Can I convert file to .screenflowf OR move markers?
I always link to my media, so I can create tiny .screenflowf files to add markers to instructional videos. I installed SF10 on my second machine, and forgot to set the Preference > Advanced to Single File. Now my Markers file is 1.8G!
Is there a way to convert this file to a .screenflowf format? Or anyway to export markers and reimport them?
Thanks. I really don't understand why "embedding all media" is the default. It would be nice if at least Screenflow asked when I first open it which method I would like.
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Sorry but there's no current way to convert between Package and Single File. No way to export markers. We do have a number of feature requests for exporting markers.
Trish Meyer said:
I really don't understand why "embedding all media" is the default.It makes media management the simplest given the typical user.
When the devs consider more advanced media management they consider how many users will dig themselves into trouble so they try to focus on ease of use. -
Perhaps if there could be a persuasive case to include a way to convert Package to Single File as a feature that might be a typical workflow I can write something up. I could write this but developers may want to see a typical deliberate workflow need.
It's already there as a preference setting that is program-wide to avoid having to set this for each document.
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Craig: Thanks for your reply.
The problem as I see it is that I had preference set to Single File for v.9 and v.10 on my main Mac, and in v9 on my laptop. But when I upgraded my laptop to 10, I never thought to check this preference. It is a setting that I set once and forget about it. Plus I am used to Adobe Apps asking if you want to "migrate" preferences over.
I just finished recreating all my markers from the bad project file to a newly created .screenflowf file, and deleted the original file. That way my Markers file is 263K instead of 1.8Gigs.I don't need my Zoom recording duplicated and I don't want it inside a package, so I really need the Markers to be a tiny file. Plus, I can share this file with another student who is also using Screenflow.
So here are some solutions:
- ask to migrate Preferences when opening for the first time
- OR, ask when installing and opening for the first time how you would like to manage the Default File Format
- Be able to convert to a .screenflowf file by doing a special Save As. (If I could have deleted the source video so the timeline was empty, did a Save As .screenflowf, then reimported the media, that would have saved me an hour of tedious work.)
- Be able to Export Markers.
I would really LOVE to be able to export my markers as a text file, and then collect this in a single InDesign document for formatting. I am doing zoom classes that cover 4 to 6 lessons, and if I could print out the list of markers for all the lessons, this would serve as an "index" for the front of the handouts. And I could make a PDF that would be searchable for other students.
- Final feature request: Format the timing for the markers to be SMPTE time,
01:10:55
instead of
1 hour, 10 mins, 55....
so that it matches the timeline counter. Plus, the .... (for seconds) at the end makes it look like there is something missing!
Thanks for making the markers count at 25 fps though - at least it makes sense now in v10.
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As for typical workflow:
I download a 2+ hours Zoom recording and I create an index to the lesson using Markers.I'm teaching a fellow student how to use Screenflow to do the same. She's downloaded the demo for now, and sees the benefit of this workflow. Having small Markers files that can be shared is great for a team project.
By the way, "linking to the file" is completely normal behavior for Premiere and After Effects users. Only Photoshop "embeds" the footage inside the file, but their files are much smaller.
Twice in the past week I've had students tell me that their hard drives are filling up with videos. Hard drive space - especially on laptops - is not infinite!
Perhaps if the Single File (linking) behavior was better explained, people would realize that there is a huge benefit to having a small project file and the original video sources inside a project folder, and not creating enormous Screenflow files.
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Trish Meyer started feature request on Document conversation between Packaged and Single File FLOW-11522
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Trish Meyer Our product manager Mike D would like to speak to you regarding the Package vs Single File issue. Please email him and he'll set up a time to talk with you directly.
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Trish Meyer said:
Having small Markers files that can be shared is great for a team project.Developers are most certainly looking at that. They've asked what format would be best. FLOW-2497 The developers may be leaning towards CSV. Would that work?
