automation blocks - export batch stills feature and custom filenaming

[angel_xes]

new to automation blocks for premeiere wanted to ask if someone has some insight on scripting the following 

* for exporting batch stills is there a way where I can specify the output name of the file by using the name of the sequence so I dont have to manually type in the output file name 

* is there a way to manually stop the script from running as I'm still in testing phase 

* is there a batch export stills feat where I could load up a few videos and let it run as well as incorperating the first request using the name of the sequence for output file name . so basically how this would work is load up all the video on the sequence timelines then run this batch feat and the script will output the export still markers to media encoder and use the file name from the sequence . the script would have to create a folder with the name of the sequence and place those specific stills in the perspective folders. 

any insight will help  

[angel_xes]

* how would you also do a custom export still by setting range using timecode . so lets say i wanted to specify x amount of stills per x amount of frames between the following time codes 00:30:10:05:06 - 00:39:10:05:06 

[Mathias Moehl]

I recoreded this tutorial for you, where I answer all the questions:

In the video we modify the "Render Frames at Equal Distances" tool such that

- the name of the sequence is used for the naming of the output files

- instead of the active sequence all sequences selected in the project panel are processed

- extra parameters are added to the UI to specify a start and end timecode for the range that should be processed

The xml file of the customized block code is attached. I also added it to the Community Library in the folder "Render Queue"

[angel_xes]

i just watched the video and WOW thank you sooooo much . i just started using automation blocks and based upon what ive seen so far you have truely created a masterpiece for customizing feat within adobe premiere. Not only are you great programming but also a great businessman . I reached out to you via email and within days you put this video up for me i cant thank you enough. i will begin testing and post some feedback. Question it seems that your automation blocks is very custimizable with so many variables and options im sure theres a learning curve to get everything down in regards to using it. Have you ever thought about feeding that information into a AI LLM so that way the average person could type in what they wanted AB (automation blocks) to execute? that would also be a game changer. well something to look forward to in the future . keep up the great work and thanks again 🙂

[Mathias Moehl]

That's an interesting idea, but LLMs require a lot of training data and this is not available for AB (yet). Another idea I have is to curate a list of freelancers who are skilled in writing Automation Blocks tools. Then you could hire somebody to create a dedicated tool for you. As you see in my recordings, many things can be done very quickly, so I guess this should enable many people to get customizations for a reasonable price. 

[angel_xes]

began some testing tonight and ran into this after running an export 

xxx_0000_vs-dng-00-00-39-40_0
xxx_0000_vs-dng-00-00-39-50_0
xxx_0000_vs-dng-00-00-40-00_0000
xxx_0000_vs-dng-00-00-40-00_0001
xxx_0000_vs-dng-00-00-40-00_0002
xxx_0000_vs-dng-00-00-40-00_0003

so by the time it reached sec 40 it stopped doing timecode filename exports and started doing a sequence 4 digit number . any idea whats going on and or how to fix?

[Mathias Moehl]

That's strange. I just checked and for me it works fine also for timecodes above 40 secs. Did you change the block code somehow? I have slashes in the timecode, where you have dashes - did you modify the code for this?

Here is a screen recording showing what I would do to further investigate the issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkEUphe2xGw

[angel_xes]

ok let me try a few things on my end to test as the original video file was named xxx_0000_vs-dng-.mp4 and then i named the sequence xxx_0000_vs-dng- 

im going to do some renaming and report my findings thank you 

[Mathias Moehl]

Update: I see the behavior on my machine now, too. It happens only much later in my timeline. My first impression is that the outpoint calculated by the "add to render queue" goes wrong somehow. It seams like for the later frames, instaed a a single frame each render job renders many frames. Maybe some kind of rounding issue - like Automation Blocks setting the duration to a single frame, then the rounding issue turns it into no frame and then Media Encoder decided to render everything instead of nothing. I investigate further...

[Mathias Moehl]

The issue seems to only occur if you try to render frames behind the end of your sequence. In that case Media Encoder decides to render the entire sequence instead.

I added a fix to the code such that it never attempts to render frames behind the end of the sequence. See this video for details:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJXXa4rb1M

The new block code is attached (and also updated in the Community Library)

[angel_xes]

ahhh ok i just started testing before i seen this . i will download this new one and give it a go. and report my findings 

[celvin34513115hqsk]

While I can't provide a full script for your requirements, I can offer some guidance and point you in the right direction.

1. Export Batch Stills with Sequence Name as Output File Name:

   • You can access the sequence name using the app.project.rootItem.name property. Here's an example of how you might use it:

     javascriptCopy code

     var sequenceName = app.project.rootItem.name; var outputPath = "C:\\Path\\To\\Your\\Output\\Folder\\" + sequenceName + "_still";

2. Manually Stop the Script:

   • During testing, you can use $.sleep(milliseconds) to introduce a delay. This allows you to stop the script manually during the sleep period. For example:

     javascriptCopy code

     $.sleep(30000); // Sleep for 30 seconds

3. Batch Export Stills to Media Encoder:

   • Adobe Premiere Pro scripting doesn't provide a direct interface for Media Encoder. However, you can export frames and then import them into Media Encoder. Here's a simplified example:

     javascriptCopy code

     var sequence = app.project.activeSequence; var outputPath = "C:\\Path\\To\\Your\\Output\\Folder\\" + sequence.name + "_stills"; for (var i = 0; i < sequence.videoTracks[0].clips.length; i++) { var clip = sequence.videoTracks[0].clips[i]; var framePath = outputPath + "\\frame_" + i + ".png"; clip.exportFramePNG(framePath); // Import the frame into Media Encoder if needed. }

   • This script assumes a single video track. You may need to adapt it based on your specific project structure.