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need a script to get timecodes and filenames of movs..

Posted: October 7th, 2007, 11:22 am
by pixelarts
Hello everyone,

I need get the time code of a huge number of quicktime movies,and keep records in a separate database, along with other details like filename , with alpha or without alpha.., currently i note them from within after affects ..individually for each clip..would it possible for someone to put a script together to generate text file containing both the filename and time code--in hh:mm:ss:ff format? for say a selection of clips in the project window?

thanks.

Posted: October 8th, 2007, 6:16 pm
by bradshaw1965
Hey pixelarts,

I posted a utility/script combination to read Quicktime timecode in After Effects if you're on a Mac, if you're on a PC the source is included for the utility, but you'll have to convert and compile the objective-c code to straight c.

Hope that helps,

Dale

Posted: October 8th, 2007, 8:11 pm
by pixelarts
Hi Dale,

thanks for your reply.
the thing is i have zero programming knowledge, and have no idea what objective c is and how to compile..
could you guide mo on this please...how to go about it?

thanks

Posted: October 8th, 2007, 8:16 pm
by bradshaw1965
hey pixelarts,

Unfortunately, I think without some programming knowledge you wouldn't have much luck converting the code. I'm a mac guy and don't have the tools necessary to compile it either, if you find a PC guy just ask them to download the project, the files are all in the download.

Best,

Dale

Posted: October 8th, 2007, 8:25 pm
by pixelarts
Hi Dale,

thanks,will look into it.
by the way, what software is used to compile code on the pc platfirm?
is it some open source tool i can download an have a go at myself?

Posted: October 9th, 2007, 5:35 am
by bradshaw1965
The only environment that I'm familiar with for Quicktime development on the PC is Microsoft's Visual Studio. Not sure if their Express line of products has enough support to compile the QT function calls or not. PC dev is obviously not my strong point, sorry.

Posted: October 9th, 2007, 5:49 am
by pixelarts
thanks for letting me know..

now for some off topic rambling.. i had purchased useful assistants for after affects long before the scriptng feature came along, and there i saw great support for quicktime, there was also a free ua script which would spit out an html page of the selected comps givig footage info per selected clip including all the time codes..they have a support/request forum ..but they dont seem to be responding to my request ..even the profound effects creative cow forum no longer appears to be there..dont know whats going with them...anyway thanks for your help...

Posted: October 9th, 2007, 8:56 am
by bradshaw1965
I don't think the economics of Useful Assistants makes a lot of sense anymore. Jeff Almasol aka redefinery wrote the very cool script you reference, but I think the Quicktime support was more about Python support for Quicktime then anything AE native, but I'm sure he could fill you in better than I, including what, if anything, is up with Useful Assistants.

UA

Posted: October 9th, 2007, 7:44 pm
by redefinery
bradshaw1965 wrote:I don't think the economics of Useful Assistants makes a lot of sense anymore. Jeff Almasol aka redefinery wrote the very cool script you reference, but I think the Quicktime support was more about Python support for Quicktime then anything AE native, but I'm sure he could fill you in better than I, including what, if anything, is up with Useful Assistants.
hi pixelarts,

i'm no longer affiliated with Profound Effects, so you'll need to contact them on the current status of UA. honestly, i don't even recall the UA script you mention, but as dale pointed out it's probably a python module, unless the info is also accessible via the JavaScript interface.

:jeff