Wish: FCP signals render complete

[Jim Ross]

Would I just be wishful thinking for FCP & Compressor to "DING!" or "BOING!" or make some kind'a noise so I can know that my unkown-chugging away-taking forever-video render is complete and I can stop sticking my head in my office every 5 minnutes to see if it is done? I am wearing out my carpet! Heh heh!

Jim

[Mike Barber]

Originally Posted by Jim Ross

...sticking my head in my office every 5 minnutes to see if it is done? I am wearing out my carpet!

What, the ball-park estimate isn't good enough for you?

Baby. ;-}D

[Jim Ross]

Actually I don't get a "ballpark" estimate anymore. After the last Apple FCP "upgrade" none of the FCP suites we have (we have four) in our office give an estimate of time. Just a barometer that reads 0% until it disappears when the render is complete. Only the batch monitor in compressor shows a % completion. AfterEffects lets us know with a DING! when done. I like that! "Ding! Toast!"

I know: b@tch b@tch b@tch ha ha ha!

[Theodore McNeil]

Even better - what if it could send you an email, txt or a twitter-type notice. That way we could go outside and see the sun every once and while.

[Andy Mees]

Seems like you need the wonderful Andreas Kiel's Render Alert applescript:

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tell application "System Events"
tell application process "Final Cut Pro"
set windowList to get name of every window
end tell
end tell

if windowList contains missing value then
beep 5
end if

quit

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Copy and paste that into the Script Editor app in the /Applications/AppleScript folder and save it as an application

Drop the app in your dock. Once you start a render, click on the render alert in the dock. Nothing will happen until the render finishes, at which stage your system alert sound should sound five times.

You must have Universal access activated for this to work - which is in OS X's System Preferences > Universal Access > tick the box "Enable access for assistive devices" at the bottom of the window.


For extra credit you can change the "beep 5" bit to do something more flashy like send you an SMS via Skype ...

tell application "Skype"
activate
end tell

tell application "System Events"
tell application process "Skype"
set theTarget to "skype:" & internationalPhoneNumber & "?sms"
open location theTarget

keystroke theText
delay 2

keystroke tab using shift
keystroke return

end tell
end tell


none of this code is mine ... its all scavenged from various quick searches of the internet for Andreas' Render Alert helper app

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[Nate Haustein]

This is very cool. I didn't have a skype account, so after hunting around I found a way to do it through email with apple mail.

So... start the render in FCP, click on the new script app I created, then when the render completes, it sends an email to my phone which appears as a text.

I'll attach the programs to this post for anyone who wants to try it out. The only thing you'll have to change using Script Editor is the phone number - here's a link to help find what yours is. SMS 411: How to send email to a phone

Thanks everyone for all the help.


And the code....

tell application "System Events"
tell application process "Final Cut Pro"
set windowList to get name of every window
end tell
end tell

if windowList contains missing value then
set the_number to "5555555555@message.alltel.com"
set the_message to "Your Final Cut Pro Render is Complete"
set the_subject to "FCP Notification"

tell application "Mail"
set new_message to (make new outgoing message at end of outgoing messages)
tell new_message
set visible to true
make new to recipient at end of to recipients with properties {address:the_number}
set subject to the_subject
set content to the_message
send
end tell
end tell
end if

quit

[Josh Laronge]

Gentlemen,
You Rock!!!

[Noah Kadner]

Wow- that is cool. Now if you could only make it so Bruce the Yak calls you up it would be perfect.

Noah