Trish Meyer said:
Perhaps if the Single File (linking) behavior was better explainedI think the devs are working under the assumption that this is a complex concept for many ScreenFlow users who don't have experience with that kind of management. Perhaps with more flexible relinking features, it might be easier for users if they have to dig them out of a hole. Even using the other NLEs I've certainly seen the frustration when relinking fails.
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1: I would be happy with any kind of export as I am proficient with a spreadsheet and formatting, and anything is faster than copying and pasting one marker at a time!
YouTube Chapters would be a great use for exported markers. They use pretty simple formatting in the 00:00:00 format (no seconds), with one space after and then the chapter title. If the video is over an hour, then it's formatted like this:
56:22 New Boku-Undo Colored Ink Sticks
58:33 Grinding colored ink
01:08:43 Which paper to use
01:10:22 Using gum sandaracAgain, no seconds are used, which is why I always place markers on whole seconds out of habit. Actually, being able to scrub the SF timeline in whole seconds using a modifier key would be awesome.
So it may be necessary to have two options: one for a .csv and one for a simple text file (with no seconds).
Above is for a video I edited in Premiere destined for YouTube. All I do in PrPro is add Markers as I go, and then I can export as a csv. However, it needs a bit of work to get it to the exact formatting that YouTube wants.
Attached is what Premiere exports as a comma delineated file. I've now learned that if I place the marker at :00 (no seconds), I can search and replace ":00" and delete the seconds!
2: I agree that a project with linked files has a bit of a learning curve for a non-graphic designer or video editor. But it's been around since the early days of desktop publishing, so there are plenty of models to study. PrPro's model is pretty good these days. Plus, having better media library management would also make Proxies much easier to manage too, as you can enable/disable them with a toggle switch.
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Trish Meyer You've mentioned exporting for YouTube, ScreenFlow supports markers for YouTube. Do you need to import Markers from ScreenFlow into Premiere? If so, what format would you want?
For example export video from ScreenFlow, export Markers from ScreenFlow, and import both into Premiere for further editing.
ScreenFlow Chapter Markers for YouTube.
So the developers want to understand export usage beyond YouTube.
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CraigS Interesting question.
I don't actually need that functionality but I could think it would be useful for anyone doing a consumer edit in Screenflow and then passing the project to a professional to add titles and lowerthirds etc.Problem is that Premiere can only Export Markers. To Import Markers, you would need to use a plug-in. Doing a quick search, there is a free plugin for Premiere called Marker Box that seems to import .csv files:
http://markerbox.pro
I see that MamoWorld has created a custom way to import Markers to Premiere from an app called Screenlight - seehttps://screenlight.tv/blog/getting-started-with-screenlight-marker-importer-for-adobe-premiere-pro
MamoWorld is run by Mathias, well-known expert in the After Effects plug-in world.
https://mamoworld.com/page/who-we-are
I would start by reaching out to Mathias as it might be possible to clone the Screenlight solution for Screenflow.
At the very least, I think .csv exporting from Screenflow and then figuring out Marker Box would suffice. Hope that helps.
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Trish Meyer said:
But it's been around since the early days of desktop publishing,And I've been using such since 1990 or so (early NLE days).
ScreenFlow product manager would like to talk to you about this as per above.
Developers have wanted to ask customers details about marker export formats. They want to avoid having too many options. -
Happy to go into more details with product manager. I will be back in the office next Tuesday.
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re YouTube: 00:00:00 format (no seconds)
meant to write "no frames", not "no seconds"! They use Hrs:Mins:Secs.
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Trish Meyer said:
meant to write "no frames", not "no seconds"Thought that's what you meant. Seconds are critical. Frames much less so.
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Trish Meyer said:
At the very least, I think .csv exporting from Screenflow and then figuring out Marker Box would suffice. Hope that helps.Thanks for all that info. CSV does look to have diverse utility especially given markerbox pro. I'll present this to our developers.