy end users. The server has been reformatted since this problem began but the final cut server database itself was just restored. Since we've reformatted the computer I assume the problem has to becoming from FCServer, which is why I'm posting here. Any ideas what could be causing this and how to solve it?

Nope, it OS X Server. FCSvr relies on the OS for all authentication. It doesn't do any itself. Never seen a system forget it's own Admin password. I'd have RAM and all hardware checked, even hard drives. Something is bad on the server, or you're being hacked.

Final cut server watcher never stop to transcode files

Hi, here my problem:
first of all this is my hardware:
1 xserve
1 xride (where are stored proxy files and thumbnails for final cut server) connected to xserve via fiberchannel
2 mac pro connected via 1Gb lan
2 macbook connected via 1Gb lan
1 macbook pro connected via 1Gb lan
1 nas connected via 1Gb lan
this is the software:
compressor installed on all the MACs
final cut server installed on the xserve
we need this system to encode mov files and create flv video for internet streaming content; the FCS watches a folder in the NAS (where we save the mov files) and then creates the video assets and the flv files. the flv file created will then be moved to another folder (still by automations)
the FCS watcher (the automation that creates flv) suddenly starts to transcode all the file already transcoded. to make the situation worse, the FCS job monitor allows to cancel just one job at time... we have thousands of movs in that folder so you can understand how big the problem is , but even if i stop all the transcoding one by one, it restarts to transcode from beginning.
well, thats all
hoping that it will not be more difficult to understand my english than to solve the above issue
thank you a lot

well... yes I want track the file but if in the flv copy response automation I set metadata to something like "Media" I will have two assets of the same file.
I will make an example:
I need to process the file myfile.mov (i remind you is a DV file); so I want to convert it in flv (i will upload it on my website afterwards, using as source the file copied by automation in NAS/FLV folder), successively I will put myfile.mov in my catalogue (with the Copy Response, No conversion, metadata set to "Media") cause what i want to catalogue is just the .mov file and not the .flv.
if I set the metadata in the flv copy response I will get an assets both the flv and mov file, but as told you _I just need the last one.
That's why i asked you if it is the right procedure or there is some other way less costly in terms of time and resources.
I hope you will see what i mean

Final Cut Server Setup

Hi everyone,
I have a client I edit for and she is in Los Angeles. I am in Orange County, CA and she has requested that I edit a project for her that consists of around 300 miniDV tapes. My dilemma is that I will be logging all the tapes from my home studio and she will need some way to be able to see the work that I am doing. We obviously can not meet every day to review. And I can not publish Quicktime movies every time i make a change. I am looking for some advice as to what I need to setup in the way of servers that can allow me to edit from my home and have my edits and assets be available for review to her in LA.
The setup would have to be massive to hold 300 DV tapes, but my main concerns are speed across the network and this is even remotely possible and not be a financial nightmare. I am in no way a huge studio, I run everything on my Mac Pro and would be looking to see if Xserve's, Final Cut Server and a few other things can be put to work for what I need.
Any and all advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Brian R.

Hi Brian,
I would say realistically, that trying to come up with a way to work remote supervised edit sessions without a lot of expense isn't going to be very successful. The one thing you might look into is Mac OS 10.5 can share the desktop and you can have a IM video chat. Might be possible for someone to watch you work from some remote location.
Good news is that if the client asked you to work on this and they know your not just around the corner then they must trust you to work on your own and just provide (perhaps) daily feedback; which can be done with a quicktime clip and a phone call or IM chat.
I don't think FCserver would do much of anything for you in this case.
o| TonyTony |o

FINAL CUT SERVER "UPDATE", YES, I said UPDATE!

Everyone,
I was just playing around on our Final Cut Server and ran a software update. I immediately saw that there were 2 updates: 1 for Final Cut Server and another which involved compressor!
The Final Cut Server update said that it resolves the check-in/check-out issues with projects! Hopefully the compressor update fixes all the qmaster issues we've been having.
- Ryan Salazar

After doing the server update as well as update to FCP 6.0.4 on the client systems, I see that we can now check-in/check-out projects!!!
Ryan

How do I migrate metadata from Final Cut Server for use in Premiere?

We're one of many companies looking to move to Premiere Pro from Final Cut.
We have thousands of tagged clips in Final Cut Server and I'm trying to find a way to export all that metadata so it can be used, and searched for, within Premiere Pro.
Does anyone know if/how this could be achieved?
The only thing I've found online that seems to be relevant is this:
http://www.andre-aulich.de/en/perm/export-asset-metadata-from-final-cut-server-using-built in-tools-only
This seems to explain how to export the metadata (although I don't fully understand it) but not how to make it useful for Premiere.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Well... I'm a librarian by training so I use Cat-DV a little differently.
I use it to make a searchable archive of proxy files for entire hard drives. I hook up a hard drive (say an old external) and point Cat-DV at it. It makes a catalog (locally) that has all the metadata (most importantly "date created") and a small proxy or thumbnail if it's a still. Then I unplug the drive, label it and put it on a shelf. When I need to find something all I have to do is consult the local catalog. I can search it (if I included any metadata) or, most likely, I'll just scrub around for date created. Cat-DV will display the exact path to where the asset is. I can search across multiple catalogs of drives without ever having to plug one in, Once I find the file I want, I just plug in that drive to retreive the file.
I use it mostly for stills and some b-roll that gets used over and over. For a variety of reasons, we never opted to make it a full replacement for FC Server.
And another thing... you can do a heck of a lot with the $99 or $300 version. You don't need to go the full enterprise server route (though you do have to do that to use the server functions).
You might also want to try Adobe Bridge for searching and editing metadata. In my experience, it's always been slow with video but that may well have changed. I haven't played with it in a while

One or more of the updates requested by Final Cut Server could not be...

We are getting the warning " One or more of the updates requested by Final Cut Server could not be applied. (one or more replacement file(s) had unexpected track settings.)" when a FCPv6.06 (possibly also FCPv7.0) project file is checked-out of Final Cut Server v1.5.1. The assets linked to the project are cached down successfully (this in not an XSAN environment) but opening the project alerts to some offline media files (not all) and we need to manually relink them to the assets in the Final Cut Server cache. All is good again until the project file is checked-out of FCSvr to another workstation.
Having a look at the path of the offline files it is referencing the path of the assets as they were on the previous editor's (different) workstation. None of our workstations have the same path to the Final Cut Server cache.
My understanding and experience is that FCSvr manages the paths for FCP linked assets and modifies the checked-out file's path to point to the workstation's FCSvr cache?
Can you tell me how I can resolve this issue?

I may have resolved this issue today or I'm at a stage where I can't replicate it. The problem may have been propagating from a within a template FCP project file we use to start our productions. I assume it was a corruption of the FCP file that FCSvr didn't recognise?

Final Cut Studio 2 on Final Cut Server 1.5

A few months back when I was looking at getting Final Cut Server 1.5, I asked a few people (including a mac employee), if FInal Cut Server 1.5 will work with Final Cut Studio 2 and they said yes.
I have now purchased final cut server 1.5 and I'm now seeing literature that says "for final cut pro integration, 7.0 or higher". Is this really true? We aren't upgrading our hardware to Intel for six more months.

Hey Jason,
Thanks for writing. Since the post I have run some tests and everything seems to be working fine. I really just need the ability to check projects in, versioning and checking projects out. That is all working fine.
Thanks!

Just another day in Final Cut Server ****

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